Visual and Performing Arts Courses: Fall 2015
Unless otherwise specified, art courses are for majors only.
Animation
ANIM 201: History of Animation
(3) Credit Hour(s)
History of Animation will introduce students to the context, culture and technology necessary for an understanding of the world of animation. In addition to a history of animation and its practitioners and development, the course also explores what happens to history when it is animated and how animation has been used during the twentieth century to interpret the past. The course also pays attention to the aesthetic of the animated image as well as the unique ability of the image to communicate. Finally, the offering will explore the tools, technology used in animation, and the various techniques: claymation, cel animation, CGI, and so forth. Participants will view animations from various studios, feature- length animated films, and experimental shorts. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ANIM 203: Editing and Sound Basics
(2) Credit Hour(s)
This course will instruct students on how to create sound designs and audio recordings for later application to advanced Animation projects. Examples of tasks assigned and demonstrated include: audio recording, sound edition, sound transformation, and sound design. Students will create a variety of sound work using digital audio equipment to support their career track in animation. Offered as Needed. (UG)
ANIM 210: Introduction to Animation
(2) Credit Hour(s)
This course is designed to introduce the student to the fundamentals of traditional animation and computer animation through a series of exercises increasing in difficulty throughout the term. The course combines lectures with studio exercises to introduce students to the foundations of animation principles as well as more advanced concepts of body mechanics. The course will begin with simple exercises utilizing single objects such as bouncing balls and progress to slightly more complex animation. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ANIM 211: Animation Basics I
(2) Credit Hour(s)
This course is designed to build upon the basic concepts discussed in ANIM 210. The student will gain a more in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of traditional animation and computer animation through a series of exercises increasing in difficulty throughout the term. The course combines lectures with studio exercises to further emphasize foundations of animation principles as well as a deeper understanding of body mechanics. The course will begin with simple exercises utilizing simplified characters and progress to full body character animation. Prerequisite: ANIM 210; restricted to Animation majors. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
ANIM 212: Animation Basics II
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course builds on the preceding Animation Basics 1 course. A sound-sync exercise is animated to match an existing pre-recorded soundtrack. A preliminary animal walk is handled as well as bipedal 3/4 walk cycle (with a choice between two provided characters). More emphasis is stressed on conveying personality through action. More clean-up and inbetweening exercises will be incorporated in this course. Prerequisite: ANIM 211. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ANIM 215: Cartooning
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course is an introduction to the design of the basic cartoon character stressing a solid dimensional approach. Students will begin with basic stick figure exercises that will help to make the connection between life drawing and cartoon design. Visual arts literacy (or equivalent experience) is necessary in order to take this course, as many fundamental skills such as life drawing, perspective, object drawing and composition are vital to this course of study. Prerequisites: ART 106. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ANIM 217: Layout I and Storyboarding
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course is an introduction to the layout process as it relates to various types of animated filmmaking. The course utilizes the elements of perspective and composition, freehand drawing skills and the use of solid construction drawing to create actual background layouts and character poses for an animated film. By learning to analyze and deconstruct existing storyboard panels, students will become familiar with the layout process. Prerequisites: ART 106. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ANIM 218: Layout II
(3) Credit Hour(s)
A continuation of ANIM 217, this is an in-dept study of the layout process, its creative and technical focus, and how it reflects the realitis of a true studio environment. Rendering for different styles, looks, moods; multi-level scenes and feature layouts; analyzing layout tests from major studios. Prerequisite: ANIM 217. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
ANIM 250: Character Design
(3) Credit Hour(s)
In Character Design, students will learn to create believable, complex, and multi-faceted 2D animated characters. Students will focus on facial expressions, animation design styles, personality, psychology and the context of the environment in creating a fully developed character. Prerequisite: ANIM 212. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ANIM 274: Gesture Drawing: Drawing in Action
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Drawing from life is the foundation for understanding motion. Shifts in pose, reflected in proportion, balance and articulation, create a believable sense of organic motion. Gestural Drawing will direct the student to observe motion in the physical world, and examine how motion can be individualized and determined by circumstance. Prerequiste: ART 204. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
ANIM 311: Animation Basics III
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Students will continue to build on their knowledge of classical animation principles with more complicated exercises featuring physical action. The class excercises lend themselves to exaggeration and comic invention. Timing and pre-production planning continue to be an absolute must in order to achieve the desired effects onscreen. Clean-up and inbetweening exercises will again be provided. Prerequisite: ANIM 212. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ANIM 317: Maya Animation I
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Maya Animation I is designed to provide the student with initial experience in animating characters in 3D using Maya. Students have already learned the basics of Classical 2D animation in years one and two, and this course is intended to bridge the gap between Classical and 3D animation. The students will start animating simple shapes immediately on provided 3D rigs, starting with the bouncing ball and moving on to more complex bipedal characters, with the emphasis on acting rather than action and technology. The lessons are designed to introduce the students to the basic animator's toolbox in Maya, such as the Graph editor, function curves and the Outliner, focusing on the end usage (or "playing") rather than the technical inner workings of the program. Prerequisite: ANIM 211. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ANIM 318: Maya Animation II
(3) Credit Hour(s)
In Maya Animation II, students will further their understanding of Maya by creating a short animation using modeling, rigging, animation, texturing, lighting, and rendering. Prerequiste: ANIM 317. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
ANIM 320: Two-Dimensional Effects in Animation
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Two-Dimensional Effects in Animation centers on the mastery of observable physical phenomenon in Animation, including fire, water, smoke, dust, running water, and bubbles popping. Students will recreate these effects in traditional pencil-drawing animation, as well as in Adobe After Effects. Prerequisite: ANIM 211. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ANIM 327: Background Painting
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Background Painting will introduce the student to the practice of creating background environments for figurative images, including architecture, landscape, and surrounding objects. The student will explore color, value, perspective, theatrical composition, lighting and stylization. In addition, the student will explore how the background enhances the subject, whether it is an animated project, illustration, or comic art. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ANIM 333: Maya Modeling & Texturing
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Maya Modeling and Texturing builds off the skill sets introduced in Maya Animation I and II to provide the student with a more complex understanding of computer geometry in order to examine the basic elements of computer models. Modeling, animation, lighting, texture mapping and rendering are explored within a production setting. Prerequisite: ANIM 318. Offered As Needed. (UG)
ANIM 341: Digital Compositing
(3) Credit Hour(s)
In Digital Compositing, the animation student will learn how to combine two or more sources (from film, video, still sources, etc.), to make a new image. Students will gain the ability to manipulate frame composition, timing, and color by editing in Adobe After Effects, and in other post-production software tools. Prerequisite: ANIM 311. Offered As Needed. (UG)
ANIM 411: Animation Basics IV
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This final course in Animation Basics builds on all the skills developed in previous courses and involves a 2-character performance piece with acting and lip sync. The final Inbetweening exercises will be dealt with in this course. Prerequisite: ANIM 311. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
ANIM 421: Advanced Lighting
(3) Credit Hour(s)
In Advanced Lighting, students will apply previous training in lighting to create realistic environments and objects. Prerequisite: ANIM 411. Offered As Needed. (UG)
ANIM 429: Dynamics & Particles
(3) Credit Hour(s)
In Dynamics and Particles, students will explore Particle Systems and Paint Effects to create advanced images. Class projects will complete dynamic animations with the use of particle systems to integrate realistic motion with visual effects. This course will complete the sequence of 3D skill sets standard in the industry. Prerequisite: ANIM 318. Offered As Needed. (UG)
ANIM 432: Maya Character Modeling & Rigging
(3) Credit Hour(s)
In Maya Character Modeling and Rigging, animation students will continue to explore Maya and learn how to customize Maya to speed up workflow. Advanced topics will be introduced, including squash and stretch, utility nodes, and scripting. Prerequisite: ANIM 333. Offered As Needed. (UG)
ANIM 450: Advanced Character Animation
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Advanced Character Animation is a culmination of previous character modeling and animation courses. Students combine previously learned skill sets to produce character animations that demonstrate motivation and personality. Prerequisite: ANIM 318. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
Art
ART 101: Introduction to the Visual Arts
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. An exploration of the principles of design and the creative process in the plastic arts through a series of studio projects in a variety of media; periods of lecture and discussion devoted to aesthetics and the history of art. Non-majors only. Offered Each Semester. (UG)
ART 103: Foundation Design I
(3) Credit Hour(s)
An exploration of pictorial composition in two-dimensional representation with emphasis on the basic elements of design. Limited to BFA, BS Art and BS Art Ed majors only. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ART 104: Foundation Design II
(3) Credit Hour(s)
The second of two courses in design fundamentals, ART104 studies space, light and color with emphasis on three-dimensional expression. Prerequisite: ART 103. Limited to BFA, BS Art and BS Art Ed majors only. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
ART 105: Foundation Drawing I
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Development of visual perception and organization through drawing from nature and life in a variety of drawing media. Limited to BFA, BS Art and BS Art Ed majors only. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ART 106: Foundation Drawing II
(3) Credit Hour(s)
The second of two courses in drawing fundamentals, ART106 explores a variety of thematic drawing experiences emphasizing work in ink, color pencil and mixed media. Prerequisite: ART 105. Limited to BFA, BS Art and BS Art Ed majors only. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
ART 107: Visual Experience
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. An investigation of the visual aspects of the world through artistic themes, techniques, and landmarks. Methods of analyzing form will aid students in experiencing aesthetic responses to historical artistic examples and the contemporary, immediate environment. Non-majors only. Offered Each Semester. (UG)
ART 114: Creative Community Development
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Civic Responsibility; Contextual Integration. This course is designed to engage students in meaningful learning about how the arts are an essential part of our everyday lives and communities. The instructor will engage students in activities that illustrate ways art can be used as a vehicle for community development that seeks to improve community members' well being. The instructor will introduce students to local, national, and international artists, programs, and organizations that are using the arts to positively promote community development and support community members. Students will learn how arts communities (1) are conceived, (2) identify community concerns, (2) plan and use the arts as a way to address those concerns, (3) are funded, and (4) assess their work. The course will connect the arts, healthcare, education, community/cultural development, and civic responsibility/engagement. (UG)
ART 155: Photography for Non-Majors
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Introduction to the essential principles of photography and its use as a creative tool. Non-majors only. Offered As Needed. (UG)
ART 204: Figure Drawing I
(3) Credit Hour(s)
ART204 concentrates on drawing from the human figure to include experimentation in a variety of media. Prerequisite: ART 104 and ART 105. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ART 205: Figure Drawing II
(3) Credit Hour(s)
The second of two courses in figure drawing, ART205 concentrates on drawing from the model with an emphasis on human anatomy. Prerequisite: ART 204. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
ART 218: Creative Drawing
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. The course will be simultaneously an introduction to basic drawing techniques and an exploration of how to work with imagery to express ideas. Students will develop drawing skills with a range of media and will learn how to use these skills to create meaningful, personal drawings that communicate with viewers. For non-majors. Offered As Needed. (UG)
ART 219: Graphic Design I
(3) Credit Hour(s)
An introduction to traditional and contemporary production methods and practices used by Graphic Design professionals. Emphasis is placed on terminology and technical production practices. Prerequisites: ART 104 and ART 106. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ART 225: Watercolor Painting I
(3) Credit Hour(s)
An introductory course in painting using watercolor and casein painting techniques. Prerequisites: ART 104 and ART 106. Offered As Needed. (UG)
ART 226: Watercolor Painting II
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Advanced study of watercolor painting processes, materials and techniques, with emphasis on contemporary Western watercolor and Oriental watercolor painting. Prerequisite: ART 104 and ART 106. Offered As Needed. (UG)
ART 229: Ceramics for Non-Majors
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. Introduction to ceramics, the aesthetic possibilities of clay, basic construction techniques and a basic experience of glazing for those students not majoring in Art, Graphic Design, or Art Education. Non-majors only. Offered as Needed. (UG)
ART 230: Computer Rendering
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Students are introduced to vector- and raster-based computer software as they explore drawing and painting/image processing applications. Emphasis is placed on the Macintosh computer as a tool for artists and graphic designers. Students examine the effects of digitally producing/altering graphic, photography-based, and typographic images. Prerequisites: ART 104 and ART 106. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ART 240: Woodcuts and Monoprints
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Introduction to these two basic forms of printmaking with attention to both aesthetics and processes. Prerequisites: ART 104 and ART 106. Offered Summer Only. (UG)
ART 251: Ceramics I
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Introduction to ceramics, the aesthetic possibilities of clay, basic construction techniques and a basic experience of glazing. Prerequisites: ART 104 and ART 106. Offered Each Semester (UG)
ART 267: Sculpture I
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Introduction to sculpture process concentrating on working in the round and relief. Experiences in a wide variety of common materials and techniques. Prerequisites: ART 104 and ART 106. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ART 275: History of Art: Ancient-Medieval
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. Writing Intensive. Illustrated lectures and discussions on the art of the ancient world from prehistoric times through medieval art. Open to Non-majors. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ART 285: History of Art: Renaissance-Modern
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. Writing Intensive. Study of the development of artistic expression from the fourteenth through the mid-twentieth century. Open to Non-majors, but not recommended for freshmen. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
ART 287: The History of Design
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Study of the history of design, especially the history of visual communication design, from the ancient world to the present. Prerequisites: ART 104 and ART 106. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ART 301: Motion Graphics
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Students will learn about visual design as it relates to the moving image, specifically in the area of motion graphics. The course will include lectures, demonstrations of techniques and applications of motion graphics software, and studio production time to provide an overview of contemporary concerns in visual design using time-based media. Appropriate industry standard computer applications will be introduced and applied. The history of motion graphics will also be covered. Prerequisite: ART 219. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ART 306: Figure Drawing III
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Advanced work from the figure. Special focus based on student's major field of study. Required for Drawing/Illustration majors. Prerequisites: ART 104 and ART 106. Offered As Needed. (UG)
ART 319: Graphic Design II
(3) Credit Hour(s)
The history of typography, the anatomy of the letterform, typeface classifications, typographic terminology and the effective usage of type to convey visual/verbal messages are explored in this course. Prerequisite: ART 219. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
ART 320: Graphic Design III
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Continued exploration of the role of typography in graphic visual communication as combined with graphic and pictorial elements in the production of screen-based interactive visual communication projects. Prerequisite: ART 319. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
ART 325: Introductory Oil Painting
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Introductory course in painting using oil as the vehicle of expression. Prerequisites: ART 104 and ART 106. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ART 326: Introductory Acrylic Painting
(3) Credit Hour(s)
A painting course emphasizing the use of the acrylic medium. Prerequisites: ART 104 and ART 106. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
ART 331: Art Reading List
(3) Credit Hour(s)
An examination of selected writings on art from Modernist periods. Prerequisite: ART 275 or ART 285. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
ART 334: Digital Photography
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This studio course is designed for students with either limited or no experience in photography. It will include a study grounded in the historical, conceptual and practical developments of the art of photography as embodied in the use of digital image making technologies. Students are given a set of basic experiences in the conceptual and practical use of this relatively new art form. Prerequisites: ART 104 and ART 106. Offered Each Semester. (UG)
ART 344: Art in Space and Environment
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. Writing Intensive. A collaborative experience with THA 326, Performance in Space, that leads students to address issues relating to art and theater in a site-specific context. Offered As Needed. (UG)
ART 345: Advanced Drawing I
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Emphasis on the development of an idea through a sequence of drawings. Prerequisites: ART 204, 205. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ART 346: Advanced Drawing II
(3) Credit Hour(s)
As a follow-up to ART345, Advanced Drawing II provides the drawing major with a bridge between the high level of instructor participation characteristic of preceding drawing/illustration courses and the expected independence of the senior project semesters. Prerequisite: ART 345. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ART 348: Seminar and Practice in Graphic Design
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course will focus on an inquiry of the traditional and expanded roles that graphic designers have filled. It will encompass investigation and research into current topics of sustainable practices, opportunities, and theories as applied to the professional practice of graphic design. Issues to be addressed include ethics, current events, and the role of the designer as problem seeker. Prerequisite: ART 319. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
ART 351: Ceramics II
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Ceramics II explores technical and creative experiences in throwing on the wheel and a creative exploration of glazing. Prerequisite: ART 251. Offered As Needed. (UG)
ART 355: History of Non-Western Art
(3) Credit Hour(s)
An overview of artistic traditions outside the influence of Europe with particular emphasis on the arts of East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Open to Non-majors. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
ART 356: Women in Art
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. Illustrated discussion of women in the arts, centering on the obstacles and reception of women in the artistic establishment, and the depiction of women by both male and female artists. Open to non-majors. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ART 367: Sculpture II
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Theory and practice of sculptural composition utilizing modeling and carving with introductory welding and casting. Prerequisite: ART 267. Offered As Needed. (UG)
ART 368: Sculpture III
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Continued exploration of sculptural techniques with emphasis on understanding the character and value of the material to the final work. Prerequisite: ART 367. Offered As Needed. (UG)
ART 381: Illustration I
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Illustration I is an exploration of mostly black and white media, investigation of drawing aid apparatus, drawing techniques. An introduction to extensive conceptual problems will be given. Prerequisite: ART 204. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
ART 382: Illustration II
(3) Credit Hour(s)
A combined drawing and painting experience with specific directions toward narrative images. Media and technique to be compatible with photo/print production. Prerequisite: ART 381. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ART 383: Illustration III
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Advanced exploration of illustration in various media. Prerequisite: ART 382. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
ART 420: Graphic Design IV
(3) Credit Hour(s)
The role of the graphic visual communication designer in the field of advertising is addressed as students produce an advertising campaign. The history of advertising is explored in its relationship to the development of today's most popular forms of advertising including print, broadcast/video, out-of-home and screen-based and interactive media. Prerequisite: ART 319. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
ART 425: Painting III
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Advanced painting problems in various media. Prerequisites: ART 325, 326. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ART 426: Painting IV
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Advanced study in painting. Prerequisite: ART 425. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
ART 427: Fibers II
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Work in fibers emphasizing on-loom textile construction techniques. Prerequisite: ART 327. Offered As Needed. (UG)
ART 435: Advanced Typography
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Advanced design projects which explore the expressive potential of type in a variety of conceptual applications. Additionally, projects focus on the design process as the central component in the development of solutions to visual communication problems. Prerequisite: ART 319. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ART 436: Overview of Aesthetics
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Aesthetics studies the nature of reception and appreciation of the visual realm. Often described as "the philosophy of beauty," aesthetics encompasses the role of visual experience, beauty/ugliness, and visual and poetic expression. This course investigates the history of aesthetics, with a focus on the development of modern aesthetics. Prerequisite: ART 331. Offered As Needed. (UG)
ART 439: Serigraphy
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Serigraphy, or scree-printing, is an exploration of printmaking processes using the photo-mechanically produced image. Prerequisites: ART 104 and ART 106. Offered Each Semester. (UG)
ART 441: Advanced Printmaking
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Opportunity for advanced students to continue exploration of and involvement with chosen printmaking processes and procedures. Prerequisites: ART 240, 340, 439. Offered As Needed. (UG)
ART 443: Issues and Methodologies in Contemporary Art
(2) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Information Literacy. Writing Intensive. Together with ART 498, Senior Exhibition, ART443 satisfies the department's Research and Presentation requirement. Diverse exercises in criticism and analysis to broaden the art student's aesthetic awareness, judgment and sensitivity. Prerequisite: ART 331. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ART 445: Special Projects
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Advanced study in a studio area with special authorization of a faculty member and approval of the department chairperson. May be repeated; two uses total, senior year only. Offered Each Semester. (UG)
ART 446: History of Contemporary Art:1940- Present
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Study of contemporary art history based on the visual and historical movements from the second half of the twentieth century to present day. Prerequisite: ART 285. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
ART 455: Photography
(3) Credit Hour(s)
An exploration of various film photography practices including photograms, pinhole and 120 film cameras, as well as developing and printing methods. This course is about film photography as an art form of conceptual expression and articulation. Recommended for Art Education majors. No previous darkroom experience is needed. Pre-requisites: ART 104 and ART 106. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
ART 456: Advanced Photography
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Advanced work in the creative use of film and papers. Prerequisites: ART 455 or approval of instructor. Offered As Needed. (UG)
ART 464: Sculpture IV
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Advanced study in sculpture. Prerequisite: ART 368. Offered As Needed. (UG)
ART 490: Senior Project
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Advanced study in a major discipline in preparation for and including an exhibition of completed works; supervision by a major instructor and a faculty review board. Normally elected in the final semester, and only after the completion of the entire numbered sequence of courses in the major discipline. Required of all BFA candidates. A BFA degree may not be earned without a grade of "C" or higher in this course. Prerequisite: ART 443. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
ART 498: Senior Art Exhibit
(1) Credit Hour(s)
With ART 443, fulfills Research and Presentation requirement. Required of all BFA Art, BFA Graphic Design, BS Art, and BS Visual Arts Education majors. Prerequisite: ART 443. Offered Each Semester. (UG)
Arts Administration
ARTA 450: Practicum Seminar in Arts Administration and Management
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Students will intern at a practicing arts organization, where they will gain experience in day-to-day operation and support procedures. Students will meet weekly with the faculty advisor to chart time, troubleshoot about organizational issues and discuss assignments. The faculty advisor will correspond closely with the cooperating organization to monitor student progress. Prerequisite: BA 211. (UG)
Music
MUS 100: Introduction to Music
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Basic concepts and terminology; survey of selected periods in music history, with study of representative compositions. Offered As Needed. (UG)
MUS 115: The Music of the United States
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. A survey of the entire range of American music: religious, folk, classical, popular, jazz, etc. Offered As Needed. (UG)
Private music lessons are also available for credit: contact the Visual & Performing Arts Department to arrange.
Theater Arts
THA 103: Basic Acting Technique
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. Acting as an art, survey and evaluation of its development, analysis of method acting and current trends. Exercises and application of acting principles to individual talents and towards development of an ensemble. Theatre games, improvisation, and beginning scene work. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
THA 106: Introduction to the Theater
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. Analysis of theater and drama, historical and current production practices, in order to enhance aesthetic appreciation. Offered Each Semester. (UG)
THA 108: Masked Performance
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. This introductory class will explore the fundamentals of acting and characterization through the lens of the mask and the specific problems it creates for the actor. Offered Each Year (Spring) (UG)
THA 119: Theater, Madness, Power
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. This course, which complements and will be in continued dialogue with REL 114 Culture and Story, examines the role that theater plays in establishing, creating, maintaining or transgressing the categories and boundaries considered essential to modern life: purity and the sacred; morality; sexual identity and gender roles; sanity; honor; free will and choice. Offered as Needed. (UG)
THA 203: Improvisation in the Classroom
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course will introduce students to the work of improvisational practitioners Viola Spolin, Paul Sills and Keith Johnstone. They will gain practical experience with these techniques as tools to engage students in a classroom environment, and will learn how to create a class activities progression, assess student progress, and use the techniques themselves as means of assessment. Offered As Needed. (UG)
THA 207: Improvisation
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. The class will look at improvisation in various performative and cultural contexts. Activities will include practical experiences, including solo and group performances, readings, viewings, research, and writing on historical aspects and contexts of improvisation. Prerequisite: THA 103. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
THA 213: Introduction to Stage Combat
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. This class will focus on the idea of unarmed, staged violence, and will seek primarily to gain an understanding and respect for the physical safety concerns of the stage. Prerequisite: THA 103. Offered As Needed. (UG)
THA 214: Stage Movement
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Studies techniques for presence and movement on stage. Offered As Needed. (UG)
THA 215: Introduction to Suzuki Method of Actor Training
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course introduces students to the Suzuki method of actor training. Offered As Needed. (UG)
THA 216: Mask Construction & Performance
(3) Credit Hour(s)
In this course, students will learn to engage in an aesthetic conversation with the forms and materials involved with mask construction. This awareness will then be used to create original masked performance, as well as exploring the various uses of mask and what advantages each of these uses offers within an Applied Theater context: ritual, educational, psychological and physical. Prerequisite: THA106. Offered as Needed. (UG)
THA 222: Costume Design
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Introduces the student to the art of costume design. Offered As Needed. (UG)
THA 223: Lighting Design
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course presents techniques and facets of lighting design. Offered As Needed. (UG)
THA 224: Set Design
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This class focuses on the fundamentals of set design. Offered As Needed. (UG)
THA 225: Sound Design
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course provides instruction in the basics of sound design. Offered As Needed. (UG)
THA 230: Acting for Animators
(3) Credit Hour(s)
The course will deal in depth with the skills and sensibilities associated with communication through speech, the physical appearance and structure of the vocal articulators, the implementation of the Laban effort actions and their relationship to the definition of a character and the use of improvisation as a tool for creating and evaluating narrative structure. Offered Each Year (Fall). (UG)
THA 231: Performing Objects
(3) Credit Hour(s)
The manipulation of objects is an ancient form of popular performance. This course will explore the history, technology, theory and practice behind puppetry, both mainstream and experimental, and how the traditional role of puppetry has been, and can continue to be extended into previously unexplored areas and sources of objects. Prerequisite: THA106. Offered as Needed. (UG)
THA 232: Shakespeare in Performance: Acting/Directing
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competencies: Affective Awareness and Critial Thinking and Problem Solving. A practical, "conservatory" approach to performing Shakespeare's work, THA 232 will be offered in tandem with LIT 232 - Shakespeare in Performance: Character and Conflict. Together, the two courses will offer a rounded approach to Shakespeare's work as text on the page and in performance. THA 232 will guide students to work as actors and directors, who will engage a range of challenges to staging Shakespeare, both by observing and analyzing the work of eminent professionals and by rehearsing scenes in and outside class. Students will concentrate on character and scene-work in class meetings and will interpret scenes, under the instructor's guidance, for public presentation in lieu of final examinations. Although the emphasis of the course will fall on acting and directing, students interested in other media (the fine arts, animation, video, photography, creative writing) will be encouraged to produce final projects that demonstrate their ability to engage and interpret the plays in non-traditional ways. (UG)
THA 246: Design for the Theater: History of Theatrical Space
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Contextual Integration. This course explores the design of theatrical spaces throughout history, especially in terms of the cultures that shaped them. Students will use this information to investigate what they can learn about a culture from its theatrical events and the spaces designed to hold these events. Prerequisite: THA 106. Offered As Needed. (UG)
THA 250: Voice and Speech for the Actor
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Communication Skills. This class explores the different facets of vocal communication and how they can be manipulated purposefully towards a theatrical end. The class will also investigate the differences between the concerns of stage voice and everyday voice. Prerequisite: THA 103. Offered Each Year (Spring). (UG)
THA 253: Theater As Outreach
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Civic Responsibility. Fulfills Service Learning requirement. The broad purpose of this course is to equip students with the means to design and lead theater workshops for others, especially disadvantaged citizens. The course will train students to facilitate workshops and residencies in a range of settings (schools, hospitals, places of detention, etc.), and will prioritize assisting people of all ages and in a variety of circumstances to find and express an artistic voice. Our main focus will be learning how to assist non-actors to express their issues and concerns through the medium of theater, and to empower members of our community to articulate those concerns in live performances that can then serve as fora community discussion. A signed petition from the Coordinator of Service Learning is required for registration in this course. (UG)
THA 260: Advanced Acting: Scene Study
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. This course for advanced acting students focuses on the skills involved in interpreting text, especially in terms of character development. We will explore the notions of character objective, tactics and arc, as well as continuing our study of narrative structures and the actor's responsibilities toward story. Prerequisite: THA 103. Offered As Needed. (UG)
THA 308: Community Acts: Community-Based Theater
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course focuses on creating new works for performance through workshops, improvisation, and rehearsal. Students are engaging acting skills and using basic storytelling and improvisation techniques to craft a new work through collaboration. Prerequisite: THA103, THA207, THA253. Offered as Needed. (UG)
THA 326: Performance in Space
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking. A collaborative experience with ART 344: Art in Space and Environment that leads students to address issues relating to art and theater in a site-specific context. Offered As Needed. (UG)
THA 328: Advanced Improvisation
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. This course for advanced acting students is a continuation of the skills introduced in THA 207. Prerequisite: THA 207. Offered As Needed. (UG)
THA 333: Stage Management
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course will explore and articulate the various duties, responsibilities and skill sets associated with the role of stage manager in a theatrical production. Prerequisite: THA106. Offered as Needed. (UG)
THA 352: Directing for the Stage
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course will give students an immersive introduction to the process of directing live performance. It will be a project-based examination of the process, from text selection to fully realized production, including negotiating design elements, exploration of dramaturgical questions and working with performers. Offered as Needed. (UG)
THA 404: Devised Performance
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Devising performance is one of the most exciting of contemporary ensemble practices. In this course, students will learn about theories of narrative and dramatic structure, and experiment with a range of methods and techniques for applying these creatively in practice. The course focuses on creating new works for performance through workshops, improvisation and rehearsal, and will teach students to engage acting skills, storytelling and improvisational techniques, as well as making directorial and design decisions. Prerequisite: THA106. Offered as Needed. (UG)
THA 410: New Media & Performance
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course will introduce students to practical and theoretical innovations in contemporary theater and performance. We will explore new technologies, and investigate how these technologies affect performance, either through communication, information processing/exchange and the performer as interface. Through practical exploration and theoretical study, students will explore the human on stage and how s/he is commented upon, mediated, alienated or celebrated through technological intervention. Prerequisite: THA106, THA326. Offered as Needed. (UG)
THA 419: Theater of the Oppressed
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course will expose the students to the methodologies of Augusto Boal and the various formats and styles of performance that are covered broadly by his "Theater of the Oppressed". It is a practical course that will focus on project-based learning and a high level of reflective analysis and writing to build a relationship with the work of Boal. Prerequisite: THA106. Offered as Needed. (UG)
THA 480: Applied Theater Practicum
(3) Credit Hour(s)
In this course, students will engage in supervised work in schools, with youth programs, and in community service settings. They will conceive, organize and implement their own applied theatre projects, in consultation with representatives of the partners as well as the theater faculty advisors. Students will meet weekly with the faculty advisor to chart time, troubleshoot about organizational issues and discuss assignments. The faculty advisor will correspond closely with the cooperating partners to monitor student progress. Prerequisite: Permission of Program Director. Offered as Needed. (UG)
Visual Effects
VFX 110: 2D and 3D Matchmoving
(3) Credit Hour(s)
In this course students will begin acquiring post-production skills for employment in the Visual Effects industry. This first section instructs students on how to adjust for lens distortion by incorporating survey data in order to solve complex and problematic shots. Offered As Needed. (UG)
VFX 115: Rotoscoping
(3) Credit Hour(s)
In this course students will develop a thorough knowledge of the software Nuke and its Roto/Paint node. Specific attention will be placed on basic studio practices related to work flow, such as establishing proper file structures and naming conventions. Offered As Needed. (UG)
VFX 220: Compositing
(3) Credit Hour(s)
In this course students will effectively utilize Nuke for compositing purposes, and to develop a full working knowledge of basic production and pipeline procedures. Additionally, the course explores the more traditional aspects of cinematography as they pertain to visual effects. Prerequisites: VFX110, VFX115. Offered As Needed. (UG)
VFX 230: Paint and Rig Removal
(3) Credit Hour(s)
In this course students will continue working with the software Nuke in its Paint/Roto node. Additional emphasis will be placed on basic studio practices, such as proper file structures and naming conventions. Prerequisites: VFX110, VFX115. Offered As Needed. (UG)
VFX 255: Stereoscopic Conversion
(3) Credit Hour(s)
In this course students will learn to employ different techniques to convert standard 2D plates into stereo shots. They will discover the latest techniques for solving complex stereo problems, including how to rectify different focal lengths, to address vertical misalignment between plates, to employ stereo re-timing to solve stereo artifacts and rotation misalignment. Prerequisites: VFX220, VFX230. Offered As Needed. (UG)