Course Descriptions By Program

Choose a program from the dropdown below to view course descriptions

ART106 - Art Appreciation

This course provides a very approachable and easy-to-understand guide to the key visual design building blocks, materials, processes, styles and history of the whole of Western Art. Students will also gain reference knowledge of the key timeline of the major artists, artworks and art processes from the past and present, and why art developed the way it did.

ART109 - Landmarks of World Art

Landmarks of World Art is an introduction to the defining moments of world architecture from prehistory to the present.

ART110 - Drawing I

A beginning course in drawing skills and techniques stressing line, contour and value studies, and the study of linear perspective, this course stresses rendering techniques and the visual skills necessary for students to draw what they see.

ART118 - History of Making

This course studies the history of making art from antiquity to the modern period. It includes major artists, groups, and stylistic developments of specific time periods, exploring artists and works in their historical, cultural, and social contexts. It focuses on several forms of visual art/culture, including sculpture, painting, prints, ceramics, jewelry, and includes on-site visits to museums and galleries, as well as the making of artistic objects.

ART119 - Design 2-D

This is an introduction to the creative and practical foundations of seeing, thinking, making, and communicating via 2-D space. Students become more aware of the design—the organization and application of visual language. Design awareness is structured by focusing learning on the identification and thoughtful manipulation of the specific basic elements and principles of visual language. Students learn by solving, and professionally presenting, many minor and several major visual problems in 2-D design.

ART120 - Design 3-D

This course is an examination of elements and principles of three-dimensional visual composition. These include all the elements and principles used in two-dimensional design, as well as the concepts of mass and volume.

ART127 - Introduction to Graphic Design

The course will introduce the student to the Macintosh as a production tool. It will provide the student with an understanding of the major concepts in the field of graphic design and how design relates to advertising and marketing.

ART130 - Biological Illustration: Form and Function

An introductory course in Biology and Drawing with an emphasis on the relation between form and function. Working with plants and animals, and using a combination of macroscopic and microscopic specimens, students will focus on the careful observation and interpretation of biological forms. Drawing instruction will focus on a variety of techniques commonly used in the biological sciences. Biology instruction will introduce students to basic scientific methodology, the diversity of living forms, the variety of ecological strategies related to those forms, and their scientific classification.

ART212 - Art History I

Art History I introduces students to the historical unfolding of the earliest significant ideas, images, events, artists and personalities involved with the visual arts - from cave art to the dawning of the Renaissance. The textual focus is upon these earliest visual arts from Europe, Asia and Northern Africa. Through lectures, visual aids and opportunities for study in the field, students with or without any prior knowledge of visual art will learn how to make the art of the period accessible and useful.

ART214 - Art History II

This course introduces students to the major monuments of art history from 1300 to the present. Significant artistic developments in painting, sculpture and architecture from the Renaissance through the present are examined within their historical and cultural contexts. The course thus provides a lens through which to understand the formal characteristics, subject matter and meaning of art as it relates to its social-historical context.

ART215 - Digital Painting I

This is a first level digital painting studio course. It utilizes Photoshop and introduces basic principles and techniques towards using digital painting in the CGI fields. The focus will be on matte painting bases, art theory, and criticism used to produce successful digital art images.

ART227 - Graphic Design Studio 1

In this course the student will develop a thorough working understanding of QuarkXPress, to develop skills in creative, visual problem solving for the purpose of communication using the elements and principles of design.

ART233 - Natural Science Drawing

An introductory course in observational drawing from biological specimens and outdoor field studies. Working with plant, animal, and landscape subjects, students will focus on the careful observation of natural forms and phenomena. Students will practice methods of scientific illustration through detailed renderings of organisms from direct observation supplemented by visual research. Through slide lectures, students will be introduced to masterworks of natural science drawing, as well as the work of great landscape painters and animal artists. Outdoor field trips will include specimen-gathering and the sketching of landscapes with clouds, water, waves, and land forms. Advanced art students will have the option of working in color with oils or watercolor. Upper level science students may concentrate on drawing subjects that relate to their particular areas of interest. The course is repeatable.

ART243 - Introduction to Asian Art

This course is an introduction to the major artistic traditions of East Asia from prehistory to the present. Works of art from India, China, and Japan are considered in relationship to their social-historical contexts. The course material includes archeological sites such as tombs; images and architecture of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam; and issues of modernism in East Asian art.

ART244 - Black Art

This course will give students a unique focus to Black Art. The course is designed to connect art, community cultural development, and Black Art throughout the world. Through artist profiles and discussions that provoke a variety of views, students will be challenged to write and present their answers to how racial and cultural links are visually portrayed. When given the opportunity to compare and contrast international Black Art, students can make connections to subject matter and a variety of techniques.

ART261 - Typography

This course is designed to teach effective use of typography as it relates to graphic design. The course covers, in detail, fundamental studio elements along with historical perspectives to give the student deeper insight and understanding.

ART262 - Color Theory

The course is designed to teach the effective use of color across the areas of art and design. The course covers in detail fundamental studio elements along with historical perspective.

ART270 - Art History Today

Art History Today is an introduction to the study of art history that emphasizes the global context in which art historians understand and study art history today. The relevance of art history beyond the classroom will be emphasized.

ART295 - Surface Design

Surface designs are everywhere we look: from clothing, to the interior and exterior coverings of where we live and work. In this course students discover how to identify and use the elements, principles in a variety of applications of surface design. Students also will explore a cursory history of materials and processes from around the world as they are applied to unique and patterned surface designs. Students will see what they are learning applied to several “field trips” to real-life places to identify and deconstruct specific surface design applications and design strategies.

ART308 - Art History: Ancient to Medieval

This course introduces students to the historical unfolding of the earliest significant ideas, images, events, artists and personalities involved with the visual arts — from cave art to the dawning of the Renaissance. The textual focus is upon these earliest visual arts from Europe, Asia and Northern Africa. Through lectures, visual aids and opportunities for study in the field, students with or without prior knowledge of visual art will learn how to make the art of this period accessible and useful.

ART310 - Advanced Drawing

This advanced drawing course explores expressive drawing techniques and drawing media and is a continuation of work to improve performance of academic drawing skills. Emphasis is placed on drawing from a model to develop a knowledge of human anatomy and to understand its effects on the surface information of the human form. Basic drawing skills are required.

ART312 - New & Emerging Digital Art Media.

Many traditional mediums are offered in art. This course open to all focuses on new and emerging digital art media from the late 19th century to the present dealing with themes such as collaboration, identity, appropriation, open sourcing, telepresence, surveillance, corporate parody, intervention and hacktivism, and social justice. These new art forms include digital painting, projection, animation, virtual art, interactive art, video games, 3D printing, and biotechnology. The students will produce, present, and critique individual and group projects utilizing these concepts from new and emerging art media.

ART315 - Digital Painting I

This is a first level digital painting studio course. It utilizes Photoshop and introduces the most important principles and techniques towards using digital painting in the CGI fields. The focus will be on matte painting bases, art theory, and criticism used to produce successful digital art images, individually and collaboratively.

ART323 - Women in Art

This course focuses on women both as the subject and the creators of art with a particular emphasis on the 19th and 20th centuries. The course is thematically organized while at the same time retaining a sense of chronology. Among those artists that we will consider are: Artemisia Gentileschi, Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Alice Neel, Lee Krasner, Judy Chicago, and Shirin Neshat. In addition to women in art, the course also explores the development of and debates amongst feminist approaches to art history.

ART326 - Contemporary Art

This course will consider developments in art objects and theory from the 1950s to the present with an emphasis on understanding examples of contemporary art within their specific social-historical contexts. The period is marked by dramatic changes in art and society that necessitate a consideration of art beyond the Western world to a global context. Artists including Robert Mapplethorpe, Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, Chris Ofili and Ai Weiwei, among many others, will be discussed.

ART327 - Graphic Design Studio II

This course will provide the student with an understanding of graphic design history, theory and criticism. The student will demonstrate this knowledge through projects utilizing previous computer skills while developing an advanced knowledge of Adobe Illustrator.

ART329 - Art Internship

This course will provide the student with supervised experience in applied settings. Students gain experience in setting up exhibits, cleaning and repairing of art works, graphic arts production techniques, organizing and promoting arts and cultural events.

ART345 - Methods of Art History

Methods of Art History is an introduction to the history of the art historical discipline and its research and interpretive methods. Rather than discuss the what of art history – that is, the major works and their histories - as most art history courses do, this course addresses the how of art history. We will consider various ways in which art historians interpret a work of art according to its specific and unique characteristics, the place and time period in which the work is created, and the changing nature of viewers’ responses to it.

ART350 - Printmaking: Relief

This is a hands-on introduction to, and continued development of, the fundamental ideas, processes, practices, styles, methods, techniques and professional presentation of relief printmaking as an art form. The history, aesthetics and critical frontiers of relief printmaking as an art form will also be addressed throughout the course. Repeatable.

ART351 - Printmaking: Intaglio

This is a hands-on introduction to, and continued development of, the fundamental ideas, processes, practices, styles, methods, techniques and professional presentation of intaglio printmaking as an art form. The history, aesthetics and critical frontiers of intaglio printmaking as an art form will also be addressed throughout the course. Repeatable.

ART352 - Printmaking Processes

Printmaking Processes is a repeatable course that exposes students to all the major printmaking processes. Students learn to create in all the major “green” (safe) printmaking processes, at least half that can be made safely at home or in school. Students will be able to identify all of the major types of prints and printmaking processes used from the 1500’s until now. Students will also be able to specifically design and create images for at least 5 different areas of printmaking processes, and professionally present their best work in an exhibition they organize at the end of the semester.

ART372 - Creative Arts for Elementary Education and Early Childhood

This course provides a survey of concepts, theories, and experiences for integrating arts education into the elementary classroom curriculum. Students will have practical experiences in art, music and theatre along with arts and education theories. This course will enable future teachers to develop arts experiences and lesson plans for children.

ART376 - Jewelry/Metals: Casting

This course is designed to give the student a thorough introduction to the materials and processes used in the jewelry/metals medium with a specific emphasis on the casting process. Design issues as well as technical processes will be addressed through a variety of studio exercises and problems. Creativity, problem solving skills and craftsmanship will all be emphasized as well as an understanding of the cultural and historical aspects of this expressive medium. Repeatable.

ART377 - Jewelry/Metals: Fabrication

This course is designed to give the student a thorough introduction to the materials and processes used in the jewelry/metals medium with a specific emphasis on the fabrication process. Design issues as well as technical processes will be addressed through a variety of studio exercises and problems. Creativity, problem solving skills and craftsmanship will all be emphasized as well as an understanding of the cultural and historical aspects of this expressive medium. Repeatable.

ART382 - Ceramics Studio

Beginning Ceramics is an introductory exploration of clay through hand building techniques and the potter's wheel. Students will examine the various forms and functions of the ceramic vessel. The course will focus on forming processes and the glazing and firing of pieces made in the studio.

ART383 - Painting Studio

An introduction to the fundamentals of painting, this course places emphasis on fundamental techniques of rendering, including the study of light and shadow, color, intensity control and projection, and recession of objects in space. Work and exercises are done primarily in oil paints. Work in watercolor or acrylic may be done with prior approval of the instructor.

ART385 - Sculpture Studio

This course is an introduction to the basic language, elements, media, tools, techniques and principles of the organization of sculpture. The basic techniques of manipulation, subtraction, substitution and addition involving different media and tools is covered.

ART388 - Critical Writing in Art

This writing intensive course for Art and Design students prepares them for life as a professional artist or designer. Through analysis, deconstruction and personal investigation, students will develop necessary skills in writing about art and design.

ART410 - Teaching Visual Art in Pre-K Through Grade 8

This course is designed to prepare beginning teachers of visual art to effectively meet the diverse challenges of teaching at the Pre-K through grade 8 levels of learning. There is a distinct emphasis upon directing teachers of visual art to establish a safe, efficient, creative, classroom driven by a student-centered/ developmentally sound / standards-based curriculum that accounts for no child being left behind. Ways of finding and exploiting traditional and non traditional techniques and technologies in the visual arts will be exposed if not explored. Students will be required to work in the classroom, visit and use community resources, and develop an art education portfolio.

ART420 - Contemporary Issues in Art

This course focuses on issues of contemporary concern in art history. The topics are faculty-selected and of contemporary consequence.

ART422 - Art History: The Art World After Modernism

This is a seminar in art theory: The Art World after modernism is a discussion-based course which considers the theoretical concerns informing and shaping artistic production and dialogue in the late 20th and 21st centuries. The study of primary sources in the form of critical writings addressing late modern, postmodern and contemporary art provides students with a thorough grounding in the bases for the development of the historical movements and the distinctive approaches to artistic production of the period. The course affords students the opportunity to integrate the knowledge of art history gleaned in survey courses with an extensive examination of salient art criticism and theory.

ART427 - Graphic Design Studio 3

In this course the student will create portfolio quality pieces which reflect current marketing and advertising strategies. Students will build upon their previous technical experience in QuarkXPress and Adobe Illustrator, while developing advanced technical experience with Adobe Photoshop.

ART428 - Graphic Design Studio 4

This course is designed to develop advanced graphic communication concepts and skills. Emphasis will be placed on client relationships and professional practices.

ART438 - Figure Drawing

This advanced-level drawing course is a repeatable course which focuses on drawing from a model from life. Students work from live nude and clothed models to develop a high level of skill in drawing the human figure while exploring a wide variety of drawing media and techniques.

ART490 - Senior Studio Thesis

This capstone course for B.F.A. students prepares them for life as a professional fine artist. This course culminates in a professional portfolio, including a resume, artist's statement, biography and website, a grant proposal, an action plan for employment or graduate studies, and a solo or two-person gallery exhibition.

ART493 - Advanced Ceramics

This advanced course in ceramics skills and techniques on the potter's wheel and in-hand forming methods places considerable emphasis on glazing and firing a body of work completed through an in-depth study in clay.

ART496 - Advanced Painting

This repeatable painting studio develops proficiencies in painting techniques, rendering skills and the visual analysis of forms. Students explore a variety of painting methods, subjects and themes toward the goal of having each student achieve a unique approach to form and content.

ART498 - Advanced Sculpture

This repeatable studio course in sculpture is designed to enable students who are seriously interested in sculpture to experiment with many types of media and to investigate other seasonable materials that can be used in sculpture. They will also be expected to impose on themselves problems which demonstrate critical thinking and analysis of materials.