Undergraduate Degrees
B.A. in Visual Arts
The program of study for Visual Arts majors includes the study of art history
and an introduction to the practical problems associated with the pursuit
of careers in art. The objective of the curriculum is to cultivate students' understanding
of the creative processes as well as provide them with a context from which
to view the association between society and art.
Curriculum
The department's course of study is divided into three levels. First,
the foundation level allows students to differentiate between authentic personal
decisions and those dictated by social and cultural conditions. Second, a tutorial
level allows students to focus on creative problems connected with the personal
decisions and to understand their relation to the decisions of others. Third,
a critical level enables students to develop a quality control for the formal
solutions of the projects and to relate them to the contemporary art context.
Recognizing that not all students are interested in becoming professional
artists, the program addresses two tracks. The difference is reflected in the
type of internships required for each student and the preparation of a written
thesis for those students in a peripheral situation in relation to art-making.
For art practitioners the Senior Project consists of an exhibit in the Amelie
A. Wallace Gallery.
Alumni Successes
Professionally, alumni having earned the B.S. in Visual Arts have chosen either
to continue their education by pursuing a Master of Arts degree, or to enter
directly into the work world. A sampling of careers that graduates have entered
includes advertising, graphic and corporate design, interior design, typography,
photography, gallery management, art therapy, publishing, television and
teaching.
B.S. in Visual Arts: Electronic Media
The goal of the B.S. in Visual Arts: Electronic Media is to give students the
creative and technical skills needed to succeed as computer artists and designers.
Students learn to use the most relevant graphic software for print, multimedia
and 3-D design, as well as animation and video production. Computer software
skills are taught as a means to explore new technology as a medium for art.
This degree program produces self-motivated artists with strengths in creative
vision, concept development, and critical thinking as well as a commitment
to communicating visual messages through innovative artistic expression.
Students will obtain an understanding of the principles of visual communication
and a proficiency in digital production techniques. Intensive study in artistic
expression, design principles, the use of graphics software and professional
design practices create students who are well-prepared for a wide variety of
career opportunities in the design profession. This degree program also enables
students to pursue a career as an exhibiting electronic media artist.
Minors
Media Design
The Media Design minor brings together the disciplines of communications and
visual arts in a reflection of the increasingly media savvy - and media
saturated - 21st century world. Through a curriculum derived jointly
by the faculties of the American Studies and Visual Arts Departments, the
minor offers students the ability to combine theory courses related to such
concepts as mass media, American film genres, and popular culture with such
skills based courses as drawing, desktop publishing, and applied photo imaging.
Visual Arts
The Visual Arts minor consists of a core of four required courses (16 credits)
and three elective options: art history; fine art; or applied art. The minor
is intended to serve two different groups of students. Students pursuing
a liberal arts major would take the minor to explore non-linear modes of
creative thinking and to become familiar with the ways in which art intersects
with history, philosophy, psychology, literature and politics. Students majoring
in professional programs such as teacher education, marketing, journalism
and computer science can use the visual arts minor to develop some supplementary
practical skills that will prove useful in their chosen career.
