Major: Art, B.F.A. (1001), 60 Credits
The MMC Art program provides an integrated study of the practice, theory, and history of art in the context of a robust liberal arts curriculum. Students concentrate in graphic design, illustration & animation, photography, or studio practices and build a unique program based on their individual interests. This approach encourages investigations of materials and methods within the art program as well as across a full range of academic disciplines. From this multifaceted curriculum, students gain diverse perspectives and learn to act creatively, think critically, and make their mark as socially engaged artists and designers.
Classes are held in the state-of-the-art studios of the Judith Mara Carson Center for Visual Arts. This remarkable facility supports an array of artistic practices, from the traditional to the experimental. Students build skills in painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, and darkroom photography as well as the latest digital and time-based media. Beyond the classroom, the unparalleled cultural resources of New York City add immediacy and breadth to the study of visual art. Students visit museums, galleries, auction houses, and artists' studios and work with leading artists, designers, photographers, curators, and scholars. They gain professional experience exhibiting in the Hewitt Gallery of Art and intern in the thriving creative industries and cultural institutions of NYC.
We offer a 60-credit Bachelor of Fine Arts degree designed to develop depth in a specific area of inquiry and a 42-credit Bachelor of Arts degree that supports opportunities to pursue a double major or minors. Minor courses of study are available in graphic design, illustration & animation, photography, studio practices, art therapy, arts management, and arts in the communities.
General Education: 30 Credits; Major: 60 Credits; Electives: 30 Credits
Learning Goals for the BFA Art Major
After completing the major in Art, students will be able to:
- Exhibit conceptual and technical skills in a chosen art or design medium.
- Demonstrate scope and depth of knowledge in art historical and aesthetic practices.
- Articulate aesthetic responses through critical observation, reading, writing, and oral presentation.
- Develop an individual artistic and/or design vision necessary to advance studies and/or enter career in the visual arts.
Foundational Requirements for all BFA Art Majors (12 Credits):
All BFA Art majors must additionally complete one of the following 48-Credit Concentrations.
Graphic Design Concentration (48 Credits)
Required Courses (27 Credits):
Select Five Practice-Based Electives (15 Credits):
Select Two History and Theory Electives (6 Credits):
| AIP 324 | Race and Place in Natural Histories of the Americas (CP, REP, UP) | 3 |
| AIP 327 | The Body in American Culture: Pre-Colonial Period to the Present (CP, REP, UP) | 3 |
| Any 200 or 300-level ART (Art History) course | 3 |
| ART 291/PHIL 251 | Aesthetics and Criticism | 3 |
| ART 310/PHIL 310 | Philosophy of Art | 3 |
| ART 326/PHR 326 | Photography and Social Engagement: A Road to Activism | 3 |
| ART 341/PHIL 341 | Sublime in Art and Philosophy | 3 |
| BUS 333 | Business and the Visual Arts | 3 |
| COMM 230 | Cultural History of Media | 3 |
| PHR 207 | Visual Culture | 3 |
| WRIT 310 | Professional Writing Across Disciplines | 3 |
Illustration & Animation Concentration (48 Credits)
Required Courses (27 Credits):
Select Five Practice-Based Electives (15 Credits):
Select Two History and Theory Electives (6 Credits):
Photography Concentration (48 Credits)
Required Courses (27 Credits):
| ART 121 | Photography I: An Introduction to Medium, Content and Context | 3 |
| ART 205 | History of Photography | 3 |
| ART 213 | Photography II: An Intermediate Exploration of Medium, Content and Context | 3 |
| ART 226 | Digital Photography | 3 |
| ART 321 | Junior Art Seminar | 3 |
| ART 330 | Advanced Photography Practices | 3 |
| ART 335 | Studio Lighting | 3 |
| ART 410 | Advanced Studio Production | 3 |
| ART 411 | Senior Art Seminar | 3 |
Select Five Practice-Based Electives (15 Credits):
Select Two History and Theory Courses (6 Credits):
Studio Practices Concentration (48 Credits)
Required Courses (27 Credits):
Select Five Practice-Based Electives (15 Credits):
| ART 119 | Digital Design: Tools and Practices | 3 |
| ART 121 | Photography I: An Introduction to Medium, Content and Context | 3 |
| ART 206 | Printmaking | 3 |
| ART 215 | Illustration | 3 |
| ART 220 | 2-D Animation | 3 |
| ART 224 | The Fluid Object: 3-D Modeling | 3 |
| ART 226 | Digital Photography | 3 |
| ART 228 | Animal, Human, Monster: 3-D Character Animation | 3 |
| ART 240 | Drawing on Location: New York City | 3 |
| ART 302 | Figure Drawing II | 3 |
| ART 303 | Watercolor Painting | 3 |
| ART 309 | Silkscreen & The History of the Multiple | 3 |
| ART 315 | Painting II | 3 |
| ART 334 | Advanced 3-D Practices: Focus and Investigate | 3 |
| ART 346 | Artists’ Books | 3 |
| ART 350 | Watercolor Painting II | 3 |
| ART 393 | Special Topics in Art | 3 |
| ART 298 | Directed Study | 1-6 |
| | or | |
| ART 398 | Directed Study | 1-6 |
| ART 299 | Independent Study / Internship | 1-6 |
| | or | |
| ART 399 | Independent Study / Internship | 1-6 |
| | or | |
| ART 499 | Independent Study /Internship | 1-6 |
| THTR 235 | Scenic Painting and Treatments | 3 |
| THTR 253 | Scenery and Prop Technology | 3 |
Select Two History and Theory Courses (6 credits):