Studio Art - BFA - Junior Review

The Junior Review provides the student the chance to receive a variety of opinions regarding their work and to learn from them. Students who are pursuing a BFA in Ceramics, Graphic Design, Illustration, Jewelry and Metalsmithing, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Visual Studies must have their work reviewed one year prior to their graduation semester.


Junior Review FAQ

Who should register for Junior Review?

If you are a Studio Art B.F.A. student, you should register for Junior Review.

The Junior Review takes place one year prior to your expected date of graduation. 

At the Junior Review, you will present to a faculty committee all studio art course work completed since your Foundations Review. Reminder, B.F.A. students are required to maintain a minimum GPA of 2.75 in their upper level courses. 

You are responsible for notifying the Department Coordinator of your intention to be reviewed. Neglecting to schedule a review may delay graduation by one semester and affect enrolling in advanced-level courses.

The reviews are held near the end of each semester. Students are expected to make arrangements to get off work, if necessary, to meet this requirement. It is advisable to consult with the faculty member in your emphasis area prior to your review. 

Presentation of work should be clean and laid out or set up in a way that best shows your development. Digital images or photos of work physically not able to be presented are acceptable but should constitute no more than ten percent of the work shown. Students should furnish their own tape, push pins, paper, etc. as necessary. Be prepared to set up your own presentation. If you need a second pair of hands, get help from a friend. Arrive on time, dressed in a professional manner. 

You should arrive at least 30 minutes in advance and make sure work is set up by the appointed time. 

Faculty members present at the review will critique students orally and in writing. Students should be prepared to discuss artistic ideas important to them, development of their work, strengths and weaknesses, historical and contemporary context of work, influences, etc. The critique is meant to be helpful but will not avoid pointing out definite problems. Students should approach this experience as a chance to receive a variety of opinions regarding their work and to learn from them. 

During your Junior review, you will be evaluated on the following criteria:

  • Students should demonstrate the ability to work independently on art/design problems

  • Students should demonstrate working knowledge of technologies, equipment and processes applicable to their area of specialization 

  • Students should show evidence of the ability to analyze their work in terms of form, materials, and techniques in relationship to the concept

  • Students should demonstrate the capacity to explain and defend their views effectively and rationally 

  • Students should demonstrate an emergent set of artistic/intellectual goals in the body of work presented

Congratulations! This means your presented work has a high caliber and you are on track for graduation.

During or immediately after the Junior Review, the faculty coordinator for your emphasis area, or your faculty advisor, will go over your MyPath report with you to help you determine what requirements are left in your degree program, so that you can plan ahead. After reviewing the MyPath report, both the student and faculty reviewer sign and date the report indicating that this advising meeting took place. A copy of the signed and dated form will be placed in your student file in the office, and you will receive a copy. 

If your presented work is considered unsatisfactory, you may be assigned additional work (Art 499 credit or remedial coursework) in order to overcome any identified areas of continued weakness. You will be responsible for implementing suggestions and/or fulfilling additional coursework requirements, which includes scheduling a second Junior Review, if requested. In the extreme case that a second review is unsatisfactory, the student will be counseled/advised to change their degree to a B.A./B.S. or be asked to leave the Visual and Media Arts program.


Junior Review Form

This is the standard form Faculty in the Department of Visual and Media Arts will use to evaluate your work during Junior Review.

Download Junior Review Form (.pdf)

Questions?

Should you still have any questions, please do not hesitate your emphasis area coordinator for clarification.

 



Page last modified January 22, 2023