Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
The Department of Art and Design provides students with a diverse program of study, including courses in: art history, digital media, graphic and interaction design, photography, video, and visual art. Art and Design courses integrate hands-on creative work with critical thinking; visual and conceptual experimentation; interdisciplinary collaboration; and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Students are admitted into the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree program through submission of a portfolio in their chosen concentration: Graphic Design, Photography and Video, or Studio Art. The Department offers minors in Art History, Photography, and Studio Art. We also offer two affiliate minors: Computing for Interactive Arts and the Media Arts, Society and Technology minor. There are a number of Art and Design Courses that fulfill general education requirements in the 3A and 3B areas.
The department is also home to the University Art Gallery that showcases nationally and internationally known artists, designers, and photographers, as well as creative work from students, alumni, and faculty.
Concentrations
Graphic Design
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
As a discipline and a profession, graphic design is diverse and expanding. It encompasses: branding, package design, interaction design, environmental graphic design, publication design, and motion design. Students in the graphic design concentration study a variety of subjects relevant to the field, including: typography, identity design, user experience design, user interface design, animation, illustration, book arts, and design history. Our curriculum emphasizes a human-centered approach; students research, analyze, prototype, and design creative concepts and solutions for businesses, social, and cultural contexts. Our program encourages students to think innovatively, ethically, and inclusively, and to engage in hands-on creative exploration and problem solving. Graduates in the graphic design area obtain competitive positions in design studios, creative agencies, in-house creative departments, and in the entertainment and tech industries.
The Graphic Design concentration in the Department of Art and Design is distinct from the Design Reproduction Technology concentration in the Graphic Communication Department, which focuses on the technical and electronic aspects of preparing design pieces for reproduction in print media. In contrast, the emphasis of the Graphic Design concentration is on the preparation of a professional portfolio that showcases one's creative and conceptual design abilities.
Photography and Video
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
The study and practice of the lens-based arts of photography and video. Emphasis is placed on concept development, photographic expression, and creative problem solving. Production skills with studio and location lighting are emphasized using digital image making, large format photography and video/cinematic production. This is a diversified, commercially oriented program stressing preparation for careers in advertising, illustration, video and cinema production, corporate and editorial photography, portraiture and digital image making for both online and print. The study of photographic history, cinema styles and contemporary practices is integral to the program. The program culminates in the creation of a professional portfolio in both still and motion that can allow the graduate to enter the professional workforce or apply for graduate study.
Studio Art
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
The studio art concentration is a program designed for students who are seeking a comprehensive study of visual art for their undergraduate education. This program is distinctive in its depth of required coursework across a range of contemporary art practices, from two-dimensional media in painting and drawing, to three- and four-dimensional media in sculpture and time-based art. The upper division curriculum allows students to specialize in a discipline pertinent to their career choice in the visual arts. Courses in portfolio preparation, professional practices, and a senior project prepare the student to enter the workplace or pursue advanced degrees.
Our concentration is small and rigorous. Students are able to work closely with their art professors and peers, while having access to the resources of a larger, nationally-ranked university. Students within the concentration are presented with an environment where imagination, intellectual rigor, self-expression, cultural competency, and skill development are expected and explored within a community dedicated to their success. The studio art concentration is committed to cultivating creative professionals with a worldview that is informed by issues of diversity, inequality, and power.
Program Learning Objectives
- Produce a strong body of work and/or professional portfolio.
- Apply comparative reasoning in evaluating works of art and design.
- Use verbal, visual, and technical vocabulary related to art and design that demonstrates cultural competency and a world view informed by issues of diversity, inequality, and power.
- Effectively and professionally work in teams and participate in interdisciplinary, collaborative endeavors with people who have beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that are different from their own.
- Critically examine the role that visual language plays in global culture through research, innovative thinking, writing, and creative expression.
- Demonstrate integrity and make ethical decisions in professional practice and/or creative expression
- Establish and maintain a rigorous creative practice that is productive and professional.
- Demonstrate a commitment to learning, inquiry, and discovery.
Degree Requirements and Curriculum
In addition to the program requirements listed on this page, students must also satisfy requirements outlined in more detail in the Minimum Requirements for Graduation section of this catalog, including:
- 40 units of upper-division courses
- 2.0 GPA
- Graduation Writing Requirement (GWR)
- U.S. Cultural Pluralism (USCP)
Note: Up to 3 units of credit/no credit grading may be selected for courses in Major or Concentration. In addition, no more than 12 units of cooperative or internship courses can count towards your degree requirements.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MAJOR COURSES | ||
| ART 1101 | Fundamentals of Drawing (3A) 1 | 3 |
| ART 1102 | 2D Design | 3 |
| ART 1103 | 3D Design | 3 |
| ART 1104 | 4D Design | 3 |
| ART 1141 | Design Thinking and Methods | 3 |
| ART 2201 | Visual Culture and Society: Analysis and Practice (4B) 1 | 3 |
| ART 2212 | Renaissance to Modern Art | 3 |
| ART 2215 | Global Contemporary Art | 3 |
| ART 2260 | Camera and Light | 3 |
| Select from the following: 2 | 3 | |
| Beginning Sculpture | ||
| Beginning Painting | ||
| Select from the following: | 3 | |
| Portfolio: Graphic Design | ||
| Portfolio: Photo Video | ||
| Portfolio: Studio Art | ||
| Upper-Division Art History Elective | ||
| Select from the following: (Upper-Division 3) 1 | 3 | |
| Art of the Americas | ||
| Nineteenth Century Art of Europe and the United States | ||
| History and Contemporary Practices of Photography | ||
| Asian Art Survey | ||
| Michelangelo | ||
| Themes in Renaissance Art | ||
| Themes in Modern and Contemporary Art | ||
| New Media Art History | ||
| Politics of Abstraction | ||
| Select any 3000 - 4000 level ART courses not already used to meet the Major or Concentration requirement 3 | 8 | |
| Concentration | ||
| (See list of Concentrations below) | 39 | |
| GENERAL EDUCATION (GE) | ||
| (See GE program requirements below) | 34 | |
| FREE ELECTIVES | ||
| Free Electives 4 | 3 | |
| Total Units | 120 | |
- 1
Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.
- 2
ART 1184 and ART 2282 are required in the major and the Studio Art concentration. The course taken to fulfill the major course requirement cannot be double-counted in the concentration.
- 3
A maximum of 3 units from Art History courses.
- 4
If a General Education (GE) course is used to satisfy a Major or Support requirement, additional units of Free Electives may be needed to complete the total units required for the degree.
Concentrations
Graphic Design
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| ART 2241 | Graphic Design I | 3 |
| ART 2242 | Typography I | 3 |
| ART 2243 | Interaction Design I | 3 |
| ART 3313 | Design History | 3 |
| ART 3341 | Graphic Design II | 3 |
| ART 3342 | Typography II | 3 |
| ART 3343 | Interaction Design II | 3 |
| ART 4441 | Design Collaborative Studio | 3 |
| ART 4444 | Motion Design | 3 |
| ART 4459 | Senior Project - Design Portfolio | 3 |
| Design Electives | ||
| Select from the following: | 9 | |
| Concept Art and Storyboarding | ||
| Three-dimensional Design and Modeling for Animation and Interactive Art | ||
| Social Justice Art: Activist Cultures, Politics, and Pedagogies | ||
| Book Arts | ||
| Illustration I: Tools and Techniques | ||
| Time-Based Art | ||
| Special Problems for Advanced Undergraduates | ||
| Brand Identity and Advertising | ||
| Illustration II: Practice and Development | ||
| Cooperative Education Experience | ||
| Cooperative Education Experience | ||
| Total Units | 39 | |
Photography and Video
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| ART 2261 | Creative Lighting | 3 |
| ART 2263 | Black and White Photography | 3 |
| ART 3314 | History and Contemporary Practices of Photography | 3 |
| ART 3370 | Digital Video | 4 |
| ART 4479 | Senior Project - Portfolio Photo Video | 4 |
| Select from the following: | 4 | |
| Photographic Expression | ||
| Large Format Photography | ||
| Select from the following: | 4 | |
| Editorial Storytelling | ||
| Advertising Photography | ||
| Select from the following: | 4 | |
| Video Art and Expanded Cinema | ||
| Documentary Video | ||
| Narrative Video | ||
| Select from the following: | 3 | |
| Film Styles and Genres | ||
| Film Directors | ||
| Fiction Writing | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select from the following: | 4 | |
| New Media Art History | ||
| Photographic Expression | ||
| Large Format Photography | ||
| Editorial Storytelling | ||
| Advertising Photography | ||
| Special Problems for Advanced Undergraduates | ||
| Animation, Video, and Interactive Design | ||
| Video Art and Expanded Cinema | ||
| Documentary Video | ||
| Narrative Video | ||
| Cooperative Education Experience | ||
| Cooperative Education Experience | ||
| Color Management | ||
| Select any 3000-4000 level ART courses not already used to meet the Major or Concentration requirement | 3 | |
| Total Units | 39 | |
Studio Art
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| ART 1184 | Beginning Sculpture 1 | 3 |
| or ART 2282 | Beginning Painting | |
| ART 2281 | Intermediate Drawing | 3 |
| ART 3382 | Intermediate Painting | 3 |
| ART 3384 | Intermediate Sculpture | 4 |
| ART 3386 | Junior Studio Art Practice | 4 |
| Select from the following: | 4 | |
| Time-Based Art | ||
| Advanced Sculpture | ||
| Select from the following: | 4 | |
| Advanced Figure in Studio Art | ||
| Advanced 2-D | ||
| ART 4486 | Senior Studio Art Practice | 4 |
| ART 4499 | Senior Project - Studio Portfolio | 4 |
| Art History Upper-Division Elective | ||
| Select from the following: | 3 | |
| Art of the Americas | ||
| Nineteenth Century Art of Europe and the United States | ||
| Design History | ||
| History and Contemporary Practices of Photography | ||
| Asian Art Survey | ||
| Michelangelo | ||
| Themes in Renaissance Art | ||
| Themes in Modern and Contemporary Art | ||
| New Media Art History | ||
| Politics of Abstraction | ||
| Intersectional Feminist Art Histories | ||
| Art Elective | ||
| Select from the following: | 3 | |
| Curatorial Studies | ||
| Studio Lighting | ||
| Materials and Methods | ||
| Special Problems for Advanced Undergraduates | ||
| Total Units | 39 | |
- 1
ART 1184 and ART 2282 are required in the major and the Studio Art concentration. The course taken to fulfill the concentration requirement cannot be double-counted in the major.
General Education (GE) Requirements
- 43 units required, 9 of which are specified in Major and/or Support.
- If any of the remaining 34 Units is used to satisfy a Major or Support requirement, additional units of Free Electives may be needed to complete the total units required for the degree.
- See the complete GE course listing.
- A grade of C- or better is required in one course in each of the following GE Areas: 1A (English Composition), 1B (Critical Thinking), 1C (Oral Communication), and 2 (Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning).
| Lower-Division General Education | ||
| Area 1 | English Communication and Critical Thinking | |
| 1A | Written Communication | 3 |
| 1B | Critical Thinking | 3 |
| 1C | Oral Communication | 3 |
| Area 2 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning | |
| 2 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning | 3 |
| Area 3 | Arts and Humanities | |
| 3A | Arts (3 units in Major) 1 | 0 |
| 3B | Humanities: Literature, Philosophy, Languages other than English | 3 |
| Area 4 | Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.) | |
| 4A | American Institutions (Title 5, Section 40404 Requirement) | 3 |
| 4B | Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 units in Major) 1 | 0 |
| Area 5 | Physical and Life Sciences | |
| 5A | Physical Sciences | 3 |
| 5B | Life Sciences | 3 |
| 5C | Laboratory (may be embedded in a 5A or 5B course) | 1 |
| Area 6 | Ethnic Studies | |
| 6 | Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| Upper-Division General Education | ||
| Upper-Division 2/5 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning or Physical and Life Sciences | 3 |
| Upper-Division 3 | Arts and Humanities (3 units in Major) 1 | 0 |
| Upper-Division 4 | Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.) | 3 |
| Total Units | 34 | |
- 1
Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.