Art and Design Media

Degree

Bachelor of Arts with a major in Art and Design Media
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
School of Arts and Humanities

Contact

Sarah Gorham, M.F.A., M.A.T.
Assistant Academic Director, School of Arts and Humanities
sgorham@une.edu

Michael J. Cripps, Ph.D.
Academic Director, School of Arts and Humanities
mcripps@une.edu

Mission

Arts programs are staffed by a community of professional artists with national reputations. The mission of the faculty is to nurture and encourage students' individual growth, development, and expression while preparing them to pursue a professional career.

After a firm grounding in the foundations, students are mentored in the development of an original body of work in their preferred medium.

Major Description

The School of Arts and Humanities offers a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Art and Design Media.

The Art and Design Media course of study develops intellectual curiosity and critical thinking skills through an active hands-on curriculum taught by professional scholars and artists. While imparting foundational expressive skills in traditional art media, the program encourages students to expand their conceptual and perceptual capabilities and receive training in current technological media that both support the traditional arts and are essential tools in contemporary society.

Developing connections between their personal experience and art, science, social science, and the environment is an important part of the program and is emphasized in a year-long concentration seminar experience (required of all majors) where students choose an area of focus ranging from traditional arts such as painting and ceramics to video production. Majors will gain a strong understanding of the creative process and their own expressive capabilities culminating in an exhibition of their personal creative work. Whether planning a career in the arts or developing innovative interdisciplinary work in a double major, the Art and Design Media program will build diverse strengths and skills for the 21st century student.

Program Description

The Art and Design Media program stresses students' acquisition of skills that represent appropriate professional practices and a clear understanding of how to evaluate their own work for accuracy, expression, and clarity. Among these skills students will develop experience in and knowledge of:

  • Creative and compositional methods across media.
  • The creative process starting from initial sketches and outlines to the finished work. Problem solving is intrinsic to this process.
  • The development of their personal voice through intensive study in the senior capstone year.
  • The link between concept and media.
  • Art history with an emphasis on contemporary practice in Western and non-Western worlds.
  • Critical thinking and aesthetic assessment both verbal and written.

The program provides students with hands-on experience with the tools and latest technologies used in the arts professions in which they will work. They study and learn to:

  • Appreciate, understand and utilize methods of craftsmanship in a variety of media.
  • Develop their knowledge and abilities in graphic and web design, commercially viable skills with broad applicability.
  • Develop working knowledge of the gallery and museum world.

Students are encouraged to link their study of art with other disciplines and have the opportunity to create work that expresses their backgrounds and interests. The thirty-six (36) credits required of an art media major allow them the possibility to double major in English, History, Liberal Studies, Political Science, Math, or Psychology.

Students can also take three (3) credit internships in art and/or communications organizations as part of their course of study. Faculty will work with interested students to facilitate this option.

Curricular Requirements

CAS Core CurriculumCredits
Total Credits42–43
Program Required CoursesCredits
ARH 210 – Art History Survey I or ARH 211 – Art History Survey II or ARH 270 – Art in the Modern World3
ART 104 – Painting I3
ART 113 – Three Dimensional Fundamentals3
ART 118 – Drawing & Design Fundamentals3
ART 200 – Advanced Drawing3
ART 214 – Color Digital Photography or CMM 300 – Documentary Video or CMM 311 – Digital Video Production or WRT 304 – Read & Write in Digital Environments3
ART 230 – Graphic Design3
ART 395 – Studio Concentration Seminar3
LIL 420 – Arts & Humanities Capstone3
Three (3) credits of elective coursework from List A (below)3
Six (6) credits of elective coursework from either List A or List B6
Total Credits36
Open Elective Courses (as needed to reach 120 credits)Variable
Minimum Total Required Credits120

Electives

List A – Elective OptionsCredits
ART 101 – Watercolor3
ART 102 – Photography3
ART 105 – Elements of Acting3
ART 108 – Boatbuilding3
ART 109 – T-Shirt Design3
ART 110 – Ceramics3
ART 111 – Scientific Illustration3
ART 114 – Printmaking3
ART 124 – The Painted Book3
ART 130 – Art of the Letter3
ART 199 – Topics Course (any media)3
ART 207 – Landscape Painting3
ART 214 – Color Digital Photography3
ART 234 – Digital Animation3
ART 299 – Advanced Topics in Arts3
ART 324 – The Painted Book 3D3
ART 401 – Creative/Fine Arts Internship3
List B – Elective OptionsCredits
CMM 210 – Understanding Media3
CMM 300 – Photo and Video Documentation3
CMM 311 – Digital Video and Audio Production3
CMM 430 – Internship in Communication3
HIS 345 – Museums & Public History3
LIL 120 – Introductory Arts & Humanities Seminar3
WRT 111 – Topics in Creative Writing3
WRT 211 – Creative Writing: Poetry3
WRT 212 – Creative Writing: Short Fiction3
WRT 304 – Read & Write in Digital Environments3
WRT 312 – Fiction Writing Workshop3
WRT 317 – Proposal and Grant Writing3

An average GPA of 2.0 or higher is required for this degree.

View the Suggested Progression for Art and Media Majors (PDF)

Students in this major can participate in the pre-health graduate school preparation tracks.

Learning Outcomes

Through directed and experiential learning, courses in the creative arts introduce understanding of methods, materials, and processes and their application. Students learn to think concretely and intuitively through hands-on experiences. Instructors provide historical and contemporary models to convey these concepts. Learning through the arts allows students to acquire a variety of separate but interrelated concepts and skills to demonstrate knowledge of the creative process, craftsmanship, and personal voice. Students successfully completing arts study will:

  • Be able to determine and demonstrate concrete methods and processes for research and creation, or performance, in the arts. Accordingly, they will be able to demonstrate skill in graphic and/or symbolic communication.
  • Be able to assemble or perform work that demonstrates standards of craftsmanship in the discipline. Accordingly, they will learn methods of writing, discussion, and critique of creative works of art or music.
  • Develop skills that expand their expressive capabilities, with the goal of developing a distinct personal voice that emphasizes their interests and experiences.

Honors Program

We offer qualified students the option of graduating with Honors. This includes significant scholarly, creative, or experiential activity under the direction of a faculty member. Interested students should consult with their advisor. 

Transfer Credit

See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.

Admissions

See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.

Financial Information

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.

Notice and Responsibilities Regarding this Catalog

This catalog outlines the academic programs, degree criteria, policies, and events of the 51Æ·²è for the 2024–2025 academic year and serves as the official guide for academic and program requirements for students enrolling at the University during the Summer of 2024, Fall 2024, and Spring 2025 semesters.

The information provided is accurate as of its publication date on April 26, 2024.
The 51Æ·²è reserves the right to modify its programs, calendar, or academic schedule as deemed necessary or beneficial. This includes alterations to course content, class rescheduling, cancellations, or any other academic adjustments. Changes will be communicated as promptly as possible.

While students may receive guidance from academic advisors or program directors, they remain responsible for fulfilling the requirements outlined in the catalog relevant to their enrollment year and for staying informed about any updates to policies, provisions, or requirements.