Fine Arts degree
Yes, you can take Fine Arts at Waterloo. (We’re a best-kept secret.)
Want to make art, change minds, connect communities, and expand horizons? At Waterloo, you’ll choose from two paths: Studio Practice to create art, and Visual Culture for history and theory.
As an artist, you’ll express yourself using ceramics, painting, print media, photography, and cutting-edge technologies such as 3D printing, digital imagery, and DSLR filmmaking. Visual Culture combines courses from Architecture, Anthropology, English, and 20 other disciplines.
Whichever path you choose, you’ll have access to SOFA, the Society of Fine Arts where you’ll meet likeminded artists and make new friends.
There are also art galleries on campus to develop your curatorial skills and display your art – including digital media projections. Or see your own pieces hung on a wall on campus!
Beyond campus, see art “in the real” and take advantage of options ranging from course trips to Europe to short three- or four-day jaunts to New York, Chicago, or Montreal. There are plenty of day trips to Toronto, Hamilton, and other regional locations too.
Or spend an entire term abroad on international exchange with one of 75+ partner universities around the world! From England to Tobago, opportunity awaits.
Faculty:
Faculty of Arts
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts in Visual Culture or Studio Practice
Focus your studies
At the end of first year, you'll choose one of two majors.
What courses will you take in Fine Arts - Studio Practice?
First-year courses
As an Arts student, you’ll choose your major at the end of first year. You’re encouraged to explore a second major in first year to discover potential new interests.
You will also take an Arts First course in either the fall or winter term of your first year. In this course, instead of going to a lecture hall, you and your classmates will work together to respond to an intriguing challenge. With only 25 students in this course, you might address topics such as The Science of Happiness, Are We Erasing History?, Games and Culture, and Writing About Poems and Songs.
You can choose to study Fine Arts through Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business.
Honours Arts
September to December
- FINE 100 – Studio Fundamentals
- Arts First Requirement or elective
- Prospective major #2
- Two electives
This is a sample schedule. Courses or when a course is offered may change depending on availability.
Honours Arts and Business
This is a sample schedule. Courses or when a course is offered may change depending on availability.
After first year
40% of the classes you’ll take will be Fine Arts courses. With your remaining classes, you can choose electives from many of the 100 subject areas at Waterloo.
Customize your degree
With either Fine Arts major, you can include additional areas of interest by including a minor (or minors) as part of your degree.
Within the Studio Practice major, you can choose specializations in Digital Art or Teaching Preparation. With the Teaching Preparation specialization, you'll be eligible for the Bachelor of Education program at Nipissing University in either the Junior/Intermediate or Intermediate/Senior divisions.
What courses will you take in Fine Arts – Visual Culture?
First-year courses
As an Arts student, you’ll choose your major at the end of first year. You’re encouraged to explore a second major in first year to discover potential new interests.
You will also take an Arts First course in either the fall or winter term of your first year. In this course, instead of going to a lecture hall, you and your classmates will work together to respond to an intriguing challenge. With only 25 students in this course, you might address topics such as The Science of Happiness, Are We Erasing History?, Games and Culture, and Writing About Poems and Songs.
You can choose to study Fine Arts through Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business.
Honours Arts
September to December
- VCULT 100/FINE 102 – World Cinema and Visual Culture
- Arts First Requirement or elective
- Prospective major #2
- Two electives
This is a sample schedule. Courses or when a course is offered may change depending on availability.
Honours Arts and Business
September to December
- ARBUS 101 – Introduction to Business in North America
- ECON 101 – Introduction to Microeconomics
- Arts First Requirement or elective
- VCULT 100/FINE 102 – World Cinema and Visual Culture
- Prospective major #2
This is a sample schedule. Courses or when a course is offered may change depending on availability.
After first year
40% of the classes you’ll take will be Fine Arts courses. With your remaining classes, you can choose electives from many of the 100 subject areas at Waterloo.
Customize your degree
With either Fine Arts major, you can include additional areas of interest by including a minor (or minors) as part of your degree.
Available as a co-op program?
Yes
Available as a regular program?
Yes
Available as a minor?
Yes
Pick from 80+ courses. With more than 80 Fine Arts courses available, you can explore the visual arts and tailor your degree to your interests and passions.
Make lasting connections. Many studio classes are capped at 25 students, creating an environment where you can connect with your classmates and instructors.
Co-op = relevant paid work experience
Waterloo's co-op program, the largest in North America, is an amazing way to explore potential careers, learn to interview for jobs, graduate with up to two years of valuable experience — and make money!
Sample co-op job titles
- Graphic designer
- Web content management specialist
- Marketing coordinator
- Digital media project assistant
- Events & motivational programs student
- App design guru
- Communications coordinator
Co-op work-study sequence
Starting in second year, you'll normally alternate between school and work every four months, integrating your classroom learning with real-world experience. You can return to the same employer for a couple of work terms to gain greater knowledge and responsibility or work for different employers to get a broad range of experience.
The study/co-op sequence is the same whether you study Fine Arts through Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business.
Year | September to December (Fall) | January to April (Winter) | May to August (Spring) |
---|---|---|---|
First | Study | Study | Off |
Second | Study | Co-op | Study |
Third | Co-op | Study | Co-op |
Fourth | Study | Co-op | Co-op |
Fifth | Study | Study | - |
Your first work term will be halfway through second year (January to April 2027).
What can you do with a Fine Arts degree?
Graduates often pursue careers in creative fields such as marketing, design, and education. They commonly work in art galleries, banks, schools, media companies, and more.
Recent graduates
- Designer Technologist — Whiting Design
- Graphic Designer — Punch Judy
- User Experience Designer — Green Brick Labs
- Junior Character Rigger — Big Jump Productions
- Brick Laser Apprentice — Kitchener Glass
- Instructor — Conestoga College
- Artist — C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures
Learn about the future of careers in arts, humanities, social sciences, languages, and creative arts.
Tuition fees for programs in the Faculty of Arts
First-year tuition
Type of fees | Tuition (8 months of school) |
---|---|
Domestic (Ontario residents) | $9,000 |
Domestic (Out of province students) | $9,000 |
International (visa students) | $57,000 |
- Estimated amounts listed include incidental fees. Fees based on 2024-25 tuition rates.
- Visit our financing page to learn about scholarships, estimate your total expenses, and see how co-op can help pay for your education.
Admissions
Apply to Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business and choose Studio Practice or Visual Culture as your major at the end of first year.
Ontario students: six Grade 12 U and/or M courses including
- Any Grade 12 U English (minimum final grade of at least 70%)
Admission average: Low 80s (co-op and regular)
Not studying in Ontario? Search our admission requirements for Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business.
Related program
Join our newsletter for tips such as choosing a program, life at Waterloo, and finances.
Ask a Faculty of Arts student about their program, classes, getting involved on campus, and more!
Connect with us
Questions about courses, programs, requirements, careers?
Please contact Stavros Stavroulias, our Faculty of Arts recruitment co-ordinator who can answer any questions you have.