Art and Design Program (BFA)

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Visual Arts and Art History Department information

The Program in Art and Design (Bachelor of Fine Arts) prepares students for innovative roles in the contemporary art world, including careers as professional artists, advanced study at the graduate level, and other career options created by a liberal arts education. The program begins with a series of foundation courses stressing the development of technical, problem-solving and conceptual skills. Each student’s growth and development are achieved through exposure to multiple media, concluding with the production of a professional portfolio in an area of specialization.

Prerequisites

COM 200 - Introduction to Human Communication (3)
One course from the following:
ENG 112 - Critical Writing and Reading (3).
EHS 120 - Ecology of Teaching and Social Work (3).
MTH 112 - Liberal Arts Mathematics (3)

Requirements

A. Art History and Theory (15 credits)

B. Foundations (15 credits)

C. Design Core (12 credits)

ART 252 - Design I: Image and Type (3).
ART 321 - Design II: Image and Motion Design (3).
ART 342 - Design III: Spatial and Temporal Design (3).
ART 376 - Design IV: Interaction Design (3).

D. Areas of Specialization (18 credits)

Courses in one or more of the following areas of emphasis, or additional ART courses at the 200 level or higher, approved by the advisor.

Graphic Design

Form, content, type and image in the service of visual communication.

ART 232 - Introduction to Typography (3).
ART 330 - Typography II (3)
ART 335 - Introduction to Web Design (3).
at least 9 credits chosen in consultation with the advisor.

Media Design

Images, sequences and narratives formed by camera, lens and screen-based technologies.

ART 222 - Visual Storytelling (3).
ART 302 - Photographic Lighting Techniques (3).
ART 326 - Advanced Digital Photography (3).
at least 9 credits chosen in consultation with the advisor.

Interaction Design

Cross-disciplinary practices connected to interactive media considering the virtual and physical.

ART 335 - Introduction to Web Design (3).
ART 346 - Introduction to Interaction Design (3).
ART 348 - Intermediate Explorations in Interaction Design (3).
at least 9 credits chosen in consultation with the advisor.

E. Program Review (6 credits)

Presentation and review of a design portfolio, with pass or failure grades included in:

ART 240 - Creativity and Portfolio Development (3).
ART 401 - Senior Design Portfolio (3)

F. Program Electives (9 credits)

Additional courses (typically ART, ARH and/or COM), approved by the advisor.

G. Additional Requirements

Completion of at least 124 credits, including at least 33 at the 300 level or above, with a minimum overall GPA of 2.75 or higher.
At least 36 credits in ART and/or ARH courses taken at the University of Michigan-Flint.
Grades of at least C (2.0) in all ART and ARH required courses and program electives.
All University of Michigan-Flint graduation requirements , including College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) General Education requirements.

Minimum Credits for the Degree: 124 credits