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About the Department of Fine Arts

The Department of Fine Arts offers three and four-year general degrees and four-year honours degrees in Art History and Visual Culture, Film Studies and Visual Culture and Studio art.  The majority of students are enrolled in the studio area that includes courses in drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography and computer imaging.  

Our program offers a solid foundation in the visual arts to enable students to develop in the individual direction of their choice.  At the conclusion of their first year, students declare their intention to major or minor in Fine Arts and in the case of studio, present a portfolio of work from the studio courses. Our graduates have gone on to successful careers as artists, designers, illustrators, animators, art historians, educators, writers, art librarians and art administrators in galleries and museums.

It is possible to combine a major in Fine Arts with Arts and Business or do a Joint Honours in combination with most departments within the Faculty of Arts and also with other faculties. We have graduated students with Joint Honours degrees in Fine Arts/English, Fine Arts / Psychology, Fine Arts / Computer Science, Fine Arts / Pure Math and Fine Arts / Environmental Studies, among many other combinations.  There is also a  Fine and Performing Arts Option that can be taken in conjunction with any Honours or General degree that combines courses in Drama, Fine Arts and Music.

The Department of Fine Arts has its own facility in East Campus Hall, with studios and lecture theatres where almost all of the Fine Arts courses are conducted.  Although the University of Waterloo is a big campus, students in Fine Arts get to experience a very personal  sense of community with their fellow students and the faculty.  There are two gallery spaces within East Campus Hall, one for student exhibitions and one that features exhibitions by professional artists from across the country.  The department regularly brings in visiting artists and scholars to talk to students and share their expertise.

The Department of Fine Arts regularly organizes trips to visit galleries in Chicago, New York, Montreal and Toronto and has conducted off-campus courses in locations such as Italy, France England and Mexico.