Art BA

“Creativity takes courage” _ Henri Matisse

About the Program

The BA Art program is designed to give students interested in visual arts a space to explore their interests, learn new techniques, gain experience with critique as well as insight into the arts industry. By entering into the program, you will join peers and instructors who are passionate about communicating through the visual media and creating rich experiences for audiences. The program also features concentrations that target a variety of art techniques and styles. Please see the description of each concentration below.

Degree Requirements

Students majoring in art must complete 42 credits of course work in art, 52 credits of liberal arts core requirements and a 15-credit minor concentration. Each of the separate concentrations has groups of required courses in its areas of specialization. Guidance by the students’ individual advisers is essential in guiding them through each specialization.

The required courses in art are designed to provide students interested in the visual arts with a strong foundation program of 24 credits in drawing, design, color, and art history. Additionally, in the senior year, a 6-credit senior project and seminar are required for the degree.

The remaining 15 credits (for a total of 42) may be taken in a variety of art electives, as well as required courses for the concentrations in arts management, computer art and design, graphic art and design, and painting and/or drawing.

Program Learning Objectives

By the end of the program, students will:

Articulate their individual global aesthetic sense
Demonstrate the ability to use a variety of skills and techniques in the art-making process
Develop problem solving skills
Demonstrate critical thinking and research techniques as a part of the visual problem solving method of creativity

Possible Career Paths

The world of arts careers is vast and ever-changing. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics points to several possible career paths graduates of this degree can pursue:

Artist/art director
Designer/ graphic designer
Interior design/fashion
Editor/content creator
Photographer
Technical writer/creative writer

Program Outline

Except for the freshman foundation courses (which must be scheduled in the first and second semesters as indicated below), the semester assignment of courses in this outline is only suggested. Students have the option of distributing the electives, with the approval of their adviser, among the semesters as they deem appropriate.

Required Courses

Freshman Foundation Required Art Courses

First semester

ART1141 Two-dimensional Design
ART1151 General Drawing I

Second semester

ART1144 Color Theory I
ART1153 Life Drawing I

General Requirements

Third semester

ART1107 Development of Art I
ART1108 Development of Art II

Remainder

ART1120 Modern Art to Mid-century
ART4821 Portfolio

Computer Art and Design Concentration

The computer art and design concentration focuses on the interactive world of broadcast, 3D, gaming, and animation. Students learn principles of 3D modeling, animation, and interactivity including texture, lighting, and camera action.

Major Requirements (18 credits)

ART1107 Development of Art I
ART1108 Development of Art II
ART1141 Two-dimensional Design or
ART1142 Three-dimensional Design
ART1144 Color Theory I
ART1151 General Drawing I or
ART1161 Painting I
ART4821 Portfolio

Major Concentration (15 credits)

Choose five from the following courses:

ART1177 Introduction to Digital Media
ART1178 Multimedia on the Internet
ART1192 Digital Photography I
ART1843 Design for the Web
ART2271 Adobe® After Effects: Broadcast Graphics
ART2274 Computer 3-Dimensional Modeling
ART2294 2-D Computer Animation
ART2295 3D Computer Animation
CSCI3317 Computer Game Programming

Graphic Art and Design Concentration

The graphic art and design concentration exposes students to all aspects of graphic design and data visualization with outputs to print, web and smart devices.