Undergraduate Programs at AUArts

Degrees built around your practice.

At AUArts, deciding between Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Bachelor of Design (BDes) means choosing how you want to engage with the world.

Pick the program that matches your artistic ambition and future goals.

BFA & BDes at a glance

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Undergraduate program

In this degree, you’ll major in Studio Art and focus on one or two concentrations, including: 

Animation, Ceramics, Drawing, Fibre, Glass, Jewellery & Metals, Media Arts, Object Design & Fabrication, Painting, Photography, Print Media and Sculpture.

Focus on artistic experimentation, studio practice and personal expression.

Explore BFA

Bachelor of Design

Undergraduate program

When you enter the BDes program, you’ll major in Visual Communication Design (VCD) and follow one of two streams:

Graphic Design & Advertising or Illustration.

Engage in creative problem-solving, real-world impact through purposeful design and industry standard practices.

Explore BDes

What to expect

Students gathered in a contemporary gallery space, attentively listening during an art critique or presentation. The diverse group, dressed in casual and expressive styles, reflects a creative and collaborative learning environment at Alberta University of the Arts.
  • Build the foundation in your first year, then dive deep into your chosen area(s) of study.
  • Mix and match required and elective courses from studio, non-studio and hybrid options for a true multidisciplinary experience.
  • Develop your creative voice through course work, projects, exhibitions, critiques and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
  • Engage in studio practices, critical thinking and creative exploration placed in social and cultural contexts.
  • Graduate with a portfolio of work and experience to launch your career.

Our faculty

Yoke Sum Wong

Dr. Yoke-Sum Wong

Yoke-Sum Wong comes from an interdisciplinary background in English, Education, and Sociology. She taught in the UK before returning to Canada in 2016. She specializes in cultural theory and historiography. Her PhD was on postcolonial landscapes in South East Asia, with a concentration on the hybrid colonial vernacular architecture of the 19th and early 20th century in Singapore.

Dr. Yoke-Sum Wong
Laurel J.jpeg

Laurel Johannesson

Laurel Johannesson studied at the University of Calgary, the University of Saskatchewan, and the Royal College of Art in London.

Laurel Johannesson

Why choose AUArts?

Students gather in AUArts’ main hall during orientation, chatting under a large Alberta University of the Arts banner.

Join a passionate, collaborative community of artists, craftspeople and designers. Learn from practicing faculty who are active in Calgary’s arts scene. Work in world-class studios with access to amazing facilities. Share your work through on-campus exhibitions and events.

"Student working on a digital illustration using a tablet, engaged in creative design work. The workspace features a graffiti-covered table, adding an expressive and artistic atmosphere to the environment.

Applications open Oct 1, 2025

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