2012-2013 General Catalog (Spring 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:
- A career total GPA of at least 2.75 must be attained.
- Students must maintain a minimum GPA of at least 2.75 in the Art Foundation and Art Basic Core classes.
- No grade lower than a C will be accepted in any art class.
- 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 70 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 33-34 credits, as well as complete 16 credits of electives. Any student unable to complete the necessary requirements for the BFA may still qualify for the BS degree.
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Department of Art and Design 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 foundation courses, which are listed in the Art History section.) Freshman year—first semester:
Freshman year—second semester:
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: Art History (52 total credits)
Minimum GPA for Admission: 2.75, USU; 2.75 Career
Minimum GPA for Graduation: 3.0, major requirements; 2.5, USU; 2.5 Career
Minimum Grade Accepted: B- 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:
BA degree candidates should complete the majority of University Studies lower-division requirements, the modern language requirement, and the foundation curriculum by the end of the sophomore year. This will allow concentration in an area of specialization during the junior and senior years. 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.
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
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