Program: Art, B.A.
Program Description
The Department of Art and Design offers a curriculum designed for students who want a liberal arts education in art and design. Emerging artists have numerous opportunities available to them for expressing their creativity and obtaining employment after graduation. Students may explore several areas of art making and choose the field that best fits their interests and talents.
The curriculum leading up to the B.A. degree is designed for students who are interested in (1) a liberal arts program with an emphasis in art, (2) specialized study in art, (3) preparation for graduate study in art, (4) preparation for academic and professional fields and/or (5) art teaching credential preparation.
The lower and upper division core program is required of all Art majors. Additionally, students select lower and upper division elective units from one or more areas of concentration offered by the Department of Art and Design to complete the B.A. program in their chosen area of study. Experiences are also available outside specialty areas, offering students opportunities to sharpen professional skills and increase their marketability.
Program Requirements
1. Lower Division Core Foundation Requirements (15 units)
ART 124A Drawing I (3)
ART 140 Beginning Two-Dimensional Design (3)
ART 141 Beginning Three-Dimensional Design (3)
Select two courses from the following (6 units):
ART 110 World Arts: The Western Tradition (3)
ART 112 World Arts: Africa, Oceania and the Americas (3)
ART 114 World Arts: Asia (3)
2. Lower Division Courses by Area of Concentration (minimum of 9 units)
100- and 200-level courses
The selection of lower division courses will be for the purpose of satisfying prerequisites for upper division courses and for electives, with guidance from a department advisor. Lower division courses may be substituted for courses from outside the department with approval of the Department of Art and Design.
3. Upper Division Core Requirements (12 units)
ART 307 Core Art Studio (3)
or another 300-level course from student’s selected area of concentration
ART 438/L Senior Projects and Lab (2/1)
or any of the following specific to a student’s area of concentration:
ART 429 Advanced Study in Studio Art (3) (Studio Art and Art History students)
ART 458 Communication Design Seminar (3) (Communication Design students)
ART 463 Animation III (3) (Animation students)
ART 482 Teaching Art in PK-12 (3) (Art Education students)
or another 400- or 500-level course in area of concentration
Select one course from the following (3 units):
ART 318 Survey of 19th and 20th Century Arts (3)
ART 448 History of Contemporary Art (3)
Select one course from the following (3 units):
300-, 400- and 500-level Art History (3)
(ART 305, 311, 315 and 510 do not satisfy the upper division core requirements for Art majors.)
4. Upper Division Courses by Area of Concentration (21 units)
300-, 400- and 500-level courses
A minimum of 21 units of upper division courses shall be selected with the aid of an art advisor from one or more areas of concentration.
Areas of Concentration
To meet the specific requirements of the areas of concentration, students must complete all required core courses and select additional elective units in consultation with a faculty advisor in that area of concentration.
Note: Advisement is mandatory for all lower division Art majors each semester. It is highly recommended that all upper division Art majors see an Art advisor each semester, and review of graduation requirements is mandatory for upper division majors. Each area of concentration provides an advisement form, available in the Art office, which lists both required core and elective courses for the area of concentration.
Core Requirements for Areas of Concentration
Animation
ART 124B, ART 263, ART 363B, ART 364; select from ART 463 or ART 465.
Art Education*
Select at least one of the following: ART 124B, ART 148, or ART 200; ART 478/L, ART 482, ART 483/L and ART 490.
*Also available as a Minor in Art Education. See more details below in Credential Information for students interested in applying to the Single Subject Credential Program after earning a B.A. in Art.
Art History
Select from ART 110, ART 112 or ART 114; ART 510; select five additional 400- or 500-level courses.
Ceramics
ART 235, ART 267, ART 366, ART 367, ART 467
Drawing
ART 124B, ART 148, ART 324A, ART 330
Communication Design
ART 200, ART 243, ART 244, ART 343, ART 344, ART 444
Illustration
ART 124B, ART 222, ART 322A, ART 322B, ART 322C, ART 422
Interdisciplinary
ART 124B, ART 148, ART 488, ART 494
Painting
ART 124B, ART 227, ART 326, ART 327, ART 429
Photo/Video
ART 250, ART 350, ART 351, ART 353, ART 357, ART 450, ART 455A, ART 455B, ART 455C
Printmaking
ART 124B, ART 237, ART 437; select from ART 337A, ART 337B, ART 337C or ART 337D.
Sculpture
ART 124B, ART 235, ART 335, ART 339, ART 435, ART 439
5. General Education (48 units)
Undergraduate students must complete 48 units of General Education as described in this Catalog, including 3 units of coursework meeting the Ethnic Studies (ES) graduation requirement.
3 units are satisfied by the following course in the major: ART 140 satisfies C1 Arts.
If taken, ART 112 satisfies 3 units of F Comparative Cultural Studies.
Total Units in the Major: 57
General Education Units: 45
Additional Units: 18
Total Units Required for the B.A. Degree: 120
Credential Information
An approved Subject Matter Program preparing students for a Single Subject Teaching Credential in Art (K-12) is available. The purpose of the Subject Matter Program in Art Education is to provide students with a strong foundation in and understanding of visual art, as well as coursework and field experiences necessary to teach visual art to the diverse public school student populations in the PK-12 schools of California. The academically rigorous and intellectually stimulating Art Education program curriculum reflects and builds upon the California Arts Standards for Public Schools, PK-12 (2019) and California Arts Education Framework, and it establishes a basis for continued professional development during their teaching career.
Contact the Art Department Advisement Center at (818) 677-2348 for information about the Art Subject Matter Program for the Single Subject Credential. See also the disclosure statement regarding Programs Leading to Licensure and Credentialing. Here are the steps to prepare for applying to the Single Subject Credential program:
- Choose Art Education as the area of concentration. Students may also declare a Minor in Art Education.
- Lower division core program.
- Upper division core program.
- Take at least one of the following: ART 124B, ART 148, or ART 200.
- Grade of “B” or better in ART 478/L, ART 482, ART 483/L and ART 490.
- Completing these steps above also provides Art students with a Minor in Art Education.
- Minimum of 57 units in Art.
- Art Department Contract form, approved by an Art advisor.
- Portfolio review and interview.
- Overall GPA of 2.75 or higher is required to enter the credential program in the College of Education.
- GPA of 3.0 or higher in Art Subject Matter Program courses.
Contact
Department of Art and Design
Chair: Samantha Fields
Art and Design Center (ADC) 120
(818) 677-2242
Program Learning Outcomes
Students receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Art will be able to:
- Acquire competent knowledge and skills in various art media, concepts and methodologies.
- Produce a competent body of individual and collaborative work suitable for a liberal arts degree for the local, national and global marketplace.
- Solve visual problems at a competent level, including understanding/application of the elements of art and principles of design.
- Utilize and apply critical-thinking skills to communicate ideas for their intended audience at a competent level in visual, oral and written formats.
- Acquire historical and contemporary knowledge of diverse cultural and aesthetic contexts, including political, visual and material culture.
ADT/STAR Act Degree Road Maps
Students who have graduated with a verified Associate Degree for Transfer and have been admitted to a CSUN program that has been deemed similar will be able to complete the baccalaureate degree within 60 semester units. For additional information, see ADT/STAR Act Degree Road Maps.
Art - AA-T in Art History (2023-Present)