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Art and Design

This is an archived copy of the 2018-2019 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.iastate.edu.

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The Bachelor of Arts in Art and Design is a four-year degree program with two options: Art and Culture or Visual Culture Studies. Both options require students to complement their studio art or visual culture studies coursework with study in a second area, within or outside of the College of Design. This can include a second major or minor, or an alternative program of study approved by your academic adviser.

Many students pursue this BA degree in conjunction with a second major or minor such as journalism, advertising, business, history or psychology.

The two Art and Design curricula provide a solid liberal arts educational experience that can be a springboard into a wide array of graduate school and career opportunities, including art criticism, art history, art sales, corporate art collections, gallery/museum studies, and art therapy.

Art and Culture Option

The Art and Culture option provides a general studies degree in which students combine studio art with another area of interest. Students create their own programs of study, which can include another major or minor in a subject taught outside the College of Design. This concentration emphasizes studio art components.

Required courses include three (3) courses in history, theory, and criticism of art and design (two at the 300/400 level).

Visual Culture Studies Option

For students who are interested in art history, design history, or museum studies, the Visual Culture Studies option allows them to take a larger number of courses in those topics. Required courses include several courses in history, theory, and criticism of art and design at the 300/400 level, which may include a museum or gallery internship.

This curriculum offers two concentrations: Art and Culture and Visual Culture Studies. Both concentrations are combined with an approved program of study, which may consist of a second major or a minor.

Art and Culture Concentration

The curriculum in Art and Design: Art and Culture Concentration leads to a 120.5 credit undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree

Total Degree Requirements: 120.5 cr.

Only 65 cr. from a two-year institution can apply, and may include up to 16 technical cr; 9 P-NP cr. of free electives; 2.00 minimum GPA

International Perspectives: 3 cr.
U.S. Diversity: 3 cr.
Communication: 10 cr.

(C or better grade in ENGL 150 and ENGL 250)

ENGL 150Critical Thinking and Communication3
ENGL 250Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition3
LIB 160Information Literacy1
One course from the following:3
Introduction to Communication Studies
Introduction to Interpersonal Communication
Communicating with the Deaf
Listening
Fundamentals of Public Speaking
Total Credits10
Humanities: 6 cr.

6 cr. from program curriculum sheet.

Social Sciences: 6 cr.

6 cr. from program curriculum sheet

Math/Physics/Biol. Sciences: 6 cr.

6 cr. from program curriculum sheet

General Education Courses: 9 cr.
6 credits of course levels 300-400 from program curriculum sheet.6
3 credits from program curriculum sheet.3
Total Credits9
College of Design Core: 11.5-12 cr.
DSN S 102Design Studio I4
DSN S 115Design Collaborative Seminar0.5-1
or DSN S 110 Design Exchange Seminar I
DSN S 131Design Representation4
DSN S 183Design Cultures3
Total Credits11.5-12
Art History and Theory: 15 cr.
ART H 280History of Art I3
ART H 281History of Art II3
Six credits from 300-level or above from ART H6
Three credits from courses in ART H, or approved history courses in ARCH, CRP, or LA3
Total Credits15
Art and Culture Concentration: 12 cr.

12 credits from 200 level or above in College of Design studio courses.

Program of Study: 30 cr.

30 cr. from an approved program of study, including 6 cr. at 300-400 level.

Electives: 15 cr.

Visual Culture Studies Concentration

Total Degree Requirements: 119 cr.

Only 65 cr. from a two-year institution can apply and may include up to 16 technical cr; 9 P-NP cr. of free electives; 2.00 minimum GPA

International Perspectives: 3 cr.
U.S. Diversity: 3 cr.
Communication: 10 cr.

(C or better grade)

ENGL 150Critical Thinking and Communication3
ENGL 250Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition3
LIB 160Information Literacy1
One course from the following:3
Introduction to Communication Studies
Introduction to Interpersonal Communication
Communicating with the Deaf
Listening
Fundamentals of Public Speaking
Total Credits10
Humanities: 6 cr.

6 cr. from program curriculum sheet.

Social Sciences: 6 cr.

6 cr. from program curriculum sheet

Math/Physics/Biol. Sciences: 6 cr.

6 cr. from program curriculum sheet

General Education Courses: 9 cr.
6 credits of course levels 300-400 from program curriculum sheet.6
3 credits from program curriculum sheet.3
Total Credits9
Visual Culture Studies Core: 9 cr.
ART H 280History of Art I3
ART H 281History of Art II3
Choose ONE from the following
DSN S 183Design Cultures3
or ART H 292 Introduction to Visual Culture Studies
Total Credits9
Visual Culture Studies Concentration: 34 cr.

6 cr. foreign language. 24 cr. in approved History/Theory/Criticism courses from departments in the College of Design.  May include up to 9 cr. Museum/Gallery Internship.  12 cr. must be at 300 level or above. 4 cr. ART H 499 Visual Culture Studies Capstone Seminar.

Program of Study: 24 cr.

24 cr. from an approved program of study, including 6 cr. at 300-400 level and 6 cr. foreign language.

Electives: 15 cr.

Art and Design, B.A., Art and Culture Concentration

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
DSN S 102 (or DSN S 131)4DSN S 131 (or DSN S 102)4
DSN S 183 (or General Education)3DSN S 183 (or General Education)3
ENGL 150 (or General Education)3ENGL 150 (or General Education)3
DSN S 110 or DSN S 1150.5-1General Education3
General Education3General Education3
General Education3LIB 1601
 16.5-17 17
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
Studio Option3Studio Option3
Approved POS3Approved POS3
General Education3General Education3
ART H 280 (fall only)3ART H 281 (spring only)3
ENGL 250 (or General Education)3ENGL 250 (or General Education)3
 15 15
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
Studio Option3Studio Option3
Approved POS3Approved POS3
Approved POS3Approved POS3
General Education3Elective3
ART H 300-level or above3ART H 300-level or above3
 15 15
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
Approved POS3Approved POS3
Approved POS3Approved POS3
Elective3Elective3
Elective3Elective3
Art History ot Design History3 
 15 12

Art and Design, B.A., Visual Culture Studies Concentration

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ART H 280 (fall only)3ART H 281 (spring only)3
DSN S 183 or ART H 292 (or General Education)3DSN S 183 or ART H 292 (or General Education)3
ENGL 150 (or General Education)3ENGL 150 (or General Education)3
LIB 1601General Education3
General Education3General Education3
General Education3 
 16 15
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
Visual Culture Studies Option3Visual Culture Studies Option3
Approved POS3Approved POS3
General Education3Approved POS3
General Education3General Education3
ENGL 250 (or General Education)3ENGL 250 (or General Education)3
 15 15
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
Visual Culture Studies Option3Visual Culture Studies Option3
Visual Culture Studies Option3Visual Culture Studies Option3
Approved POS3Approved POS3
Approved POS3Approved POS3
Elective3Elective3
 15 15
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ART H 499 Visual Culture Studies Senior Capstone Seminar4Visual Culture Studies Option3
Approved POS3Approved POS3
Elective3Approved POS3
Elective3Elective3
 Elective3
 13 15