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Art - Graphic Design, B.F.A.

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Graphic design is much more than a visual solution but rather a creative process for solving problems. That’s the approach the Department of Art and Design takes as Graphic Design students learn to use art and technology to convey ideas. Graduates should acquire formal, technical, and conceptual skills necessary for an entry-level position in the graphic design industry. In addition to the graphic design curriculum, class options range from interactive design to book arts. The four graphic design computer labs are equipped with state-of-the-art Apple computers and software.


What We're Doing

Design Faculty member wins two University awards

Design Faculty member wins two University awards

In the fall 2018 semester, Noël Lorson, Associate Professor of Design, received the MTSU Outstanding Teacher Award and the MTSU Public Service Award. During Ms. Lorson’s 14 years at MTSU, she has been immersed in growing the Graphic Design area within the Department of Art and Design. Ms. Lorson’s students’ works have been consistently recognized on a local, regional and national level in annual competitions, such as the American Advertising Awards. She is also the advisor to the AIGA/MTSU student group.  In an effort to give back to the community, Ms. Lorson and her students have completed designs for many organizations including, MTSU’s Constitution Day, the University Advising Committee, Dwight’s Mini Mart, Blue Raiders Football recruitment, ACE Learning Center, Special Kids of Tennessee, AIGA Nashville, Nashville Advertising Federation, and the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere.

Graphic Design Faculty Pop-Up Gallery

Graphic Design Faculty Inspires New Pop-Up Gallery Tradition

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the 2018 Senior Studio Art Show, Sheri Selph and her Studio Workshop Graphic Design students managed to squeeze in a gorgeous pop-up gallery in the Todd Art Gallery’s  office space! The students, Emma Goodwyn, Caroline Harris, Grace Hollowell, Olivia Jackson, Walter Johnson, Morgan Knight, Rachel Midgley, Callie Northern, Samantha Schulte, Joshua Sourignavong, and Emma Williams, set up numerous back drops in varying themes to fit differing personalities. Visitors were encouraged to snap a selfie, post it to Instagram, and tag it with #212instagallery. You may view all of the selfies that participants post by searching their hashtag in Instagram. With this pop-up exhibition the group hopes to encourage the value of a positive self-image and to celebrate the diversity of beauty. This is the first of the Todd Art Gallery’s Pop-Up exhibitions to be held in the Department of Art and Design and hopes to be a continuing space for artists to show a collection of their work at a moments notice.


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The Bachelor of Fine Arts in the Graphic Design program is designed for those who wish to work professionally as graphic designers and/or pursue a graduate degree. Career options are as creative as the field itself. Some potential job opportunities include

  • Advertising designer
  • Animator
  • Art director
  • Book designer
  • Communications specialist
  • Corporate designer
  • Creative director
  • Design director
  • Educator
  • Exhibit designer
  • Fashion illustrator
  • Graphic designer
  • Illustrator
  • Interactive designer
  • Motion graphics designer/editor
  • Package designer
  • Photographer
  • Publications designer
  • Website designer

Employers of MTSU alumni include

  • Blue Tractor Design
  • Emma
  • Ethos3
  • Gannett
  • Griffin Technology
  • HealthLeaders
  • iostudio
  • LaCroix Design Co.
  • Mother Nature Network
  • Nashville Predators
  • Primarily Rye
  • South Central Media
  • The Lampo Group
  • Thomas Nelson Publishers
  • Vanderbilt Medical Center
  • Yeah Yeah Creative

Programs in the Department of Art and Design lead to the Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.), the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), or the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees.

The department offers a B.F.A. with a major in Art; students may choose between two concentrations: Studio or Graphic Design. Studio students select an emphasis in ceramics, painting, printmaking, or sculpture. Graphic Design student requirements include a senior exhibition of student work and a professional portfolio.

For complete curriculum details, click on the REQUIREMENTS button to the right.

A major inArt Education leads to the B.S. degree.

Two concentrations—Art History or Visual Arts—leading to either a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree are available under an Art major.

Minors in Art and Art History also are available.

Art, Graphic Design Concentration, B.F.A.

Art and Design 
615-898-2455

Noël Lorson, director of graphic design
Noel.Lorson@mtsu.edu

The B.F.A. program is designed for those who wish to work professionally as artists in art-related fields and/or work toward a graduate degree (M.F.A.). All students pursuing a major in Art are required to complete the General Education requirements as specified by the department. Students should consult with their advisors each semester in order to plan their schedules of courses.

Academic Map

Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses:

Art, Graphic Design, B.F.A., Academic Map  

Degree Requirements

General Education41 hours
Major Requirements79 hours
     Foundation   18 hours*
     Graphic Design Concentration   21 hours
     Upper-Division Art History   6 hours
     Graphic Design Electives   25 hours
     Studio Electives   9 hours
Electives0-3 hours
TOTAL120 hours

*This program requires courses that can also fulfill requirements of the General Education curriculum. If program requirements are also used to fulfill General Education requirements, the number of elective hours will increase.

General Education (41 hours)

General Education requirements include courses in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences categories.

The following course required by the program meets General Education requirements:

Major Requirements (79 hours)

The Graphic Design concentration requires a grade of C in ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1630, ART 1640ART 1650, ART 1920, ART 1930ART 2310ART 2325, DSGN 3325, ART 3330, DSGN 4310DSGN 4320, and ART 4330.

Foundation (18 hours)

  • ART 1610 - Two-Dimensional Design

    3 credit hours

    The principles and techniques of design and their application to two-dimensional art forms. Six-hour studio course. TBR Common Course: ART 1340

  • ART 1620 - Drawing I  3 credit hours  

    ART 1620 - Drawing I

    3 credit hours

    Develops observational drawing skills and a formal drawing vocabulary; introduces various drawing materials. Six-hour studio course. TBR Common Course: ART 1045

  • ART 1630 - Three-Dimensional Design

    3 credit hours

    Emphasis on elements of design as they operate in the three-dimensional environment. Six-hour studio course. TBR Common Course: ART 1350

  • ART 1640 - Drawing II  3 credit hours  

    ART 1640 - Drawing II

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610 and ART 1620 with a minimum grade of C. A continuation of ART 1620 with specific emphasis placed on drawing processes and expression. Six-hour studio course. TBR Common Course: ART 1050

  • ART 1920 - Survey of Western Art I  3 credit hours  
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    ART 1920 - Survey of Western Art I

    3 credit hours

    Survey of the arts of the Western tradition from the Paleolithic era through the Gothic period.

  • ART 1930 - Survey of Western Art II

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: ART 1920 with C or better. Survey of the arts of the Western tradition from the late Gothic period to the present.

Graphic Design (21 hours)

  • ART 2310 - Graphic Design Technologies

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610 and ART 1620 with grades of C (2.0) or higher or permission of instructor. Procedures involved in the production of graphic design materials by means of computer. Basics of word processing, drawing, and page layout programs for graphic design. Six-hour studio course.

  • ART 2325 - Typographic Design  3 credit hours  
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    ART 2325 - Typographic Design

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1620 and ART 1650 or ART 2310 with grades of C (2.0) or better. An introduction to typography including the history, usage, and anatomy of letterforms. Projects focus on creative problem-solving using type as image as well as a means of communication. Projects range from word interpretation to page layout using industry-standard applications. Six -hour studio course.

  • DSGN 3325 - Word and Image  3 credit hours  
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    DSGN 3325 - Word and Image

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 2325, ILLU 3290, and IXD 3930 with a C or better or permission of instructor. Explores the relationship between word and image. Projects focus on visual language, concept, formation, and technical skills. Various design methodologies covered using industry-standard applications. Current designers and design trends introduced. Students must pass a comprehensive portfolio review after DSGN 3325 to enroll in most upper-division Graphic Design courses. Six-hour studio course.

  • DSGN 4320 - Senior Project  3 credit hours  

    DSGN 4320 - Senior Project

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: DSGN 4310 or permission of department. Following a portfolio review, class members will devise a project that conceptually and visually addresses their design/illustration goals. Six-hour studio course.

  • ILLU 3290 - Introduction to Illustration

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1630, and ART 1640 with C or better. Introduces basic methods, materials, and business practices of illustration, with an emphasis on development of rendering skills. Six-hour studio course.

  • IXD 3930 - Introduction to Interaction Design

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1630, and ART 1650 with C or better or ART 2310 with C or better or may be taken concurrently with ART 2310 or ART 2325, or permission of instructor. Introduction to interaction design for digital media and digital products for graphic designers. Prototyping of digital visual design leading to the creation of web-based interaction will be introduced and practiced. Six-hour studio course.

*NOTE: Portfolio review after ART 2325 and DSGN 3325 is required for admission to candidacy.

 

  • ART 4330 - Internship  3 credit hours  
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    ART 4330 - Internship

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: Permission of department. Advanced students gain practical experience in a professional setting as an intern. Approximately 150 work hours required for the semester.

  • DSGN 4340 - Graphic Design Agency

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: DSGN 4310 with a C or better or permission of instructor. Visual problem-solving methodologies for campus and community client-initiated projects practiced in an industry standard, agency structured, creative studio environment. Technical production of print materials and digital media practiced. Six-hour studio course.  

Upper-Division Art History (6 hours)

Graphic Design Electives (25 hours)

A minimum of 3 credit hours in Illustration and 3 credit hours in Interaction are required. Maximum 6 hours allowable in Print Media.

Interaction

  • IXD 3400 - Interface Design  3 credit hours  

    IXD 3400 - Interface Design

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1650 and IXD 3930 with a C or better or ART 2310 with C or better or permission of instructor. Advanced view of graphic design process in interface design. Emphasizes formal, conceptual, and technical aspects of interface design through individual projects created with industry specific software applications. Six-hour studio course.

  • IXD 4390 - Digital Product Design

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1650, and IXD 3930 with C or better, or permission of instructor. Website design prototyping and introduction to front end web development for graphic designers. Best practices for graphic designers working adjacent to UX/UI interfaces and digital interactive technologies will be explored. Six-hour studio course.

  • IXD 4400 - Emerging Methods in Interaction Design

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: IXD 3930 with C or better or permission of instructor. An advanced interactive design class that emphasizes the design and implementation of visually engaging, immersive environments. Students work individually and as teams using industry-standard interaction design applications to create stand-alone and web-based projects. Six-hour studio course.

  • IXD 4410 - Typography in Motion

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: ART 2325 with C or better or permission of instructor. Students will gain an advanced understanding of the graphic design process in time-based media. Emphasizes formal, conceptual, and technical aspects of kinetic typography through individual projects created with industry specific software applications. Six-hour studio course.

Print Media

  • ART 3015 - Print Media: Silkscreen and Digital Processes

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1640, and ART 1650 with C or better or permission of instructor. An introductory level print media course which includes the learning of various methods of silkscreen printing and digital processes related to print media. Topics covered include hand drawn stencils, computer generated imagery, and digital printing. Six hour studio course.

  • ART 3550 - Print Media: Book Arts

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1630, and ART 1640 (all with C or better) or permission of instructor. Introduces making artist's books, covering basic book structures, bookbinding, simple image-making techniques, using paper as a creative medium, and developing creative content. Six-hour studio course.

  • ART 3770 - Print Media: Letterpress

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1630, and ART 1650 (all with C or better) or ART 2310 with C or better or permission of instructor. Introduces letterpress printing, typesetting, designing, and printing raised forms to create text and image. Six-hour studio course.

  • ART 4640 - Advanced Art Problems  1 to 3 credit hours  

    ART 4640 - Advanced Art Problems

    1 to 3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: Permission of department. Structure and content determined by the art faculty on the basis of individual need. The student should be prepared to do independent research and experimentation in the area selected. (A maximum of 6 credits may be applied to a degree.) Students may only register for ART 4640 once per semester. Six-hour studio course.

Illustration

  • ILLU 4250 - Editorial and Advertising Illustration

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: ILLU 3290 with C or better or permission of instructor. Explores editorial illustration and advertising illustration in which students will conceptualize, design, and create fully-developed illustrations geared towards those fields.

  • ILLU 4260 - Illustration in Motion

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: ILLU 3290 with C or better or permission of instructor. Explores time-based illustration techniques utilizing motion to engage the visual narrative beyond the still image. Students will conceptualize, design, and create fully-developed illustrations with corresponding motion using digital tools and sound.

  • ILLU 4270 - Self Promotion for the Illustrator

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: ILLU 3290 with a C or better or permission of instructor. Students showcase their visual illustrative voice and style in a fully realized, professional portfolio, while learning to execute marketing/networking strategies to prepare for entry into a specific illustration career path.

  • ILLU 4340 - Stylizing the Figure for Illustration

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: ILLU 3290 with C or better or permission of instructor. Builds upon classical drawing principles to illustrate highly-stylized figures, with an emphasis on developing students' unique visual language, illustration style, and artistic brand.

  • ILLU 4350 - Children's Book Illustration and Design

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: ILLU 3290 with C or better or permission of instructor. Focuses on conceptualization and creation of illustrations for children's picture books, with an emphasis on developing formats, designs, visual storytelling techniques, and illustration styles that attract and engage young readers.

  • ILLU 4360 - Comic Book Illustration

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: ILLU 3290 with C or better or permission of Instructor. Focuses on conceptualization, development, and creation of comic book illustrations, with an emphasis on problem-solving, visual communication, and sequential storytelling principles. Six-hour studio course.

  • ILLU 4370 - Concept Art for Visual Storytelling

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: ILLU 3290 with C or better or permission of instructor. Focuses on conceptualization, development, and illustration of character, environment, and worldbuilding concept art that can be applied to a variety of visual storytelling industries.

  • ILLU 4500 - Illustration Lab

    1 credit hour

    Prerequisite: ILLU 3290 with C or better or permission of instructor. Focuses on developing an efficient illustration practice through experimentation and short deadline-driven illustrations. Emphasizes ideation, productivity, creative work-flow, and identifying areas of artistic improvement.

Photography (3 credit hours maximum)

  • PHOT 1050 - Basic Digital Photography

    3 credit hours

    Introduces simple and multiple image photography, principles, methods, theory, and practice for both Photography majors and non-Photography majors. Explores digital camera anatomy, operating, and handling while discussing proper in-camera exposure, metering, focusing, shutter speeds, apertures, depth of field, and camera accessories. Basic principles of lighting, design, and image composition discussed. Digital darkroom techniques and image manipulation using tools such as Photoshop included. Emphasis placed on  cameras with manual controls. Students required to own a digital camera with manual controls. Must have working knowledge of the Macintosh computer system.

    Three-hour lecture plus up to three-hour lab per week.

  • PHOT 1800 - Narrative Strategies in Photography

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: PHOT 1050 

    Explores the capacity to tell a story as a predominant aspect of still photography and photo-related imagery. Sequence, series, the grid, linear and nonlinear approaches, and literary models explored as the deep structure of subject. Includes lectures, films, readings, writing, and workshops aimed at helping students understand these strategies and their practical applications.

  • PHOT 3200 - Advanced Digital Photography

    3 credit hours

    Use of digital cameras and flatbed scanners as image capture devices and digital printers as image output devices. Software programs, applications, and discussion topics focus on camera operation, file formats, and the aesthetic and ethical issues surrounding photography. Software applications used to explore creative and experimental possibilities for processing and manipulating photographs.

    Three-hour lecture plus up to three-hour lab per week.

Design (6 credit hours required)

  • ART 3100 - In-House Design  1 credit hour  

    ART 3100 - In-House Design

    1 credit hour

    Prerequisite: ART 3330 with C or better or permission of instructor. An understanding of graphic design process in a design business. Emphasizes real world aspects of graphic design through individual projects for real world clients.

  • DSGN 3340 - Professional Practices for Designers

    1 credit hour

    Prerequisite: DSGN 3325 with a C or better or permission of instructor. Career preparation for the graphic design professional; creation of self-promotional brand identity materials and professional documents, portfolio development, and discussion of professional roles and responsibilities.

  • DSGN 3350 - Package Design  3 credit hours  

    DSGN 3350 - Package Design

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: DSGN 3325 with C or better or permission of instructor. Intermediate-level graphic design course that focuses on designing product labels, exterior structures, and any other components of product packaging. Students will work on concept development, problem-solving, and surface design. Computer-generated renderings and three-dimensional forms produced. Six-hour studio course.

  • DSGN 4000 - Topics in Graphic Design

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites:  ART 2310 and ART 2325 with a C or better or permission of instructor. Advanced work in selected topics, issues, and problems in graphic design and illustration. Topics will vary. Six-hour studio course.

  • DSGN 4310 - Integrated Brand Design

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: DSGN 3325 with C or better or permission of department. Continued production of portfolio-based problems with increased emphasis on advanced design skills related to the specific needs of the workplace. Includes basic collateral problems, ad campaigns, corporate identity, signage, plus a self-promotional package. Six-hour studio course.

Studio Electives (9 hours)

Choose 9 credit hours from the following:

  • ART 3010 - Sculptural Practices: Wood Fabrication and Mixed Media

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1630, and ART 1650 with C or better or permission of instructor. An introductory course related to the techniques, materials, and concepts of utilizing wood as a primary method for art making. Material use and conceptual relevance will guide students as they explore wood fabrication, carving, and laminating techniques in combination with mold making and experimental use of additional media. Six-hour studio course.

  • ART 3011 - Sculptural Practices: Metal Fabrication and Foundry Techniques

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1630, and ART 1650 with C or better or permission of instructor. An introductory course related to the techniques, materials, and concepts of utilizing metal as a primary method for art making. Material use and conceptual relevance will guide students as they explore metal fabrication, welding techniques, and foundry processes such as lost wax and sand mold casting. Six-hour studio course.

  • ART 3012 - Sculptural Practices: Digital Fabrication and 3D Printing

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1630, and ART 1650 with C or better or permission of instructor. An introductory course related to the techniques, materials, and concepts of utilizing digital-based processes such as 3D printing, laser cutting/engraving, and CNC-based plasma cutting as primary methods for art making. Six-hour studio course.

  • ART 3015 - Print Media: Silkscreen and Digital Processes

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1640, and ART 1650 with C or better or permission of instructor. An introductory level print media course which includes the learning of various methods of silkscreen printing and digital processes related to print media. Topics covered include hand drawn stencils, computer generated imagery, and digital printing. Six hour studio course.

  • ART 3021 - Print Media: Lithography and Monotype

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1640, and ART 1650 with C or better or permission of instructor. An introductory level print media course in planographic (flat) image making. Topics include printing from lithographic limestone, photographic plates, and multiple methods of monotype printing. Features print processes that use direct drawing, photographic imagery, and layered color. Six hour studio course.

  • ART 3040 - Handbuilding Ceramics

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, and ART 1630 with C or better or permission of instructor. Explores handbuilt ceramics techniques with an emphasis on developing sculptural forms. Builds an awareness of formal problems, media trouble shooting, and verbal and visual vocabulary specific to handbuilt ceramics. Six-hour studio course.

  • ART 3041 - Sculptural Ceramics

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, and ART 1630 with C or better or permission of instructor. Development of skills in the use of materials and equipment used in the creation of sculptural ceramic forms at an advanced level. Emphasizes further development of a theoretical framework for understanding ceramics processes and how to combine them with other media. Experimental methods and emerging technologies introduced. Six hour studio course.

  • ART 3070 - Still Life Painting

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, and ART 1640 with C or better or permission of instructor. Explores painting techniques in particular media with an emphasis on developing observational drawing and painting skills employing still life arrangements. Builds an awareness of formal problems and verbal and visual vocabulary specific to particular media. Six-hour studio course.

  • ART 3071 - Figure Painting  3 credit hours  

    ART 3071 - Figure Painting

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, and ART 1640 with C or better or permission of instructor. Explores painting techniques in particular media with an emphasis on developing observational drawing and painting skills employing the figure in various arrangements. Builds an awareness of formal problems and verbal and visual vocabulary specific to particular media. Six-hour studio course.

  • ART 3072 - Mixed Media Painting

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 3070 and ART 3071 with C or better or permission of instructor. Explores painting techniques in various mediums with an emphasis on developing the student's individual and personal expression. Builds an awareness of formal problems and verbal and visual vocabulary specific to particular mediums. Six-hour studio course.

  • ART 3140 - Print Media: Etching and Relief

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1640, and ART 1650 with C or better or permission of instructor. Includes copper plate etching, collagraph, and relief printing from wood. Usage of non-toxic etching grounds and multiple forms of creating images from relief. Six hour studio course.

  • ART 3550 - Print Media: Book Arts

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1630, and ART 1640 (all with C or better) or permission of instructor. Introduces making artist's books, covering basic book structures, bookbinding, simple image-making techniques, using paper as a creative medium, and developing creative content. Six-hour studio course.

  • ART 3770 - Print Media: Letterpress

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1630, and ART 1650 (all with C or better) or ART 2310 with C or better or permission of instructor. Introduces letterpress printing, typesetting, designing, and printing raised forms to create text and image. Six-hour studio course.

  • ART 3820 - Wheel Throwing  3 credit hours  

    ART 3820 - Wheel Throwing

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, and ART 1630 with C or better. Basic processes and techniques of creating three-dimensional clay forms on the wheel (cylinders, bowls, and mugs). Some basic hand-building methods introduced. Six-hour studio course.

  • ART 4070 - Advanced Painting Practices

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: ART 3072 or permission of instructor. Individual exploration of painting techniques and styles in particular media with an emphasis on developing a body of work based on student's directed research. Student will build an awareness of formal problems and acquire verbal and visual vocabulary specific to particular media. Six-hour studio course.

  • ART 4110 - Topics in Book Arts

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1630, and ART 1640 or permission of instructor. Further work with papermaking, bookbinding, and the production of artist's books. Six-hour studio course.

  • ART 4130 - Advanced Printmaking

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: ART 4120 with C or better or permission of instructor. Advanced level studies in print media with a focus on creating layered, self-directed work in printed form. A mixture of guided assignments in new techniques and independent work based on individual proposals. Six-hour studio course.

  • ART 4530 - Advanced 3D Practices

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: two of the following: ART 3010, ART 3011, ART 3012, ART 3040, ART 3041, ART 3820; or permission of instructor. Advanced course for students working to broaden artistic practices or refine their approach to 3D art making. Students work independently under the supervision of the instructor developing a cohesive portfolio of 3D-based work. Covers discussion and research concerning contemporary issues in spatial practices as well as advanced techniques that expand on introductory skill sets offered in earlier 3D courses. Six-hour studio course. May be repeated up to 9 hours.

  • ART 4770 - Topics in Letterpress

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1630, and ART 1650 with C or better or ART 2310 with C or better or permission of instructor. Focuses on specific aspects of letterpress printing, typesetting, designing, printing raised forms to create text and image, the creative process of collaboration, production, and designing for the marketplace. Six-hour studio course.

Electives (0-3 hours)

Candidacy Program

The Graphic Design concentration includes a candidacy program based on successful completion of certain required classes with specified minimum grade point expectations and performance for retention in Graphic Design. The candidacy program imposes requirements in several areas:

  1. Admission to most upper-division professional courses in the Graphic Design concentration will be restricted to students admitted to candidacy.
  2. All students in the Graphic Design concentration should apply for admission to candidacy at the end of the semester in which they will have completed 45 semester hours of coursework.
  3. At a minimum, students in the Graphic Design concentration must have completed each of the following courses with a grade of C (2.00) or better before applying for candidacy:
    ART 1610 - Two-Dimensional Design
    ART 1620 - Drawing I
    ART 1630 - Three-Dimensional Design
    ART 1640 - Drawing II
    ART 2310 - Graphic Design Technologies
    ART 2325 - Typographic Design
    DSGN 3325 - Word and Image
  4. At a minimum, students applying for candidacy in the Graphic Design concentration must have an overall GPA of at least 2.00 on all University-level coursework.
  5. Students applying for candidacy in the Graphic Design concentration must twice submit for juried review a portfolio containing work completed in the courses listed in item 3 above (specified graphic-related electives). (The majority of the work in the portfolio must be two-dimensional.) The first portfolio review will follow completion of ART 2325 and a second review will follow completion of DSGN 3325. If after the second portfolio review a student is not admitted to candidacy the student may, with modifications, submit the portfolio one additional time before being asked to find another major or concentration.

Curriculum: Art, Graphic Design

Curricular listings include General Education requirements in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences categories.

Freshman Fall

 

  • ENGL 1010 - Expository Writing  3 credit hours  
    (Comm)(Comm)  dotslash:(Comm) title:(Comm) 
    (Comm) 

    ENGL 1010 - Expository Writing

    3 credit hours

    The first General Education English course. Emphasis on learning to adapt composing processes to a variety of expository and analytic writing assignments. Minimum grade of C- required to meet degree requirements.

  • ART 1610 - Two-Dimensional Design

    3 credit hours

    The principles and techniques of design and their application to two-dimensional art forms. Six-hour studio course. TBR Common Course: ART 1340

  • ART 1620 - Drawing I  3 credit hours  

    ART 1620 - Drawing I

    3 credit hours

    Develops observational drawing skills and a formal drawing vocabulary; introduces various drawing materials. Six-hour studio course. TBR Common Course: ART 1045

  • ART 1920 - Survey of Western Art I  3 credit hours  
    (Hum/FA) *(Hum/FA)*  dotslash:(Hum/FA)* title:(Hum/FA) * 
    (Hum/FA)* 

    ART 1920 - Survey of Western Art I

    3 credit hours

    Survey of the arts of the Western tradition from the Paleolithic era through the Gothic period.

 

  • HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I  3 credit hours  
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    HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I

    3 credit hours

    Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from the beginning to 1877. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2010

  • HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II  3 credit hours  
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    HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II

    3 credit hours

    Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from 1877 to the present. May be used to satisfy one part of the the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2020

  • HIST 2030 - Tennessee History  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2030 - Tennessee History

    3 credit hours

    The role of the state in the development of the nation. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. TBR Common Course: HIST 2030

  • HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I

    3 credit hours

    The role of African Americans in establishing and shaping the American nation. Covers their historical development and contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.

    NOTE: HIST 2040 is not a prerequisite for HIST 2050.

  • HIST 2050 - Survey African American History II

    3 credit hours

    The role of African Americans in shaping the American nation and creating a twentieth-century racial identity. Covers their historical development and examines their contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.

Subtotal: 15 Hours

 

Freshman Spring

 

  • ENGL 1020 - Research and Argumentative Writing  3 credit hours  
    (Comm)(Comm)  dotslash:(Comm) title:(Comm) 
    (Comm) 

    ENGL 1020 - Research and Argumentative Writing

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: ENGL 1010. The second General Education English course. Emphasis on analytic and argumentative writing and on locating, organizing, and using library resource materials in the writing. Minimum grade of C- required to meet degree requirements.

  • COMM 2200 - Fundamentals of Communication  3 credit hours  
    (Comm)(Comm)  dotslash:(Comm) title:(Comm) 
    (Comm) 

    COMM 2200 - Fundamentals of Communication

    3 credit hours

    Introduces principles and processes of effective public oral communication including researching, critical thinking, organizing, presenting, listening, and using appropriate language. Counts as part of the General Education Communication requirement. TBR Common Course: COMM 2025

  • ART 1630 - Three-Dimensional Design

    3 credit hours

    Emphasis on elements of design as they operate in the three-dimensional environment. Six-hour studio course. TBR Common Course: ART 1350

  • ART 1930 - Survey of Western Art II

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: ART 1920 with C or better. Survey of the arts of the Western tradition from the late Gothic period to the present.

 

  • HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I

    3 credit hours

    Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from the beginning to 1877. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2010

  • HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II

    3 credit hours

    Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from 1877 to the present. May be used to satisfy one part of the the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2020

  • HIST 2030 - Tennessee History  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2030 - Tennessee History

    3 credit hours

    The role of the state in the development of the nation. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. TBR Common Course: HIST 2030

  • HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I

    3 credit hours

    The role of African Americans in establishing and shaping the American nation. Covers their historical development and contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.

    NOTE: HIST 2040 is not a prerequisite for HIST 2050.

  • HIST 2050 - Survey African American History II

    3 credit hours

    The role of African Americans in shaping the American nation and creating a twentieth-century racial identity. Covers their historical development and examines their contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.

Subtotal: 15 Hours

 

Sophomore Fall

 

  • ENGL 2020 - Themes in Literature and Culture  3 credit hours  
    (Hum/FA) OR(Hum/FA) OR  dotslash:(Hum/FA) OR title:(Hum/FA) OR 
    (Hum/FA) OR 

    ENGL 2020 - Themes in Literature and Culture

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020. Traces a specific theme or idea through a number of literary texts that reflect different historical and cultural contexts. Subject will vary.

  • ENGL 2030 - The Experience of Literature  3 credit hours  
    (Hum/FA) OR(Hum/FA) OR  dotslash:(Hum/FA) OR title:(Hum/FA) OR 
    (Hum/FA) OR 

    ENGL 2030 - The Experience of Literature

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020. The reading of a variety of literary types which illuminate themes and experiences common to human existence.

  • HUM 2610 - World Literatures  3 credit hours  
    (Hum/FA)(Hum/FA)  dotslash:(Hum/FA) title:(Hum/FA) 
    (Hum/FA) 

    HUM 2610 - World Literatures

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020. Representative works of French, German, and Hispanic authors in English translation. No foreign-language proficiency required. Carries General Education credit.

 

  • ART 1640 - Drawing II  3 credit hours  

    ART 1640 - Drawing II

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610 and ART 1620 with a minimum grade of C. A continuation of ART 1620 with specific emphasis placed on drawing processes and expression. Six-hour studio course. TBR Common Course: ART 1050

  • ART 2310 - Graphic Design Technologies

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610 and ART 1620 with grades of C (2.0) or higher or permission of instructor. Procedures involved in the production of graphic design materials by means of computer. Basics of word processing, drawing, and page layout programs for graphic design. Six-hour studio course.

  • Graphic Design elective 3 credit hours
  • Natural Sciences 4 credit hours

Subtotal: 16 Hours

 

Sophomore Spring

 

  • ART 2325 - Typographic Design

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1620 and ART 1650 or ART 2310 with grades of C (2.0) or better. An introduction to typography including the history, usage, and anatomy of letterforms. Projects focus on creative problem-solving using type as image as well as a means of communication. Projects range from word interpretation to page layout using industry-standard applications. Six -hour studio course.

  • Social/Behavioral Sciences 3 credit hours
  • Studio elective 3 credit hours
  • Humanities/Fine Arts 3 credit hours
  • Mathematics 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 Hours

 

Junior Fall

 

  • DSGN 3325 - Word and Image  3 credit hours  

    DSGN 3325 - Word and Image

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 2325, ILLU 3290, and IXD 3930 with a C or better or permission of instructor. Explores the relationship between word and image. Projects focus on visual language, concept, formation, and technical skills. Various design methodologies covered using industry-standard applications. Current designers and design trends introduced. Students must pass a comprehensive portfolio review after DSGN 3325 to enroll in most upper-division Graphic Design courses. Six-hour studio course.

  • Graphic Design elective 3 credit hours
  • Studio elective 3 credit hours
  • Upper-division art history 3 credit hours
  • Natural Sciences 4 credit hours

Subtotal: 16 Hours

 

Junior Spring

 

  • ILLU 3290 - Introduction to Illustration

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1630, and ART 1640 with C or better. Introduces basic methods, materials, and business practices of illustration, with an emphasis on development of rendering skills. Six-hour studio course.

  • Graphic Design electives 6 credit hours
  • Social/Behavioral Sciences 3 credit hours
  • Upper-division Art History 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 Hours

 

Senior Fall

 

  • IXD 3930 - Introduction to Interaction Design

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1630, and ART 1650 with C or better or ART 2310 with C or better or may be taken concurrently with ART 2310 or ART 2325, or permission of instructor. Introduction to interaction design for digital media and digital products for graphic designers. Prototyping of digital visual design leading to the creation of web-based interaction will be introduced and practiced. Six-hour studio course.

  • Graphic Design electives 9 credit hours
  • Studio elective 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 Hours

 

Senior Spring

 

  • DSGN 4320 - Senior Project  3 credit hours  

    DSGN 4320 - Senior Project

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: DSGN 4310 or permission of department. Following a portfolio review, class members will devise a project that conceptually and visually addresses their design/illustration goals. Six-hour studio course.

  • Graphic Design electives 4 credit hours
  • Elective 3 credit hours

 

  • ART 4330 - Internship  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    ART 4330 - Internship

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: Permission of department. Advanced students gain practical experience in a professional setting as an intern. Approximately 150 work hours required for the semester.

  • DSGN 4340 - Graphic Design Agency

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: DSGN 4310 with a C or better or permission of instructor. Visual problem-solving methodologies for campus and community client-initiated projects practiced in an industry standard, agency structured, creative studio environment. Technical production of print materials and digital media practiced. Six-hour studio course.  

Subtotal: 13 Hours

 

Our adjunct faculty bring outstanding professional experience to our programs. Many are industry leaders with decorated careers and honors. Importantly, they are innovative educators who offer hands-on learning to our students to prepare them to enter and thrive in a dynamic, and oftentimes emerging, industry and professional world. They inspire, instruct, and challenge our students toward academic and professional success.

Art

ART 1030 - Art Appreciation
3 credit hours

An introduction to art structure and styles of art; relationships between past ideas and current trends. TBR Common Course: ART 1035

ART 1610 - Two-Dimensional Design
3 credit hours

The principles and techniques of design and their application to two-dimensional art forms. Six-hour studio course. TBR Common Course: ART 1340

ART 1620 - Drawing I
3 credit hours

Develops observational drawing skills and a formal drawing vocabulary; introduces various drawing materials. Six-hour studio course. TBR Common Course: ART 1045

ART 1630 - Three-Dimensional Design
3 credit hours

Emphasis on elements of design as they operate in the three-dimensional environment. Six-hour studio course. TBR Common Course: ART 1350

ART 1640 - Drawing II
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610 and ART 1620 with a minimum grade of C. A continuation of ART 1620 with specific emphasis placed on drawing processes and expression. Six-hour studio course. TBR Common Course: ART 1050

ART 1650 - Foundations of Digital Art and Design
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 1610 with C or better. Introduces the fundamental language and technology of digital media in visual art and design. 

ART 1910 - Survey of Non-Western Art
3 credit hours

Survey of the non-Western arts of Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Oceania from ancient to modern times.

ART 1920 - Survey of Western Art I
3 credit hours

Survey of the arts of the Western tradition from the Paleolithic era through the Gothic period.

ART 1930 - Survey of Western Art II
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 1920 with C or better. Survey of the arts of the Western tradition from the late Gothic period to the present.

ART 2105 - Introduction to Latin American Studies
3 credit hours

(Same as SPAN 2105, PS 2105, SOC 2105, ANTH 2105, GEOG 2105.) A multidisciplinary, team-taught introduction to Latin America. Covers the cultures and societies of the region in terms of pre-history, history, geography, politics, art, languages, and literatures. Required course for all Latin American Studies minors.

ART 2130 - Printmaking I
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1640, and ART 1650 with C or better or ART 2310 with C or better or permission of instructor. An introduction to printmaking, including multiple methods of silkscreen and relief printing. Handmade stencils used as well as those generated by computer and copy machine. Six-hour studio course.

ART 2200 - Introduction to Art Education
3 credit hours

Examines the recent history and contemporary theories of art education, with special emphasis on the essential content of discipline-based art education (aesthetics, criticism, history, and production); introduces general curricular concerns, assessment, and advocacy issues.

ART 2310 - Graphic Design Technologies
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610 and ART 1620 with grades of C (2.0) or higher or permission of instructor. Procedures involved in the production of graphic design materials by means of computer. Basics of word processing, drawing, and page layout programs for graphic design. Six-hour studio course.

ART 2325 - Typographic Design
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1620 and ART 1650 or ART 2310 with grades of C (2.0) or better. An introduction to typography including the history, usage, and anatomy of letterforms. Projects focus on creative problem-solving using type as image as well as a means of communication. Projects range from word interpretation to page layout using industry-standard applications. Six -hour studio course.

ART 2500 - Art Study Abroad
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor or specific Study Abroad program director. Explores lower-division issues in art. Subject will vary with instructor. May be repeated up to 9 hours.  

ART 2510 - Sculpture I
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1630, and ART 1650 with C or better or permission of instructor. Processes and techniques used in sculpture including modeling, welding, and wood construction. Six-hour studio course.

ART 2710 - Painting I
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, and ART 1640 with C or better or permission of instructor. Introduction to painting techniques in particular media with emphasis on basic representational skills, awareness of formal issues, and vocabulary specific to particular media. Six-hour studio course.

ART 2810 - Ceramics I
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, and ART 1630 with C or better or permission of instructor. Studio experiences in designing and creating three-dimensional ceramic forms emphasizing techniques of hand construction. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3000 - Professional Practices for Artists
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: Permission of department. Offers career preparation for the contemporary visual artist; preparation of professional documents and discussion of professional roles and responsibilities.  

ART 3001 - Introduction to Art Therapy
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610 and PSY 1410 with minimum grade of C. Topics include a historical overview, examination of professional standards and research, mental health resources, personal mental health assessment, and the exploration of art techniques that support wellness and healing.

ART 3002 - Art Facilitation Methods and Applications
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 3001 with minimum grade of C. Topics include the therapeutic properties of art media and techniques and methods to effectively engage participants in art practices as well as overviews of pre-professional art facilitation approaches within diverse settings and with a variety of populations.

ART 3010 - Sculptural Practices: Wood Fabrication and Mixed Media
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1630, and ART 1650 with C or better or permission of instructor. An introductory course related to the techniques, materials, and concepts of utilizing wood as a primary method for art making. Material use and conceptual relevance will guide students as they explore wood fabrication, carving, and laminating techniques in combination with mold making and experimental use of additional media. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3011 - Sculptural Practices: Metal Fabrication and Foundry Techniques
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1630, and ART 1650 with C or better or permission of instructor. An introductory course related to the techniques, materials, and concepts of utilizing metal as a primary method for art making. Material use and conceptual relevance will guide students as they explore metal fabrication, welding techniques, and foundry processes such as lost wax and sand mold casting. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3012 - Sculptural Practices: Digital Fabrication and 3D Printing
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1630, and ART 1650 with C or better or permission of instructor. An introductory course related to the techniques, materials, and concepts of utilizing digital-based processes such as 3D printing, laser cutting/engraving, and CNC-based plasma cutting as primary methods for art making. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3015 - Print Media: Silkscreen and Digital Processes
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1640, and ART 1650 with C or better or permission of instructor. An introductory level print media course which includes the learning of various methods of silkscreen printing and digital processes related to print media. Topics covered include hand drawn stencils, computer generated imagery, and digital printing. Six hour studio course.

ART 3021 - Print Media: Lithography and Monotype
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1640, and ART 1650 with C or better or permission of instructor. An introductory level print media course in planographic (flat) image making. Topics include printing from lithographic limestone, photographic plates, and multiple methods of monotype printing. Features print processes that use direct drawing, photographic imagery, and layered color. Six hour studio course.

ART 3040 - Handbuilding Ceramics
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, and ART 1630 with C or better or permission of instructor. Explores handbuilt ceramics techniques with an emphasis on developing sculptural forms. Builds an awareness of formal problems, media trouble shooting, and verbal and visual vocabulary specific to handbuilt ceramics. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3041 - Sculptural Ceramics
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, and ART 1630 with C or better or permission of instructor. Development of skills in the use of materials and equipment used in the creation of sculptural ceramic forms at an advanced level. Emphasizes further development of a theoretical framework for understanding ceramics processes and how to combine them with other media. Experimental methods and emerging technologies introduced. Six hour studio course.

ART 3070 - Still Life Painting
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, and ART 1640 with C or better or permission of instructor. Explores painting techniques in particular media with an emphasis on developing observational drawing and painting skills employing still life arrangements. Builds an awareness of formal problems and verbal and visual vocabulary specific to particular media. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3071 - Figure Painting
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, and ART 1640 with C or better or permission of instructor. Explores painting techniques in particular media with an emphasis on developing observational drawing and painting skills employing the figure in various arrangements. Builds an awareness of formal problems and verbal and visual vocabulary specific to particular media. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3072 - Mixed Media Painting
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 3070 and ART 3071 with C or better or permission of instructor. Explores painting techniques in various mediums with an emphasis on developing the student's individual and personal expression. Builds an awareness of formal problems and verbal and visual vocabulary specific to particular mediums. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3073 - Watercolor Painting
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 1640 with C (2.0) or better or permission of instructor. Introduction to watercolor painting. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3100 - In-House Design
1 credit hour

Prerequisite: ART 3330 with C or better or permission of instructor. An understanding of graphic design process in a design business. Emphasizes real world aspects of graphic design through individual projects for real world clients.

ART 3110 - Senior Studio
1 credit hour

Prerequisites: ART 4130, ART 4520, ART 4720, and ART 4820 with or better; permission of department. Focuses on developing, creating, and exhibiting individual artworks within a group dynamic towards the successful completion of the senior exhibition.

ART 3140 - Print Media: Etching and Relief
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1640, and ART 1650 with C or better or permission of instructor. Includes copper plate etching, collagraph, and relief printing from wood. Usage of non-toxic etching grounds and multiple forms of creating images from relief. Six hour studio course.

ART 3200 - Art Education for Teachers
3 credit hours

Lecture class with hands-on component designed to inform about the role of art in the life of the child; exposure to art history and appreciation; children as image makers; the importance of curiosity, observation, and imagination to the child and classroom; and methodology related to the integration of visual art into the classroom.

ART 3210 - Elementary Art Education Methods
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 2200 with C or better or permission of instructor. Investigates child development theories and concerns related to children, the elementary school culture, curriculum development and implementation, and teaching and management strategies. Materials and processes appropriate to K-6 art education explored in studio lab. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3220 - Secondary Art Education Methods
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 2200 with C or better or permission of instructor. Focuses on the nature of middle and high school students, the secondary school culture, curriculum development and implementation, and teaching and management strategies. Materials and processes appropriate to 7-12 art education explored in studio lab. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3230 - Art Education Practicum
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 2200 with C or better or permission of instructor. Participation in the K-12 art classroom setting with class discussions and readings about the teaching experience. Advanced art curriculum development for the K-12 level. A maximum of 9 credits may be applied to a degree. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3330 - Portfolio I
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 2325 and DSGN 3325; permission of department. The beginning of portfolio-based problems, more advanced and complex conceptual skills, production techniques, and an introduction to the offset printing process. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3500 - Study Abroad - Studio
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor or specific Study Abroad program director. Explores upper-division issues in art. Subject will vary with instructor. May be repeated up to 9 hours.  

ART 3520 - Sculpture II
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1630, and ART 1650 with C or better or permission of instructor. Introduction to the processes and techniques used in sculpture, including casting techniques; subtractive and constructive experiences with a variety of materials. Six hour studio course.

ART 3530 - Sculpture III
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 2510 or ART 3520 with C or better or permission of instructor. Development of concepts and techniques with primary emphasis on wood sculpture. Wood construction, carving, laminating, and subordinate use of other sculpture materials. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3550 - Print Media: Book Arts
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1630, and ART 1640 (all with C or better) or permission of instructor. Introduces making artist's books, covering basic book structures, bookbinding, simple image-making techniques, using paper as a creative medium, and developing creative content. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3560 - Drawing III
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1630, and ART 1640 with C or better. An advanced course in drawing with an emphasis on the creation of original imagery and the development of the ability to render images objectively using a variety of methods and media. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3570 - Connoisseurship: Art Forgery and Fakery
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1910, ART 1920, and ART 1930 with a grade of C or better. Focuses on developing visual analysis skills required in connoisseurship for use in the detection of art forgery and fakery. Students will study cases of art forgery and fakery of both historical and contemporary objects, paintings, drawings, and ancient artifacts.

ART 3575 - Museum Studies Gallery Practicum
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1910, ART 1920, and ART 1930 with a grade of C or better. Includes lectures on museum practices and an experiential learning component in the Todd Gallery. Covers the fundamentals of museum ethics, connoisseurship, and operational procedures unique to university art galleries and museums of art.

ART 3610 - Introduction to Computer-Assisted Art
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 2310 with C or better or permission of instructor. Explores the use of the computer in relation to art and design concepts in two- and three-dimensional media. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3620 - Intermediate Computer-Assisted Art
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 3610 with C or better or permission of instructor. Computer-generated or assisted art work. Development of original work in art or design. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3650 - Figure Drawing
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 1620 with grade of C or better. Introduces concepts. Specific concepts include gesture and expression, spatial structure and proportion, and the effects of light and drapery on the human form. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3660 - Color Drawing
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, and ART 1640 with C or better. Develops visual thinking processes and objective drawing skills using a variety of color drawing media, the principles of color theory, and an understanding of the broader context of the historical, cultural, psychological, and physiological aspects of color.

ART 3720 - Painting II
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 1610, ART 1620, and ART 1640 with C or better. A continuation of ART 2710 with additional attention paid to individual expression and art historical perspectives. Six-hour studio course.

 

ART 3730 - Painting III
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 2710 with C or better or permission of instructor. The creative process, idea development, and project planning in painting. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3760 - Romanesque and Gothic Art
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 1920 and ART 1930 with C or better or permission of instructor. Art from the age of the Crusades and Pilgrimages and Romanesque and Gothic periods as viewed from both European and Islamic perspectives.

ART 3770 - Print Media: Letterpress
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1630, and ART 1650 (all with C or better) or ART 2310 with C or better or permission of instructor. Introduces letterpress printing, typesetting, designing, and printing raised forms to create text and image. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3820 - Wheel Throwing
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, and ART 1630 with C or better. Basic processes and techniques of creating three-dimensional clay forms on the wheel (cylinders, bowls, and mugs). Some basic hand-building methods introduced. Six-hour studio course.

ART 3830 - Ceramics III
3 credit hours

Prerequisites:  ART 2810 and ART 3820 or permission of instructor. Studio experiences in designing, forming, and decorating functional/non-functional forms. Introduction to some basic materials processes (clay and glaze formulation and firing techniques). Six-hour studio course.

ART 3840 - Islamic Art
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1920 and ART 1930 with C or better or permission of instructor. Surveys the art of the Islamic world from the late seventh century to the sixteenth century. Focuses on the materials, iconography, style, and historical context of architecture, sculpture, painting, manuscript production, and decorative arts in the Middle East, North Africa, and Southern Europe.

ART 3850 - Early Medieval Art
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1920 and ART 1930 with C or better or permission of instructor. Surveys Early Christian, Byzantine, and Early Medieval art in Europe. Focuses on the materials, iconography, style, and historical context of art and architecture produced in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean region from the third century to the eleventh century.

ART 3860 - Northern Renaissance
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1920 and ART 1930 with C or better or permission of instructor. Art of Northern Europe from the late fourteenth century through the sixteenth century focusing on architecture, sculpture, and painting from England, France, Germany, and the Low Countries.

ART 3870 - Native American Art
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 1910 with C or better or permission of instructor. Survey of the arts of indigenous cultures of North America.

ART 3871 - Mesoamerican Art
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1910 with C or better or permission of instructor. Survey of pre-Columbian arts of Mesoamerica from the Olmec to the Mexica.

ART 3872 - Andean Art
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1910 with C or better or permission of instructor. Survey of the pre-Columbian arts of Peru from the Chavin to the Inca.

ART 3880 - Latin American Art
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 1930 with C or better or permission of instructor. A survey of the art of Latin America from the period of Independence (1821) to the present, focusing on architecture, sculpture, and painting from Mexico through South America. Impact of these cultural expressions on Hispanic/Chicano/Latino arts of the United States.

ART 3910 - Italian Renaissance Art History
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1920 and ART 1930 with C or better or permission of instructor. Examination of the visual arts of the Italian Renaissance (c. 1300-1600 CE).

ART 3920 - Art History Visual Resources Practicum
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1910, ART 1920, and ART 1930 with C or better; Art History majors only. Practical visual resources management course for students in a professional setting. Theory, standards, techniques, and management of digital and analog image collections in academic or not-for-profit settings.

ART 3940 - Art History Methods
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1910, ART 1920, and ART 1930 with C or better or permission of instructor. Considers the historical and philosophical foundations of art history as a modern discipline as well as the various interpretive methods used by art historians.

ART 3950 - Art History: Professional Practices
1 credit hour

Prerequisites: ART 1910, ART 1920, and ART 1930 with C or better or permission of instructor. Ethical and professional practices of the art history field. Surveys career options available to art history majors; acquaints students with job preparation and graduate school applications; investigates the ethics of collecting, scholarships, conservation, and the art market.

ART 3960 - The Art History of the Book
3 credit hours

Prerequisites:  ART 1920 and ART 1930 with C or better or permission of instructor. Interdisciplinary investigation of the forces which have conditioned the composition, production, and consumption of the Western book from antiquity to the present. Emphasis on such transitional phases as the replacement of the roll by the codex in the fourth century and the fifteenth-century advent of printed books which replaced handwritten ones.

ART 3990 - Art of the United States
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1920 and ART 1930 with C or better or permission of instructor. Survey of American painting, sculpture, and architecture from the Colonial period to the Armory Show (1913).

ART 4000 - Workshop
1 to 3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1620, ART 1630, and ART 1640 with C or better or permission of instructor. Subject matter and credit to be determined by the instructor. The workshop may be conducted in the area of art education or any art discipline. (A maximum of 9 credits may be applied toward a degree.) Depending on topic, may be six-hour studio course.

ART 4001 - Studio Workshop
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1620, ART 1630, ART 1640 with C or better or permission of instructor. Subject matter to be determined by the instructor. Workshop may be conducted in the areas of Studio Art or Graphic Design. (A maximum of 9 credits may be applied toward a degree.)

ART 4002 - Field Placement
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: Senior standing; program approval; must be taken concurrently with ART 4003. Practicum class that provides the opportunity for the student to observe and participate in group and individual sessions. Students are supervised on-site by credentialed art therapists and Art Therapy faculty.

ART 4003 - Art Therapy Senior Capstone
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: Senior standing; program approval; must be taken concurrently with ART 4002. Students will prepare a scholarly paper and provide professional presentation with accompanying artwork, reporting on their field placement experience. Students will also participate in a senior art exhibition.

ART 4060 - Art Capstone
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1630, ART 1640, and ART 1650 with C or better; must have senior standing to register. Focuses on public practices related to art making such as interdisciplinary critique, presentation, research methodologies, and self-analysis. Students will create artwork in response to critical inquiry to be presented in a group exhibition at the conclusion of the course. Must earn grade of C or better. Fall only, six-hour studio course. 

ART 4061 - Studio Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition
1 credit hour

Prerequisites: Department permission required; students must be concurrently registered in an upper-division studio course. Requires successful completion of BFA exhibition, generation of portfolio materials, and public presentation. Must earn a C or better.

ART 4070 - Advanced Painting Practices
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 3072 or permission of instructor. Individual exploration of painting techniques and styles in particular media with an emphasis on developing a body of work based on student's directed research. Student will build an awareness of formal problems and acquire verbal and visual vocabulary specific to particular media. Six-hour studio course.

ART 4110 - Topics in Book Arts
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1630, and ART 1640 or permission of instructor. Further work with papermaking, bookbinding, and the production of artist's books. Six-hour studio course.

ART 4120 - Intermediate Printmaking
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 3021 with C or better or permission of instructor. A printmaking course featuring intermediate level projects in silkscreen, relief, etching and lithography.  A greater focus on creating layered, color prints and discussion of contemporary issues related to multiplicity and processed-based image making. Six-hour studio course.

ART 4130 - Advanced Printmaking
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 4120 with C or better or permission of instructor. Advanced level studies in print media with a focus on creating layered, self-directed work in printed form. A mixture of guided assignments in new techniques and independent work based on individual proposals. Six-hour studio course.

ART 4140 - Printmaking Thesis
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 4130 with C or better or permission of instructor. Intensive independent research in one or more of the areas chosen by the student and planned in consultation with the instructor resulting in work for B.F.A./B.A. exhibition. Six-hour studio course.

ART 4330 - Internship
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: Permission of department. Advanced students gain practical experience in a professional setting as an intern. Approximately 150 work hours required for the semester.

ART 4510 - Sculpture IV
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 3530 with C or better or permission of instructor.  Development of concepts and techniques with primary emphasis on metal sculpture. Gas and electric welding, fabricating, grinding, finishing, and subordinate use of other sculpture materials. Six-hour studio course.

ART 4520 - Sculpture V
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 4510 with C or better or permission of instructor. Development of concepts and techniques with primary emphasis on casting activities in the foundry; covers various metal casting techniques and subordinate use of other materials. Six-hour studio course.

ART 4530 - Advanced 3D Practices
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: two of the following: ART 3010, ART 3011, ART 3012, ART 3040, ART 3041, ART 3820; or permission of instructor. Advanced course for students working to broaden artistic practices or refine their approach to 3D art making. Students work independently under the supervision of the instructor developing a cohesive portfolio of 3D-based work. Covers discussion and research concerning contemporary issues in spatial practices as well as advanced techniques that expand on introductory skill sets offered in earlier 3D courses. Six-hour studio course. May be repeated up to 9 hours.

ART 4640 - Advanced Art Problems
1 to 3 credit hours

Prerequisite: Permission of department. Structure and content determined by the art faculty on the basis of individual need. The student should be prepared to do independent research and experimentation in the area selected. (A maximum of 6 credits may be applied to a degree.) Students may only register for ART 4640 once per semester. Six-hour studio course.

ART 4710 - Painting IV
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 3730 with C or better or permission of instructor. Projects in painting; content of the course is planned by the student under supervision of the instructor. A final paper is required. Six-hour studio course.

ART 4720 - Painting V
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 4710 with C or better or permission of instructor. Independent studies course in painting which continues the concerns of Painting IV. A final paper is required. Six-hour studio course.

ART 4730 - Painting VI
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 4720 with C or better or permission of instructor. Directed individual study; a continuation of Painting IV at a more advanced level. A final paper is required. Six-hour studio course.

ART 4770 - Topics in Letterpress
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1610, ART 1620, ART 1630, and ART 1650 with C or better or ART 2310 with C or better or permission of instructor. Focuses on specific aspects of letterpress printing, typesetting, designing, printing raised forms to create text and image, the creative process of collaboration, production, and designing for the marketplace. Six-hour studio course.

ART 4810 - Ceramics IV
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 3830 with C or better or permission of instructor. Directed individual studies of problems mutually agreed upon by the student and course instructor. Six-hour studio course.

ART 4820 - Ceramics V
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 4810 with C or better or permission of instructor. Further work as described in Ceramics IV (ART 4810). Six-hour studio course.

ART 4830 - Ceramics VI
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 4820 with C or better or permission of instructor. Further work as described in Ceramics V (ART 4820). Written paper and exhibition required. Six-hour studio course.

ART 4870 - African Art
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 1910 with C or better or permission of instructor. Survey of visual art from the African continent and an examination of selected artists of the African diaspora. Discussion of ancient through contemporary artistic production, with focus upon nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

ART 4880 - African American Art
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1920 and ART 1930 with C or better or permission of instructor. An art historical survey of African American culture and visual arts, beginning with eighteenth century expressions in painting, sculpture, and the decorative arts, but focusing on the twentieth century expressions.

ART 4890 - Design History
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: ART 1920 and ART 1930 with C or better or permission of the instructor. Surveys the history of two-dimensional design in Europe and North America, focusing mainly on the role of visual culture in modern society and on the influence of fine art, architecture, advertising, and the professionalism of the field on modern and contemporary design.

ART 4900 - Nineteenth-Century Art
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1920 and ART 1930 with C or better or permission of instructor. Examines visual arts of the nineteenth century from Europe, the United States, Africa, or the Americas. Topics will vary according to areas of expertise of the professor.

ART 4905 - Survey of Women Artists: Renaissance to Modern
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1920 and ART 1930 with C or better or permission of instructor. Painting and sculpture produced by women artists from Europe and the Americas during the period from the Renaissance (1400) to the Modern era (1945).

ART 4920 - Contemporary Art
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1920 and ART 1930 with C or better or permission of instructor. Western visual art movements and issues in American painting and sculpture in the twentieth century.

ART 4940 - Special Studies in Art History
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1920 and ART 1930 with C or better or permission of instructor. Content varies. When offered, particular topics addressed are indicated by the course title in the class schedule. Depending on the nature of the material to be covered, prerequisites may be imposed by the instructor. Can be repeated for up to 9 hours.

 

ART 4960 - Independent Studies in Art History
1 to 3 credit hours

Prerequisite: Permission of department. Independent investigations into art history under the guidance of a member of the art history faculty. Topic(s) of investigation must be agreed upon by both student and faculty prior to registration. May not be repeated.  

ART 4965 - Museum Studies Internship
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ART 1910, ART 1920, and ART 1930; ART 3575 all with a grade of C or better. Allows art history majors and/or museum studies minors to gain professional experience through an internship in the curatorial or museum education departments at an area art museum or gallery.

ART 4970 - Senior Thesis in Art History
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: Permission of department. An intensive research and writing project under the direct guidance of a supervising art history faculty member.

 

Online or Hybrid Programs at a Glance

This program is available .


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Contact your department / program coordinator or advisor for more details about the program OR work one-on-one with your advisor to explore your options.


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Resources and services for online students are available from MTSU Online or contact us at distance@mtsu.edu.

Contact Information

Noël Lorson
Noel.Lorson@mtsu.edu
615-898-2455

Who is My Advisor?

Heather Boyett (A-L)
Heather.Boyett@mtsu.edu
615-898-5089 | PH 129

Elizabeth Campbell (M-Z)
Elizabeth.Campbell@mtsu.edu
615-494-7662 | PH 122

Mailing Address

Department of Art and Design
Middle Tennessee State University
MTSU Box 25
1301 East Main Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37132

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