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Click on the Discipline/Concentration name below to be taken to the course descriptions for that section.
FOUNDATIONS
FD100 Drawing 1.
(3 credits)
Seeing/drawing skills are developed and sensitivity toward the aesthetics of form and space including linear perspective, mark making, value, line and line quality is explored. Students work in black and white media on a variety of papers from still-life, landscape and self-portrait.
FD110 Drawing 2.
(3 credits)
FD100 is continued with continued emphasis on mark making, full value studies, point-of-view selection, basic compositional ideas and space.
Prerequisites: FD100
FD111 Drawing 2t.
(3 credits)
This course is specifically designated for transfer students who need to repeat FD110 to be better prepared for subsequent coursework at MCA.
FD120 2-D Design.
(3 credits)
The vocabulary, premises and methods of visual events on the flat plane are explored through a series of lectures, experimental exercises and applied problems.
FD130 3-D Design.
(3 credits)
Volume, space organization, structure, texture, mass and tension are explored through a series of short projects using simple construction materials and techniques. Equipment use and safety instruction are included.
FD140 Idea, Process and Criticism.
(3 credits)
This interdisciplinary course combines an introduction to digital information relative to art-making and two additional media/disciplines (i.e. photography, printmaking, surface design, sculpture). Different instructors teach integrated sections of the course, with classes rotating through the different experiences and faculty during the course of the semester. Students work individually and collaboratively in mixed media on 2- and 3-D projects that stress concepts, context and narrative.
FD160 Color Foundations.
(3 credits)
Recognizing that color is the most relative and temporal of art elements, this course seeks to remove color usage solely from the realm of intuition and instinct and put the student in the position of making informed decisions. This is an introduction to the principles of color mixing and design. It includes the most significant aspects of various figures in the history of color theory, however it is a studio class based on the actual experience of color. Students will develop a broad understanding of color principles and characteristics and their relationship to the other principles of visual art.
FD170 Digital Foundations.
(3 credits)
Digital methods mediate how we perceive, define, access and speak about art. Traditional art forms both incorporate and react against these technologies. This component of the foundations curriculum addresses the practical and conceptual tools requisite for artists in the 21st century.
Satisfactory completion of all Foundation coursework is a prerequisite for all courses beyond the introductory level within individual area concentrations.
DESIGN ARTS
Digital Media / Animation / Digital Cinema
DM200 Introduction to Animation Techniques.
(3 credits)
The principles and history of animation are introduced. Working with digital programs as well as pre-cinematic toys, rotoscoping, and live pixilation, students explore “persistence of vision”—the process by which we perceive movement through still images. Students also gain a solid foundation in the history and techniques of animation through screenings and readings.
Prerequisites: All Foundation coursework
DM225 2-D Animation 1.
(3 credits)
In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of animation production, including pre-production planning, storyboarding, 2-dimensional character design and jointing. Classroom assignments will utilize both traditional animation stand techniques and Toon Boom; students will have the option of creating a finished work in either environment.
Prerequisites: DM200
DM230 Dynamic Imaging 1.
(3 credits)
This course provides design strategies and techniques for creating time-based compositions using typography, video, sound and image sequencing. Through lectures, practical assignments and critiques students gain a technical command of After Effects Software as well as the conceptual skills necessary for pre-production planning, storyboarding, and design of digital motion sequences.
Prerequisites: All Foundation coursework, DM270
DM240 Digital Imaging 1.
(3 credits)
Students develop knowledge of image development, construction, retouching, and collage techniques using traditional film, digital images, and drawing as source material. A critical examination of intent will be stressed along with output options and color management. The implications of the digital image and new technologies are discussed and researched from both a personal and societal view.
Prerequisites: All Foundation coursework, DM105, PH100
DM260 Web Design 1.
(3 credits)
The conceptual and technical skills for creating art and design for the Internet are stressed. The social implications and development of new media and new social system are discussed and researched. Hand coded HTML and layout programs are used.
Prerequisites: FD170
DM270 Digital Cinema 1.
(3 credits)
This course is an introduction to the elements of digital cinema production. Focuses are on directing, crew responsibilities, camera operation, lenses, lighting and sound recording. Beyond developing the basic skills necessary for field production, students also become proficient using the non-linear editing software Final Cut Pro. The basics of DVD creation using DVD Studio Pro including media capturing, video and audio encoding, interface design and testing are also introduced. Offered every semester.
Prerequisites: All Foundation coursework.
DM300 3-D Animation 1.
(3 credits)
This is an introductory course in stop-motion animation, a medium that requires a wide array of technical skills. We consider such techniques as sculpting, two part molds, foam rubber casting, armature configuration, set design, and lighting for small spaces. Through motion and movement tests, students explore the ways in which three-dimensional objects move through space.
Prerequisites: DM225
DM310 3-D Computer Animation.
(3 credits)
Students gain experience with creating 3D animation, including geometric modeling, lighting, camera angles, texture formation, skeleton rigging and motion in a three-dimensional animation package. Students learn underlying principles of 3D animation, including perspective, transformations, lighting and shadows, and modeling natural phenomena and motion.
Prerequisites: DM225, permission of instructor
DM325 Advanced 2-D Animation.
(3 credits)
Open to students who have completed DM225, DM250, or DM300, this course is an intensive workshop in which students create a finished animation in their preferred medium. Special attention is paid to realistic production goals, thorough pre-production and storyboarding, and sound design for animation. There are weekly critiques, and students are expected to spend significant time working outside of class to make the progress necessary to bring an animation project to full fruition.
Prerequisites: DM225, permission of instructor
DM330 Dynamic Imaging 2.
(3 credits)
The goal of this course is to expand the student’s conceptual and technical understanding of digital motion sequencing as presented in Dynamic Imaging 1. Special emphasis is placed on the post-production processes of stylization, enhancement, and creation of digital effects.
Prerequisites: DM230
DM340 Digital Imaging 2.
(3 credits)
Students further their knowledge of the digital image and its development. The emphasis is placed on the student’s personal expression and understanding of the full potential of the image in digital and analog terms. A variety of advanced techniques and research are covered including issues of scale and custom color management.
Prerequisites: DM240
DM355 Digital Printmaking 1.
(3 credits)
This is a truly interdisciplinary course combining digital imaging with printmaking processes and extends imaging options beyond the computer. The course focuses on the use of digital technologies to create hand pulled prints and hybrid prints using traditional and photo-printmaking processes mixed with giclee’ printing. The goal is to find a balance between the technical and the conceptual, the digital and the hand crafted, and to develop skills that allow the student to unite intent with production.
Prerequisites: DM240, PM100 or PM105, Advanced Standing
DM360 Web Design 2.
(3 credits)
HTML and design skills are developed as they apply to the Internet. New technologies are explored and implemented. Case studies of design problems and artistic intent form the basis for projects.
Prerequisites: DM260
DM370 Digital Cinema 2.
(3 credits)
This is an advanced level production course. Students are pushed to further develop the technical processes introduced in DM270. Special instructional emphasis is given to cinematography and lighting.
Prerequisites: DM270
DM375 Sound Acquisition and Editing.
(3 credits)
This course focuses on audio as an art form in and of itself, as well as in the service of other mediums – video, animation, etc. We begin by exploring the fundamentals of acoustics: sound waves and how they travel; how microphones convert kinetic energy into an electrical signal; and how recording devices work. We then move on to sound acquisition strategies, including proper micing, field audio work, and foley recording. Students use the digital audio workstation to create original compositions, explore soundtrack design, and perform mix-downs.
Prerequisites: DM105
DM400 Senior Studio.
(3 credits)
This course encompasses the conceptual and technical skills of the senior level student. Personal process, vision, and presentation skills are stressed. The development of works for the professional portfolio, and thesis is expected.
Prerequisites: Senior standing
DM405 Senior Studio 2.
(3 credits)
This course provides Animation and Digital Cinema majors the opportunity to complete a more in-depth final project.
Prerequisites: DM400
DM410 Advanced 3-D Computer Animation.
(3 credits)
Prerequisites: DM310
DM420 Interactive Media.
(3 credits)
Building on the techniques introduced in Interactive Media 1, this course offers in-depth study of interactive media design. Special emphasis is placed on preparing and producing media for delivery to the “small screen” such as cell phones, ipods, and the web. Students are challenged to examine the aesthetic, cultural, and technological implication of this emerging art field and market.
Prerequisites: All Foundation coursework, permission of instructor
DM440 Digital Imaging 3.
(3 credits)
In this continuation of Digital Imaging 2, emphasis is placed on the development of a coherent body of work and the writings that accompany it. Alternative methods of output and presentation are explored.
Prerequisites: DM340
DM450 Internship.
(3 credits)
Internships provide the advanced student with an opportunity to gain valuable studio or agency experience while receiving academic credit.
Prerequisites: Advanced standing
DM455 Digital Printmaking 2.
(3 credits)
This is a continuation of Digital Printmaking 1. A full range of mark making possibilities are covered. The emphasis is placed on integrating multiple processes within the same image and methods of translating the image from digital to analog and back to digital again. Individual writings and research accompany the projects to reinforce conceptual development.
Prerequisites: DM355
DM470 Digital Cinema 3.
(3 credits)
Special emphasis is placed on preparing and production media for delivery to the “small screen” such as cell phones, ipods, and the web. Students are challenged to examine the aesthetic, cultural, and technological implication of this emerging art field and market.
Prerequisites: DM370
DM475 Experimental Cinema Production.
(3 credits)
“…the film experience…is not necessarily a projection of light and shadow on a screen at the end of a room…” – Gene Youngblood, Expanded Cinema
This class is designed to assist students in the development of alternative means of production and exhibition of media. Topics include camera experimentation, the position of the viewer, experimental animation techniques, the performative nature of exhibition and the forms and means of disseminating media. Additionally, students will analyze selected works to enlighten their understanding of the history of non-traditional forms in video and film.
Prerequisites: DM270 or permission of instructor
Graphic Design
GD200 Design System 1.
(3 credits)
This studio introduction to visual communication explores the unique meanings and principles of design and its supporting elements. As a companion to the first semester, students are instructed on a Macintosh platform utilizing current professional design software including Adobe Illustrator CS5, Adobe Photoshop CS5, and Adobe InDesign CS5.
Prerequisites: All Foundation coursework
GD205 Design System 2.
(3 credits)
The second course in a sequential series for majors of the discipline, the primary focus is the expansion of introductory concepts secured in Design System 1. This formation extends the student’s natural artistic intuitiveness on an elevated conceptual and technical level. Areas of investigation include: pure typography; the grid as structure; and the development and realization of two- and three-dimensional design solutions.
Prerequisites: GD200
GD210 The Design of Packaging.
(3 credits)
This course is an elective platform for majors of the discipline supporting the sequential Design Systems. The primary emphasis is an in-depth visual exploration of three-dimensional mechanical formats. Areas of concentration within the volume of packaging as design include: function and structure of the multiple; three-dimensional identity expansion; independent expression and communication; vanguard fluidity; ocular progression and convergence; viewer discovery; and societal consumerism.
Prerequisites: GD200
GD220 The Design of Advertising.
(3 credits)
This course is an elective platform for majors of the discipline supporting the sequential Design Systems. Primary emphasis is the investigation of societal consumerism within the context of a visual voice – the medium is the message. As Marshall McLuhan stated “Each medium, independent of the content it mediates, has its own intrinsic effects which are its unique message.” The media campaign is explored in its totality: the cross-discipline platforms of print, television, and external consumer venues are analyzed in comprehensive physical, verbal, and technical arenas.
Prerequisites: GD200
GD235 Special Topics in Graphic Design.
(3 credits)
A specialized area in Graphic Design is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor
GD300 Design System 3.
(3 credits)
Design System 3 calls attention to the experimental integration of structures, imagery, and typography as form. Extended thought is placed on the systems of letterforms in relation to history and technology. A project example, Volume Discourse, examines the multiple utilizing the College’s Vandercook letterpress and digital technology. A summer reading topic will be provided to all course enrollees at the conclusion of registration.
Prerequisites: GD205
GD305 Design System 4.
(3 credits)
The intermediate level of study concludes with the continued application of physical and theoretical design principles with an emphasis in identity systems and emotional branding. Supplemental demonstrations, lectures, readings, and research activities compliment the course of study.
Prerequisites: GD300
GD335 Special Topics in Graphic Design.
(3 credits)
A specialized area in Graphic Design is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor
GD400 Design System 5.
(3 credits)
The final year sequence commences with Design System 5, a comprehensive course in a professional and rigorous studio environment. The system accentuates a continued linear design methodology and its proven tenets. Concurrently presented multi-level projects are designed to simulate the vigor and expectations of a practicing professional. A summer reading topic will be provided to all course enrollees at the conclusion of registration.
Prerequisites: GD305
GD405 Design System 6.
(3 credits)
The conclusion of the formal program of the discipline, the student applies the collective knowledge to a defended, undergraduate senior thesis and exhibition. This endeavor requires the whole of the student and illustrates their verbal, academic, and artistic aptitude. Discipline centered, the thesis encourages transdisciplinary influences.
Prerequisites: GD400
Illustration / Sequential Narrative
IL220 Illustrated Story 1: Cartoons & Sequential Art.
(3 credits)
This course explores the formal language of storytelling with multiple images, including comics, cartoon strips, and children’s picture books. This course is writing and drawing intensive.
Prerequisites: HU102, DW220
IL240 Illustration 1: Drawing for Illustration.
(3 credits)
This is an introductory course in the fundamentals of representational drawing for the purposes of communication. Images are created in several media, utilizing a variety of visual references, including photography, life, memory, and found sources. Conceptualization, composition, clear rendering, and staging of the figure are emphasized.
Co-requisite: DW220
IL270 Illustration 2: Illustration Media.
(3 credits)
This course continues the development of representational drawing and communication skills from Illustration 1. Perspective, color composition, and wet media are explored as tools for solving narrative and conceptual challenges. Assignments include both planned studio-based work and responsive sketches at off-site locations.
Prerequisites: IL240
IL320 Illustrated Story 2: Comics & Picture Books.
(3 credits)
Building on the skills developed in Illustrated Story 1, students develop long-form illustrated stories, and study professional and production requirements of the comics, children’s books, and cartooning marketplace.
Prerequisites: IL220
IL360 Illustration 3: Professional Applications.
(3 credits)
This course is an overview of Illustration as a field. Assignments reflect the scope of Illustration, including Editorial, Children’s, Business, and Book, using a combination of digital and traditional media. Emphasis is placed on concept development, communication, and professional practice.
Prerequisites: IL270, GD200
IL365 Illustration 4.
(3 credits)
This course continues the survey of Illustration as a practice begun in Illustration 3. Assignments reflect the scope of Illustration, including Editorial, Entertainment, and Information Illustration. An emphasis is placed on concept development, communication, and professional practice, with a particular focus on developing visual metaphors and integrating illustration with type and graphic design.
Prerequisites: IL360
This class is also available to non-Illustration concentrations as an elective at the Senior level.
IL410 Illustrated Story 3: Production and Publication.
(3 credits)
Students develop a single long-form story while learning professional comics production techniques, including lettering, inking, coloring, and layout. The class culminates in the production and publication of the story in pamphlet format.
Prerequisites: IL320
IL420 Illustrated Story: Serialization and Digital Distribution.
(3 credits)
Adapting the traditional production techniques from Illustrated Story 3, the students will take advantage of the Internet as a publication platform, developing a weekly serialized web comic.
Prerequisitess: IL410, DM260
IL460 Illustration 5: Visual Essay.
(3 credits)
In pursuit of a personal voice and process, students develop Visual Essays: self-directed series of related images on chosen subjects. Additionally, the professional business and contractual practices necessary for a working Illustrator are covered in detail.
Prerequisites: IL365
IL465 Illustration 6: Portfolio and Presentation.
(3 credits)
Advanced students continue creating a personal and professional body of work in preparation for graduating and seeking work in their field. This includes development of a portfolio, web representation, and self-promotional materials.
Prerequisites: IL460, TD400
FINE ARTS
Drawing
DW200 Life Drawing.
(3 credits)
Life Drawing explores the “anatomy of drawing.” Primary focus is on the structure of the human figure through planar development and the understanding of spatial relationships. Exposure to advanced problem solving, the raising of conceptual and technical skill levels, increased self-discipline and enhanced analytical thinking are essential parts of the class structure. May be taken concurrently with Drawing Composition. May be repeated 3 times (DW201, DW202, DW203).
Prerequisites: All Foundation coursework
DW220 Drawing Composition.
(3 credits)
This course is an extension of the skills and ideas developed in 2-D, 3-D, Drawing 1 and 2 with a concentration on design of 2-D picture plane. Underlying the assignments are various representations of space based on late 19th and 20th century Modern models. The course may be taken concurrently with Life Drawing.
Prerequisites: All Foundation coursework
DW221 Collage/Mixed Media.
(3 credits)
This is an introduction to the use of multiple mediums within a single image ranging from Picasso and Braque’s initial experiments with papier colle up to contemporary ideas about mixed media. Many and various materials are used with an emphasis placed on the student’s ability and willingness to experiment and explore unfamiliar effects.
Prerequisites: FD110
DW235 Special Topics in Drawing.
(3 credits)
A specialized area in Drawing is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. This course may be repeated once when content changes.
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor
DW250 Landscape Drawing.
(3 credits)
The landscape is used as a formal and conceptual exercise. The many representations and meanings of the landscape throughout art history serve as a basis for each student’s exploration of landscape-based images. Emphasis is placed on historical research along with development of technical and conceptual skills.
Prerequisites: All Foundation coursework
DW260 Drawing into Abstraction.
(3 credits)
Both Modern and Post-modern ideas are investigated alongside advanced abstract problem solving. The class structure encourages heightened critical abilities, conceptual and technical skills, as well as increased self-discipline while exploring complex mediums.
Prerequisites: All Foundation coursework
DW300 Drawing Workshop.
(3 credits)
This course is intensely focused on the process of drawing. Class time is spent on a small number of large drawings, emphasizing drawing as an act of discovery of form and ideas. A premium is place on the student’s ability to sustain involvement and patience over extended periods of time, to analyze formal relationships and to improvise solutions to problems that arise. The course may be taken concurrently with Contemporary Concepts.
Prerequisites: DW200, DW220
DW320 Contemporary Concepts in Drawing.
(3 credits)
Both Modern and Post-modern ideas are emphasized with particular stress given to honing critical abilities, raising conceptual and technical levels, and increased self-discipline. Students are pressed to increase their familiarity with a variety of styles and develop their ability to work within a broad range of mediums. The course may be taken concurrently with Drawing Workshop.
Prerequisites: DW200, DW220
DW335 Special Topics in Drawing.
(3 credits)
A specialized area in Drawing is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor
DW360 Advanced Life Drawing.
(3 credits)
The human figure is considered as concept as well as form. Problems explore the meaning of the figure in Modern and Post-modern art with the aim of developing greater conceptual and technical abilities. The course may be repeated 3 times (DW361, DW362, DW363)
Prerequisites: DW320
DW410 Advanced Drawing.
(3 credits)
In this seminar class, students work with the instructor on an individual basis and in-group critiques. The focus is on developing the student’s ideas and skills with the goal of a more individual and personal approach to art-making. May be repeated 3 times (DW411, DW412, DW413)
Prerequisites: DW360
DW435 Special Topics in Drawing.
(3 credits)
A specialized area in Drawing is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. This course may be repeated when content changes.
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor
Painting
PT110 Painting 1.
(3 credits)
The materials and techniques of painting and the study of contemporary and historical painters are covered in this introductory course.
PT111 Painting 1t.
(3 credits)
This course is specifically designated for transfer students who need to repeat PT110 to be better prepared for subsequent painting coursework at MCA.
PT120 Painting 2.
(3 credits)
Painting 2 continues the development started in Painting 1 with a greater emphasis on color and paint handling.
Prerequisites: PT110
PT121 Painting 2t.
(3 credits)
This course is specifically designated for transfer students who need to repeat PT120 to be better prepared for subsequent painting coursework at MCA.
Prerequisites: PT110
PT210 Painting 3.
(3 credits)
Mixed media, concepts, and thematic development are addressed along with contemporary issues in painting in this course.
Prerequisites: PT120
PT221 Collage.
(3 credits)
Found materials are used to explore problems in composition, concepts and self-expression.
Prerequisites: FD110, PT120
PT240 Watercolor.
(3 credits)
Transparent and opaque watercolor techniques are used with emphasis on the development of skills and expressive use of the medium.
Prerequisites: FD110
PT310 Painting 4.
(3 credits)
Thematic development and individual problems are addressed through the subjects of figure and abstract painting.
Prerequisites: PT210, DW200
PT320 Painting 5.
(3 credits)
Thematic development and individual problems are addressed through the subjects of still life and landscape painting.
Prerequisites: PT210
PT400 Senior Painting Seminar.
(3 credits)
Students develop a body of work and document it photographically. The course includes professional practices, lectures, and assignments and may be repeated for credit.
Prerequisites: 15 hours painting and senior standing, or permission of instructor
PT401 Senior Painting Seminar 2.
(3 credits)
This advanced seminar is available for those students seeking to continue their painting studio practice.
Prerequisites: PT400
Photography
PH100 Photography 1: Beginning Practices.
(3 credits)
In this course, students become technically proficient in basic black and white photography, including exposure, developing, printing and presentation. Photography is presented as a tool to understand the world and as a means of expression and communication. Students learn how to interpret and discuss the visual language of photography.
PH250 Photography 2: Intermediate Black & White.
(3 credits)
This course is focused on advanced technical skills as a means of gaining greater personal and aesthetic understanding. Students learn advanced 35mm camera and printing techniques, basic studio lighting, and explore different photographic formats including medium, large and toy cameras, as well as experimental techniques of image making and printing.
Prerequistes: PH100
PH275 Sequence as Story.
(3 credits)
By investigating documentary style imaging and the classic picture essay this course concentrates on using images in sequence. Students explore how sequence based images, by way of editing and text, create relationships between images and ultimately tell stories that the single image cannot. Students work independently and in small groups to further explore notions of authorship and the roll of documentary photography in a contemporary art context.
Prerequisites: PH250
PH300 Photography 3: Contemporary & Advanced Techniques.
(3 credits)
This studio course explores the photograph in contemporary art. Photography’s integral tie to light serves as the backbone of this course as it investigates the alternative and contemporary spaces used by photographic artists. Students learn advanced studio lighting skills as well as explore the extension of the photograph off the page and into the realm of installation, performance and projection. Digital and analog tools and skills blur as students are encouraged to experiment and challenge their ideas of what defines a photograph.
Prerequisites: PH250 and Co-requisite DM240
PH310 Photography 4: Color Photography.
(3 credits)
Students build a strong foundation in the technical and aesthetic aspects of color photography through projects utilizing color transparencies and negatives and instruction in color printing and studio lighting as it pertains to the nuances of color. Discussions and critical writings focus on the history and theory of color photography. This course combines analog and digital techniques and skills.
Prerequisites: PH250 and DM240
PH325 Studio Lighting.
(3 credits)
This is a course on studio lighting as it applies to fine art and commercial photography. This course includes technical instruction in the lighting studio as well as on location with both portable lights and natural light. Students use a wide range of analog and digital cameras. This course is defined by critiques and continued technical and conceptual advancement.
Prerequisites: PH250
PH335 Special Topics in Photography.
(3 credits)
A specialized area in PHotography is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. This course may be repeated once when content changes.
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor
PH351 Alternative Photographic Processes.
(3 credits)
This course explores various nineteenth-century and experimental photographic processes such as cyanotype, Van Dyke Brown, platinum/palladium, and salt printing. Students learn to use experimental as well as analog and digitally enhanced negatives. Many of these processes blur the line between photography and drawing. This course is also useful for students concentrating in Printmaking.
Prerequisites: For Photo Majors/Concentrators PH250, for Non-Majors/Concentrators DW200 (or higher), PM200, PM220, or PT120
PH375 Photography 5: Advanced Critique.
(3 credits)
Through assignments, extended projects, critique, discussions and critical readings and writings, students continue to build technical skills and explore their personal photographic vision. This senior level course provides an overview of various interdisciplinary approaches to photography. Fundamentals of photographic theory and criticism are introduced as students are prepared for Photo Seminar.
Prerequisites: PH300, PH310
PH400 Photography 6: Photo Seminar.
(3 credits)
Equal parts seminar and studio in its approach, this senior level course incorporates discussions and readings focused on contemporary photo-based artworks and the theoretical and critical developments in recent photographic art practices. In addition, this course helps prepare students to enter the professional art world and/or graduate school. Students develop a cohesive portfolio of photographic imagery and create a strategy for the presentation of their work.
Prerequisites: PH375, and senior standing
PH435 Special Topics in Photography.
(3 credits)
A specialized area in Photography is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor
Printmaking
PM100 Printmaking 1: Monotype, et al.
(3 credits)
This course is an introduction to the tools, history and basic techniques of monotype, drypoint, relief print (woodcut or linocut) and lithography. Students are encouraged to explore the problems and concerns of their own images technically and conceptually through multiples and one-of-a-kind prints.
PM105 Printmaking 1: Etching, et al.
(3 credits)
An introduction to the tools, history and basic techniques of etching, collograph, serigraphy, and monoprint. Students are encouraged to explore the problems and concerns of their own images technically and conceptually through multiples and one-of-a-kind prints.
PM200 Printmaking Workshop 2.
(3 credits)
This course is designed for students who want to continue developing work in one or more of the techniques learned in prior semesters in printmaking. A proposal of intent is required. Work is reviewed weekly with emphasis on content, research of ideas and possibilities.
Prerequisites: PM100 or PM105
PM210 Printmaking Workshop 3.
(3 credits)
Continuation of PM200.
Prerequisites: PM200
PM220 Serigraphy.
(3 credits)
This course is a study of the history and techniques of silkscreen printing. Using water-based techniques and direct photo emulsion, the students explore, research and create images to develop prints that are technically and conceptually involved. Paper and/or fabric may be used as a surface.
Prerequisites: PM105
PM230 Monoprint/Monotype.
(3 credits)
This course is a study of the history and process of creating one-of-a-kind impressions using different methods of applying ink to a plate. Half of the semester is devoted to monotypes and the other half monoprints, using another printmaking process selected by the student considering prior knowledge (i.e. intaglio, serigraphy, relief, or lithography). Application of monotype and monoprints using chine coile, letterpress, watercolor, and handmade paper among others is discussed and incorporated.
Prerequisites: PM100 or PM105
PM240 Relief Printmaking.
(3 credits)
This course is a study of the history and techniques of relief process including woodcut, linocut, and polymer plates. Students learn through demonstrations how to print single images or run multiple editions. Emphasis is place on the research and development of ideas and images that are strong conceptually, visually and technically.
Prerequisites: PM100 or PM105
PM250 Collography.
(3 credits)
Students experiment with textures, surfaces, scale and shape to develop images with a range of value. Students create a matrix with intaglio and relief printing possibilities while covering the history of the technique. Emphasis is place on the research and development of ideas and images that are strong conceptually, visually and technically.
Prerequisites: PM105
PM300 Printmaking Workshop 4.
(3 credits)
Continuation of PM210.
Prerequisites: PM210
PM310 Intaglio.
(3 credits)
Instruction is given in the history and diverse area of intaglio techniques (i.e. line etching, drypoint, soft ground, aquatint). The latest in low-toxic techniques and photo processes using polymer film and plates are used. Emphasis is place on the research and development of ideas and images that are strong conceptually, visually and technically. Development of editioning skills and one-of-a-kind prints is covered.
Prerequisites: PM100, PM105
PM320 Lithography.
(3 credits)
Using different low toxic techniques of this planographic process, including polyester and photo plates, students develop a series of images with an emphasis on content. Application to the process (i.e. handmade paper, chine colle, and others) is discussed. A short history of lithography and demonstration of the lithographic stone process is covered.
Prerequisites: PM100
PM355 Digital Printmaking.
(3 credits)
This is a truly interdisciplinary course combining digital imaging with photo-printmaking processes and extends imaging options beyond the computer. The focus is on the use of digital technologies to create hand pulled prints and hybrid prints using photo-printmaking processes and giclée printing. The goal is to find a balance between the technical and conceptual, the digital and the hand crafted, and to develop skills that allow the student to unite intent with production.
Prerequisites: 15 additional printmaking credits covering 3 different techniques
PM400 Printmaking Workshop 5.
(3 credits)
Students are required to write a proposal discussing the projects, techniques and content of the work to be developed during the semester. Larger scale works and the inclusion of experiences from other areas (i.e. papermaking, book arts and letterpress) is discussed and encouraged. A term paper on a professional printmaker is required. The student works independently with weekly meetings to discuss progress, contemporary issues in printmaking, and professional development.
Prerequisites: 15 additional printmaking credits covering 3 different techniques
Papermaking & Book Arts
PP150 Papermaking 1.
(3 credits)
This course is an introduction to hand papermaking in the Western tradition. Students learn various sheet formation techniques, as well as the design and use of a watermark image, pulp painting, embedding, and embossing. Hand papermaking skills are emphasized along with their application to the development of personal themes in each student’s work.
PP170 Book Arts 1.
(3 credits)
This course is an introduction to bookbinding providing students with an intense conceptual and technical experience. Projects focus on competence in skill and craft, as well as the successful integration of ideas, materials, and techniques. Students learn to use the book as a vessel for artistic expression. Various areas of bookbinding, printmaking, and alternative photo/image transfer process are covered. Computer skills and knowledge are helpful.
Prerequisites: FD120
PP250 Papermaking Workshop 2.
(3 credits)
Students learn hand papermaking techniques for creating three-dimensional works of art, as well as using handmade paper with other media to extend creative possibilities. A strong personal focus in the handmade paper arts is developed, making possible the execution of contemporary ideas through this medium. Pulp casting, relief sheet casting, mold making and vacuum table techniques are explored.
Prerequisites: PP150
PP270 Book Arts 2.
(3 credits)
This course presents students with the opportunity to explore a variety of advanced and alternative structures and bindings. Emphasis is on individual project work and the successful integration of printed image and text. Letterpress printing techniques are explored and incorporated into specific projects.
Prerequisites: PP150, PP170
PP350 Papermaking Workshop 3.
(3 credits)
Continuation of PP250.
Prerequisites: PP250
PP370 Book Arts 3.
(3 credits)
Continuation of PP270.
Prerequisites: PP270
PP450 Papermaking Workshop 4.
(3 credits)
Advanced students develop individual projects utilizing advanced papermaking techniques. Three-dimensional works, as well as installation-based works incorporating other medium are encouraged. Focus is placed on developing and creating a cohesive body of work.
Prerequisites: PP350
PP455 Papermaking Workshop 5.
(3 credits)
Continuation of PP450.
Prerequisites: PP450
PP470 Integration: Book & Paper.
(3 credits)
This is a senior level course designed to engage the student in an intense conversation with print, paper and book. Students spend half of the semester compiling research, documentation and examples of artistic experimentation in the areas of letterpress, papermaking and printmaking in order to propose and develop projects to be editioned. Collaboration with other media not mentioned is encouraged as well.
Prerequisites: PP370 and senior standing
Sculpture
SC100 Sculpture 1.
(3 credits)
This technical processes class for majors and non-majors introduces students to mold making theory and practice, basic materials, fabrication theory and practice as well as appropriate tool choice and use in each area. A basic understanding of joining methods is expected at the end of the semester. While focusing on skills building, exploration of materials in mold-making, casting, and fabrication is encouraged.
SC120 Ceramic Sculpture 1.
(3 credits)
This class introduces sculptural building techniques for the production of three-dimensional forms. Additive and subtractive ceramic methods will be covered and used in various ways depending on assignment and concept. Surface finishes will also be explored as students gain a basic understanding of clay, glaze, and firing principles. As the semester progresses and technical proficiencies strengthen, individual artistic content will become the driving force of assigned work.
SC150 Metalsmithing 1.
(3 credits)
This is an introduction to the materials, tooling and processes involved in the creation of small sculptural units, body ornamentation and utilitarian objects. Processes experienced include lost wax casting, metal forming, surfacing and finishing options.
SC170 Surface Design 1.
(3 credits)
In this introductory course students become familiar with fiber art through various surface design processes including resist dyeing, direct painting with dyes, hand embroidery, sewing and others. Students are encouraged to develop their knowledge of techniques and their ability to use surface design to carry out concepts and ideas.
SC200 Sculpture 2.
(3 credits)
This course is a continuation of the technical exploration of SC100. Examination of materials, forming methods and ideas is supported with personal research focusing on contemporary approaches to sculptural ideas. Single object/idea development is stressed.
Prerequisites: SC100
SC220 Ceramic Sculpture 2.
(3 credits)
This class utilizes building and surface finishing skills obtained in Ceramic Sculpture 1 in conjunction with the articulation and demonstration of content through writing. Students will investigate concepts, materials, and techniques that inform and support the topic of their choosing. Work produced during the semester should demonstrate technical and conceptual control and specificity and result in a cohesive body of work. Firing and glazing will be explored further through direct experimentation according to individual technical and conceptual needs.
Prerequisites: SC120
SC235 Special Topics in Sculpture.
(3 credits)
A specialized area in Sculpture is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. This course may be repeated once when content changes.
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor
SC240 Woodcarving.
(3 credits)
This course introduces novices to the basics of woodcarving and supplements intermediate and advancedcarving skills. Projects are small scale and use commonly available wood cutting chisels and knives. Students develop all necessary skills for creating relief and in round carvings from preparatory drawings.
Prerequisites: FD100
SC250 Metalsmithing 2.
(3 credits)
Course emphasis is on personal direction and expansion of process awareness. After an initial concept and process directed problem the student is responsible for a self-directed project. The goal of the project is for the student to advance their concept level, metalsmithing skills and awareness of the area. Processes experienced include advanced metal forming, respousse, chasing, tool making, joining and finishing.
Prerequisites: SC150
SC260 Sculptural Forms: Fiber Techniques for Sculpture.
(3 credits)
This course includes the study of low relief and three-dimensional form in materials other than stone, metal, plaster, or other rigid materials traditionally used for sculpture. Students use fiber, thread, fabric, plastic, and paper, with and without the structure of armature to explore problems in concepts and aesthetics.
Prerequisites: FD130, SC100 or SC170
SC270 Surface Design 2.
(3 credits)
This is a sequential course of study with four prerequisite intermediate levels leading to the advanced level. The technical vocabulary taught includes silkscreen, machine embroidery, garment construction, computer printing and others. Courses concentrate on furthering students’ abilities to integrate material, process, form and content through fiber art.
Prerequisites: SC170
SC300 Sculpture 3.
(3 credits)
Students develop a multiple object language based on research of a personal interest. Personal histories and narratives form the basis of research leading to the production of multi-object sculpture. Student directed research and presentation form the basis for the development and production of mixed media installation projects.
Prerequisites: SC200
SC320 Ceramic Sculpture 3.
(3 credits)
Continuation of SC220.
Prerequisites: SC220
SC335 Special Topics in Sculpture.
(3 credits)
A specialized area in Sculpture is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content change.
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor
SC350 Metalsmithing 3.
(3 credits)
Continuation of SC250.
Prerequisites: SC250
SC370 Surface Design 3.
(3 credits)
Continuation of SC270.
Prerequisites: SC270
SC400 Sculpture 4.
(3 credits)
In this idea oriented class, personal communication and expression are explored through proposal-based projects, including preparation for the senior exhibition, and photo documentation of the senior portfolio.
Prerequisites: SC300
SC405 Sculpture 5.
(3 credits)
Continuation of SC400.
Prerequisites: SC400
SC420 Ceramic Sculpture 4.
(3 credits)
Students are guided through their own investigation of concepts, materials and techniques. Emphasis is on research and individual artistic development. Students are required to set up a semester problem of their own choosing.
Prerequisites: SC320
SC425 Ceramic Sculpture 5.
(3 credits)
Continuation of SC420.
Prerequisites: SC420
SC435 Special Topics in Sculpture.
(3 credits)
A specialized area in Sculpture is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor
SC450 Metalsmithing 4.
(3 credits)
Continuation of SC350.
Prerequisites: SC350
SC455 Metalsmithing 5.
(3 credits)
Continuation of SC450.
Prerequisites: SC450
SC470 Surface Design 4.
(3 credits)
Continuation of SC370.
Prerequisites: SC370
Liberal Arts – General Ed
Art History
AH100 Art History Survey 1.
(3 credits)
Western art from prehistory through the Middle Ages is studied chronologically, providing an understanding of movements, time periods, and individual artists. A discussion of non-Western traditions may be included.
AH150 Art History Survey 2.
(3 credits)
Western art from the Renaissance to the present is studied chronologically, including influential trends toward Modernism in the twentieth century. A discussion of non-Western traditions may be included.
AH100, AH150, HU101 and HU102 are prerequisites for all Art History courses at the 200 level or above.
AH200 Renaissance Art.
(3 credits)
Architecture, sculpture, and painting from the early Renaissance through the sixteenth century are studied while emphasizing perspective, new stylistic conventions, and changing roles for artists.
AH210 Baroque Art.
(3 credits)
The dynamic spread of the Baroque from Rome to the rest of Europe and Latin America is explored, with emphasis on works by masters such as Caravaggio, Bernini, Valasquez, Rubens, and Rembrandt.
AH220 Topics in Art History.
(3 credits)
A specialized area of art history is studied. Topics are announce through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
AH221 Topics in Art History.
(3 credits)
A specialized area of art history is studied. Topics are announce through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
AH225 Nineteenth-Century Art.
(3 credits)
Art from the French Revolution to the turn of the twentieth century is studied, and includes Neo-Classicism, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, and Post-Impressionism.
AH227 Modern Art: 1900-1945.
(3 credits)
This course is an introduction to the major movements and artists of the twentieth century – primarily European – prior to World War II. Emphasis is on the fundamental tenets of Modernist art and the various manifestations of the Modernist art and the various manifestations of the Modernist avant-garde.
AH230 Art Since 1945.
(3 credits)
Global art and theory from World War II to the present is examined. Topics include Abstract Expressionism, Pop, Minimalism, Land Art, Conceptual Art, Body and Performance Art, and Postmodernism.
AH250 History of Graphic Design.
(3 credits)
Historical and contemporary visual languages of the discipline of graphic design are explored, with emphasis on pioneers of modern design, the constructed expression of concept, and the technological evolution of visual communication.
AH270 American Art.
(3 credits)
Art of the United States from the colonial period to 1945 is explored with the main focus on European-influenced painting, sculpture, and architecture that developed in American throughout the seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries. Special attention is given to questions of material culture, patronage, nationalism, interchange with European fine art traditions, images of and artistic production of Native Americans and African Americans, and the arrival, reception, and subsequent flowering of Modernism in America.
AH300 Art of First People.
(3 credits)
Art in relation to the culture of an indigenous population in North or South American, Mesoamerica, or sub-Saharan Africa is examined along with the survival of ancient traditions in modern times. The focus of the course may change as topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
AH303 Art of Asia.
(3 credits)
The art and culture of Asia is explored, specifically India, China, Japan, Korea or Southeast Asia. Styles of the area under consideration are studied in various media, including bronze, ceramics, painting, and architecture. Modernist and contemporary developments are considered. The focus of the course may change; topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when course content changes.
AH310 History of Film 1.
(3 credits)
Beginning with the advent of the medium in the late 19th century and continuing through World War II, this course will study the development of cinema as a form of artistic expression and social practice during its first half century. The evolution of film language will be placed within an historical context and explored through the work of key filmmakers, national cinemas and critical theories. Topics include early cinema, narrative form, the Hollywood studio system, German Expressionism, Soviet and European film and technological advances such as sound and color. This course requires a mandatory weekly film screening in addition to classroom sessions. Readings will accompany film screenings as a basis for discussion.
AH311 History of Film 2.
(3 credits)
A continuation of AH310, Film History II begins with the aftermath of World War II and continues to present day with an overview of major movements and directions in global cinema since the mid-1940s. Cinema’s formal and economic responses to television and, later, new media will be placed in conversation with issues relating to authorship, race, gender and globalization. Topics include Italian Neorealism, film noir, the French New Wave, national cinemas in Asia, New Hollywood and movements located outside of the commercial mainstream. This course requires a mandatory weekly film screening in addition to classroom sessions. Readings will accompany film screenings as a basis for discussion. History of Film I is not a prerequisite, although it is recommended.
AH320 Topics in Art History.
(3 credits)
A specialized area of art history is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. This course may be repeated once when content changes.
AH321 Topics in Art History.
(3 credits)
A specialized area of art history is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. This course may be repeated once when content changes.
AH326 History of Photography.
(3 credits)
A topically arranged survey of world photography, this course takes as its central concern the multiple purposes to which photography has been adapted since its “discovery” in the early nineteenth century. Although the relationship between photography and fine art is considered, the many non-art uses of the medium are also discussed in an attempt to better understand the cultural contexts in which photography has been employed.
AH330 Art and Architecture.
(3 credits)
This course is a world-wide survey of exemplary spaces that rely on a positive relationship between architecture and other media, such as sculpture and painting. The role of Nature (the site) is also examined. Videos and site visits supplement slide lectures.
AH331 Modern Architecture 1.
(3 credits)
Trends and styles in Europe and the U.S. from Jefferson to World War II are explored, including Art Nouveau, the skyscraper, Wright, California modern, the Bauhaus, and Art Deco. Video and site visits may be offered.
AH332 Modern Architecture 2.
(3 credits)
This course examines the developments in Europe and the Americas from the 1930s to the present, including planning concepts. Acceptance of the International Style led to the Postmodern reaction. Appreciation of leaders such as Johnson, Saarinen, Kahn, Pei and Gehry is enhanced by video and site visits.
AH350 Art and Design: The 1950s.
(3 credits)
Art, architecture and design are explored in relation to post-World War II trends such as the Baby Boom, the Cold War, consumerism, conformism, gender roles, and civil rights. A focus on Design includes everything from suburbia to furniture and cars. Music, vintage video, and local artifacts bring the decade to life.
AH360 The Artist and the Era.
(3 credits)
A particular artist and cultural milieu is studied, leading to an understanding of how time and place condition creativity as well as the production of art and design. Artists such as Picasso, Duchamp, Eames and Warhol have been covered in past semesters. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
AH370 American Art, 1492-1865.
(3 credits)
This class examines art in the American Colonies and the United States from the period of colonial conquest beginning in 1492 to the end of the United States Civil War in 1865. While the main focus is European-influenced painting, sculpture, architecture, photography and material culture, we will also explore the artistic contributions of indigenous Native American peoples and enslaved and free Africans. Primary themes in this class include the syncretic mixing of cultures in the American context, the tension between the desire of Euro-American artists either to remain connected to the artistic modes of their homelands or to forge a distinctive new American art, the use of art and material culture for revolutionary purposes, the development of arts institutions including museums and art schools and representations of gender and race.
AH375 African-American Art.
(3 credits)
The rich and varied artistic production of people of African descent in the United States are surveyed, from the colonial period to the present. The cultural and artistic interchange between West and Central Africa, Europe, and America that created a distinctive African-American artistic tradition and produced a wide range of visual culture – including ceramics, furniture, quilts, architecture, painting, sculpture, photography, textiles, mixed media, installations, performance, and video – is discussed. The contrast between how African Americans represent themselves and how others represent them is an important theme.
AH380 Women in Art.
(3 credits)
Gender issues as they pertain to women in the history of art are explored. Topics include a historical survey of women artists; the role of women throughout history and how these roles affected the availability of artistic training for women; the representation of women in art; feminist art criticism and theory; and contemporary post-feminist methodologies.
AH420 Topics in Art History.
(3 credits)
A specialized area of art history is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
AH421 Topics in Art History.
(3 credits)
A specialized area of art history is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
AH450 Art History Seminar.
(3 credits)
A specific area within art history is explored through structured group discussion and student presentations. Topics may be oriented chronologically, topically, geographically, or monographically, and are announced through semester course descriptions. May be repeated once when course content changes.
Prerequisites: To be determined by individual faculty member
AH360 (AH560) Artist and Era.
(3 credits)
This course will explore art of the post-WWII period, using Andy Warhol (1928-1987) as a structuring vehicle. Historical, monographic, and thematic frameworks will be employed in looking at art across all media in the Cold War period. Topics will include Abstract Expressionism and its legacy, reproduction and originality, identity and its construction, film, music, and television of the 1950s and 60s, and Warhol’s role in the emergence of Postmodernism.
AH421 Special Topics: Art Criticism.
(3 credits)
This class will introduce students to both the practice and history of Art Criticism. Students will study the theories and tactics that undergird Art Criticism as a unique discipline and explore its links to Art History. Assessment and evaluation of both works of art and critical writing will be the primary focus of this course.
AH422 Special Topics: Image Theory.
(3 credits)
Drawing upon writers such as Alberti, Vasari, de Piles, Benjamin, Greenberg, Fried, Eco, Baudrillard, and Mitchell, this course will trace the discourse of image making from the Renaissance through the present. Topics of focus will include narrative construction, artistic biography and myth, representation and mimesis, simulation the art object as an active participant in its own viewing and interpretation, authorship, and the sanctity of the art object. Students will participate in seminar discussions, present readings, and make research-based presentations.
AH426 Italian Modernism and Post Modernism.
(3 credits)
This course will study the cultural production of Italy during Modernism and Postmodernism, from the Italian Risorgimento in the 1860s until the present. Students will study the intellectual structures of both Modernism and Postmodernism, as well as the particularities of their Italian manifestations. Painting and sculpture will be the dominant media studied. However, architecture, film, graphic and industrial design, photography, and fashion will also be engaged.
AH427 Harlem, Chinatown, and the Family Farm: Regional Art in America, 1920-1945.
(3 credits)
“Regionalism” in American art typically refers to the work of early twentieth-century artists from the Midwest, such as Grant Wood, who spent most of their careers working in the Midwest and actively tried to produce art about their home region. But there were many other regional art movements in American during the modern period–the Harlem Renaissance, the Taos art colony, and the modernists of San Francisco’s Chinese community are just a few examples. In this seminar, we will examine and compare a variety of different regional art movements in order to gain a better understanding of this essential facet of American modernism. Readings, substantive class discussion, and occasional lectures will engage issues of race, community, nationalism, insiders and outsiders, modernism and anti-modernism, as well as a variety of art history methodology. Students will write a 7-10 page research paper and give presentations to the class. Artists to be discussed include: Grant Wood; Thomas Hart Benton; Jacob Lawrence; Reginald Marsh; Archibald Motley; Yun Gee; Isabel Bishop and others.
Prerequisites: 9 credits in Art History coursework
AH450 Living in a Material World.
(3 credits)
This seminar is an introduction to the art history methodology of material culture. Simply put, the study of material culture is the study of “things” – human-made or human-modified products. These “things” can include clothing, your grandmother’s heirloom jewelry, a formally landscaped garden, a painting, or the contents of a trash can. Scholars of material culture investigate these cultural products as a way to uncover the beliefs, values, attitudes, needs, hopes and fears of a particular society at a particular moment. In this class we will look at art (early American Portraiture; southern plantation architecture; hand-built wooden furniture), luxury goods (Marie Antoinette’s clothing; silver teapots), consumer goods (Tupperware; table forks), and popular imagery (photographs of President Kennedy; the interior decor of Graceland) through the material culture lens. This course will require weekly readings, class discussion, and as a substantial research paper.
Prerequisites: AH100, AH150, and one additional Art History course or P.O.I.
Humanities
HU090 Grammar and Composition.
(3 credits)
In this course, readings, exercises, and writing assignments are designed to build proficiency in grammatical, mechanical, and organizational principles of college-level writing.
This course does not count toward the 120 hours required for graduation.
HU101 Writing 1.
(3 credits)
The critical reading and writing skills required for college-level work are introduced. Writing assignments move from the personal essay to critical analysis, with emphasis upon thesis, support, organization, standard English grammar, and style.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of HU090, ACT English sub-score of at least 19, or SAT verbal score of at least 460
HU102 Writing 2.
(3 credits)
Writing I skills are refined leading to proficiency in critical thinking and argument and includes practice in quoting, summarizing, paraphrasing, and synthesizing information using both MLA and Chicago documentation styles. The coursework culminates in a documented research paper.
Prerequisites: HU101
HU101 and HU102 are prerequisites for all Liberal Arts – General Ed courses (prefix AH, HU, SS, MA or NS) at the 200 level or above.
HU200 Introduction to Philosophy.
(3 credits)
The primary works in the history of philosophy are examined through critical reading of traditional philosophical problems drawn from the areas of metaphysics, theories of knowledge, philosophy of relegion, and ethics.
HU203 Philosophy and Film.
(3 credits)
Classical and contemporary films from Europe, Asia, and the United States form the basis of discussion for complementary readings in philosophical theory. Readings from Classical Greek Philosophy, Rationalism, Empiricism, Modernism, and Postmodernism serve as primary sources. Films are explored for the development of their major philosophical themes.
HU205 Elementary Logic.
(3 credits)
Basic principles of reasoning assist students in organizing and developing fundamental concepts of logic and information processing. The formulation and assessment of one’s own ideas are facilitated through examples and illustrations.
This course fulfills the math requirement.
HU210 Values in Contemporary Society.
(3 credits)
Topical ethical issues are analyzed and discussed through readings centered around opposing perspectives on a variety of issues such as censorship, economic justice, racism, and sexism.
HU215 Literature Survey.
(3 credits)
This course is an overview of literary works in their cultural and historical context, drawn from a variety of genres. Written assignments demand critical thinking skills and literary analysis.
HU220 Humanities: Special Topics.
(3 credits)
A specialized Humanities area is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
HU221 Humanities: Special Topics.
(3 credits)
A specialized Humanities area is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
Click here for descriptions of current and previous Special Topics courses.
HU222 Philosophy in Literature.
(3 credits)
Philosophical themes such as the nature of the self, free will, the problem of evil, theories of knowledge and ethical theory are examined. Readings include plays, short stories, essays, and poetry from American, European, Asian, South American, and African-American sources.
HU240 Creative Writing: Fiction.
(3 credits)
Fiction writing is explored as an art form. Working in a variety of fiction genres and styles, students develop strategies for effective communication and expression.
HU241 Creative Writing: Poetry.
(3 credits)
This writing intensive course is an introduction to poetics and to poetic language and to the arts of close reading and generative writing of poetry with an emphasis on (and questioning of) constructions of meaning.
HU245 Survey of World Drama.
(3 credits)
This course is a comparative survey of foundational dramatic literature that explores the cultural, political, economic, and social forces that collide on the stage. A variety of theoretical and methodological approaches are enlisted for such readings. Weekly critical essays punctuate class discussion.
HU250 Introduction to Women’s Studies.
(3 credits)
This course is an interdisciplinary examination of the roles of women with emphasis on how race, class, gender, sexuality, nationality and other identity categories shape human experiences. It will explore women’s experiences within a variety of social, political and economic institutions and within the framework of several different academic disciplines (e.g., sociology, political science, psychology, history, literature, art, economics).
Prerequisites: HU101, HU102
HU260 Gothic Literature.
(3 credits)
Provides an overview of Gothic literature from the 18th century to the present. The course emphasizes careful reading, analysis, and interpretation of the works. Critical thinking, discussion, and writing about significant works of Gothic literature will be used as tools of evaluation.
HU285 Southern Literature.
(3 credits)
The interpretation of southern literatures in light of their cultural contexts is emphasized in this survey ranging from the gothic to high modernism and into post-colonial explosions of the notion of the South. Theoretical and methodological approaches are introduced to facilitate interpretation. Weekly critical essays punctuate class discussions.
HU290 Survey of American Popular Music 1.
(3 credits)
The roots of American music from gospel, blues, and country through early jazz and big band eras to the emergence of rhythm and blues and rock and roll are examined. Regional music is emphasized.
HU291 Survey of American Popular Music 2.
(3 credits)
HU290 is continued, beginning with rhythm and blues in the late forties through the development of rock in the early fifties to vocal groups, the Elvis phenomenon, garage bands, and beyond. Memphis music is emphasized.
HU295 French I.
(3 credits)
French I will be a basic introduction to the French language with a focus on “survival” French, cultural awareness and travel “savoir faire.” All four domains of listening, speaking, reading and writing will be presented. A variety of activities will provide for an immersion-style learning atmosphere. Differentiated instruction will be the key to maximizing the engagement of students combining lectures, individual and group work, presentations, and projects.
Prerequisites: HU102
HU320 Humanities: Special Topics.
(3 credits)
A specialized Humanities area is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
HU321 Humanities: Special Topics.
(3 credits)
A specialized Humanities area is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
Click here for descriptions of current and previous Special Topics courses.
HU340 Eastern Philosophy and Religion.
(3 credits)
Exploring the intersections of the sacred and the secular, this course examines the philosophical, religious and literary traditions of India, China, and Japan. Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, as well as a historical overview of the emergence of these traditions, form the first portion of the course. Readings in Confucianism, Taoism, and Zen Buddhism, as well as their social practices, form the second part of the course.
HU341 The Human and the Divine.
(3 credits)
The philosophical, religious, and literary traditions of the Middle East and the West are explored through primary texts that include the foundational, mythological worldviews of the early writings of Sumer, Babylonia, Egypt, Persia, and Greece. The biblical tradition of Judaism and Christianity is explored through its historical background and cultural influences. Texts from the Gnostic gospels and the Dead Sea Scrolls are included within the primary source material.
HU350 Text and Image.
(3 credits)
The relationship between visual and verbal texts are explored. The first half of the course emphasizes the critical reading and interpretation of foundational texts in terms of their ideological contexts. The second half of the class is comprised of a research project focused on iconology—the close reading and interpretation of visual imagery.
HU360 Modern Literature.
(3 credits)
A theme-variant course that offers a close examination of the literature and culture of the Modernist period. The focus is on particular experiments, movements, and extensions from American Expatriate writers to the Surrealists and Avant-Garde movements to Negritude, the Harlem Renaissance and Magical Realism. The course may also include the philosophical underpinnings of Modernism from Symbolism and Structuralism to Existentialism and Poststructuralism. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
HU361 Asian-American Literature.
(3 credits)
In this course, students will read and analyze selected novels, poems and short stories written by Asian-American writers in the light of their cultural and historical contexts as well as their aesthetic and textual qualities. Major issues to be discussed will include the following: What are the changing meanings of “Asia,” “Asian America” and “Asian-American cultures”? How are these categories imagined by different individuals and how are they reconfigured through time? What are the processes by which Asian Americans create their identities and communities? How are ethnicity, gender, class and sexuality instrumental to the ways in which Asian-American writers conceive of and write about their experience in/about “America”? What are the commonalities and differences among the experiences expressed in literature written by Americans of diverse ancestries? What are some of the issues that Asian-American communities have faced and are currently facing?
Prerequisite: HU102. Fulfills the Literature Requirement.
HU368 Contemporary Novel.
(3 credits)
Novels relevant to social and political issues since World War II are examined. Students gain an understanding of these issues as well as a sense of themselves as world citizens.
HU370 Critical Writing.
(3 credits)
Students learn to see, analyze and write about artwork and ideas. Writing assignments include artist’s statements, reviews, essays, and articles about art.
HU387 Forms of Fiction.
(3 credits)
This course requires the intensive reading of a particular genre and study of its history and development. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
HU391 Art Speak.
(3 credits)
The vocabulary and discourse formation that centers on art-specific language is examined, using descriptive and interpretative writings by artists, aesthetic theorists, and critics on the nature and function of art, artistic creation, and critical appraisal. The focus of the course is historical, but the major emphasis is on modernism and post-modernism.
HU410 Philosophy of Art.
(3 credits)
This course is a survey of Western philosophy of art from Plato to the present, providing a developmental history of theories concerning the art object, creativity, beauty, and genius, as well as the modern and postmodern aesthetic theories that form the intellectual context of contemporary art.
HU420 Humanities: Special Topics.
(3 credits)
A specialized Humanities area is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
HU421 Humanities: Special Topics.
(3 credits)
A specialized Humanities area is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
Click here for descriptions of current and previous Special Topics courses.
HU614 History of Theory and Criticism.
(3 credits)
Engaging critical theory is a means by which we can better understand, interpret, create and write about topics including identity and the self, the culture industry and the visual arts. In this course, students will read a collection of the seminal works of the critical tradition. Students are asked to actively engage this material through discussion, presentation and written formats. On occasion, students will bring to class an artifact—an image, musical selection, object or text—that embodies an aspect of the idea or theoretical position that we are discussing. We will also discuss intersections between critical theory and visual practice in the fine arts. Please note that the objective of the course is to discuss the tradition of addressing social problems through scholarly debate and critical theory. Students are under no pressure to agree with or conform to any of the ideas we read or discuss in this course. The course will also cover broader topics related to writing and research methodology. MFA students who have a serious interest in academic careers can benefit from this course given that it may influence their studio practice and give them several more points of entry into discussions related to art history and visual culture.
Social Sciences
SS220 Social Science: Special Topics.
(3 credits)
A specialized Social Science area is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
SS221 Social Science: Special Topics.
(3 credits)
A specialized Social Science area is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
SS226 Introduction to Psychology.
(3 credits)
The discipline of psychology as a science of behavior is introduced. Areas of study include biological aspects of psychology, learning, sensation, perception, personality, abnormal behavior, and social and developmental psychology.
SS240 United States Politics.
(3 credits)
This course surveys the U.S. political system, looking at its major institutions, processes and actors. Specific topics we examine include our political foundations; federalism; public opinion and participation; interest groups; political parties; congressional, presidential and bureaucratic politics; the judiciary; and civil rights and liberties. The theme of the course is the importance of electoral politics in the contemporary U.S. political context and the related normative debate over the appropriate role and level of popular influence in our democracy.
Prerequisites: HU102
Fulfills the Social Science Requirement
SS275 Cultural Anthropology.
(3 credits)
The origin and development of human culture through social relations, language, government, religion, and ritual are studied, as well as problems relating to developing nations and minority groups in the modern world.
SS320 Social Science: Special Topics.
(3 credits)
A specialized Social Science area is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
SS321 Social Science: Special Topics.
(3 credits)
A specialized Social Science area is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
SS330 Abnormal Psychology.
(3 credits)
Mental disorders are surveyed, including their causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. Emphasis on anxiety disorders, sexual disorders, dissociative disorders, personality disorders, cognitive disorders, mood disorders, and schizophrenia.
Prerequisites: SS226
SS333 Film and Gender.
(3 credits)
Gender issues in contemporary society (such as sexual identity and difference, sex roles, and cultural divisions) are examined, employing both classical and contemporary films and documentaries. Required readings include selections from psychoanalysis, gender theory, women’s studies and postmodern philosophy.
SS345 World Mythologies.
(3 credits)
The myths, legends, and related images of various cultures are examined as illustrations of major recurring themes in the humanities as well as their connections to modern belief systems.
SS375 Anthropology of Art.
(3 credits)
Art is approached from an anthropological perspective in order to explain its function, diversity and cultural implications.
SS420 Social Science: Special Topics.
(3 credits)
A specialized Social Science area is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
SS421 Social Science: Special Topics.
(3 credits)
A specialized Social Science area is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
Mathematics/Natural Sciences
MA165 Essential Mathematics.
(3 credits)
This course explores why basic mathematics operations work as they do, as well as how these operations are performed. Topics include operations with whole numbers, fractions, signed numbers, decimals, percents, ratio and proportion, powers and roots, systems of measurement, and elementary and coordinate geometry.
NS220 Natural Science: Special Topics.
(3 credits)
A specialized Social Science area is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
NS221 Natural Science: Special Topics.
(3 credits)
A specialized Social Science area is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
Click here for descriptions of current and previous Special Topics courses.
NS250 History of Science.
(3 credits)
A broad history of scientific thought from the ancient Greeks to the present is studied, culminating in a understanding of changing worldviews and the place of modern science within the intellectual and cultural traditions of Western civilization.
NS265 Environmental Studies.
(3 credits)
The eco-system and its relevance to scientific, cultural and social issues is studied including an examination of such topics as global systems, organisms, scarcity, environmental law, and environmental art. An environmental conservation project may be included.
NS310 Anatomy and Physiology.
(3 credits)
The structure/function relationships of the human body in the musculoskeletal, nervous, cardiovascular and respiratory systems are examined. Overall goals of the course include an understanding of how the body works, a knowledge of anatomical and medical terminology and its application, and an appreciation for the elegance of form and function.
NS320 Natural Science: Special Topics.
(3 credits)
A specialized Social Science area is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
NS321 Natural Science: Special Topics.
(3 credits)
A specialized Social Science area is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
NS420 Natural Science: Special Topics.
(3 credits)
A specialized Social Science area is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
NS421 Natural Science: Special Topics.
(3 credits)
A specialized Social Science area is studied. Topics are announced through semester course descriptions. The course may be repeated once when content changes.
Click here for descriptions of current and previous Special Topics courses.
