Bachelor in Fine/Studio Arts (Bachelor's)

The tuition fee is 61,260 USD per year.

Students create original artwork in studios equipped for sculpture, drawing, video, photography, printmaking, and digital media. They develop individual studio spaces during their senior year and engage in regular faculty and peer critiques. The programme emphasizes hands-on practice across multiple media and requires a final exhibition of a cohesive body of work. Students also build a professional portfolio with visual and written documentation of their projects.

Focus areas include Digital Media, Drawing & Painting, Printmaking & Typography, Installation, Photography, Sculpture.

The major requires eleven 4-credit courses, including foundational studio and art history courses, five additional studio courses with advanced work in at least one medium, and senior-level courses ARS 385 and ARS 399. A capstone exhibition and portfolio complete the degree.

Graduates pursue careers as practicing artists, gallery staff, art educators, or work in design and creative industries.

Students must complete a 100-level studio course and one additional studio course before applying. A portfolio review is required to declare the major, with submission of 10-15 works from studio classes. Students may resubmit portfolios up to their sophomore year if not approved.

The programme totals about 44 credit hours. On-campus, full-time, typically four years. For international students, tuition is well above the median for US programmes. The institution admits about 20% of applicants.

Residential life is central to Smith. The college has 40 self-governing houses rather than conventional dorms, and most students live on campus throughout their college career. House communities bring together students from all four class years and sustain traditions such as Friday afternoon tea. The campus includes Paradise Pond, formed in the 18th century by a dam on the Mill River. It serves as a campus attraction and a living laboratory for science students. Smith is in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Smith’s open curriculum gives students room to shape an education across disciplines. Current students combine fields such as computer science and psychology, sociology and landscape studies, or neuroscience and chemistry. The college supports paths into STEM, the humanities, graduate study, professional school, and service programs. Career support begins when students arrive, with nine career advisers, internship opportunities, conference funding, fellowships advising, and access to Smith Career Connect. Eighty-seven percent of graduates complete at least one internship while at Smith.

International students can draw on a worldwide alumni network of 53,000 people in more than 130 countries. Praxis grants support unpaid internships around the world, while Smith’s fellowship advising includes opportunities such as the Fulbright program. Recent student experiences have included work connected to Ghana, international taekwondo competition, and climate research in Rhode Island. The college’s location in Northampton places campus life within a Massachusetts setting while its academic and alumni networks extend well beyond the United States.