我们认为艺术至关重要。它改变了生活，记录并反映了经验，并向我们展示了我们自己之外的世界和观点。自已知历史开始以来，制作艺术就一直是人类活动的基本组成部分，对艺术的研究在我们对人类文明的理解的发展中起着核心作用。此外，社会常常由其产生的艺术来判断。我们还认为，文理科学至关重要。知识并不是孤立存在的，特别是在这个全球性的数字世界中，知识是相互关联的，共同创建，发展和维护的，并且会随着时间和文化的变化而变化。我们在杜鲁门州立大学艺术系的所有活动均源于这种基本的核心信念。
The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is the initial professional degree in art. The primary emphasis of the degree is to develop skills, concepts, and sensitivities essential to the professional artist. Successful candidates for this degree must function as practitioners who exhibit both technical competence and a broad knowledge of art and art history, sensitivity to artistic style, and an insight into the role of art and design in the life of humankind. Evidence of these characteristics and potential for their continuing development is essential for the awarding of the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.