Mar 28, 2024  
2013-2014 General Catalog (Summer, Fall 2013) 
    
2013-2014 General Catalog (Summer, Fall 2013) ARCHIVED CATALOG: To search archives, MUST use search box to left. Current catalog: catalog.usu.edu.

Art - BFA


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Caine College of the Arts

Department of Art and Design

The BFA is a professional art degree requiring above-average accomplishment in art. Only students demonstrating considerable promise will be accepted for this more demanding professional degree program. Admission to the Art and Design Department BA/BS program does not guarantee admission to the BFA program. Entrance to the BFA program is by application only. Each emphasis area specifies classes that must be completed, along with the common foundation courses, prior to application to the BFA program. For most students, this will occur at the end of their sophomore year. Transfer students may make application during the spring semester prior to their planned entrance into the department.

Students must complete the General Education requirements  

Students must also complete the University Studies requirements 

  • For most students, courses taken for the major will fulfill the Communications Intensive (CI) requirement
  • Students must take one course having a QI designation to fulfill the Quantitative Intensive (QI) requirement
  • Complete at least 2 credits in approved 3000-level or above courses from each of the following two categories: Life and Physical Sciences (DSC) and Social Sciences (DSS)

To graduate with a BFA degree, students must meet the following minimum requirements:

  1. A career total GPA of at least 2.75 must be attained.
  2. Students must maintain a minimum GPA of at least 2.75 in the Art Foundation and Art Basic Core classes.
  3. No grade lower than a C will be accepted in any art class.
  4. In any emphasis area class, no grade lower than a B- is acceptable. Emphasis classes may be retaken for a higher grade.

A minimum of 78 semester credits in art must be completed for the BFA degree. This includes 6 credits of upper-division art history. During the spring semester of their senior year, students must take ART 4910  (Senior BFA Exhibition). Students must also fulfill the standard University Studies requirement of 45-46 credits. Any student unable to complete the necessary requirements for the BFA may still qualify for the BS degree.

Department of Art and Design Curriculum


Foundation Courses

Students in the BS, BA, and BFA degree programs need to complete the following foundation curriculum. 

Subsequent curriculum requirements are specific to these individual emphasis areas:


Art Education


Minimum GPA for Admission: 2.75, USU; 2.75 Career
Additional Admission Requirement: admission granted by art education instructor
Minimum GPA for Graduation: 2.75, core/foundation courses; 2.75, major; 2.75, USU; 2.75 Career
Minimum Grade Accepted: B- in emphasis courses; C in remaining ART courses

The art education curriculum prepares students to teach art in the public schools. Students graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in art and obtain a secondary education teaching license.  The BFA degree requires 74 credits in Art courses. A minimum of 33 credits must be completed in the foundation and core area:

Ceramics


Minimum GPA for Admission: 2.75, USU; 2.75 Career
Additional Admission Requirement: portfolio and application review
Minimum GPA for Graduation: 2.75, major; 2.75, USU; 2.75 Career
Minimum Grade Accepted: B- in emphasis courses; C in remaining ART courses

Contemporary ceramics represents the extension and synthesis of clay sculpture and vessel traditions. Students are acquainted with the technology of ceramic materials and firing processes, while developing sound craftsmanship as a means to personal expression. Enrichment is provided through the ceramics collection of the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum, numerous ceramics exhibitions, and visiting guest artists. Juniors and seniors in the program may compete for one of the Ellen Stoddard Eccles Scholarships, an endowed scholarship fund set aside especially for undergraduate ceramics majors. Students must complete the following courses for a Ceramics emphasis: 

Drawing and Painting


Minimum GPA for Admission: 2.75, USU; 2.75 Career
Additional Admission Requirement: portfolio and application review
Minimum GPA for Graduation: 2.5, major; 2.75, USU; 2.75 Career
Minimum Grade Accepted: B- in emphasis courses; C in remaining ART courses

The drawing and painting emphasis includes the two-dimensional study of form and space, as well as the exploration of drawing and painting media, graphic elements, and visual dynamics. It is an essential discipline for all artists, as it provides the fundamental visual skills needed in their search for a personal idiom. At the same time, drawing and painting are also vehicles of creative expression, visual adventure, and self-discovery. The curriculum emphasizes an analysis of historical approaches to drawing and painting, and the exploration of new ideas, techniques, and materials. Basic courses are designed to foster a respect for the craft of drawing and painting, and subsequent courses encourage application of the craft to expressive goals. Central to the focus of drawing and painting study at USU is the development of a personal portfolio reflecting the specific interests of the individual. Students must complete the following courses for a drawing and painting emphasis: 

ART 4200 , ART 4210  and ART 4260  are repeatable for credit, so students are encouraged to fulfill their art electives by repeating these courses.

Students must complete the following courses for a drawing and painting emphasis:

  

Graphic Design


Minimum GPA for Admission: 2.75, USU; 2.75 Career
Additional Admission Requirement: portfolio and application review
Minimum GPA for Graduation: 2.75, major; 2.75, USU; 2.75 Career
Minimum Grade Accepted: B- in emphasis courses; C in remaining ART courses

Graphic design is the study of visual communications and the art of presenting information. Visual elements, such as animation, photography, illustration, symbols, and type, are designed or arranged using various techniques and materials. Materials range from traditional ink, paper, and printing presses to video and the Internet, using the latest computer software and hardware. Students in graphic design complete a variety of courses that involve working with symbols, trademarks, typography, layout, and all formats of print and publication design. Illustration, digital imaging, motion graphics, animation, and interactive media are also part of the graphic design curriculum. Seniors may specialize in one or more of these areas of study and create a professional portfolio specific to their interests. Graphic Design emphasis students should complete the following courses:   

Photography


Minimum GPA for Admission: 2.75, USU; 2.75 Career
Additional Admission Requirement: portfolio and application review
Minimum GPA for Graduation: 2.75, major; 2.75, USU; 2.75 Career
Minimum Grade Accepted: B in emphasis courses; C in remaining ART courses

Found throughout all of contemporary life, photographic images shape the way we document, interpret, and direct our lives. As an art form, photography constantly reinvents our concept of beauty, reality, and culture. Within the program in photography, students learn the aesthetic and technical skills of the medium. The fundamentals of craft and the “hands on” application of knowledge at each level enables the student to pursue a variety of photographic professions. Requirements for the Photography emphasis include:   

Printmaking


Minimum GPA for Admission: 2.75, USU; 2.75 Career
Additional Admission Requirement: portfolio and application review
Minimum GPA for Graduation: 2.75, major; 2.75, USU; 2.75 Career
Minimum Grade Accepted: B- in emphasis courses; C in remaining ART courses

Students in the printmaking emphasis have the opportunity to explore all aspects of traditional and contemporary printmaking. After an introduction to the basics of intaglio, lithographic, silkscreen, and relief processes, students are encouraged to continue their development in a specific area of interest. Independent studio projects will investigate the wide field of printmaking, providing a framework for the student to become engaged in a creative pursuit involving both technical and aesthetic considerations. Requirements for the Printmaking emphasis include:   

Sculpture


Minimum GPA for Admission: 2.75, USU; 2.75 Career
Additional Admission Requirement: portfolio and application review
Minimum GPA for Graduation: 2.75, major; 2.75, USU; 2.75 Career
Minimum Grade Accepted: B- in emphasis courses; C in remaining ART courses

Sculpture is the three-dimensional expression of ideas. Its range extends from discrete, permanent objects to ephemeral, multi-media environments. Students in the sculpture emphasis develop a base of knowledge in traditional approaches to the creation of form. After gaining competency in figure modeling, as well as in stone or wood carving, they explore both site-specific sculpture and sculptural installations. Intermediate and advanced students investigate specific problems involving technical, aesthetic, and conceptual considerations, while developing their own direction, based on both experience with form, materials, and techniques, and an understanding of traditional concerns and contemporary issues in the vast field encompassed today by sculpture.

The following courses are required for students in the sculpture emphasis: 

 

Minimum University Requirements


Total Credits

120

Grade Point Average (most majors require higher GPA)

2.00 GPA

Credits of C- or better

100

Credits of upper-division courses (#3000 or above)

40

USU Credits (30 USU credits, 20 of which must be upper-division courses, 10 of which must be courses required for student’s major)

30 USU credits

Completion of approved major program of study

See college advisor

Credits in minor (if required)

12

Credits in American Institutions (ECN 1500 ;HIST 1700 , HIST 2700  or HIST 2710 ; HONR 1300 POLS 1100 ; or USU 1300 )

3

General Education Requirements  and University Studies Depth Requirements 

 

 

 

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