Art and Design Media

Degree

Bachelor of Arts in Art and Design Media
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
School of Arts and Humanities

Contact

Sarah Gorham
sgorham@une.edu

Mission

Arts programs are staffed by a community of professional artists with national reputations. The mission of the faculty is to nurture and encourage students' individual growth, development, and expression while preparing them to pursue a professional career.

After a firm grounding in the foundations, students are mentored in the development of an original body of work in their preferred medium.

Major Description

The School of Arts and Humanities offers a bachelor of arts in Art and Design Media.

The Art and Design Media course of study develops intellectual curiosity and critical thinking skills through an active hands-on curriculum taught by professional scholars and artists. While imparting foundational expressive skills in traditional art media, the program encourages students to expand their conceptual and perceptual capabilities and receive training in current technological media that both support the traditional arts and are essential tools in contemporary society.

Developing connections between their personal experience and art, science, social science, and the environment is an important part of the program and is emphasized in a year-long concentration seminar experience (required of all majors) where students choose an area of focus ranging from traditional arts such as painting and ceramics to video production. Majors will gain a strong understanding of the creative process and their own expressive capabilities culminating in an exhibition of their personal creative work. Whether planning a career in the arts or developing innovative interdisciplinary work in a double major, the Art and Design Media program will build diverse strengths and skills for the 21st century student.

Program Description

The Art and Design Media program stresses students' acquisition of skills that represent appropriate professional practices and a clear understanding of how to evaluate their own work for accuracy, expression, and clarity. Among these skills students will develop experience in and knowledge of:

  • Creative and compositional methods across media.
  • The creative process starting from initial sketches and outlines to the finished work. Problem solving is intrinsic to this process.
  • The development of their personal voice through intensive study in the senior capstone year.
  • The link between concept and media.
  • Art history with an emphasis on contemporary practice in Western and Non-Western worlds.
  • Critical thinking and aesthetic assessment both verbal and written.
  • The program provides students with hands-on experience with the tools and latest technologies used in the arts professions in which they will work. They study and learn to:
  • Appreciate, understand and utilize methods of craftsmanship in a variety of media.
  • Develop their knowledge and abilities in graphic and web design, commercially viable skills with broad applicability.
  • Develop working knowledge of the gallery and museum world.

Students are encouraged to link their study of art with other disciplines and have the opportunity to create work that expresses their personal backgrounds and interests. The 36 credits required of an art media major allows them the possibility to double major in English, History, Liberal Studies, Political Science, Math, and Psychology.

Students can also take (3 credit) internships in art and/or communications organizations as part of their course of study. Faculty will work with interested students to facilitate this option.

Curricular Requirements

CAS Core Curriculum Credits
Total 42–46
Required Courses Credits
ART 104 – Painting I 3
ART 113 – Three Dimensional Fundamentals 3
ART 118 – Drawing & Design Fundamentals 3
ART 200 – Advanced Drawing 3
ART 230 – Graphic Design 3
ART 395 – Studio Concentration Seminar 3
ARH 210 – Art History Survey I or ARH 211 – Art History Survey II or ARH 270 – Art in the Modern World 3
ART 214 – Color Digital Photography or CMM 300 – Documentary Video or CMM 311 – Digital Video Production or WRT 304 – Read & Write in Digital Environments 3
LIL 420 – Arts & Humanities Capstone 3
Nine (9) credits of elective coursework: Three (3) credits of elective coursework must come from List A and the remaining six (6) credits may come from either List A or List B 9
Total 36
Open Elective Courses (as needed to reach 120 credits) Variable
Minimum Required Total Credits 120

Electives

List A – Elective Options Credits
ART 101 – Watercolor 3
ART 102 – Photography 3
ART 105 – Elements of Acting 3
ART 108 – Boatbuilding 3
ART 109 – T-Shirt Design 3
ART 110 – Ceramics 3
ART 111 – Scientific Illustration 3
ART 114 – Printmaking 3
ART 124 – The Painted Book 3
ART 199 – Topics Course (any media) 3
ART 207 – Landscape Painting 3
ART 214 – Color Digital Photography 3
ART 234 – Digital Animation 3
ART 299 – Advanced Topics in Arts 3
ART 401 – Creative/Fine Arts Internship 3
List B – Elective Options Credits
CMM 210 – Understanding Media 3
CMM 300 – Photo and Video Documentation 3
CMM 311 – Digital Video and Audio Production 3
CMM 430 – Internship in Communication 3
HIS 345 – Museums & Public History 3
LIL 120 – Introductory Arts & Humanities Seminar 3
WRT 111 – Topics in Creative Writing 3
WRT 211 – Creative Writing: Poetry 3
WRT 212 – Creative Writing: Short Fiction 3
WRT 304 – Read & Write in Digital Environments 3
WRT 312 – Fiction Writing Workshop 3
WRT 317 – Proposal and Grant Writing 3
HIS 345 – Museums & Public History 3

An average GPA of 2.0 or higher is required for this degree.

View the Suggested Progression for Art and Media Majors (PDF)

Students in this major can participate in the pre-health graduate school preparation tracks.

Learning Outcomes

Through directed and experiential learning, courses in the creative arts introduce understanding of methods, materials, and processes and their application. Students learn to think concretely and intuitively through hands-on experiences. Instructors provide historical and contemporary models to convey these concepts. Learning through the arts allows students to acquire a variety of separate but interrelated concepts and skills to demonstrate knowledge of the creative process, craftsmanship, and personal voice. Students successfully completing arts study will:

  • Be able to determine and demonstrate concrete methods and processes for research and creation, or performance, in the arts. Accordingly, they will be able to demonstrate skill in graphic and/or symbolic communication.
  • Be able to assemble or perform work that demonstrates standards of craftsmanship in the discipline. Accordingly, they will learn methods of writing, discussion, and critique of creative works of art or music.
  • Develop skills that expand their expressive capabilities, with the goal of developing a distinct personal voice that emphasizes their interests and experiences.

Honors Program

We offer qualified students the option of graduating with Honors. This includes significant research, scholarship or creative activity under the direction of a faculty member. Interested students should consult with their advisor. 

Transfer Credit

See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.

Admissions

See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.

Financial Information

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.

Notice and Responsibilities Regarding this Catalog

This Catalog documents the academic programs, policies, and activities of the University of New England for the 2023–2024 academic year. The information contained herein is accurate as of the date of publication April 28, 2023.

The University of New England reserves the right in its sole judgment to make changes of any nature in its programs, calendar, or academic schedule whenever it is deemed necessary or desirable, including changes in course content, the rescheduling of classes with or without extending the academic term, canceling of scheduled classes or other academic activities, in any such case giving such notice thereof as is reasonably practicable under the circumstances.

While each student may work closely with an academic advisor, he or she must retain individual responsibility for meeting requirements in this catalog and for being aware of any changes in provisions or requirements.