The critical first step for all NESAD students, regardless of their choice of major, is the foundation program. Designed to equip you with the fundamentals of visual communication, foundation studies will teach you to perceive with freshness and insight and to execute visual ideas with confidence and precision. You will also be exposed to a broad range of techniques and media. Foundation courses will provide the conceptual and technical framework that will allow you to succeed, both in your major program and as a professional artist or designer.

If you are an Open (undeclared) Major or a major in another department at Suffolk, and you would like to become a BFA candidate at NESAD, you must accomplish the following:

• Sucessfully complete two foundation studio courses (ADF S101 Foundation Drawing I and ADF S151 Two-Dimensional Design) with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in those courses, with no grade below "B-". 
• Register for and receive a grade of "P" in ART 01 Jumpstart Art.

If you fail to meet the above conditions, you may continue to seek admittance to the BFA program for one additional semester, by taking ADF S102 Foundation Drawing II and ADF S152 Two-Dimensional Design, in order to bring your combined GPA for the four studio courses to a minimum of 3.0.

Students who, after two semesters and/or four Foundation studio courses, have still not attained the required GPA of 3.0, will be denied entry into the BFA program. Such students may, however, be permitted to earn an Art Minor by taking two additional studio courses, provided they have met the prerequisite requirements for those courses.

The Foundation Program or its equivalent is a prerequisite for entry into any of the major programs.

Foundation Program Courses

The letter “S” preceding a course number indicates a studio course, for which a studio fee will be assessed.

Please note: For graduate students, Foundation course numbers will begin with a “5” rather than a “1.” For example, Foundation Drawing I (ADF S101) should be listed as ADF S501, Color as ADF S543, etc. Undergraduate students should use the course numbers listed here in the undergraduate catalog.