Program Overview

Interdisciplinary Art and Design Studies Degree

Overview

The B.A. in Interdisciplinary Art and Design Studies is an interdisciplinary course of study of art and design offering students the opportunity to explore diverse fields such as anthropology, film, communications, psychology, art history, and sociology.

Program Details

• Program Type: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
• Format: On Campus
• Estimated Time to Complete: 4 years
• Credit Hours: 120

Description

The program provides a broad overview of material culture and examines images for their visual properties, history, and function. Courses are taught by multiple academic departments across campus and provide students with different perspectives on:

• How images communicate to viewers
• The physical, technical, social, and historical value of images
• The social, philosophical, and psychological reasons why humans make and need images

Marketable Skills

• Oral and written communication
• Design/media content creation
• Teamwork
• Multicultural/diversity competencies
• Program Management

Program Highlights

• The College of Visual Arts and Design is one of the nation's most comprehensive visual arts schools and is considered one of the best in the Southwest.
• The college brings numerous renowned artists, designers, and scholars to campus each year to enrich students' educational experience.
• The program is divided into three tracks: Arts Management Track, Design Management Track, and Open Track, which provides maximum flexibility for students seeking to chart their own course for careers in design, creative marketing, studio art, art law, art therapy, art history, or other fields.
• A Living-Learning Community brings together art majors who live on campus to enhance academic and social experiences.
• Facilities include three computer labs, ample studios and workshops, study areas, and galleries offering exciting, avant-garde exhibitions.
• Students frequently complete internships as part of the degree program, putting learning into practice while gaining valuable hands-on work experience.

Career Outlook

This degree program provides students with the skills to pursue careers and advanced study in a variety of different fields. Many alumni work in design firms, galleries, and arts organizations. Others have enrolled in graduate school to study art history, anthropology, marketing, and other disciplines.

Potential Career Paths

• Art Law: The IADS Open Track with a minor in political science.
• Art Therapy: The IADS Open Track with a minor in psychology.
• Fashion: The IADS Open Track with a minor in fashion merchandising.
• Graphic Design: The IADS Open Track with a minor in strategic communications, advertising.

Sample Courses

• Art and Business (3 hrs): Introduction to how art, business, and economics intersect in a variety of settings, both for-profit (galleries, auction houses, artists' studios) and non-profit (museums, municipalities, universities, and arts organizations).
• Digital Tools and Technologies for Creative Practice (3 hrs): Introductory course exposing students to the language and application of digital media and resources for art and design practice.
• Digital Communication for Art and Creative Entrepreneurship (3 hrs): Investigation in the conceptual, technical, and practical uses of digital tools for communication and promotion in the art and design fields.
• World Cultures Through Film (3 hrs): Through the use of ethnographic and documentary film, as well as lecture/discussion, this web-based course illustrates the life ways, values, and beliefs of human societies throughout the world.
• Advertising Art Direction (3 hrs): Introduction to tools and techniques for the visual expression of advertising.
• Topics in Interdisciplinary Arts and Design Studies (3 hrs): Special topics course for interdisciplinary art design studies majors. Advanced interdisciplinary study of art and design. Specific topics vary. Delivered as seminar consisting of assigned readings, class discussion, research, and projects.