Goals:
The goals of the Fine Art Major are: to provide the opportunity for the student to develop historical and philosophical perspectives on the visual arts; to provide the opportunity for the student to develop a competitive portfolio of work or experiences in one or more areas of the visual arts; and to develop the student’s capacity for diligent and persistent inquiry.
Descriptions of focus areas:
Art History
Art history is the study of humanity through the analysis of visual artifacts. While studio majors study art history to enhance their critical thinking skills, and analyze the processes of artistic production as they refine their techniques, students who are concentrating in art history learn how to conduct research in order to situate works of art within their historical, social, and political contexts. The focus on research prepares students for careers as academic art historians or curators in art museums.
Graphic Design
Morgan’s Graphic Design concentration in the Fine Arts program focusing on visual arts. The Graphic Design concentration is built around training students in creative problem solving using the latest design standard technology (Adobe Creative Cloud), while also providing cultural and social context to their projects. The B.A. in Fine Arts provides students with the opportunity to focus on graphic design methods and techniques used in effective design thinking for visual communication.
Illustration
Illustration focuses on strengthening the fundamental elements of communication imagery and the “language” of this art form. Students are challenged to consider how to manipulate various media and to intelligently communicate through complex compositions while working to create works that shed light on particular themes. Students are also encouraged to consider whether they desire to pursue illustration’s commercial uses or to move in the direction of fine arts illustration. Our primary purpose is to provide guidance that allows the student to reach their short-term goals with the understanding that there is more to achieve beyond the undergraduate level such as animation, book illustration, sequential illustration among others.
Multi Media Studio
Multi Media Studio engages students in material skill building with emphasis on the mastering of materials associated with art production while intellectually pursuing complex visual communication. Students are exposed to the potentials of mediums such as, Ceramics, Digital Media, Drawing, Painting, Printmaking and Sculpture and Mixed Media.
Requirements:
The department offers the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree in Fine Art. Under this degree program, students may focus in one of four areas of fine art: (1) Art History (2) Graphic Design/Illustration, or (3) Illustration or (4) Multi-Media Studio. It also offers a minor in Fine Art for those wishing to develop their arts interests as a supplement to their major field.
Teacher Certification:
To attain certification to teach art, students must complete one of the focus areas in art and see the School of Education and Urban Studies for additional courses required for teacher certification and/or the five year Master’s Program in Education.
College-wide Requirements:
In addition to meeting the requirements in General Education and in the major, students must also complete six (6) credits in the Liberal Arts Core. Other options for satisfying this requirement are outlined under the College of Liberal Arts. Also, to qualify for graduation, Graphic Design, Illustration and Multi-Media Studio students must pass the Juried Senior Portfolio Review, must have taken all of their junior- and senior-level requirements in the major at Morgan (unless granted prior written permission by the Dean to take courses elsewhere); and must have earned a cumulative average of 2.0 or better and a major average of 2.0 or better, with no outstanding grades below “C” in the major (which includes all courses required for the major and required supporting courses including foreign language requirement). Art History majors are required to take World History and must pass the Senior Research Project, and must have taken all of their junior- and senior-level requirements in the major at Morgan (unless granted prior written permission by the Dean to take courses elsewhere); and must have earned a cumulative average of 2.0 or better and a major average of 2.0 or better, with no outstanding grades below “C” in the major (which includes all courses required for the major and required supporting courses).
Requirements for the B.A. Degree in Fine Art
A minimum of 120 credit hours are required to graduate with a B.A. in Fine Art. These credit hours are distributed as follows:
General Education and University Requirements 43
Liberal Arts Core Requirements 6
Required Core Courses for the Fine Arts Major 30
Required Courses for the Fine Art Track 41
TOTAL CREDITS 120
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