Frequently Asked Questions: BA+BFA in Integrated Arts

Oberlin College’s Bachelor of Arts + Bachelor of Fine Arts program offers two four-year degrees within five years. Students earn a BA in whatever field they choose, and a BFA in integrated arts. The BFA in integrated arts is designed to support students with a range of artistic practices, drawing upon the strength of Oberlin College’s programs in the practicing arts (theater, dance, creative writing, cinema and media, studio art, and musical studies). The program allows students to graduate with a pair of degrees that represent both their commitment to the arts alongside the rigor of their academic pursuits. For more information, visit BA+BFA Integrated Arts program page.

No. This is a five-year Dual Degree program, so you graduate after five years with both four-year bachelor degrees, which you are working towards across all five years.

During years 1-4 you will take 9 classes of your choice from across the college's Practicing Arts: studio art, cinema and media, creative writing, theater, dance, and musical studies. There is one PRAX course on campus in your third year, and there are four courses per semester at Park Arts. Additional required classes for all BA+BFA students include the following: 

• PRAX300: Integrated Arts Workshop (four credits)
  PRAX300: Integrated Arts Workshop is a required class for third-year students in the BA+BFA program, co-taught by faculty from two different departments in the Practicing Arts. In this course, all BA+BFA students come together from their varied backgrounds to collaborate. Students learn to provide and hear feedback across disciplines, and participate in exercises and assignments that expose them to new ways of working. Each student creates a major project that is presented at the end of the semester in a group exhibition/performance.
   
• PRAX 501 & PRAX 502: Topics in Integrated Arts (four credits)
  Integrated Arts 501 and 502 are topics courses taught by the visiting professors/artists-in-residence. Visiting professors develop these courses to teach students specific skillsets related to their own work and professional practice, giving students the opportunity to learn from a range of interdisciplinary practices. These skills will be integrated in various combinations across writing, performance, music, dance, theater, visual arts, social practice, etc. Courses emphasize a public-facing component in the Greater Cleveland area, through any combination of social engagement, presentation, exhibition, or performance.
   
• PRAX 511 & PRAX 512: Individual Project (four credits)
  In this course, students will work one-on-one with a professor to develop a project that spans the immersive arts year in Cleveland. Professors will mentor students to support their ongoing practice, which may include developing a major exhibition, performance, film, installation, piece of writing, etc.; consistent feedback; producing the final presentation of the project; documentation; and professional considerations. You will meet weekly with your artist-faculty mentor to get feedback, work through challenges, and celebrate milestones in your project. Your mentor helps keep you on track as you develop this major publicly-facing project, which you will present in Cleveland at the end of the year.
   
• PRAX 521 & PRAX 522: Integrated Arts Conference (four credits)
  In this weekly class, an interdisciplinary group of faculty and students will meet to discuss projects and topics of interest related to student work. The weekly Conference is an opportunity to read articles related to student projects, view/experience the work of related artists, host visiting artists, take field trips, and provide workshops/critiques for student projects.
   
• PRAX 531 & PRAX 532: Community Engagement and Professional Practice (four credits)
  Central to this course is the student internship, which all BA+BFA students undertake for their immersive arts year in Cleveland. The particulars of each internship will be determined by the student’s relationship with the host organization. The internship fits inside your weekly schedule like a class, so it won’t conflict with your class schedule.The Community Engagement and Professional Practice course meets weekly, providing students a home base to learn skills related to professional life, and best practices in community engagement in creative careers. Taught by local artists and arts professionals, this class connects you to the art world in Cleveland.

You will effectively take different sections of the same course each semester, but the courses are designed to be guided by each student’s needs, and professors will be flexible and attentive to individual student projects. All faculty bring their special skills and talents to the classroom, so they will teach the classes in their own unique ways.

Oberlin College is initially hiring two visiting artists/integrated arts professors who will teach at Park Arts, alongside the director of the program, Julia Christensen. Local artists and arts leaders will teach the professional development classes, which are related to the local art scene and internships. The first hires of Park Arts faculty will occur between spring and fall of 2026, and they will teach on the Oberlin campus in the 2026–27 academic year and move to the Park Arts campus with the first cohort in 2027–28. The BA+BFA Student Advisory Board will be involved with hiring, and students will be able to help select the faculty they work with in year five.

Not necessarily. You have the option to switch or keep the same studio mentor for both semesters.

Each integrated arts faculty member is assigned 10-15 students to work with, one-on-one, during the course of the semester. These students are also in conversation with each other, creating a support net for projects, collaboration, work, and conversation. The community at Park Arts is intimate and supportive, so this cohort is not the only group you will work with—you will be working alongside students from any other studio in rehearsal spaces, studio time, and galleries. The studio structure assures nobody falls through the cracks, and everyone has a mentor and a group of peers providing constant feedback and support.

Financial aid is renewable for all five years of the program. Merit aid will be renewed at the same amount each year. Need-based grants and loans will be renewed each year based on the student's financial aid eligibility. If your need changes, the aid will change, whether it’s an increase or decrease. Students and parents with questions or concerns about how their aid will work in year five should contact the Office of Financial Aid.

Internships will be at arts organizations across Cleveland, including at SPACES Gallery, Sculpture Center, Artist Archives of the Western Reserve, Zygote Press, Praxis Fiber Arts, Cuyahoga County Public Library branches, and a wide variety of performance venues, theaters, and museums.

Absolutely. The summer internships begin in the last week of July, and Oberlin supports you for up to $5,000 of the costs associated with pursuing that portion of the internship. That money can go towards rent, food, etc., to give you a leg up when you move to Cleveland. You have access to all Park Arts resources beginning in June, so there is incentive to gear that summer toward being in Cleveland. We also believe that starting the internship earlier in the summer before your classes begin at Park Arts gives you a foot in the door in the art/theater/music/literary worlds in Cleveland, so you will be more likely to get a job related to what you want to do.

The BA+BFA internships earn college credit, so they cannot additionally be paid positions. That said, the internships are built right into the curriculum, so they take the amount of time per week that a class/homework would normally take.

Park Arts is an art center in Cleveland Heights (a suburb on the east side of Cleveland) that will host arts organizations working alongside Oberlin’s students and resources. The shared spaces at Park Arts are dynamic and special, and Oberlin students have access to all of these, including:

• Mendelsohn’s iconic dome theater: this once served as the worship space in the synagogue and will be a theater space used for lectures as well as rehearsal and performance (dance, theater, and music)
• Miller Chapel: a smaller converted space that will host lectures, readings, etc. There is a public outdoor space adjacent to Miller that can be used for performances, gatherings, community events, etc.
• The Library
• Rosenthal Ballroom: a large space outside of the Dome that can be used for a range of purposes, including art exhibitions, performances, community work, etc.
• The Sculpture Garden: this will be used to display outdoor art work, as well as a meeting place for students and others
• Large industrial kosher kitchen
• The Coatroom Gallery: a gorgeous space with beautiful walls and an iconic bar, which can be used for exhibitions

Oberlin College’s wing at Park Arts is specifically for the use of students and requires swipe card access to enter. All of the following resources are available to students:

• a woodshop/fab lab
• video/sound post-production studios
• a sound studio
• a theater with flexible seating and sprung floors that can also accommodate film screenings and lectures
• Individual 100-square-foot studios for all students who need private space to work (in semi-private pods with doors that lock)
• Community spaces for students working on collaborative projects
• Classrooms to support wet and dry art materials, sculpture, and digital media

Courses at Park Arts will include a class fee structure just like courses on the Oberlin campus that use consumable materials (such as studio art or chemistry). But unlike in Oberlin, Cleveland boasts several art supply stores, so students will be able to come by their specific needs easily, and will be able to shop around for the best deal.

The studio spaces are 10 feet by 10 feet, and 35 of them are in one hallway, upstairs in the Oberlin wing. The walls do not go up to the ceiling, so everyone has natural light, and there is a community vibe. However, the walls are tall enough that you can disappear into your own space (much like Oberlin’s Studio Art senior studios). There are also quiet spaces for writers, and larger spaces for community/collaborative groups to work.

Oberlin has relationships with a range of institutions in Cleveland that will fill all your needs. Being a professional artist in a city like Cleveland means that not all resources are necessarily in the same place, so we will help you take the step of learning how to be resourceful with identifying where you can get your work done, whether you want to weave on a loom or throw clay on a wheel.

Yes! First-year BA+BFA students live together in the BA+BFA Learning & Living Community, which is located in a special wing in South Hall. South Hall is a sought-after dorm for students in the arts, as it is the closest dorm to the theater, dance, and studio art buildings––and very close to the Media & Integrated Arts center. South Hall has a dance studio, music practice rooms, pianos, and a gym right in the building. You can get to know each other, collaborate, and build friendships from the start. Activities are planned throughout the year for your cohort in the dorm, on campus, and in Cleveland. Living together gives you an opportunity to always know firsthand about the plays, performances, exhibitions, readings, and projects your cohort members are creating.

The BA+BFA Advisor Board at Oberlin College fosters collaboration, creativity, and community among students engaged in interdisciplinary art practices. We serve as a bridge between students, faculty, and staff to enhance the academic and cocurricular experience, advocate for student perspectives, and promote inclusive approaches to artmaking that reflect the diversity and vitality of Oberlin’s creative community. For each meeting, the SAB can request the presence of faculty from other departments and/or staff from non-academic offices, so that student voices actively influence decisions and shape the program.

Other opportunities for the BA+BFA community to grow during years one through four include shared curriculum and field trips. BA+BFA third-years all take PRAX300, giving you access to the integrated arts studios 24/7, creating a special opportunity to create together. Meanwhile, special field trips to Cleveland run all year long especially for the BA+BFA community, introducing you to local arts organizations and the leaders who run them.

You are considered an “off-campus” student, so you can live wherever you like! Cleveland has several neighborhoods near Park Arts, including University Circle and Little Italy. On the Park Arts Campus, Sustainable Community Associates (SCA) is also building apartment complexes with Oberlin students in mind, ready for move-in summer 2027.

Ample transportation will be provided by the college between Oberlin and Cleveland.  Cleveland’s RTA system is also accessible to Park and includes train and bus service. There is a public bus stop right at the entrance to the Park Arts campus.

Students will continue to have access to the full range of support and services that Oberlin provides. Career Exploration and Development, Counseling and Psychological Services, and Student Health Services are all available through virtual appointments. Students also have the option to meet in person with any office or department on the main campus.

All students in the BA+BFA program will retain access to all college-sponsored programs and student organizations, and the Office of Student Leadership and Involvement will operate a daily shuttle between Park Arts and the Oberlin main campus.

Please note that students are still expected to adhere to the Oberlin Student Code of Conduct while living off campus. Although Campus Safety will not be on site in Cleveland, students are encouraged to download the ObieAlert app and report any incidents directly to Campus Safety.