Graphic Design, BA

Designated for non-art majors. Establishes a working vocabulary for evaluating works of art in various media. Objects are interpreted in terms of their specific historical contexts and the changing relationships between art and society. This course does not fulfill the art history requirement for art majors.

An examination of painting, sculpture, architecture, and other arts from the ancient through medieval periods.

A further examination of painting, sculpture, architecture, and other arts from the Renaissance through Modern periods. This course satisfies the university core curriculum requirement in fine arts.

Prerequisite: ARTS 1303.

A studio course concerning the fundamentals of art with emphasis on two-dimensional concepts.

A studio course concerning the fundamentals of art with emphasis on three-dimensional concepts.  This 3D foundations course utilizes creative problem-solving strategies and basic sculpture tools to explore spatial relationships and to create sculptural forms in space.

A studio course investigating a variety of media techniques, including their descriptive and expressive possibilities.

A further investigation of media techniques explored in Drawing I, including their descriptive and expressive possibilities.

Prerequisite: ARTS 1316.

A studio course exploring the potentials of painting media.

Prerequisite: ARTS 1316.

An introductory studio course exploring sculptural approaches, materials, concepts, and technical processes. Materials include wood, plaster, steel, and plastics.

An introductory studio course in basic printmaking processes and techniques.

Prerequisite: ARTS 1316 or 1311.

An introductory studio course in basic ceramic processes.

This course is an introduction to digital photography capture, processing, and basic editing software. While focusing on the fundamentals of digital photography and printing techniques, it will introduce students to the theory and practice of photography and assist them in producing a conceptually devised and technically consistent portfolio.

A studio course exploring techniques in water-base media.

Drawing from the model using a variety of techniques and media.

Prerequisite: (ARTS 1317).

Traditional printmaking processes will be explored using black and white and color techniques, including but not limited to screenprinting.

Prerequisite: ARTS 1311 or 1316.

Explores the issues of content, imagery, application, and influences of master artists.

Prerequisite: ARTS 2316.

Building upon introductory skills, this course explores construction and fabrication in sculpture focusing on a primary material for the semester and applying advanced techniques and processes for this material. Through this material and techniques, students begin defining and developing their visual vocabulary relative to art history and contemporary sculptural issues.

Prerequisite: ARTS 2326.

This course is designed to build upon the fundamental principles of mold making and casting while exploring more complex concepts, materials, and techniques.  Creating multi-part molds, flexible molds, and investment molds, the project assignments incorporate the unique versatility of mold making and casting for exchanging media and making a series of multiples.  In addition to making casts, students compare methods for assembling cast forms together to create larger sculptural artworks and installations.

A study of the human figure from an anatomical and artistic perspective. Examines the skeletal and muscular components of the figure in order to create lifelike and emotive sculptures. Discussion of the figure in both classical and contemporary art. Working with armature and modeling clay.

Traditional printmaking processes will be explored using black and white and color techniques, including but not limited to lithography and monoprinting.

Prerequisite: ARTS 3311 or 1316.

This course develops an understanding of color properties and relationships through formal exercises, research and creative thinking. Students build a vocabulary for analyzing and identifying color and color phenomena. Concepts of color theorists and color use in a variety of fields are examined to understand the application of color theory.  Students will investigate the use of color in their own work and in the work of others to understand the conceptual and aesthetic application of color.

Prerequisite: ARTS 1311.

This course addresses the structure and anatomy of the human figure using oil paint. Painting techniques and color theory exercises will familiarize students with tradition painting methods. Students will render proportions, balance, form and mass of the human figure. Research and discussions will address the human form throughout history as well as in the contemporary context. Image presentations, critiques and live model sessions will supplement studio work.

Prerequisite: ARTS 2316.

Practical experience with basic design, drawing, painting, and sculpture, along with a study of art history and criticism. Includes a consideration of how these experiences relate to art curricula in the elementary school.

Practical experiences with basic design, drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and crafts, along with a study of art history and criticism. Includes a consideration of how these experiences relate to art curricula in the secondary school.

Covers wheel-thrown ceramics (other production techniques may be included), basic glazemaking, and an introduction to kiln firing and loading.

Prerequisite: ARTS 2346.

This course is a continuation of hand-building covered in Ceramics I ARTS 2346.  The course will cover more advanced forming techniques such as extrusion, hump, slump, and press molds, and slip-casting. New surface and firing techniques will include more advanced techniques such as underglazes, onglaze techniques such as majolica, fired decal application, raku, and an introduction to low fire glazes and surfaces.

Prerequisite: ARTS 2346.

A survey of the major developments in the art of North America from Pre-Columbian times to the modern era

A survey of the major movements of 20th century art and aesthetics, which developed primarily in Europe. Includes a review of late 19th century modernist antecedents with emphasis placed on the principal movements of the early 20th century: Fauvism, German Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, Abstract Art, Dada, and Surrealism.

An examination of the dispersal of European artists and Modernism, primarily to America, as a result of World War II. Examines the development of Abstract Expressionism in New York in the 1940s and 50s, followed by a survey of recent trends in contemporary art to the present day.

An intermediate studio course using digital cameras and image manipulation software. Prior completion of ARTS 2356 is required.  This course will enhance and expand skills developed in Photography I. It is geared toward informing students in the many ways we can make photographs; by seeking them out, framing them, forming them, extracting them, building them, and finally sequencing and presenting them. Students will engage in the theory and practice of photography, refine their photographic technique, and create a conceptually devised and technically consistent portfolio. Emphasis is placed on the development of a strong conceptual foundation from which to approach the making and understanding of photography as an art form. This knowledge will be achieved through photographic assignments, slide lectures of relevant works, and in-class critiques. It can be repeated twice for credit.

Prerequisite: (ARTS 2356).

An introductory studio course in analogue photography using film cameras and the silver gelatin darkroom process. While focusing on the fundamentals of black and white, analogue photography and printing techniques this course will assist students in producing a conceptually devised and technically consistent portfolio.

Prerequisite: (ARTS 2356).

This studio course explores the fundamental principles, standard creative processes and basic digital tools utilized in graphic design. The concepts and software learned are employed in projects specifically targeted to serve the professional and promotional needs of studio artists and design enthusiasts.

Required for all art students in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the BA in Art, BFA in Art studio track and the BFA with Teacher Certification in Art tracks. This course collects capstone materials for ARTS degrees. The course must be taken in the student's final semester before graduation.

Emphasis on the development of content through drawing. Research on contemporary trends and process investigation will aid students in the development of visual ideas and lead to a cohesive body or work. May be taken three times for credit.

Prerequisite: ARTS 1317.

Furthers competencies attained in Printmaking I and Intermediate I & II courses. May be taken three times for credit.

Prerequisite: ARTS 3302 and 3307.

Assumes competencies attained in ARTS 3303. May be taken three times for credit.

Assumes competencies attained in ARTS 3304. May be taken three times for credit.

Assumes competencies attained in ARTS 3324. May be taken three times for credit.

Explores the history of Pre-Columbian art from Mexico and Central America, from the Olmec through the Aztec cultures. May be taken three times for credit.

Explores the history of art during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in Mexico. May be taken three times for credit.

The course will cover key developments in contemporary art from the post-World War II era in the Western context to global currents in the present international arena. From a socio-political perspective, artistic tendencies will be considered as part of a trajectory that saw the center of the art world shift from being Euro- and Anglo-centric in the mid-twentieth century, to one without a discernible center in the early twenty-first century. Analysis of artworks from this decentralized cultural climate will focus on the evolution of conceptualism, the persistence of traditional modes of aesthetic practice, the role of the art market, and notions of environmentalism and sustainability as related to these "transnational transition." The course will consider works from Eastern Europe, South and Central America, the Caribbean, East/West/South/Southeast Asia, Oceania, and Africa.

The course will examine the evolution of architecture, sculpture, painting, digital media, installation, and interdisciplinary arts in the global context from 1980 to the present, in light of the historical and intellectual background of the period. Topics covered will include the transition from postmodernism to contemporaneity, considering notions of appropriation, commodification, consumerism, memory, history, and globalization. Lectures will be constructed upon thematic analysis of contemporary, primary sources coupled with secondary source material, and complemented by presentation opportunities and class discussion.

Assumes competencies attained in ARTS 3365. Covers content as creative expression in addition to basic photographic skills. May be taken three times for credit.

May be repeated when topics vary.

May be repeated when topics vary.

See College description. Offered on application

See College description. Offered on application.

This course provides the student with a comprehensive practical, conceptual, and methodological introduction to museum and gallery practices. Safety and best practices will be explored in all aspects of contemporary museum and gallery operations, using theoretical and practice-based pedagogical approaches to explore curatorial and preparatory principles.

This course explores fundamental components of design theory, concept, and composition. Students will explore presentation techniques, printing processes, technical tactile skills associated with the field, defining and exploring a targeted audience, and appropriate software introductions.  Students will create printed works utilizing these skill sets.

Through the use of lectures, demonstrations and studio work students are introduced to the art of typography. Cultural and aesthetic histories of familiar typefaces are reviewed. An emphasis is placed on the rules of type, best practices in type-setting, anatomy of letter forms, and appropriate uses of prescribed type faces. Hand rendering and digital media are used to give students a robust foundation in the study of typography.

Prerequisite: (GRDS 1301).

This studio course examines the history of graphic design from the invention of writing to present day composition.  Students will explore various movements in graphic design history and create design works that reflect these periods.

Prerequisite: GRDS 1301 and 1302.

This course introduces the fundamental principles of the graphic design industry.  Students strengthen their vocabularies in design, theory, and visual communication.  Exploring various two-dimensional projects, students will conduct research, form opinions, foster ideas, solve communication problems, learn to analyze and discuss graphic design work, and continue to develop their own creative process.

Prerequisite: GRDS 1301 and 1302.

This studio course offers an in-depth study of approaching concept and idea generation to produce relevant and innovative design solutions. Students will explore tactics and techniques for creating their own original assets to support their solutions. Photo and illustration creation, manipulation and output are studied in addition to the utilization of machines, technology and tools to fulfill creative curiosity.

Prerequisite: GRDS 1301 and 1302.

Building on typography rules, conventions, and terminology, this course will explore inventive expression with type and letterform. Students will develop an advanced understanding of typography while using digital media to enhance the meaning of design and concept.

Prerequisite: GRDS 2303.

This studio course examines the role of design in society. Students will learn how to use empathy and a human-centered design approach to develop appropriate design solutions. Additionally, students will examine the role of environmental graphics to create works that reflect an enhanced impact in experience for the user. The topics in this course are explored through lectures, research and the creative development of a body of work.

Prerequisite: GRDS 2302.

This studio course explores the foundations of publication and editorial design to expand students' design vocabulary.  Students will explore the role of a graphic designer/art director in developing effective and innovative communication for editorial design.

Prerequisite: GRDS 2304.

This studio course will teach students how to develop creative strategies for problem solving in a client-based environment.  Focusing on three-dimensional packaging, students will learn how design applies to various surfaces, products, and audiences.

Prerequisite: GRDS 3303.

This hands-on course examines how content is organized and structured to create a digital experience for a user, and what role the designer plays in creating and shaping user experience. Students will learn the roadmap process for developing robust User Interface/User Experience designs, from research, ideation and site mapping, to the design of engaging layouts for screens and the creation of dynamic prototypes.

Prerequisite: GRDS 2302.

This studio course explores copywriting for design, advertising, and media. Students will create writing and messaging for a variety of media including print design, web design, and advertising design within a consumer-driven context.   

Prerequisite: GRDS 2303.

This studio course will cover designing and maintaining a scalable and functional website utilizing contemporary building platforms. The processes and techniques demonstrated will allow students to plan the project scope, to generate website content, and to adopt the tools and expansive functionality available while learning best practices for the platform.

Prerequisite: GRDS 2303.

In this studio course, students will define client needs, explore the designer-client relationship and investigate research strategies and methods for developing effective print and digital deliverables to meet established business goals. The conceptual and visual standards pertinent to creating a brand are explored and applied across a variety of client-driven projects.

Prerequisite: GRDS 2302.

This studio explores the use of evolving current and emerging technology in the field to enhance storytelling and the user experience in a variety of interactive media.

Prerequisite: GRDS 3306.

This studio course will teach students how to develop persuasive copywriting points and creative advertising concepts aimed at selling services and products in a client-based environment. By grounding design work in business and advertising concepts to target a chosen audience, effective solutions for utilization across various media such as print, digital, social media, and e-mail marketing platforms are explored.

Prerequisite: GRDS 3310 and 2304.

In this capstone course, the student prepares for a professional career in the graphic design field by developing self-promotional materials, including a printed and digital portfolio, while focusing on professional practices and job-seeking strategies. Guest speakers will typically join the class for discussion, critique, lecture and hiring scenarios such as mock interviews. Students will display their work in an organized portfolio showcase gallery exhibition. Note: May be taken three times for credit.

Prerequisite: GRDS 3310 and 4304.

Study of specialized topics and themes in Graphic Design. May be repeated when topics vary.

See College description. Offered on application.

This course allows students to complete a semester long design-centric internship within their area of interest. Through the use of reflective journals, a project portfolio, and employer feedback, the student will report their experience to the supervising professor throughout the internship placement. May be repeated three times at a maximum of nine semester credit hours.

Prerequisite: GRDS 2302.