Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2026

Senior BFA Studio I: Professional Practices and Portfolio Systems (Face-to-Face)

ART 4790-02

Course: ART 4790-02
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2026
Department: Filmmaking, Art, & Design
CRN: 31415

Course Description

The course explores business practices for designers and studio artists including freelancing, pricing work, business writing, and applying for employment and graduate school. Students will use studio time for assessing and refining existing artwork and setting up portfolio systems for self-promotion. Students will be introduced to a process for exhibition proposals. (Fall) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Registration Restriction(s): BFA Art Composite, BFA Art Education, BFA Graphic Design, BFA Studio Arts, or BFA Theatre Arts majors only; Art Foundation Review required

Required Texts

NONE

Learning Outcomes


  1. Students will develop skills, competencies, and points of view needed by professional artists.
    • Aquire a working knowledge of art industries and target particular markets for self-promotion.
  2. Students will develop skill in expressing themselves orally and in writing.
    • Compile research on the business of art.
    • Present artwork, research, and writing to peers.
  3. Students will develop a clear understanding of, and commitment to, personal values.
    • Assess personal and artistic strengths and weaknesses and set short and long-term goals.
  4. Students will create a capstone project: A body of artwork targeted toward a specific art market, contained in the final portfolio and disseminated in a final BFA exhibition. In the Fall session of the course, students will complete half of this project. Students will prepare, edit, and curate artwork for public presentation.

Course Requirements


A. Attendance
Participation and effective use of class time have a direct impact on your artistic skill-building and final grade. Please come to class.


ATTENDANCE POLICY:
 (insert your policy here)


Statement from FAD Department Chairman:
Studio courses are experiential in nature and rely heavily on in-class
instruction, collaboration, and critique. As such, attendance is mandatory. A student who misses more than 25% of scheduled class time (including unexcused absences and tardiness) will receive a final grade no higher than a “C–”, and may fail the course, regardless of performance on assignments. Excused absences—such as those due to documented illness, university-sponsored activities, or other legitimate circumstances—may be made up with appropriate documentation (e.g., a doctor's note or official university communication). It is the student's responsibility to inform the instructor before the absence when possible and to make arrangements to complete missed work promptly. Consistent attendance and active participation are essential to your success in this course and in your development as an artist/designer. The Department Attendance Policy for studio classes can be found here: https://catalog.suu.edu/preview_entity.php?catoid=26&ent_oid=1489&returnto=


B. Timely completion of all assignments is mandatory.


C. Preparation of a focused body of artwork for public viewing.
During the Fall semester you will plan your "Capstone Project" and complete half of the art content. During Spring semester you will complete your project and exhibit it for the public. You will have the opportunity to exhibit your work in Southern Utah Museum of Art. However, if you are unable to show in SUMA, you may arrange another public venue to show your work.


D. Final Fall "SENIOR PREVIEW" Exhibit:
Students will install a group "preview" show of 1 piece of their final exhibition work in the Bristlecone Hall display cases on the scheduled final exam day.



Course Outline

Course Outline

  1. Course Introduction & Professional Goals
    •  Course expectations 
    •  E-Journal and work log 
    •  Starting portfolio 
    •  Self-assessment and success statement 
    •  Vision and professional goals 
  2. Art Markets & Target Audience
    •  Researching art markets 
    •  Identifying target audiences 
    •  Understanding value and pricing 
    •  Connecting artistic practice to professional opportunities 
  3. Capstone Project Development
    •  Developing the capstone concept 
    •  Proof-of-concept artwork 
    •  Project goals and timeline 
    •  Pitching the project 
    •  Mentorship and feedback 
  4. Professional Identity & Documents
    •  Artist biography 
    •  Artist statement 
    •  CV 
    •  Portfolio development 
    •  Professional presentation 
  5. Capstone Production
    •  Project management 
    •  Studio production 
    •  Work documentation 
    •  Progress checkpoints 
    •  Peer and mentor critiques 
  6. Exhibition & Professional Presentation
    •  Exhibition proposal 
    •  Developing the body of work 
    •  Exhibition planning 
    •  Peer and faculty review 
    •  Preparing for the Senior BFA Show 
  7. Final Review & Reflection
    •  Final artwork and exhibition 
    •  E-Journal completion 
    •  Documentation of professional development 
    •  Reflection on the capstone process 
    •  Preparation for continued professional practice

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late Work Policy

Assignments are designed to keep your portfolio and capstone project moving forward so that you can have the best BFA exhibition imaginable. Meeting deadlines is therefore part of the professional expectations of the course.

Work submitted after the deadline will be accepted, but late work will receive a 10% deduction for each week it is late, up to a maximum deduction of 30%. Work more than three weeks late may receive no credit unless arrangements have been made in advance.

Assignments connected to peer critiques, mentor reviews, presentations, exhibitions, or other scheduled class activities cannot simply be submitted late for full credit, because their purpose depends on participating with the class at the scheduled time.

If circumstances arise that will prevent you from meeting a deadline, communicate with me before the deadline whenever possible. Extensions may be granted when circumstances warrant them, but students are responsible for communicating and establishing a new deadline.

The capstone project has multiple milestones throughout the semester. Missing one milestone does not eliminate the requirement to complete the project, but falling behind can make it increasingly difficult to meet subsequent milestones and the final exhibition requirements.

The goal of the policy is not to punish late work. It is to reinforce the professional habit of making commitments, communicating when circumstances change, and following through.

Attendance Policy


ATTENDANCE POLICY:
 

Statement from FAD Department Chairman:
Studio courses are experiential in nature and rely heavily on in-class
instruction, collaboration, and critique. As such, attendance is mandatory. A student who misses more than 25% of scheduled class time (including unexcused absences and tardiness) will receive a final grade no higher than a “C–”, and may fail the course, regardless of performance on assignments. Excused absences—such as those due to documented illness, university-sponsored activities, or other legitimate circumstances—may be made up with appropriate documentation (e.g., a doctor's note or official university communication). It is the student's responsibility to inform the instructor before the absence when possible and to make arrangements to complete missed work promptly. Consistent attendance and active participation are essential to your success in this course and in your development as an artist/designer. The Department Attendance Policy for studio classes can be found here: https://catalog.suu.edu/preview_entity.php?catoid=26&ent_oid=1489&returnto=


B. Timely completion of all assignments is mandatory.


C. Preparation of a focused body of artwork for public viewing.
During the Fall semester you will plan your "Capstone Project" and complete half of the art content. During Spring semester you will complete your project and exhibit it for the public. You will have the opportunity to exhibit your work in Southern Utah Museum of Art. However, if you are unable to show in SUMA, you may arrange another public venue to show your work. 


D. Final Fall "SENIOR PREVIEW" Exhibit:
Students will install a group "preview" show of 1 piece of their final exhibition work in the Bristlecone Hall display cases on the scheduled final exam day.

Course Fees

NONE

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.