Career preparation in the Bachelor of Arts degree in General Studio Art at Delaware State University

The Bachelor of Arts degree in General Studio Art at Delaware State University provides a general education while developing visual artistic skills. It is also mandated to prepare students for careers in art, or for entry into graduate art programs. This project used qualitative research in the form of student, faculty and alumni interviews, participant observation, and document review to examine career preparation in the program. This qualitative information was supported by quantitative data from a questionnaire. The study also compared the Delaware State University curriculum with curricula from five other institutions that offer comparable programs. The evaluation results produced thirteen proposals for curriculum changes to rectify identified weaknesses or omissions in preparing students for careers in art or entry into graduate school.