School of Art & Design
Director: Dennis Morimoto, Ed.D.
The School of Art & Design offers the opportunity to study the artistic aspects of our heritage, our culture, visual communications and personal artistic expression, as well as the arts of other cultures and civilizations. It is the purpose of the school to provide a comprehensive education in the visual arts through studio practice, art history, cultural studies, and critical studies.
Students learn to produce works of art in a variety of media and to understand the processes of various art forms as they relate to personal expression and professional application. Through the programs of the School of Art & Design, students learn to analyze and make reasoned, critical judgments about the significance and quality of works of art. This approach gives students an excellent background for recognizing and understanding art in context, which is necessary preparation for many careers in the visual arts.
Art Emphasis
Art History Emphasis
The art history emphasis is a program preparing the student for an academic career in Art History, and provides the student with the basic skills needed for graduate level coursework. This emphasis requires the student to be competent in the visual arts, including an understanding of artistic techniques, styles, historical context and various research methodologies. The student will also demonstrate competency of an appropriate foreign language for continual research and scholarly development.
Visual Communication Design Emphasis
The visual communication design emphasis prepares students for careers in the commercial fields of art, such as computer graphics, graphic design, illustration, advertising, photography, publications, and other areas of visual communications.
Students work toward the completion of a required professional quality placement portfolio.
Graphic Design Concentration. This program prepares students to work as visual thinkers and communicators using a variety of traditional print and emerging electronic media. Students are prepared to work professionally as designers, art directors, creative directors, and illustrators for design firms, corporate design groups, advertising agencies, publishers, television stations, or nonprofit organizations.
Photographic Imaging Concentration. Courses in photographic imaging have been designed to increase an understanding of the most universal language in the world today - that of photographic images. Courses are designed to provide experiences in the fundamentals of photographic imaging which will lead to the achievement of objectives. Traditional photographic techniques, as well as experimental, non-traditional, and digital imaging techniques, are included in the curriculum.
Art K-12 Teaching Emphasis
The art education emphasis is a K-12 teacher education program preparing students to teach visual arts in elementary, middle, and secondary schools. The art education program requires competency in visual art technique and processes, analysis of the place of the arts in our historical heritage and current community, and the ability to apply the arts to human growth and learning. Satisfactory completion of requirements leads to K-12 art education licensure.
Art & Design, B.A. — PTEP
It is recommended that application for PTEP be made during the sophomore year, or after completing 30 semester hours of University coursework and no later than the first semester of the junior year. Application to PTEP requires the student to have declared a major in art. A copy of the requirements for admission to PTEP should be obtained from the art education advisor before making application for PTEP.
In addition to fulfilling program procedures and course requirements, an art education student must have and maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in Art and a 2.80 GPA for overall University coursework. Failure to do so may result in the recommendation to discontinue the art education emphasis.
Before receiving approval to student teach, an art education student must complete the Comprehensive Art Education PTEP review. The review is scheduled each semester of the academic year. Students are advised to complete the review at least one semester before the semester they plan to student teach. In order to take the comprehensive review, students must have completed the prerequisites and be currently enrolled in the art education emphasis.
The PTEP review will evaluate students on their knowledge and successful demonstration of: professional portfolio preparation of art work, mastery of media and techniques, the elements and principles of art, content in art work, art history and cultures, and verbal and written critical analysis. The PTE review also assesses knowledge and successful demonstrating of art education pedagogy. All students preparing for the review should work closely with their advisor.
The PTE committee will determine whether the student: satisfactorily passes the review and is approved to student teach; passes with stated conditions that must be met before gaining approval to student teach; or fails to pass the review. A student who fails the review will not be approved to student teach, but may apply for a second review the following semester. Failure to pass the review a second time will be considered grounds for terminating the student’s art teacher licensure program. The decision of the committee on a second review may be appealed.
Eligibility to student teach is based on the satisfactory completion of the Art Education PTEP review, required and elective art courses, required art education courses, PTEP courses, PLACE examination and exit or competency examinations as they pertain.
Art students who are not in the art education emphasis and are not seeking licensure, may enroll in art education courses to provide background for teaching art in the helping professions and other related areas, such as community art centers. Appropriate advising is recommended to plan a suitable course of study for a non-licensure program.
Students planning to major or minor in Art & Design must submit an application and an entry portfolio, consisting of artwork and essay. Application form and instructions are available in the School of Art & Design office, or on their webpage, www.arts.unco.edu.visarts.
Declaring an Art & Design major or minor does not assure admission to the program.
After successful acceptance of entry application, new Art & Design students must complete the Freshman Foundation requirements before they can begin their advanced art studies. The Freshman Foundation Courses include Art 181, 182, 183, 184, & 234 which must be completed with a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Students also must successfully complete the Foundation Portfolio with a minimum score of 3 on a 4 point scale. Students then choose an Art Emphasis program (Art, Visual Communication Design, or Art K-12 Teaching) or the Art & Design Minor Program.
It is important to note that the Art & Design major cannot be completed within 2 years. The first year is spent in completing the Freshman Foundation courses and requirements. Seniors and transfer students considering applying to the Art & Design program are advised that it is not possible to complete requirements in fewer than four regular semesters.
Should the number of qualified applicants exceed space available in required courses, the school will admit only those students ranking highest in cumulative grade point averages.
An exit level Senior Portfolio assessment is required prior to graduation. The portfolio consists of work from the student’s concentration area. Students are evaluated on their knowledge and successful demonstration of: professional portfolio preparation of art work, art history and cultures, and verbal and written critical analysis.
For degree and program requirements, see: