Program Overview

Introduction to the Art and Design Program

The Department of Art and Design at California Polytechnic State University offers a diverse program of study, including courses in art history, digital media, graphic and interaction design, photography, video, and visual art. The program integrates hands-on creative work with critical thinking, visual and conceptual experimentation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Program Overview

Students are admitted into the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree program through submission of a portfolio in their chosen concentration: Graphic Design, Photography and Video, or Studio Art. The Department offers minors in Art History, Photography, and Studio Art, as well as two affiliate minors: Computing for Interactive Arts and the Media Arts, Society and Technology minor.

Concentrations

The program offers three concentrations:

• Graphic Design: As a discipline and a profession, graphic design is diverse and expanding. It encompasses branding, package design, interaction design, environmental graphic design, publication design, and motion design. Students in the graphic design concentration study a variety of subjects relevant to the field, including typography, identity design, user experience design, user interface design, animation, illustration, book arts, and design history.
• Photography and Video: The study and practice of the lens-based arts of photography and video, with emphasis on concept development, photographic expression, and creative problem solving. Production skills with studio and location lighting are emphasized using digital image making, large format photography, and video/cinematic production.
• Studio Art: A comprehensive study of visual art for undergraduate education, distinctive in its depth of required coursework across a range of contemporary art practices. The program allows students to specialize in a discipline pertinent to their career choice in the visual arts.

Program Learning Objectives

The program has eight learning objectives:

1. Produce a strong body of work and/or professional portfolio.
2. Apply comparative reasoning in evaluating works of art and design.
3. Use verbal, visual, and technical vocabulary related to art and design that demonstrates cultural competency and a world view informed by issues of diversity, inequality, and power.
4. Effectively and professionally work in teams and participate in interdisciplinary, collaborative endeavors with people who have beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that are different from their own.
5. Critically examine the role that visual language plays in global culture through research, innovative thinking, writing, and creative expression.
6. Demonstrate integrity and make ethical decisions in professional practice and/or creative expression.
7. Establish and maintain a rigorous creative practice that is productive and professional.
8. Demonstrate a commitment to learning, inquiry, and discovery.

Degree Requirements and Curriculum

In addition to the program requirements, students must also satisfy the Minimum Requirements for Graduation, including 40 units of upper-division courses, a 2.0 GPA, the Graduation Writing Requirement (GWR), and U.S. Cultural Pluralism (USCP) requirements. The curriculum includes major courses, concentration courses, general education requirements, and free electives, totaling 120 units.

General Education Requirements

The General Education program requires 43 units, with 9 units specified in the Major and/or Support. Students must complete courses in English Communication and Critical Thinking, Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning, Arts and Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Physical and Life Sciences, and Ethnic Studies.

Concentration Requirements

Each concentration has specific course requirements:

• Graphic Design: 39 units, including Graphic Design I, Typography I, Interaction Design I, Design History, and Senior Project - Design Portfolio.
• Photography and Video: 39 units, including Creative Lighting, Black and White Photography, History and Contemporary Practices of Photography, Digital Video, and Senior Project - Portfolio Photo Video.
• Studio Art: 39 units, including Beginning Sculpture, Beginning Painting, Intermediate Drawing, Intermediate Painting, Intermediate Sculpture, and Senior Project - Studio Portfolio.

Four-Year Plan of Study

A suggested four-year plan of study is provided for each concentration, outlining the courses to be taken each term to fulfill the program requirements.