College of Art and Design

Stephen Tarantal
Dean
starantal@uarts.edu
215-717-6121

Adrienne Stalek
Associate Dean
astalek@uarts.edu
215-717-6122

The College of Art and Design is a comprehensive visual arts college offering a full range of undergraduate and graduate programs in fine arts, crafts, design, media arts, art education, and museum communication and education. All programs are dedicated to the development of the individual artistic spirit and vision within each student; the study of the historical and contemporary precedents that have shaped our culture; and the full range of analog and digital methods and processes that give form to the visual arts.

Major Areas of Study

The College offers coursework toward the BFA, BS, MFA, MA, MAT, or MID degree with major programs in:

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Animation

Crafts (Ceramics, Fibers, Metals, and Wood)

Film/Animation

Film/Digital Video

Graphic Design

Illustration

Painting and Drawing

Photography

Printmaking/Book Arts

Sculpture

Bachelor of Science

Industrial Design

The College also offers the following graduate degree programs:

Master of Art

Art Education

Museum Communication

Museum Education

Master of Art in Teaching
Master of Fine Arts

Visual Arts Master of Fine Arts Book Arts/Printmaking

Ceramics

Museum Exhibition Planning and Design

Painting

Sculpture
Master of Industrial Design

These special undergraduate and graduate programs are also offered:

Special concentration in Art Therapy

Pre-certification program in Art Education

Post-baccalaureate certificate program in Crafts

Class Size and Structure

Each department is unique, with its own curriculum and structure, but in every department, classes are small and informal. Faculty advisors and the generous student/faculty ratio assure close individual attention and assistance throughout a course of study.

One of the important teaching modes in the college is the critique, or “crit,” an evaluation of student work by the instructor with the participation of the class. Given informally to the class or individual as often as once a class, crits have proven to be an invaluable method for the development of critical thinking and self-awareness, which are major educational goals in our programs.

Credit-Hour Ratio

In general, credit is earned at the ratio of one credit for two class-contact hours in studio courses. Please refer to the course descriptions for specific information.

PCA Diploma Holders Seeking a UArts Bachelor’s Degree

Diploma graduates of the Philadelphia College of Art may apply credits earned for the diploma toward the University’s baccalaureate requirements. For additional information and to apply, contact the Office of the Registrar.

Exhibition Program

The Exhibition Program showcases major contemporary exhibitions related to the University’s diverse academic curricula in design, crafts, and the fine arts.

Over the years, the Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery, the University’s primary exhibition space, has attracted national and international artists to the campus. Artists who have had one-person exhibitions in the gallery include Vito Acconci, Siah Armajani, Alice Aycock, Willie Cole, Gregory Crewdsen, Rosalyn Drexler, Richard Fleishner, April Gornik, Lois Greenfield, Alex Grey, John Hejduk, Daniel Jackson, Maira Kalman, Barbara Kasten, Mel Kendrick, Jon Kessler, Donald Lipski, Henry Moore, Ree Morton, Robert Motherwell, Thomas Nozkowski, Jack Pierson, Irving Penn, Anne and Patrick Poirer, Yvonne Rainer, Judith Shea, Pat Steir, Lenore Tawney, Paul Thek, George Trakas, and Lebbeus Woods. In addition, the gallery has presented notable historic exhibitions of design: Philippe Apeloig, Geoffrey Beene, Alexei Brodovich, Czech Cubism, Charles Eames, Frogdesign, Keith Goddard, Daniel Jackson, Memphis, Milano and Samuel Yellin.

Additional exhibition spaces in Dorrance Hamilton Hall Galleries, the Solmssen Court Gallery, and the Window on Broad furnish opportunities for faculty, alumni, students, and regional talents. Nearly every department also launches its own series of exhibits.

The galleries in Media Arts, The Mednick and 1401, the Painting/ Drawing Gallery, the Printmaking Gallery, the Richard C. von Hess Illustration Gallery, and the Ceramics/Sculpture Gallery all show work of emerging and established artists. Student-run invitational and juried exhibitions in Gallery One give students the experience of installing shows. Museum Exhibition Planning and Design MFA students gain experience and skills from their practical work in the galleries. Highlights of the year are the Annual Student Show, a featured Commencement event, the Student Scholarship Exhibition, and Senior Student and Master of Fine Arts exhibitions.

Special Facilities

Anderson Hall is a nine-story visual arts facility that houses a spacious gallery, studios, classrooms, and a library designed with a feeling of openness. Through the combination of Anderson Hall, Dorrance Hamilton Hall, and the Terra Building, the University provides a wealth of modern studios, shops, labs, equipment, galleries, and libraries to support the making of art.

The variety of studios and equipment is extensive, ranging from woodworking and metal shops, printmaking and computerized typesetting shops, to fine arts, crafts and design studios, and photo, film, and digital imaging labs. Four large kilns enhance ceramic-making capabilities and a forge has been built for sculpture. A large weaving shop is complete with dozens of looms and a dyeing room. A 19th century carriage house was converted into a skylit figure-modeling studio for sculpture students.

Digital 3D Scanning and Printing Equipment

Students in Crafts, Industrial Design, Sculpture and other departments have access to equipment for digital 3D. Several computer labs are equipped with 3D CAD (computer aided design) software with which digital models may be created. Scanning is used to create digital 3D models from physical objects. The scanned models may be manipulated (scaled, refined, altered) and/or combined with the digital models created in 3D CAD programs. The centerpiece of our digital 3D facility is the Envisiontec Perfactory 3D printer. It automatically constructs physical models made of methacrylate (a plastic material) from the digital CAD models. The Perfactory prints single objects as large as 7.5” x 6” x 9” and larger objects may be built in sections. The plastic models are used by design students as prototypes for visualization, testing, and presentation. Jewelry, crafts, and sculpture students create artwork to be printed out. The plastic may be used as the final product, or it may be painted, combined with other materials, transformed into other materials using molding and casting techniques, or transformed into metal through investment casting or electroforming.

Digital Technology/Electronic Media

Advances in digital technologies have established the computer as an essential tool for creative work. Artists, designers, and performers will increasingly be responsible for the development of new digital media. These advances are creating a wealth of job opportunities for individuals with creative talent that is unparalleled in the history of the arts.

Since 1981, The University of the Arts has been a leader in the field of computer-mediated art and design education in the Northeast region. The University has carefully integrated new media technologies into traditional fields of study within art and design disciplines. Additionally, the Electronic Media Department offers studio elective courses in computer concepts, virtual sculpture, digital multimedia, and electronic media production, at introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels for all students regardless of their major. UArts remains dedicated to continuing this leadership role of preparing students for career opportunities in traditional and electronic media.

Typography/Imaging Lab

The Imaging Lab is a fully equipped pre-press and output facility that accommodates Book Arts, The Borowsky Center for Publication Arts, Graphic Design, Illustration, Media Arts, and Printmaking, among many other departments. We have a traditional darkroom with three copy cameras, two enlargers, and one contact frame. Non-silver classes do all their darkroom work in this facility. The output center houses a Dolev 400 image-setter, film processor, Cannon CLC 1110 color fiery printer, Epson Stylus V4800 Pro, HP large-format six color printer, and four Macintosh workstations. We process film and color output for student work and departmental needs. Students are able to work in the lab under technicians and learn the workings of pre-press and high-end digital output. Imaging workshops are held with classes in the lab, as well as one-on-one consultations with students in the final stages of creative digital work for critiques, portfolios, and thesis exhibitions.

Media Arts Studios

The Media Arts Department (photography/film/digital video/ animation) provides students with high-end equipment and studios modeled after professional environments. Media Arts houses two Master Series Oxberry animation stands, as used by Disney and other professional firms, to film animation drawings, which enable students to produce professional-quality work. In addition, Media Arts digital facilities include three AVID digital video editing systems, a state-of-the-art Windows XP Professional computer animation lab, and a 16-station closed-loop color-calibrated digital imaging computer lab. Media Arts also houses two animation shooting studios, a specially built and acoustically isolated film shooting studio, two fully equipped digital sound studios, five flatbed film editors, as well as video editing, a Casablanca editing system, splicers, synchronizers, and projectors.

Other Media Arts facilities include state-of-the-art high-ventilation darkrooms with 55 4x5 enlargers, a black-and-white RC print processor, a color darkroom with 14 individual stations and a 32” RA four-color print processor, and four photography shooting studios with all the essential equipment for studio photography.

The Media Arts Equipment Room serves student needs by checking out animation, film, and photography equipment, including lights, cameras, tripods, animation discs, and sound equipment for digital photography, two Olympus E-300 digital SLR cameras with 14-45mm and 50-150mm lenses are available to students. The Equipment Room is open seven days a week and offers extended hours on weekdays.

Digital Imaging Lab

The Media Arts Department Digital Imaging Lab is a unique facility built to support high-resolution digital imaging and digital video. The lab has 16 Apple Macintosh G5 computers, equipped with two gbs of RAM, dual high-capacity hard drives, dual Color Calibrated Display monitors for each cpu. Each station has an Epson 2450 FireWire flatbed scanner, and an Wacom Intuos 9x12 tablet. There are a number of Polaroid, Nikon and Minolta Film Scanners, and an Imacon 626 Film scanner. For output, there are a number of devices including a Tektronix Phaser 780 color laser printer, a Fuji Pictrography 3500 Digital Printer, a Xante Tabloid Laser Printer, a Polaroid Pro-Palette 8045 8K film recorder, and a Hewlett-Packard 5000PS wide-format digital inkjet printer, with both dye- and pigment-based inks and an Epson 4000 Pro 2200, and 2000P Printers. The lab also has two Pro-Tools XP systems, five Panasonic DV1000 digital video decks and three Sony DSR-40 digital video decks and a sign Video Firewire 12 pt. patchbay. The lab is managed by an Apple G5 OSX server and an Xraid server, with more than 2.5 terrabytes of storage to facilitate the requirements of a modern digital workflow. The lab is available to students majoring in a Media Arts program, or enrolled in specifically designated Media Arts courses.

Computer Animation Lab

The Media Arts Department Computer Animation Lab is a lab designed solely for computer animation. It features 16 IBM Dual Intel XEON processor workstations running Windows XP Professional, with SoftImage XSI 3.0, Maya for 3-D animation, and Adobe Premiere, After Effects, Illustrator, and Photoshop for 2-D work. Digital Audio is handled by Sound Forge and Pro-Tools, and there is also a Macintosh OS X system for FireWire output to the Sony DSR-40 Digital Video Deck. Each system is designed specifically for animation, and has a Wacom Tablet, a dedicated FireWire scanner, CD-RW drives, and a DVD and RW drive. Digital output is handled by three DPS Perception systems, a Sony Beta deck, a Panasonic SVHS deck, a Sony Digital Video Deck, and a DVD burner. The lab also has a Tektronix Phaser 780 color laser printer for output of animation stills. The lab is managed by a dedicated IBM Fibre Channel server running Windows 2003, and an Apple dual G5 X serve, with 5.6 terrabytes of storage.

Digital Audio Sound Studios

The Media Arts Department houses two state-of-the-art Digital Audio Sound Studios. They are based around two Pro-Tools 24 Mix-TDM systems, each with a Mackie 16x8x2 Mixing Console, a Tascam 234 4-track Cassette Recorder, a Tascam 122 Stereo Cassette recorder, two Neutrik 48 pt. patch bays, a Yamaha SPX900 Sound Processor, an Apple Macintosh G4 with a 17-inch monitor, DVD-RAM, FireWire CD-RW Drive, Tascam DA60 DAT recorder, and a USD Sync Controller. Both rooms can record from the Film Studio, or an Isolation Booth with microphones, foldback, and direct instrument connection.

The facilities also include three AVID Express Deluxe (v.5.7) suites running Windows 2000 Professional on Compaq W8000 2.8ghz, 512 RAM Computer Systems with Dual Stream Uncompressed video, Meridien III Board Set, Son Beta UVW01800 video deck, JVC BR-5800 SVHS video deck, mackie mixer, and dual 21-inch Sony Trinitron Monitors, complemented by three Final Cut Pro video editing Workstations. Two Apple XServe Dual Processor systems, and one Dual Processor Apple G4 system. Each suite includes DigiDesign ProTools 001 software and Hardware, Sony DSR 11 DV Decks, and 20-inch flat panel displays.

Media Arts Department Dub Room

The Media Arts Dub Room allows conversion of audio and video media to differing formats. The following components are supported through track-mounted patch bays for dupes of conversion. Sony Beta UVW-1800 video deck, JVC BR-5800 SVHS video deck, Mackie 12 channel mixer, Elmo TRV-16 Film Transfer unit, Otari 1/4-inch halftrack studio editing deck, Tascam 122 Stereo Cassette Deck, Yamaha DVD Player, Panasonic AGW3 Multi-Standard VHS deck, Tascam DA60 Studio DAT recorder, Tascam MD1 Minidisk deck, Technicx Turntable, Magnasync 16 mm magnetic film recorder, Nagra 4.2 tape deck, two Sony UMatic 3/4-inch video decks, a Sony DVD-R VX500 deck, and a Tascam Patch Bay.

Borowsky Center for Publication Arts

The Borowsky Center for Publication Arts is a unique educational arm of the University providing students, staff, faculty, and visiting artists a resource to explore the creative potential inherent in the offset lithographic printing medium. The Center enables qualified users to experience the complete graphic arts process from initial conceptualization through production, while maintaining the highest printing standards. The Center is equipped with a Heidelberg Kors 19 x 25 offset press, a Dos horizontal camera, a darkroom for shooting and developing negatives, and platemaking and stripping facilities. Staffed with a master printer and student assistants, the Borowsky Center produces a wide variety of printed material including posters, catalogs, brochures, announcements, limited edition prints and artists’ books. The Center’s Fact Sheet, which includes all procedures for project submittal, is available in the CAD Dean’s office.

College of Art and Design Undergraduate Programs

All Freshman students enter the 18-credit Foundation core program that includes courses in drawing, two-dimensional design, three-dimensional design, and time-motion studies. The Foundation program introduces the basic language and processes of the visual arts and prepares the students for entry into a major department. Through Freshman elective course offerings, students are introduced to major course options and opportunities offered by the College of Art and Design.

In the Sophomore year, students select a major from one of the following departments:

Crafts: Ceramics, Fibers, Metals, Wood

Fine Arts: Painting and Drawing, Printmaking/Book Arts, Sculpture

Graphic Design

Illustration

Industrial Design

Media Arts: Animation, Film/Digital Video, Photography

The major program is augmented by required and elective courses in other departments in CAD, CPA, and CMAC to encourage an awareness of the productive interaction that can occur between the many disciplines available at the University. Alternative career opportunities are often developed by students stimulated by courses outside their major.

The college currently offers three concentrations and seven minor programs that can augment or complement the student’s major course of study.

Many departments offer internships and practicums to study off-campus during the Junior and Senior years. Frequent field trips to museums, galleries, artists’ studios, and design studios in Philadelphia, New York, and Washington, D.C., supplement their regular work in studios and workshops.

Academic Advising

Academic advising at the University is designed to provide maximum information and assistance to students from the time they enter the Foundation program in their Freshman year until they complete their final semester as Seniors.

In the Foundation year, each student is assigned to a Foundation section with its own advisor. Each student is required to meet with the advisor at least once each semester and is encouraged to seek out the advisor as soon as any difficulties begin to occur.

At the end of the Foundation year, when the student selects and enters one of the major departments, the student is assigned to a faculty member who teaches in that department. This faculty member serves as that student’s advisor for the next three years. Each student meets with his or her advisor at least once a semester to discuss the student’s academic program.

In addition, there are two formalized advising sessions:

Second semester, Freshman year: When students enter a major department, the advisor meets in small groups (four to five students) to orient them to collegiate and departmental academic requirements and standards, departmental expectations, elective options and opportunities, program strategies, two-year planning, and office hours.

Second semester, Junior year: Individual meetings to review progress, plan final year (both semesters), and review graduation requirements. Students may request a degree audit from the Office of the Registrar at any time.

Transcript copies of student records are supplied on request to faculty advisors by the Registrar following the recording of grades each semester.

BFA Degree Requirements: Credit Distribution by Category

The student is ultimately responsible for completion of all course requirements for the degree program in which he/she is enrolled. The College requires a minimum of 123 credits for graduation (126 for the BS in Industrial Design). A student carrying an average of 15.5 credits per semester would be making normal academic progress toward graduation.

The general credit structure for the BFA is as follows:

Courses                       Credits
Foundation                        18
Major department credits  42
Elective                              21
Liberal Arts                        42
Total credits                   123

Electives

Elective studio credits may be completed in any department at the College of Art and Design, the College of Media and Communication, or the College of Performing Arts.

Students are required to take at least nine credits of studio elective courses outside of their major program.
Major studio departments may require up to six credits of the 21-credit elective requirement in another studio major, and/or Liberal Arts.
Students may select up to six credits of Liberal Arts courses to be used towards the 21-credit elective requirement, as long as the department has not also required the allocation of six credits of Liberal Arts from the 21-credit elective requirement.

Minimum Grade Requirements

The professional orientation and preparation of the College of Art and Design’s undergraduate major degree programs require students to achieve beyond the University’s minimum academic standards.

Students must achieve a grade of “C” or better in all College of Art and Design major course requirements and any required courses in other departments, including a discipline history if applicable.

Students who receive a grade of “C-” or lower in a required major course must repeat the course. The degree requirement for that student will be increased by the number of credits that must be repeated.

Students who receive “C-” or lower grades in major courses are required to schedule an appointment with the chair of their department during the first week of classes of the semester immediately following the semester in which the “C-” or lower grade was received. After advising with the chair, students must adjust their schedule accordingly during the Drop/Add period.

A student who receives more than one grade of “C-” or lower in required major courses in a given semester will be reviewed by the Academic Review Committee and placed on academic censure, even if the student’s GPA is above 2.0.

An excessive number of grades of “C-” or lower in major coursework may result in dismissal. Students who are unable to achieve minimum grades in major coursework are advised to speak with their advisor and consider transferring to another major.

The Art Therapy and Education concentrations are special courses of study that are offered in conjunction with the studio major programs. Interested students should refer to the program requirements of those concentrations.

Every student must have the approval of his or her department to proceed to the next level of coursework. Advising is a shared responsibility between the department and the student. Each must remain informed about the student’s progress toward graduation. Finally, the student’s petition to graduate must be approved by the department advisor or chairperson in consultation with his/her faculty.

Minors/Concentrations

The University offers minors and concentrations for students who wish to focus on a specific discipline through organized electives. Please note that minors are offered by all three colleges at UArts. Please refer to the other college sections of this catalog for additional information about offerings, eligibility, prerequisites, and course requirements. You may also contact the departments directly for additional information.

Students wishing to include a minor as part of their undergraduate program should be advised that it is not always possible to complete a minor, and there are no penalties for starting a minor and not completing it. Students are not permitted to continue pursuit of the minor once all degree requirements have been met. All University minors are governed by the following guidelines:

Students must meet eligibility requirements, which may include a satisfactory grade-point average, prerequisites, and departmental portfolio review.
Intent to complete a minor is declared by filing the completed Minor Declaration Form with the Office of the Registrar. The forms are available in the Office of the Registrar.
A student may not major and minor in the same program, except where indicated.
Courses applied to the minor may only be applied towards elective requirements.
All minors require a minimum of 15 credits, with the exception of E-Music for Music majors. Generally, no substitutions to the minor requirements are allowed. In exceptional situations where substitutions are granted, they must have the approval of both the major and minor program advisors.
The requirements of the minor must be completed prior to graduation.
A student pursuing a minor may be required to complete more than the minimum number of credits required to complete the undergraduate degree in order to also complete the minor.
Minors are available only to undergraduate students.

Internships

Crafts, Fine Arts, Media Arts, Illustration, and Design sponsor an internship course open to all CAD students regardless of their majors. Internships are voluntary and valuable. They reinforce and expand classroom theory and practice and allow the student to test possible career choices and get a feel for the workplace. Students applying for an internship must meet the following eligibility requirements: Junior or Senior level in a BS or BFA program, a 2.5 cumulative grade-point average and be registered for no more than 18 credits, including those from the Internship during the semester. No more than six Internship credits may be credited toward a BS or BFA degree.

Each participating department has an Internship Faculty Advisor who is responsible for coordinating the internships, placing students with workplace sponsors, advising students on course requirements, and deciding on the final pass/fail grades.

Students who are interested in pursuing an internship may obtain Internship information from their faculty advisor, the Career Services Office, or the Dean’s Office in CAD. Students sign up for internships during the registration process. The internship course is graded on a pass/fail basis and carries three academic credits. For further information please see the Internship section of the Academic Policies and Procedures section of this catalog, and the course descriptions in the back of this catalog.

Foreign and Summer Study Programs

Foreign and summer studies are available through a number of programs hosted by other institutions. Interested students should meet with the chair of their major department to discuss the appropriate program, timing, and feasibility of off-campus study. Those who choose to participate should contact the Registrar and Financial Aid Office for advising on transfer of credit and financing.

Cooperative Program with Philadelphia University

An agreement between The University of the Arts and Philadelphia University (formerly Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science) permits a limited number of students in each institution to register for a maximum of three undergraduate credits per semester at the sister institution without the payment of additional tuition.

Students are limited to a total of six undergraduate exchange credits during their four-year enrollment at the home institution. Registration is available on a selective basis for qualified students and is restricted to courses not offered at the home institution.

Interested students should contact the Office of the Registrar at 215-717-6420 for additional information and registration materials.

Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD) Mobility Program

The College of Art and Design at The University of the Arts is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD). Students in good standing may spend a semester as a guest at another participating member institution. Students remain matriculated at The University of the Arts, and with their advisor’s prior approval will receive full credit for work done at one of the following cooperating institutions:

Art Academy of Cincinnati
Art Institute of Boston
Atlanta College of Art
California College of the Arts
Cleveland Institute of Art
College for Creative Studies
Columbus College of Art and Design
Cooper Union School of Art
Corcoran School of Art
Kansas City Art Institute
Laguna College of Art and Design
Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts
Maine College of Art
Maryland Institute, College of Art
Massachusetts College of Art
Memphis College of Art
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Montserrat College of Art
Moore College of Art and Design
Oregon College of Art and Craft
Otis College of Art and Design
Pacific Northwest College of Art
Parsons School of Design
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Pratt Institute
Rhode Island School of Design
Ringling School of Art and Design
San Francisco Art Institute
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

AICAD International Affiliates
Alberta College of Art and Design
Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design
Nova Scotia College of Art and Design
Ontario College of Art and Design

Students apply through their home institutions, which are responsible for the selection of participants. For further information, contact the Office of the Dean, 215-717-6120.

College of Art and Design Graduate Programs

Jamer Hunt

jhunt@uarts.edu
Graduate Coordinator
215-717-6250

Graduate study in the College of Art and Design provides intensive professional preparation in a stimulating multi-arts environment. A select range of specialized graduate degrees in Fine Arts, Design, and Visual Arts Education features focused curricula, small classes, dedicated faculty, and access to outstanding facilities and resources.

All programs address interarts and/or interdisciplinary issues through both studio activity and the University Seminars on “Structure and Metaphor,” and “Art and Society,” which bring students together from all graduate programs at the College of Art and Design. Additionally, all MFA students take the University Seminar on “Criticism.”

A University of the Arts education extends beyond the classroom and studio. Through partnerships, workshops, residencies, internships, and symposia, students engage the larger art, design, and education communities and interact with some of today’s most important artists, designers, and educators in a broad range of disciplines.

The College of Art and Design offers these graduate programs: Master of Fine Arts degrees in Book Arts/Printmaking, Museum Exhibition Planning and Design; low-residency summer Master of Fine Arts degrees in Ceramics, Painting, or Sculpture; Master of Industrial Design; Master of Arts in Art Education; Master of Arts in Museum Communication; Master of Arts in Museum Education; Master of Arts in Teaching in Visual Arts.

CAD Policies for Graduate Students.

Please refer to the Academic Policies and Procedures section of this catalog for a full listing of policies that pertain to all UArts graduate students.

Graduate Thesis Requirements

CAD graduate programs require each graduate student to meet specific thesis requirements. The requirements may include a thesis exhibition or project, and should be successfully completed once the student has fulfilled all other program requirements. Students must submit two copies of their thesis to their program director in order to qualify for the degree. One copy of the thesis remains with the department and one is submitted to the Greenfield Library.

Leave of Absence for Summer MFA

SUMFA students are limited to one off-semester leave of absence between the first and third summers. If a longer leave of absence is necessary, the student will be asked to take a full year’s leave of absence.

Summer Graduate Electives Policy

Students wishing to complete studio or liberal arts electives during University summer sessions may review pre-approved summer course offerings in the spring with their program advisor and may register for these courses only after obtaining approval and the signature of the CAD Graduate Coordinator. A maximum of six credits is transferable to the graduate curriculum.

Transfer Credit

Studio courses must be 300-level for graduate credit. Two hundred-level courses may be taken with justification from the director and written approval from the Graduate Coordinator. Art Education Competency may be taken as an independent study.

Changing Graduate Programs

Students enrolled in a CAD graduate program wishing to change degree programs must apply through the Office of the Registrar by completing an Application to Change Programs. A change of program is not automatic and occurs only when the applicant meets the acceptance requirements of the program to which they wish to transfer.

Graduate Seminars

The graduate seminar serves as a lively, interdisciplinary forum that brings together students engaged in discreet graduate programs to examine relationships between contemporary visual culture and historic ideas about art and design. Recognizing Philadelphia as a setting and laboratory for the development of collaborative projects and career initiatives, students in the seminar can discuss and apply ideas being explored in their own fields of study in order to identify and cultivate connections between and beyond their respective areas of study.

In practice, graduate seminar study emphasizes the development of writing, research, and critical skills to aid students in the communication and documentation of their work and ideas — both in the major, as it pertains to their specific explorations, and in the wider contemporary context of art and design issues. The seminar experience offers students the opportunity to develop presentation skills by maximizing the use of multimedia applications for presentations of their research results.

Each graduate program in The College of Art and Design offers a selection of seminars designed to inform the direction of the major curriculum. Seminar course listings, Structure and Metaphor, Art and Society, and Criticism are described in the course descriptions, and are listed as part of each graduate program’s curriculum.