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Art & Design

Fine Arts

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)

Challenge others to see the world from a different perspective.

You have the ability to see things in a way no one else does. Through your art making, you want to solve problems visually and creatively while exploring personal yet universal ideas.

As a fine arts major, you'll discover how to create a positive impact by developing your own visual language. And with our reimagined general education curriculum, you'll have the foundation you’ll need to promote community, justice, and a more sustainable future.

You’ll gain a foundation in traditional media using drawing as your primary platform. Experiment with painting, sculpting, and printmaking, as well as interdisciplinary opportunities, such as installation and project-driven work. And through exhibition, critique, presentation, juries, and writing, learn how to communicate with the world about your voice, style, and ideas.

With your fine arts degree from Lesley, you'll blaze a trail in the creative economy as you grow into your career as a museum curator, art educator, creative artist, archivist, commercial artist, gallery director, or more

Through it all, you’ll receive support from working artists who will mentor you through your artistic development. Ongoing instruction and critique from faculty and visiting artists will enrich your studio practice with new perspective and potential. Required internships in Greater Boston will expand your professional skill sets with opportunities to work in museums, galleries, or independent studios. As you intern at places like the Institute for Contemporary Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Printmakers, the Boston Center for the Arts, and others, you'll find yourself amongst artists, historians, curators, and other visual artists. And all along the way, our expert faculty artists will support you and your evolving artistic voice.

The end result? You’ll graduate prepared to take your work to unexpected levels while forging a lifelong career in visual arts and culture.

Undergraduate Program Inquiry Form

Program Structure

Full-time or part-time on-campus program

123 Credits
Thinking about transferring here?

Log in to Transferology, add the courses you've taken, and see how they'll transfer to Lesley University.

student spreading out work on the floor in the gallery

8 Essential Tools Artists Bring to the New Economy

As our workforce becomes increasingly automated, artists stand to contribute a unique skill set that will set them apart.

Craft Creative Combinations
As a Fine Arts major, you can pursue a second major or one of our 45+ minors—in art & design or a liberal arts subject—to expand your career opportunities.

Forge your own path with a creative combination:
student working on art in studio

Small Art School, Big University

We're a premier art and design school of about 700 students, but we're also part of a dynamic university with a liberal arts college. This means you'll have the small studio, hands-on experience of a professional art school where you'll gain industry-specific knowledge. And, you'll benefit from a broader perspective of a liberal arts educational experience—something most art schools can't provide.

Arthur Halvorsen holding a large, colorful vase in a studio
Faculty
Arthur Halvorsen
Lesley faculty Arthur Halvorsen brings color to art and teaching, making his approach all about the big reveal. “I think of my pots as the drag queens of pottery. They come out when it’s really special,” says Halvorsen, an adjunct ceramic faculty at the College of Art + Design and one of 12 $15,000 Brother Thomas Fellowship winners.
Careers
Jobs You Could Have
doble campus during the fall

Cambridge is our campus. Boston is our neighbor.

Cambridge is one of the most creative cities in the country. In fact, there are about 96 art and culture events happening in the Greater Boston area every day. And while you'll benefit from our dynamic surroundings, you'll also be a big part of them. You'll take art and design classes in our $48 million Lunder Arts Center. And our $7 million Visual Effects (VFX) studio—a state-of-the-art facility where our VFX curriculum comes alive—is the only one of its kind in New England.

Faculty

Approximate cost, before financial aid, for one year of study in this undergraduate program.
Fine Arts
Housing Options
Compare the cost of the program for students who live on campus in a residence hall with the cost for commuter students.
  • Tuition
    Fall Tuition
    $15,945
    Spring Tuition
    $15,945
  • Fees
    Fall Comprehensive Fee
    $445
    Spring Comprehensive Fee
    $445
  • Room & Board
    Fall Health and Wellness Fee
    $445
    Spring Health and Wellness Fee
    $445
    Fall Room (double, triple, or quad room)
    $5,740
    Spring Room (double, triple, or quad room)
    $5,740
    Fall Meal Plan
    $3,790
    Spring Meal Plan
    $3,790
    Housing Deposit (one-time fee)
    $300
  • Total cost before financial aid
Estimated Cost

Merit Scholarships & Financial Aid

It’s our goal at Lesley to break down financial barriers so that students who want to learn here, can learn here. That’s why we offer generous, customized aid packages for students based on their individual needs. In fact, more than 98% of our full-time undergraduate students receive some form of financial aid. Learn more about Financial Aid & Scholarships.

Tuition & Fees

Other fees may apply. Review all undergraduate tuition and fees, and what they cover.

Tuition and fees are subject to change each year, effective June 1.

Housing Options
Compare the cost of the program for students who live on campus in a residence hall with the cost for commuter students.
  • Tuition
    Fall Tuition
    $15,945
    Spring Tuition
    $15,945
  • Fees
    Fall Comprehensive Fee
    $445
    Spring Comprehensive Fee
    $445
  • Room & Board
    Fall Health and Wellness Fee
    $445
    Spring Health and Wellness Fee
    $445
    Fall Room (double, triple, or quad room)
    $5,740
    Spring Room (double, triple, or quad room)
    $5,740
    Fall Meal Plan
    $3,790
    Spring Meal Plan
    $3,790
    Housing Deposit (one-time fee)
    $300
  • Total cost before financial aid
Estimated Cost

Merit Scholarships & Financial Aid

It’s our goal at Lesley to break down financial barriers so that students who want to learn here, can learn here. That’s why we offer generous, customized aid packages for students based on their individual needs. In fact, more than 98% of our full-time undergraduate students receive some form of financial aid. Learn more about Financial Aid & Scholarships.

Tuition & Fees

Other fees may apply. Review all undergraduate tuition and fees, and what they cover.

Tuition and fees are subject to change each year, effective June 1.

Apply Now

Ready to get started? We're here to make the application process as smooth as possible. Just answer a few quick questions, and get your customized application guide.

Approximate cost, before financial aid, for one year of study in this undergraduate program. Tuition and fees are for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Use our step-by-step guide to apply for federal, state, and university funding. Scholarships, grants, Work-Study, and loans. It’s all right here.

Next steps to apply

Ready to get started? We're here to make the application process as smooth as possible. Just answer a few quick questions, and get your customized application guide.