Visual communication is among the most basic of human languages. Through the study of art, students acquire a rich understanding of human nature, values, psychology, aesthetics and history. Well-prepared artists, designers and educators are crucial contributors to our increasingly complex visual world -- career opportunities are numerous. Graduates of our program now work in a variety of fields, such as educators at the secondary and collegiate level, art directors, illustrators and graphic designers in advertising agencies, studio photographers and filmmakers, museum and gallery curators, certified art therapists and as independent studio artists with professional gallery representation.
The faculty in Art and Design believe visual literacy should be an essential skill for every well-educated and productive citizen. Since the invention of photography and increasingly in the multi-media environment fostered today by computers, everyone is inescapably subject to both the riches and hazards of visual culture. Thus, we urge every university student to consider taking at least one art course to fulfill a general education requirement in the art, humanities, music and literature area.
Prospective art and design majors are offered a range of courses in several areas of study: graphic design, art studio, art education. Regardless of which area a student selects, students are encouraged to gain a broad understanding of the history of their field, to acquire the vocabulary and facility in communicating their understanding and appreciation of art and to develop the skills necessary to create artistic statements of their own.
Admission to the Program
All students are welcome to declare an Art and Design major. There is no formal admission process, however, students are required to submit portfolios every year. Failure to submit an annual portfolio will lead to removal from the department. By the end of the junior year, students will submit another portfolio showing the artistic direction that they will focus on for the two-semester Senior Seminar, culminating in a professional group exhibition in the SXU Gallery.
Requirements (45 credit hours)
Art and Design majors must complete the Art and Design Core and then select an area of study (graphic design, studio art, or visual arts education) and earn grades of C or above in all courses required for the major.
Art and Design Core (21 credits)
- ART 101: Drawing I (3)
- 100-level Art History course (3)
- ART 201: Drawing II (3)
- ART 202: Design Three-Dimensional (3)
- ART 223: Modern and Contemporary Art (3)
- ART 305: Senior Seminar I (3)
- ART 306: Senior Seminar II (3)
Graphic Design (12 credits)
The following courses are required to complete this area of study:
- ART 116: Computer Graphics* (3)
- ART 119: Digital Imagery* (3)
- ART 120: Graphic Design I* (3)
- ART 211: Typography* (3)
*Please note: These four courses should be taken in this recommended sequence - ART 116, 119, 120, 211.
Electives (12 credits)
Choose four Graphic Design elective courses from this list:
- ART 113: Digital Photography (3)
- ART 124: Portfolio Seminar (3)
- ART 220: Graphic Design II (3)
- ART 228: Design History (3)
- ART 237: Screen Printed Poster (3)
- ART 241: Illustration (3)
- ART 315: Web Design (3)
- ART 317: Advanced Photography
- ART 322: Advertising and Marketing (3)
- ART 327: Multimedia (3)
- ART 365: Internship (3)
Studio Art (6 credits)
The following courses are required to complete this area of study:
- ART 116: Computer Graphics (3)
- ART 222: Art of the Renaissance (3)
Electives (18 credits)
Choose six Studio Art elective courses from this list:
- ART 105: Painting I (3)
- ART 112: Photo I: Film (3)
- ART 113: Photo I: Digital (3)
- ART 116: Computer Graphics (3)
- ART 119: Digital Imagery (3)
- ART 120: Graphic Design I (3)
- ART 124: Portfolio Seminar (3)
- ART 203: Book as Art and Design (3)
- ART 205: Painting II (3)
- ART 206: Watercolor Painting (3)
- ART 207: Collage and Assemblage -- Alternative Expressions (3)
- ART 208: Ceramics: Hand Construction (3)
- ART 209: Figure Drawing I (3)
- ART 210: Printmaking: Silkscreen and Lithography (3)
- ART 211: Typography (3)
- ART 212: Photo II: Digital Dark Room (3)
- ART 215: Sculpture: Modeling and Casting (3)
- ART 220: Graphic Design II (3)
- ART 229: Printmaking: Relief and Intaglio (3)
- ART 258: Ceramics: Wheel Throwing (3)
- ART 309: Figure Drawing II (3)
- ART 315: Web Site Art and Design (3)
- ART 317: Photo III: Advanced Photography (3)
- ART 237: Screen Printed Poster (3)