The program in Fine Arts combines training in traditional artistic media with a critical approach to making art. Courses at all levels, on-site and in the studio, emphasize technical ability, visual expression, creative innovation, critical observation, and analysis. Rome is our classroom, studio, and inspiration. From the monuments of the ancient city, through the rich tradition of the Renaissance and Baroque to the vibrant contemporary art scene, Fine Arts students are uniquely placed in the Eternal City to learn and develop their own vision.

Interdisciplinary

Beyond technical artistic skills, this program incorporates a range of disciplines including art history, conservation, and restoration. Numerous course components include written assignments through which students cultivate their skills in research, critical analysis, and writing. As with all Bachelor's degree programs taught at AUR, undergraduates are encouraged to complement their major with electives from other programs.

In Rome

AUR’s Fine Arts degree program uses the city of Rome to its full advantage. The first-year class 'Roman Sketchbook' focuses specifically on the city as a subject, drawing from its landscapes, architecture, paintings, and sculptures. Other courses, whether historical or contemporary in their focus, frequently supplement classroom study and studio practice with visits to sites, art galleries, churches, and exhibitions in the city.

Career conscious

The Fine Art Program prepares students to progress to advanced degrees (such as MFA) or positions in fields related to the Fine Arts. Career possibilities include being an art practitioner in a variety of artistic media; curatorship and arts administration; art therapy; and gallery work.

Fine Arts students regularly use the city of Rome to hone their craft. On-site classes allow students first-hand interaction with the artists, movements, and techniques that they study in the classroom, and serve as the ideal model for sketching and painting practice. The program organizes day trips and weekend excursions in connection with its courses. Recent trips have included Florence and Venice to study Renaissance art. Trips to other Italian cities and sites (such as Milan, Naples, Ravenna, Sicily, etc.) constitute part of the annual program. Occasionally, the faculty also organizes trips to other major European cities and art centers for the purposes of visiting relevant exhibitions or museum collections.

Students of Fine Arts at AUR will spend a good deal of the year outside the studio, using Rome as the glorious backdrop or centerpiece of their artistic progress. The parks, piazzas, churches, museums, streets, and people of Rome all feature as subjects or settings for Fine Arts at AUR.

Fine Arts majors go on to a wide assortment of career paths, including a multitude of positions in media and entertainment and, increasingly, in online content creation - a relatively new but massive field of opportunity for artists. However, the skills you’ll acquire as a Fine Arts major are transferable and valuable for many different fields, including in seemingly unrelated industries like law, cultural industries, or marketing.

AUR's Fine Arts faculty are accomplished and celebrated artists who regularly exhibit and publish across the world. From the classical to the contemporary, from oils to clay, the AUR faculty are master practitioners and enthusiastic mentors.