Kansas City Art Institute

Johnson County Community College Transfer Program to the Kansas City Art Institute Advising
816-802-3302
General Education Requirements, BFA
Academic Year 2025-2026 www.kcai.edu

Admissions Requirements

Transfer Student Admissions Requirements:

To be considered for admission to KCAI, the following items must be submitted (unless noted as optional):

  •  Application
  • Personal Statement
  • Portfolio - Students will submit a 10-15 image portfolio that will be assessed for scholarship and studio level placement. Students are encouraged to contact Julia Welles before submitting portfolio.
  • Transcripts - It is the student’s responsibility to have an official copy of the transcript sent to KCAI’s Admissions Office as part of the application process and upon completion of the transfer course: Kansas City Art Institute Admissions Office 4415 Warwick Blvd. Kansas City, Missouri 64111
  • Standardized Test Scores (optional)
  • AP or IB Credit - It is the student’s responsibility to have an official copy of the transcript(s) sent to KCAI’s Admissions Office: Kansas City Art Institute Admissions Office 4415 Warwick Blvd. Kansas City, Missouri 64111 (optional)
  • Letter of Recommendation (optional)

Degree Requirements

  • Total program includes: 120 hours. Liberal arts - 39 hours, Open electives – 6 hours, Studio courses – 75 hours.
  • Kansas City Art Institute will consider transferring a maximum of 63 credit hours in liberal arts and studio courses that meet KCAI’s requirements, with a grade equivalent of “C” or better.
  • Students cannot take the same classes to fulfill more than one liberal arts requirement.
  • Students must take one 3-credit hour liberal arts class not based on the European tradition. 
  • Developmental courses and physical education courses are not transferable.
  • Applicants must understand that the number of transferable studio credit hours and the level of competence as indicated by the portfolio review are used to determine studio level placement. Students who choose to transfer to KCAI are required to complete AT LEAST two full years in a studio department. BFA degree program areas may be selected from Animation, Ceramics, Fiber, Filmmaking, Graphic Design, Illustration, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Product Design or Sculpture.
  • Twenty-four of the final 30 credit hours MUST be completed at KCAI.
  • Grades for transferred credit will not be calculated into the KCAI cumulative grade point average.
  • KCAI also accepts credits from CLEP, AP, and IB. Please refer to the website for KCAI equivalencies.

KCAI Requirements

Liberal Arts (39 hours)

Lower-Division Required Core Courses: These four lower-division, core courses are prerequisites for upper-division Liberal Arts courses. 

JCCC
KCAI
Course CodeCourse TitleCourse HoursTransfer CodeTransfer TitleTransfer Hours
ARTH 180Art History: Ancient to Medieval3AHS 1001Art Historical Studies I3
ARTH 182Art History: Renaissance to Modern3AHS 1002Art Historical Studies II3
ENGL 121Composition I* (OR)3WRS 1001Writing Seminar/Amer. Monsters3
ENGL 119College Composition I with Review* 5 WRS 1001 Writing Seminar
HIST 125Western Civilization: Ancient World to the Renaissance (OR)3 CRS 1001 Critical Studies
HUM 145World Humanities: Ancient to Medieval 3 CRS 1001 Critical Studies

Upper Division Courses:

Upper division courses are taken during the sophomore, junior, and senior years. At least one of these courses (3 hours) must be a Global/Comparative (non-Eurocentric) Studies course. A minimum of five courses (15 hrs) must be taken at the 3000 or 4000 level.

Art History (9 hours):

Upper division courses at the 3000 level or higher. Must be taken at KCAI.

History – select one course:

Select any JCCC course below:

HIST 120Local and Kansas History3
HIST 128Medieval History3
HIST 129Early Modern Europe 1500-17893
HIST 130European History Since 17893
HIST 132History of Africa3
HIST 135Eastern Civilization3
HIST 140U.S. History to 18773
HIST 141U.S. History Since 18773
HIST 143Ancient Greece, the Near East and Egypt3
HIST 145History of Ancient Rome3
HIST 149History of India3
HIST 150Islam: Religion and Civilization3
HIST 151World History: Traditional3
HIST 152World History: Modern World3
HIST 160Modern Russian History3
HIST 162Modern Latin America3
HIST 165History of China3
HIST 167Introduction to History: Japan3
HIST 180North American Indian History3
HIST 195History of the Middle East3
HIST 200Empires of the Silk Road3
HIST 210Environmental History of North America3
HIST 250American West3
HIST 260Women in U.S. History3

Literature – select one (3-hour) course:

ENGL 214Environmental Literature*3
ENGL 215U.S. Latino and Latina Literature*3
ENGL 216African-American Literature*3
ENGL 217Literature by Women*3
ENGL 230Introduction to Fiction*3
ENGL 235Drama as Literature*3
ENGL 236British Literature to 1800*3
ENGL 237British Literature after 1800*3
ENGL 251World Literature to 1620*3
ENGL 252Introduction to Shakespeare*3
ENGL 254Masterpieces of the Cinema*3

Philosophy – select one (3-hour) course:

PHIL 121Introduction to Philosophy3
PHIL 124Logic and Critical Thinking3
PHIL 130Food Ethics3
PHIL 143Ethics3
PHIL 154History of Ancient Philosophy3
PHIL 176Philosophy of Religion3
REL 120Exploring World Religions3
REL 125Asian Religions3
REL 126Religions of the West3

 

The Sciences (Science or Social Science) – 3 hours - select one course:

Select any JCCC course from below:

ANTH 125Cultural Anthropology3
ANTH 126Physical Anthropology3
ANTH 130World Cultures3
ASTR 120Fundamentals of Astronomy3
ASTR 122Astronomy4
BIOL 125General Botany5
BIOL 127General Zoology5
BIOL 140Human Anatomy4
BIOL 144Human Anatomy and Physiology*5
BIOL 150Biology of Organisms*5
BIOL 225Human Physiology*4
BIOL 230Microbiology* (AND)3
BIOL 231Microbiology Lab*2
CHEM 120Chemistry in Society*4
CHEM 122Principles of Chemistry*5
CHEM 124General Chemistry I Lecture* (AND)4
CHEM 125General Chemistry I Lab*1
CHEM 131General Chemistry II Lecture* (AND)4
CHEM 132General Chemistry II Lab*1
CHEM 140Principles of Organic & Biological Chemistry*5
ECON 132Survey of Economics3
ECON 231Principles of Microeconomics3
ECON 230Principles of Macroeconomics3
EVRN 130Environmental Science (AND)3
EVRN 132Environmental Science Laboratory*2
EVRN 250Bioethics in Science and Research*3
EVRN 255Freshwater Ecology4
EVRN 275Nature, Law, and Environmental Protection*3
GEOS 130General Geology5
GEOS 140Physical Geography (AND)3
GEOS 141Physical Geography Lab*2
GEOS 145World Regional Geography3
GEOS 155Human Geography3
GEOS 160Introduction to Meteorology5
PHYS 130College Physics I*5
PHYS 131College Physics II*5
PHYS 220Engineering Physics I*5
PHYS 221Engineering Physics II*5
POLS 122Political Science3
POLS 124American National Government3
POLS 126State and Local Government3
POLS 132Introduction to Comparative Government3
POLS 135International Relations3
POLS 200Model United Nations3
POLS 245Introduction to Public Administration3
PSCI 120Physical Science4
PSYC 121Applied Psychology3
PSYC 130Introduction to Psychology3
PSYC 215Child Development*3
PSYC 218Human Development*3
SOC 122Introduction to Sociology3
SOC 125Social Problems3
SOC 131Sociology of Families3
SOC 146Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare3
SOC 220Food and Society3

Liberal Arts Electives (6 hours): 

Additional coursework done in the above coursework and/or courses below: 

Open Electives (6 hours):

Can be filled from a large variety of coursework including liberal arts and studio classes. Any class(es) from the above categories plus JCCC course(s) from  below: 

ARTH 188History of Photography3
BIOL 231Microbiology Lab*2
CHEM 125General Chemistry I Lab*1
CHEM 132General Chemistry II Lab*1
COMS 120Interpersonal Communication3
COMS 121Public Speaking3
COMS 125Personal Communication3
COMS 180Intercultural Communication3
ENGL 122Composition II*3
EVRN 132Environmental Science Laboratory*2
FL 182Intermediate Japanese I*5
FL 183Intermediate Japanese II*5
FL 220Intermediate German I*3
FL 221Intermediate German II*3
FL 230Intermediate Spanish I*3
FL 231Intermediate Spanish II*3
FL 240Intermediate French I*3
FL 241Intermediate French II*3
FL 265Intermediate Chinese I*3
FL 266Intermediate Chinese II*3
GEOS 141Physical Geography Lab*2
HUM 122Introduction to Humanities3
MATH 171College Algebra*3
MATH 172Trigonometry*3
MATH 173Precalculus*5
MATH 175Discrete Mathematics and its Applications*3
MATH 201Statistics*3
MATH 231Business and Applied Calculus I*3
MATH 232Business and Applied Calculus II*3
MATH 241Calculus I*5
MATH 242Calculus II*5
MATH 243Calculus III*5
MATH 254Differential Equations*4

Foundation Studio (18 hours):

This requirement can be met by 18 hours of studio coursework, if certain standards are met. It is recommended that Drawing and Design be included in the 18 hours of coursework. Select JCCC courses from  below:

ART 124Design 2D ^3
ART 127Design 3D* ^3
ART 129Design Color ^3
ART 130Drawing I ^3
ART 131Drawing II*3
ART 135Painting I ^3
ART 136Painting II*3
ART 142Ceramics I3
ART 143Ceramics II*3
ART 145Sculpture I3
ART 146Sculpture II*3
ART 148Metal and Silversmithing I3
ART 149Metal and Silversmithing II*3
ART 172Watercolor Painting3
ART 231Life Drawing I* ^3
ART 244Ceramics Workshop I*3
ART 292Special Topics:1-3
FMS 100Intro to Film3
FMS 200Intro to Filmmaking and Media Aesthetics3
FMS 275Introduction to Film and Media Production*3
PHOT 124Digital Photography3
PHOT 200Foundations in Photography3
PHOT 223Studio and Lighting Photography*3

Upper Division Studio (57 hours): 

It is recommended that students include courses that are geared toward their studio concentration area that include animation, ceramics, fiber, filmmaking, graphic design, illustration, painting, photography, product design or sculpture. Contact Julia Welles at KCAI for options. 

*

JCCC course has a prerequisite or corequisite.

^

These courses are strongly recommended to be completed in the year of coursework taken at JCCC.

Last Approved Thu Aug 28 09:47:23 2025