FAQs

How do I apply for admission at A&M-Commerce?
Application is easy through www.applytexas.org, an online application portal used by many colleges and universities in Texas. Students seeking admission at A&M-Commerce will complete this application and submit official transcripts (high school, GED, and other institutions of higher education) and ACT or SAT scores. For additional information follow this link to the Office of Admissions.

Studio Graduate Admissions
The Graduate School offers various opportunities for graduate admissions. Each program/area of study may require additional documents or have different admission deadlines. Below are the types of admission and links to program specific information. Please contact one of the Graduate Services Coordinators for assistance. You may check your application status online once you have received your ID and PIN number from the Graduate School. Master’s program offers full, conditional and provisional admission. International Students (F1 or J1 visa holders) are eligible for full and conditional admissions only.
Studio Arts Graduate Application Procedures (PDF)

VisCom Graduate Admissions
The MFA is designed to accommodate applicants who are currently employed or have previous experience in the field of visual communication. Students seeking admission to the program must apply to the Office of Graduate Studies and submit all application materials including application, application fee, all official bachelor’s transcripts, one letter of recommendation, and a ART portfolio website link, assistantship (optional). Classes begin each fall term for the MFA.
MFA in Visual Communications Admission Packet (PDF)
VisCom Graduate Application Procedures (PDF)

May I apply for financial assistance?
Many art students receive financial assistance in the form of scholarships, grants, and loans. Follow this link to learn more about financial aid, eligibility requirements, and application procedures.

Must I submit a portfolio of my art for admission as a freshman?
Entering freshmen are not required to submit portfolios of their art work. Neither are transfer students required to submit portfolios for most freshman and sophomore-level foundations courses. However, requests to transfer advanced courses from other institutions must be supported by examples of art work completed in those classes and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

What is a major, and how do I chose one?
A “major” is the specialization of a college student in a particular subject, as for example in history, chemistry, or accounting. Being an “art major” means that a student is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in a concentrated area of the visual arts. Because art degrees require more specialized courses than the typical major in other disciplines, however, a more accurate way of describing a student’s concentration in a sequence of advanced courses is by the area of emphasis. Thus, strictly speaking, art students choose an emphasis in an area or medium of the art curriculum rather than a major. The emphases in the Department of Art fall within the following areas:

Bachelor of Arts in Art with an emphasis in art history
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art with Teacher Certification
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art with one of the following emphases:
Ceramics
Experimental Studies
Painting
Photography
Sculpture

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication with one of the following emphasis:
Art Direction
Copywriting
Design
New Media
Photography

When a student is accepted into the Department of Art at A&M-Commerce, he or she will be asked to select an emphasis for purposes of advising. The choice will be made from the list of emphases above. Of course, a student’s emphasis may be changed at any time if he or she decides to pursue an alternative academic route.

What careers are available for graduates with degrees in Art?
Career opportunities for students with art degrees are more plentiful than commonly believed. Public school art teachers are continually in demand in a profession seeing frequent openings due to retirement, turnover, and career movement. Countless cities, counties, and civic organizations have arts programs that recruit employees with backgrounds in the visual arts. Museums, galleries, and private collections require arts-educated workers at all levels, as do art restoration specialists, appraisers, and consulting firms. The advertising industry is a major employer of graduates in Visual Communication, and A&M-Commerce graduates have been especially successful in the fields of graphic design, art direction, illustration, and photography. (See the student success stories on this site.) Additional graduate-level study in art can also lead to teaching positions at colleges and universities. The Office of Career Development can assist students in learning more about employment during college and after graduation.

Does the Department of Art accept advanced placement (AP) from high school?
Yes, advanced placement credits with scores of 3 or higher (0-5 scale) are considered on a case-by-case basis. Students may apply by submitting their scores and portfolio to the Department Head. When applying, please specify the course title(s) and number(s) for which you are requesting credit. For more information on advanced placement and other methods of placing out of courses, please see the online undergraduate catalog.

May I transfer credits to A&M-Commerce from another institution of higher education?
Yes. Most freshman and sophomore-level foundations classes in art (beginning drawing, 2-dimensional design, surveys of art history, etc.) are accepting routinely from other accredited colleges and universities, although classes that are not part of a standard foundations curriculum, as well as advanced courses, must be considered on case-by-case basis and ordinarily require a portfolio review scheduled with the department head.

What is the difference between Fine Arts and Visual Communication?
The Fine Arts are the traditional or historical media of art that include ceramics, drawing, painting, and sculpture. Students pursuing degrees in Fine Arts often aspire to earn livelihoods through marketing and selling their work or by entering the teaching profession. In contrast, Visual Communication describes the kinds of art found in contemporary advertising, for example, art direction, copywriting, graphic design, and computer and internet-based media. At A&M-Commerce courses in photography fall within both areas of the art curriculum. Students may therefore pursue a BFA with an emphasis in photography either in Fine Arts or Visual Communication, depending on their professional objectives after graduation.

How do I become an art teacher?
Students aspiring to teach in the public schools of Texas will pursue the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art with Teacher Certification, an emphasis combining a diverse selection of art courses and a prescribed sequence of courses in the College of Education and Human Resources. This degree concludes with a field-based experience in which future teachers observe and practice under the supervision of an established teacher in a public school. In addition to the successful completion of the degree requirements, students must pass the TExES Exam (Texas Examination of Educators Standards), taken ordinarily during the senior year. Follow this link to see the full list of requirements for the BFA in Studio Art with Teacher Certification.

Teaching art at the college level requires both a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 18 graduate-level semester hours in the medium or subject of instruction. Most four-year institutions require that instructors possess the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in the medium or area they teach. Eligibility to teach art history at the college level is similar in that 18 graduate-level semester hours in the discipline are the minimal requirement; however, a completed Master’s degree or Ph.D. in the subject are more advantageous in finding employment at the university level. Follow this link to see the requirements of admission into the Graduate School

Is there a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in Art History?
Yes, the Bachelor of Arts in Art allows students to take a broad selection of courses in studio art and the humanities, coupled with an emphasis in art history. Because art history is a multicultural discipline and many majors contemplate additional graduate studies in the field, this degree requires 12-semester hours (4 courses in sequence) in a single foreign language. High school credits in foreign language may be applied to this requirement in the following ways: Students will complete (1) Two college courses above the elementary level if 2 units of high school credit are applied; or (2) One college course above the elementary level if 2 or 3 high school credits are presented. For additional information about the foreign language requirement please follow this link

Will I need a computer for my art classes, and if so, what kind?
Students at A&M-Commerce have access to several general use computer labs around the campus, so having a personal computer is not an absolute requirement. However, most photography and visual communication students make the investment in a personal computer to keep up with the particular class assignments in those areas. Macintosh is the preferred platform. It is recommended that students inquire about discounts offered by vendors and educational institutions.

What camera and accessories are needed for photography courses?
Students taking photography courses at A&M-Commerce will need a single-lens reflex digital camera with both automatic and manual settings. The purchase of additional camera equipment, such as specialized lenses, should be discussed with the instructors of each photography course. Photography students have full access to the computer labs, where they benefit from regularly updated computers, printers, and software. Through course fees the Department of Art endeavors to subsidize expenses for other consumable supplies, including printing paper. Many colleges require students to undergo a portfolio review after the second year.

What is a portfolio review, and is it a requirement of the Department of Art?
As in many other college art departments, there is a portfolio review for all students at the end of the sophomore year.

What is the Universities Center at Dallas?
Situated in downtown Dallas, the Universities Center at Dallas (UCD) is a multi-storied building shared by UNT and UT-Arlington that houses the classrooms, computer labs, and faculty/staff offices supporting the curriculum in Visual Communication (art direction, copywriting, design, new media, and photography). Vis Com students take their advanced courses here in an inspiring urban setting near the city’s arts and design districts. The street address is 1901 Main Street, Dallas, TX 75201. Follow this link to learn more about the UCD or contact Ms. Lee Whitmarsh, Director of Visual Communication.

Is there accommodation for students with disabilities?
The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides comprehensive protection for persons with disabilities. All students with disabilities will be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact: Office of Student Disability Resources and Services, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Gee Library, Room 132, Phone (903) 886-5150 or (903) 886-5835, Fax (903) 468-8148, StudentDisabilityServices@tamu-commerce.edu or Office of Student Disability Resources and Services