Mar 28, 2024  
2010-2011 General Catalog 
    
2010-2011 General Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: To search archives, MUST use search box to left. Current catalog: catalog.usu.edu.

Art, BS


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The BS degree is a general art degree for the student who is not interested in specializing in one area of art. This degree requires 50 semester credits in Art courses, 27-28 credits in University Studies courses, and allows for 40 elective credits. A GPA of 2.5 is required for the BS degree. No grade less than C is acceptable in any art class. Art classes may be retaken for a higher grade. This degree does not fulfill the requirements for entrance into graduate schools of art.

Department of Art Curriculum


Foundation Courses

Students in the BS, BA, and BFA degree programs (except for students in the Art History emphasis) need to complete the following foundation curriculum. (Art History students should instead complete the BA foundation courses, which are listed in the Art History section.)

Suggested Sequence:


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 70 credits in Art courses. A minimum of 45 credits must be completed in the core and broadening area:

In addition, 6 credits are required in upper-division art history courses. A minimum of 25 art credits must be taken in a specialization area. The secondary education teaching license requires the following courses:

Art History (52 total credits)


Minimum GPA for Admission: 2.5, USU; 2.5 Career
Minimum GPA for Graduation: 2.5, major requirements; 2.5, USU; 2.5 Career
Minimum Grade Accepted: C in all major requirements

For the BA degree in Art with an emphasis in Art History, all students must take the following required foundation courses (15 credits):

All majors must choose between the following two tracks:

All majors also must meet with their advisor to determine a concentration and special area by the beginning of their sophomore year. In addition, the student should have produced two research papers of 10-15 pages each by the senior year.

Track I (18 credits): Students must complete six upper-division courses in art history, consisting of three interrelated courses (e.g., by period) and three distributed widely (i.e., a concentrator in a modern period of art history would select courses from the ancient or medieval, renaissance, and Baroque periods to achieve the wide distribution).

Track II (Interdisciplinary Track) (18 credits): Students must complete three upper-division courses in Art History and two upper-division courses outside the department that make up a special field (these may be combined from area studies, such as the British Commonwealth, French Studies, American Studies, Folklore, or Anthropology; or may consist of a selection of courses that  deal with post-colonialism, Women and Gender Studies, and the intersections between art and the history of science, for example; or may include courses that deal with a certain period). The student must formally apply, in consultation with his or her advisor, to determine the concentration and special area. One additional course in Art History (outside the special field) must also be completed.

All majors are required to take ARTH 4790 , Art History Seminar and Special Problems (3 credits, offered every year). Students will be advised to take this seminar after they have written a  research paper. Students are required to produce a self-assessment portfolio. During the second semester, senior majors must provide a portfolio of their work in art history. No credit is granted for the portfolio (which is not a class). The portfolio consists of a two-page self-assessment of the student’s work and progress in the major; a list of classes taken in art history, studio art, and any related fields that have contributed to the student’s understanding of art history; and examples of the student’s work in art history at all levels, including study-abroad work and internship experiences.

Foreign Language (16 credits): Four semesters of one foreign language are required. (French and German are especially recommended for students who plan to go on to graduate school, but a student may petition to have another foreign language count toward this goal.)

Including foundation, foreign language, and major classes, the Art History emphasis requires a total of 52 credits.

The remainder of the 70 semester credits can be taken as art electives.

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: 2.75, 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:

One course must be chosen from:

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:

Note:


1 ART 4640  is repeatable for credit, and must be taken during at least two semesters.

2 ART 4650  is repeatable for credit, and must be taken during at least four semesters.

ART 4260  is repeatable for credit, and must be taken during at least two semesters.

4 ART 3420    is repeatable for credit, and must be taken during a minimum of three semesters.

5 A total of 12 credits must be taken in a combination of ART 3230 , ART 3240 , and ART 3250 .

ART 3250  may be repeated for credit.

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