Art & Design, Design Track, BA

Introduction

In this track, design is presented as a universally applicable method for envisioning change, developing effective plans for achieving that change, and then efficiently putting those plans into action through hands-on practice. Merging design thinking, aesthetics, and hands-on inquiry offers opportunities to consider the making process through a systems approach that integrates cultural values, social needs, and ecological impacts. Grounded in a deep understanding of materials and process, centered in skillful practice, and connecting the arts, humanities, and sciences, the sustainable designer/maker seeks to balance the tension between artisanal and industrial production modes in order to provide for the material and technological needs of a just society while respecting the boundaries and limits of the ecosystems that are the source of working materials.

Admissions  

Program Length

Four years for a complete BA degree.  Two years for students transferring in with an AAOT degree.  Program length may vary depending upon the student’s course load and academic progress.

Program Learning Outcomes

By successfully completing a major in Art and Design, students will understand and be able to apply:

• The Creative Process: Students will be able to use a variety of brainstorming techniques to generate a variety of novel ideas to solve problems.
• Skill and Technique: Students will have sufficient mastery of one or more media to complete the technical and formal challenges necessary to communicate a concept in a body of original artwork suitable for public exhibition.
• Context and Concept: Students will be able to develop ideas that are relevant and responsive to the world around them.
• Communication: Students will be able to clearly communicate the content, context, and processes of their work visually, orally, and in writing.
• Deliberate Practice: Students will demonstrate behaviors, such as curiosity, initiative, and persistence, through an iterative method of discovery that helps them improve their work.

Baccalaureate Degree Core Requirements