Visual Arts (A.A.)

BCC Visual Arts student standing in front of a white screen

Visual Arts Program Overview

The Visual Arts concentration in the Fine Arts degree program offers courses comparable to those taken during the first two years at typical professional art schools and in college or university art departments. The program's flexible design permits students to transfer to both kinds of institutions. There is a strong emphasis on foundation courses, and each student is encouraged in the development of a portfolio. Related majors at the baccalaureate level include art education, art history, art therapy, arts management, commercial art, fashion design, film making, graphic arts, industrial design, interior design, painting, photography, sculpture, and textile design.

This is a MassTransfer eligible program.

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Visit the College Catalog for program details

Contact Us

Lisa Griffith, Program Advisor
lgriffith@berkshirecc.edu
413-236-4712

Job Growth and Wages

*Dependent on achieving a Bachelor's degree.
Craft and Fine Artists: $48,960/year; Job Growth: slower than average Fashion Designers: $72,720/year; Job Growth: slower than average Graphic Designers: $50,370/year; Job Growth: slower than average Interior Designers: $53,370/year; Job Growth: as fast as average Industrial Designers: $55,000/year; Job Growth: as fast as average Art Teacher: $38,000/year; Job Growth: as fast as average

Transfer Degrees

  • Graphics Design
  • Animation
  • Illustration
  • Painting and Drawing
  • Art Education
  • Ceramics
  • Sculpture
  • Industrial Design
  • Interior Designer

Transfer Schools

  • University of Massachusetts Amherst/ Dartmouth/ Lowell
  • Massachusetts College of Art and Design
  • Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
  • Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)
  • The School of the Art Institute Chicago
  • School of Visual Arts New York
  • Sage College New York
  • Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA)
  • Pratt School of Design

Expected Outcomes

Graduates of this program should be able to:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the visual vocabulary of art forms and techniques;
  • Demonstrate with confidence an ability to solve artistic problems during the process of creating art;
  • Develop an artistic style that demonstrates creativity and the personality of the artist;
  • Demonstrate an ability to articulate and write about art projects that they are executing; and
  • Demonstrate a general knowledge of contemporary art history, both at a conceptual level and in the context of creating one's own art work.
BCC Visual Arts student holding a ceramic piece