Program Overview

Visual Arts Program

The Department of Art, Music, and Theatre at the University of Illinois Springfield offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Arts, as well as a minor in Visual Arts. The program fosters study in the practical application of various arts disciplines, as well as the historical, cultural, and philosophical underpinnings of each discipline.

Departmental Goals and Objectives

The Department of Art, Music, and Theatre aims to provide students with a comprehensive education in the visual arts, including painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, graphic design, digital media, and art history. The program encourages students to explore their creative potential, develop their technical skills, and cultivate their critical thinking and analytical abilities.

Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts

The Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts degree requires a minimum of 64 semester hours, including 24 hours of upper-division studio art courses, 12 hours of upper-division art history courses, and 10 hours of ECCE (Engaged Citizenship Common Experience) requirements. Students must also complete a senior exhibition and a professional portfolio.

Advising

All Visual Arts students are assigned an academic advisor upon declaration of the major. Students are expected to meet with their advisor regularly to discuss their progress, plan their course of study, and ensure they are meeting the requirements for graduation.

Grading Policy

Students must earn a grade of C (2.00) or better in all ART courses that apply toward the major or minor. A grade of C (2.00) or better must also be earned in all prerequisite courses.

Degree Requirements

The requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts degree include:

• Prerequisite courses: ART 102, ART 112, ART 113, ART 261, ART 262, and one introductory-level studio course
• Upper-division art history courses: 12 hours
• Upper-division studio art courses: 24 hours
• ECCE requirements: 10 hours, including ART 482 ECCE: Professional Skills
• Total hours: 64

Visual Arts Minor

The Visual Arts minor requires a minimum of 15 semester hours, including 12 hours of studio art courses and 3-4 hours of art history. Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses for the minor.

Minor Requirements

• Art history courses: select one from ART 261, ART 262, ART 365, ART 366, ART 419, ART 431, ART 432, ART 463, ART 464, ART 465, ART 468, ART 470, or ART 471
• Studio art courses: select 12 hours from ART 102, ART 112, ART 113, ART 203, ART 211, ART 215, ART 236, ART 251, ART 306, ART 312, ART 321, ART 332, ART 333, ART 337, ART 338, ART 339, ART 341, ART 342, ART 352, ART 372, ART 410, ART 411, ART 412, ART 413, ART 414, ART 420, ART 422, ART 437, ART 441, ART 442, ART 451, ART 452, ART 455, ART 473, or ART 480
• Total hours: 15-16

Courses

The Visual Arts program offers a wide range of courses, including:

• ART 101: Art Appreciation
• ART 102: Two Dimensional Design
• ART 112: Three Dimensional Design
• ART 113: Drawing 1
• ART 151: Arts & Identity: Japan & U.S.
• ART 203: Introduction to Ceramics
• ART 211: Introduction to Painting
• ART 215: Photography I
• ART 236: Introduction to Digital Media
• ART 251: Digital 3D Modeling
• ART 261: History of Art I
• ART 262: History of Art II
• ART 306: Photography II
• ART 312: Painting II
• ART 321: Life Drawing
• ART 332: Etching
• ART 333: Screen Printing
• ART 337: Digital Media: Print
• ART 338: Digital Media: Web
• ART 339: Digital Media: Animation
• ART 341: Sculpture I
• ART 342: Sculpture II
• ART 352: Ceramics II
• ART 365: ECCE: Women and Art in America
• ART 366: ECCE: European Cinema
• ART 367: ECCE: Arts and Identity in Pacific Island Cultures
• ART 372: Visual Storytelling and Reporting
• ART 410: Special Studies In Ceramics
• ART 411: Painting III
• ART 412: Painting IV
• ART 413: Printmaking II
• ART 414: Printmaking III
• ART 419: Egyptology
• ART 420: Special Studies In Sculpture
• ART 422: Contemporary Drawing
• ART 431: ECCE: Symbolist Movement in Europe: 1850 - 1920
• ART 432: ECCE: Expatriate Paris
• ART 437: Digital Media: Typography
• ART 441: Sculpture III
• ART 442: Sculpture IV - Contemporary
• ART 451: Ceramics III
• ART 452: Ceramics IV
• ART 455: Multi-Media Studio
• ART 460: Topics in Art
• ART 463: Modern Art History
• ART 464: Contemporary Art History
• ART 465: Women in Art: Discovering Her Story
• ART 468: Visual Literacy
• ART 470: Special Art History Studies
• ART 471: Philosophy of Art
• ART 473: Advanced Visual Field Reporting
• ART 475: Multimedia Production and Electronic Imaging
• ART 480: Special Studio Studies
• ART 482: ECCE: Professional Skills
• ART 489: Honors Project In Visual Arts
• ART 499: Tutorial

Assessment

Students are required to meet regularly with their advisor to assess their progress. In the fall term of the senior year, Visual Arts majors are required to present works of art for preliminary review by Visual Arts faculty. Students who pass the preliminary review are approved for enrollment in the Visual Arts capstone course, ART 482 ECCE: Professional Skills. Students in ART 482 ECCE: Professional Skills are required to produce a finished body of work for exhibition at the end of the spring term. A committee consisting of the UIS Visual Arts faculty and one outside assessor conducts an oral defense for each capstone student and makes an assessment regarding the quality and professionalism of all presented materials.