Introduction Degrees Offered
Requirements for Graduation
Student Organizations

Overview

Since the founding of TCU more than a century ago, Fine Arts studies have been a vital and integral part of the University's educational program. Today, some 500 students concentrate their studies within the three departments and one school that comprise The College of Fine Arts. Degree programs are available in Art and Art History, Ballet and Modern Dance, Music, and Theatre Arts. The academic programs of the college exact an appropriate balance between professional training and liberal arts studies. Personal counseling and relatively small classes allow the faculty to give attention to the work of each student.

Our faculty are dedicated teachers who combine strong academic training with years of professional experience in their disciplines. They pride themselves on their ability to convey to their students the knowledge necessary for successful lives and careers in the 21st century. We also have visiting faculty, guest artists, and performers who interact with students throughout the year enriching their learning experiences.

Resources available to students include numerous computer labs, lighting and sound systems, specialized libraries and equipment, galleries, art and dance studios, theaters, and performance halls. Our new Walsh Center for the Performing Arts was opened in 1999. Importantly, our programs enjoy close working relationships with the Kimbell Art Museum, The Fort Worth Symphony, Casa Mañana Theatre and the other visual and performing institutions in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

Organization and Program

The College of Fine Arts is organized into three departments and one school offering 24 major fields of concentration. The departments provide professional training in vocational fields for students planning careers and serious avocational training and for those who wish to attain artistic ability without professional intent.

Schools

School of Music

Performance
Piano, Organ, Voice, Band and Orchestral Instruments
Piano Pedagogy
Theory and Composition
Music Education
Church Music
Opera

Departments

Department of Art and Art History

Drawing, Design and Painting
Photography
Printmaking
Sculpture
Graphic Design
Art Education
Art History

Department of Ballet and Modern Dance

Classical and Contemporary Ballet
Modern Dance
Character, Jazz, Choreography
History of Dance

Department of Theatre

Acting
Musical Theatre
Directing
Scenic Design
Costume Design
Lighting Design
Make-up and Hair
Stagecraft
Costume Construction

Degrees Offered

Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a major in graphic design, studio art, or art education; ballet or modern dance; theatre.

Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in art history, music, or theatre. (The Bachelor of Arts degree requires completion of sophomore-level foreign language.)

Bachelor of Music degree with a major in performance, piano pedagogy, theory/composition, or church music.

Bachelor of Music Education degree

3/2 B.A., B.S./MBA Program in Business

The College of Fine Arts and M.J. Neeley School of Business offer a combined degree in Art History, Music, or Theatre and a master's degree in Business Administration (MBA). The Three-Two Program, as it is called, takes five years to complete.

Students interested in the program spend the first three years in the College of Fine Arts completing the TCU-CC (including MATH 10283 and ECON 20103 and 20113) and meeting the requirements of their major field. During the third year of study, application is made to the MBA program. To be considered for admission, applicants must have completed, or anticipate completing by the end of the third year, a minimum of 100 hours in non-business courses and finished all major requirements and core requirements. Applicants must submit the usual application materials, including scores from the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), and must present above-average academic records.

If admitted, a student enters the MBA phase of the Three-Two program in the fourth year of study at TCU. The first year of the MBA, comprising 24 hours of course work, meets the minor requirements of the undergraduate degree. After successful completion of the first year of the MBA program, the student may petition the Dean of the College of Fine Arts to be awarded the undergraduate degree.

Multiple Majors

The following applies to all students majoring in the College of Fine Arts. Students who wish to pursue an additional major in the college must satisfy all degree requirements of the additional major, including courses specified in the TCU-CC as particular to that degree and major.

Students who wish to pursue an additional degree in another college, if additional majors are permitted in that college, must complete all degree requirements for each major, including courses specified in the TCU-CC as particular to each degree and major.

Students outside the College of Fine Arts whose home college permits an additional major in the College of Fine Arts must complete all degree requirements for the additional major, including courses specified in the TCU-CC for that particular degree and major.

Special Programs. The Performance Certificate and the Artist Diploma are available for pianists with exceptional performance ability. See School of Music section for details.

Requirements for Graduation

Students must request a degree plan from the Office of the Dean when they have completed 54 semester hours (usually at the end of the sophomore or the beginning of the junior year). The "Intent to Graduate" form, available from the Office of the Dean, must be completed no later than a semester preceding expected graduation.

Approval of the department chairman is required for all nontraditional courses, i.e., special problems, independent study, research problems, etc.

Beyond the studies specified for each major, the bachelor's degree is built on the Texas Christian University Core Curriculum that applies to all University graduates.

Transfer Credit. Students wishing to take courses at another institution, following their admission to Texas Christian University, must secure approval through the Office of the Dean of the College of Fine Arts before enrolling in them.

Pass/No Credit Policy. Courses applied toward any major in the College of Fine Arts may not be taken on the P/NC basis.

Student Organizations

Fraternities and Sororities

Alpha Psi Omega (Theatre)

Chi Tau Epsilon (Dance)

Mu Phi Epsilon (Music)

Phi Mu Alpha (Music)

Kappa Kappa Psi (Band)

Tau Beta Sigma (Band)

Pi Kappa Lambda (Music Honor Society)


Clubs

ASTA (American String Teachers Association)

IAJE (International Association of JazzEducators)

MEO (Music Education Organization)

Lending Our Voices and Ears

TCU Honor Society of Artists and Designers


Musical Organizations

Horned Frog Band (Marching)

Symphonic Band

Wind Ensemble

Chamber Winds

Jazz Ensemble

University Orchestra

String and Wind Ensembles

Collegium Musicum

Choral Union

Concert Chorale

Chapel Choir


Professional Organizations

American Advertising Federation

Texas Art Education Association

United States Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT) Student Chapter

Texas Christian University