Art Course Advising & Planning

This guide is meant to be used as a guide for advising and planning. It is NOT meant to substitute meeting with your Faculty Advisor. It is subject to change. (Last updated 10/24/2011)

Major Sheets (pdf downloads)

Art MAJOR | Art P-12 MAJOR | Art Minor | Art History Minor

Recommended Partial Course Sequence Toward Completing a Major in Art

These are the Art courses best taken in a certain sequence. There are many other courses you need as a part of the Art Major studies—see them listed on the Major sheets (links above). Your curricular needs may vary based on Advanced Placement courses and many other factors. Please see your Advisor or the Regstrar's Office for more information and further details. 

* Reviews are done in the Spring semester. While they are required, they are not courses, and are not registered for as such. 

FALL & SPRING semesters

ART 100 (3) Art Appreciation—Exposure to elements, principles and periods in art. Studio components, visiting artisits, regional museum and gallery visits an integral part of the course. Fee.

ART 111 (3) Introduction to 2D Form and Design—The introduction to the fundamental principles and elements of two-dimensional design and the technical skills required to apply them in various media. The student learns how to structure intelligent and creative solutions to specific design problems and to evaluate those solutions according to critical standards. The nature and meaning of the creative process and the expressive potential of visual form are addressed. Fee.

ART 112 (3) Introduction to 3D Form and Design—Explores spatial principles through a series of projects involving concept generation, technical construction, and expressive intent with a variety of materials. Fee.

ART 123 (3) Introduction to Drawing—An introduction to drawing as a means of seeing and formulating ideas in visual form. Explores the basic concepts and formal devices of drawing. Working in various drawing media builds a practical understanding of drawing as the foundation for all visual thinking. Three hours of laboratory per week. Fee.

ART 266 (3) Photography I—Introduction to seeing photographically. Emphasizes critical thinking, photography’s history and thoughtful evaluation of photographs. Methods and practice are also covered, including equipment, history, basic digital imaging, and presentation, culminating in a final portfolio. Requires an SLR camera (film or digital) with manual functions. Fee.

ART 340 (3) Photography II—Intermediate studio course that introduces black and white darkroom craft, creative digital editing and management and archival output, as well some alternative processes. Photo history since WWII is also covered, along with current trends in the medium. Prerequisite: ART 266. Fee.

ART 354 (3) Graphic Design I –Fundamental design principles within the context of graphic design. Two-dimensional visual communication is reinforced, along with typographic principles and a survey of graphic design processes, through problem solving projects and exercises. Introduction of industry standard page layout and digital image editing software. Fee.

ART 392 (1-3) Directed Study (non-majors)—Independent work in a field chosen in consultation with the supervising professor. Repeatable. Prerequisite: 12 hours in ART. Fee. Contract.

ART 435 (3) Internship—Students work under joint supervision of professor and on-the-job trainer in appropriate field work setting. Prerequisites: junior standing and departmental approval. Fee. Contract

ART 476 (1) Senior Exhibit/Presentation—A student in studio art mounts a professional-quality exhibition of a body of work created for the Art major in the University gallery or other designated space. The exhibit must meet faculty approval both as proposed and as installed. The student completing an art history emphasis presents research at the public annual art history symposium or independently curates a show on or off campus. Prerequisite: senior status and recommendation of department following junior review. Fee.

ART 492 (1-3) Directed Study—Specialization in chosen discipline (painting, sculpture, photography, fiber arts, ceramics, stained glass, printmaking, drawing, graphic design, computer illustration or art history) in consultation with professor. Prerequisites: Introductory level course in chosen area of specialization. Repeatable. Fee. Contract.

FALL Semester

ART 212 (3) Stained Glass—Five works in stained glass using mosaic, copper foil, and lead construction. Concern for good design and construction. Three hours of laboratory per week required. Fee.

ART 222 (3) Ceramics 1—An introduction to the complete ceramics process. Techniques in clay formation, decoration, firing, and potter’s wheel are taught with an emphasis on the expressive potential of utility. Three hours of laboratory per week required. Fee.

ART 251 (3) Art History Survey I—Satisfies Gen. Ed. Art Requirement — Examination of major developments in art and architecture from prehistory through the 14th century, with consideration given to the dominant political, religious, and social concerns of each period. Fee.

ART 275 (1) Presentation Methods and Materials—Presentation skills such as mat cutting, framing, and archival methods and storage options are taught for preparation for an on-campus exhibit. Also covered are hanging and display methods, publicity considerations, documentation skills, gallery representation, and other topics pertinent to the art market. Fee. Prerequisites: ART 111,112.

ART 300 (3) Art Theory and Criticism—Historical survey of critical methods and theories by which “art” and the “artist” have been defined and assessed. Theological perspectives on the visual arts are addressed. Fee.

ART 390 (3) Printmaking—Students learn the procedures, techniques, and vocabulary of intaglio, relief, serigraphy, and lithography printmaking processes. Three hours of laboratory per week required. Prerequisite: ART 123. Fee.

ART 475 (1) Senior Seminar—Prepares the art student to install his or her senior exhibit, or an exhibit by another artist, treating aspects of professional exhibition and documentation. Portfolio preparation, and plans for relevant graduate education and career opportunities are explored. Senior Seminar is normally taken in the year in which the student will carry out the senior exhibit or carry out senior art historical research. Prerequisite: senior status. Fee.

SPRING Semester

ART 231 (3) Intermediate Design and Color Theory—Further exploration of the principles and elements of design. Develops awareness of the theoretical and expressive significance of color in pictorial space. Prerequisite: ART 111. Fee.

ART 233 (3) Figure Drawing—Further develops lessons introduced in ART 123 by addressing the classical subject of the live model in an intensive studio context. Various media. Three hours of laboratory per week required. Prerequisite: ART 111, 123. Fee.

ART 252 (3) Art History Survey II— Satisfies Gen. Ed. Art Requirement — Broad survey of the principal innovations in art and architecture in the West from the Renaissance to the present. Fee,

ART 322 (3) Ceramics 2— Intermediate studio course building on the foundations on Ceramics 1.  Design, concept development, sculptural application and surface considerations will be explored.  Emphasis on contemporary ceramic practices and the development of one’s own creative expression within the medium. Prereq. ART 222 Ceramics 1

ART 372 (3) Sculpture—Investigation of the major issues and techniques of contemporary sculptural practice including materials choice, formation process, and idea development. Three hours of laboratory per week required. Prerequisite: ART 112. Fee.

ART 381 (3) Painting—This course introduces the basic concepts and techniques of representational painting in acrylics, oils, and egg tempera. The emphasis lies in developing technical proficiency and visual acuity as the foundation for imaginative formal expression in paint. Three hours of laboratory per week required. Prerequisite: ART 123 or ART 111 or permission of instructor. Fee.

ART 452 (3) Graphic Design II-Builds on ART 354 in considering critical analyses in graphic design and its larger cultural impact. Introduces vector graphics software and further study of page layout and digital image-editing tools. Prerequisite: ART 354. Fee.

ART 455 (3) 20th Century Art—Exploration of developments in modern art with particular attention to the ways in which trends in modern art may be considered expressions of historical conditions and ideologies. Prerequisites: junior standing and departmental approval. Fee. (alternate years - next offering: SPRING, 2013)

ART 454 (3) Renaissance Art—Examination of developments in art from the 13th through the 17th centuries, both in Italy and north of the Alps. In addition to Renaissance art, challenges to traditional conceptions of classical beauty found in Baroque art will be examined as well. Prerequisites: junior standing and departmental approval. Fee. (alternate years - next offering: SPRING, 2012)

Summer & Occasional Course Offerings

Art 100 Art Appreciation Online (3)—Interaction with a brief survey of the highlights of the history of Western art from ancient Mesopotamia to the twentieth century, coming to understand the history of art as a vital link to a full exploration of human experience.

ART 394 Summer Seminar Abroad (3)— Satisfies Gen. Ed. Cross-Cultural Requirement —Summer Seminar immersed in art and history of France, or another destination as specified by Art Department. Fee. (alternate years - next offering: SUMMER, 2012)

ART 222 (3) Ceramics 1—An introduction to the complete ceramics process. Techniques in clay formation, decoration,
firing, and potter’s wheel are taught with an emphasis on
the expressive potential of utility. Three hours of laboratory per week required. Fee.

ART 266 (3) Photography I—Introduction to seeing photographically. Emphasizes critical thinking, photography’s history and thoughtful evaluation of photographs. Methods and practice are also covered, including equipment, history, basic digital imaging, and presentation, culminating in a final portfolio. Requires an SLR camera (film or digital) with manual functions. Fee.

ART 242 (3) Watercolor—Introduces the basic techniques of traditional watercolor. While the emphasis is on the handling of the media, principles of form and composition are also addressed. Fee. (alternate years)

Courses for Your Consideration

Here are courses offered in other departments that may be of interest to you to widen your experience in your pursuit of an Art degree.
MC225 Interactive Media
JRN342 Photojournalism
MC370 Animation Design



All course offerings are subject to change without notice.