Design Program (BFA)

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Art and Art History (ART/ARH) information

The Design Program (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.

Requirements

A. Art History and Theory (18 credits)

ARH 111 - History of Prehistoric to Medieval Art (3)
ARH 112 - History of Renaissance to Modern Art (3)
ARH 401 - Theory, History and Criticism of Ways of Seeing (3)
ARH 411 - History of Contemporary Art (3)
ART 150 - Design Thinking (3)
One from:
ARH 140 - History of Graphic Design (3)
ARH 215 - History of Photography and New Media (3)

B. Foundations (18 credits)

C. Design Core (12 credits)

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

Cross-media practices focused on creating human-centered design for print, screen, and three-dimensional space. Development of form, content, type and image in the service of visual communication.

ART 330 - Typography II (3)
ART 335 - Web Design (3)
ART 406 - Branding Design (3)
Two from:
ART 334 - Business of Art and Design (3)
ART 347 - Motion Graphics (3)
ART 392 - Portfolio Development (1-3) , elected for 3 credits
One from:
ART 379 - Community Design Studio (3)
ART 398 - Internship in Art (1-6) , elected for 3 credits

Photo and Media Design

Cross-disciplinary practices encompassing photogrpahy, video design, animation, and media arts. Development of images, sequences and narratives formed by camera, lens and screen-based technologies.

ART 202 - Video Design (3)
ART 222 - Visual Storytelling (3)
ART 302 - Photographic Lighting Techniques (3)
Two from:
ART 203 - Video Editing (3)
ART 334 - Business of Art and Design (3)
ART 347 - Motion Graphics (3)
ART 392 - Portfolio Development (1-3) , elected for 3 credits
ART 402 - Advanced Project in Photography (3)
One from:
ART 379 - Community Design Studio (3)
ART 398 - Internship in Art (1-6) , elected for 3 credits

Interaction Design

Cross-disciplinary encompassing interactivity, web design, app culture, gaming and interactive media, including virtual, physical, and social dimensions of contemporary desgin.

ART 222 - Visual Storytelling (3)
ART 335 - Web Design (3)
ART 346 - Game Design (3)
ART 348 - App Design (3)
Two from:
ART 334 - Business of Art and Design (3)
ART 347 - Motion Graphics (3)
ART 392 - Portfolio Development (1-3) , elected for 3 credits
One from:
ART 379 - Community Design Studio (3)
ART 398 - Internship in Art (1-6) , elected for 3 credits

E. Program Review (6 credits)

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

F. Program Electives (6 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

Honors Program

All bachelor-degree-seeking students with GPAs of 3.5 or higher are eligible to apply to the University of Michigan-Flint Honors Program. Please contact the Honors Program Manager or the Honors Program Director for further information.