Program Overview

Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology

The Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology offers a Bachelor of Arts in Visual and Performing Arts with a Visual Arts Concentration. This interdisciplinary program allows students to explore the arts through a combination of writing, interdisciplinary studies, professional development, historical context, theory, and practice.

Visual and Performing Arts (BA) with Visual Arts Concentration

The Visual Arts concentration focuses on student work in design, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture. Students will learn traditional and cutting-edge techniques, as well as acquire a broad base of knowledge in art history. At least one-half of the total semester credit hours for major requirements must be taken at UT Dallas.

Faculty

The faculty for the Visual and Performing Arts program includes:

• Professors: John J. Pomara, Marilyn Waligore
• Assistant Professor: SV Randall
• Clinical Associate Professor: Lorraine Tady
• Associate Instructor of Record: Diane Durant

Bachelor of Arts in Visual and Performing Arts with Visual Arts Concentration

The degree requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Visual and Performing Arts with a Visual Arts Concentration include:

Core Curriculum Requirements

• Communication: 6 semester credit hours
• Mathematics: 3 semester credit hours
• Life and Physical Sciences: 6 semester credit hours
• Language, Philosophy and Culture: 3 semester credit hours
• Creative Arts: 3 semester credit hours
  • Choose one course from the following:
    • AHST 1303 Survey of Western Art History: Ancient to Medieval
    • AHST 1304 Survey of Western Art History: Renaissance to Modern
    • AHST 2331 Understanding Art
    • FILM 2332 Understanding Film
• American History: 6 semester credit hours
• Government/Political Science: 6 semester credit hours
• Social and Behavioral Sciences: 3 semester credit hours
• Component Area Option: 6 semester credit hours

Major Requirements, Lower-Division

• ARTS 2380 Visual Design Foundations
• 3 semester credit hours from the following history/theory courses:
  • AHST 1303 Survey of Western Art History: Ancient to Medieval
  • AHST 1304 Survey of Western Art History: Renaissance to Modern
  • AHST 2331 Understanding Art
  • FILM 2332 Understanding Film
• 9 semester credit hours from the following studio courses:
  • ARTS 1316 Drawing Foundations
  • ARTS 2315 Topics in Visual Art
  • ARTS 2316 Painting Foundations
  • ARTS 2350 Photography: Design
  • ARTS 2381 Introduction to Sculpture

Major Requirements, Upper-Division

• Major Core Courses: 15 semester credit hours
  • VPAS 3340 Writing in the Arts
  • VPAS 4389 Theory and Practice of the Visual and Performing Arts
  • VPAS 4390 Senior Capstone
  • or VPAS 4V99 Senior Honors in Visual and Performing Art
• 3 semester credit hours of upper-level Related Courses from the School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology (excluding the ARTS prefix)
• 3 semester credit hours of Professional Development Courses from the following:
  • ARTS 3311 Contemporary Art Practices
  • ARTS 4310 Studies in Contemporary Exhibitions
• Visual Arts Concentration: 27 semester credit hours
  • 3 semester credit hours from the following:
    • AHST 3318 Contemporary Art
    • AHST 3319 Twentieth Century European Art: Avant-Garde and Aftermath
    • AHST 3324 History of Photography
    • or upper-level FILM course
  • 3 semester credit hours of upper-level AHST or FILM course
  • 6 semester credit hours of 3000-level courses from Visual Arts studios
  • 3 semester credit hours of upper-courses from Visual Arts studios
  • 6 semester credit hours of 4000-level courses from Visual Arts studios
  • 6 semester credit hours of upper-level Visual and Performing Arts electives

Elective Requirements

• Free Electives: 24 semester credit hours
  • Both upper- and lower-division courses may be used as electives
  • The plan must include sufficient upper-division courses to total 45 upper-division semester credit hours

Minors

Students must take a minimum of 18 semester credit hours for the minor. Students who take a minor will be expected to meet the normal prerequisites in courses making up the minor and should maintain a minimum GPA of 2.000 on a 4.00 scale (C average).

Minor in Visual Arts

• 18 semester credit hours
• Arts Foundations: 3 semester credit hours
  • Choose any 3 semester credit hours of lower-level ARTS courses
• Art History Foundations: 3 semester credit hours
  • Choose any 3 semester credit hours of AHST or FILM courses
• Studio Courses: 12 semester credit hours
  • Choose any 12 semester credit hours of upper-level ARTS courses