Majors & Minors in Art & Visual Studies

The major in art offers four tracks: Studio Art, Art History & Visual Culture, Digital Art & Design, and the Balanced Curriculum (offering a balance between Studio Art and Art History & Visual Culture coursework).

Also offered are minors in Art History,  Studio Art, and Digital Art & Design.

Studio Art Track Requirements, 36 credits minimum

Each student must complete the outline of foundational and intermediate courses shown below, and complete a concentration in 2-D media, sculpture or digital art.

Foundation Courses (12 credits)

These classes should be completed first, in any order.

• ART 100 Introduction to Art 2-D (3 credits)
• ART 101 Introduction to Art 3-D (3 credits)
• ART 210 Drawing I (3 credits)
• ART 206 Western Art: 15th through 20th Centuries (3 credits)

Intermediate Courses (15 credits)

These classes should be completed next. The three studio courses may be taken in any order.

• ART 288 Seminar in Visual Thinking (3 credits). Offered spring term only. Should be taken at end of sophomore year and simultaneous with one of the intermediate studio courses 222, 252, or 200.
• ART 222 Painting I (3 credits)
• ART 252 Sculpture I (3 credits)
• ART 200 Digital Photography I (3 credits)
• ART 370 Contemporary Art (3 credits)

Advanced Art Requirements (9-13 credits)

Typically these requirements are met during the final three semesters. Advanced Art Seminar (ART 388) must be taken during the fall term of the senior year, and completion of the senior project usually takes place during the final semester.

The Concentration (6 credits)

Select a studio area that you would like to focus upon in your curriculum and complete two additional semesters of coursework in that area. These classes may be completed at suitable points during the junior and senior years. Please maintain a close consultative relationship with your advisor in determining the best semesters in which to complete these courses.

Concentration in 2-D Media

ART 323 Painting 2 (3 credits) and ART 324 Special Projects in Painting (3 credits) or two semesters of enrollment in ART 311 Special Projects in Drawing (6 credits)

Concentration in Sculpture

ART 353 Sculpture 2 (3 credits) and ART 354 Special Projects in Sculpture (3 credits)

Concentration in Digital Art

ART 300 Advanced Digital Photography (3 credits) and ART 301 Special Projects in Digital Photography (3 credits)

Advanced Art Seminar (3 Credits)

ART 388 Advanced Art Seminar. Offered fall term only; should be taken in the fall of the senior year.

Senior Project (0-4 Credits)

The senior project in studio art is a graduation requirement, but it can be completed in a number of ways. In all cases the senior project must be presented to a public audience. This is ordinarily accomplished by presenting either a solo exhibition or a two-person exhibition of senior project artwork. The following list identifies the ways in which the senior project requirement can be completed:

• Enroll for senior project credits under the supervision of a studio art faculty member; Senior Project in Studio Art, Art 389, 0-4 credits;
• By agreement with the studio faculty members, you may create a coherent body of work for exhibition in Advanced Art Seminar or the Special Projects course in your concentration.

Art History & Visual Culture Track Requirements, 30 credits minimum

A minimum of nine Art History & Visual Culture courses (27 credits) must be taken. 15 credits are required from the list of intermediate courses. ART 392 is required as an advanced course. One studio art elective of the student's choice completes the track. In addition, each student must complete and publicly present a senior project.

Introductory Courses, 9 credits, choose three

• ART 102 Image/Text in Visual Media (3 credits)
• ART 205 Western Art: Cave Paintings to the Gothic Cathedral (3 credits)
• ART 206 Western Art: 15th through 20th Centuries (3 credits)
• ART 207 Women Artists from the Renaissance to the Present (3 credits)
• ART 208 Introduction to Visual Culture Media (3 credits)
• ART 209 History of Photography (3 credits)

Intermediate Courses, 15 credits minimum, choose five

• ART 366 From Watteau to Goya: European Art of the Eighteenth Century (3 credits)
• ART 368 Age of Impressionism (3 credits)
• ART 369 Picasso to Dali: Avant-Garde Art, 1900-1935 (3 credits)
• ART 370 Contemporary Art (3 credits)
• ART 371 Modern and Contemporary Latinx Visual Culture (3 credits)
• ART 372 Media Theory (3 credits)
• ART 381 Art of Mexico (3 credits)
• ART 382 Art of Colonial Spanish America (3 credits)
• ART 390 Selected Topics (1 to 4 credits)

Advanced Course, 3 credits

• ART 392 Seminar in Art from the Early Modern through the Modern Periods (3 credits). Must be taken within the junior or senior year. May be repeated for credit. 

Studio Art Requirement, 3 credits

• One studio art course (3 credits)

Recommended

• Study abroad
• Foreign language study
• A double major (many combinations are possible) or an interdisciplinary minor, such as French Cultural Studies

Digital Art & Design Track - 30 credits minimum

The Digital Art & Design track focuses on the commercial application of visual art and design principles in the production of creative content for various new media platforms.

Foundation Courses (12 Credits)

These courses should be taken first

• ART 100 Intro to Art 2-D (3 credits)
• ART 200 Digital Photography I (3 credits)
• ART 210 Drawing I (3 credits)
• ART 120 Graphic Design I: Digital Software Literacy (3 credits)

Intermediate Courses (15 Credits)

These courses should be taken after the foundation courses:

• ART 201 Moving Image I: Web and Social Media (3 credits)
• ART 376 Moving Image II: Animation (3 credits)
• ART 224 Graphic Design II: The Visual Language of Design (3 credits)
• ART 375 Graphic Design III: Logo Design and Branding Systems (3 credits)
• ART 208 Introduction to Visual Culture/Media (3 credits)

Advanced Courses (6 credits)

• ART 388 Advanced Art Seminar (3 credits)
• ART 389 Senior Project In Digital Art & Design (3 credits)

Minors in Art History or Studio Art Requirements

Art History Minor, 18 credits minimum

Any six history courses.

Studio Art Minor, 18 credits minimum

Required

• ART 210 Drawing 1 (3 credits)
• One 300 level course

Pick three of the following courses

• ART 100 Introduction to Art 2-D (3 credits)
• ART 101 Introduction to Art 3-D (3 credits)
• ART 200 Digital Photography 1(3 credits)
• ART 222 Painting 1 (3 credits)
• ART 242 Printmaking 1 (3 credits)
• ART 252 Sculpture 1 (3 credits)

Pick one of the following courses

• ART 288 Seminar in Visual Thinking (3 credits) (recommended)
• ART 388 Advanced Art Seminar (3 credits)

Minor in Digital Art & Design - 18 Credits

These courses should be taken first

• ART 100 Intro to Art 2-D (3 credits)
• ART 120 Graphic Design I: Digital Software Literacy (3 credits)

These courses should be taken next

• ART 201 Moving Image I: Web and Social Media (3 credits)
• ART 376 Moving Image II:  Animation (3 credits)
• ART 224 Graphic Design II: The Visual Language of Design (3 credits)
• ART 375 Graphic Design III: Logo Design and Branding Systems (3 credits)

The Balanced Curriculum Track Requirements, 36 credits minimum

This option allows a balance between studio and art history coursework The balanced curriculum is designed to meet the needs of students with keen interest in both areas of study. It also provides much of the breadth (studio and art history) required by teacher credentialing standards in art. The senior presentation or project may be completed following the standards shown in either the Studio Art Track section or the Art History & Visual Culture section.

Art History & Visual Culture Component, 15 Credits

Any five art history classes

Studio Art Component, 21 Credits

Foundation courses (12 credits)

Among the required studio courses, these are to be completed first. 

• ART 100 Introduction to Art 2-D (3 credits)
• ART 101 Introduction to Art 3-D (3 credits)
• ART 210 Drawing I (3 credits)
• ART 288 Seminar in Visual Thinking (3 credits)

Intermediate courses (6 credits)

Next, complete any two of the following three courses.

• ART 200 Digital Photography I 3 credits
• ART 222 Painting I 3 credits
• ART 252 Sculpture I 3 credits

The balanced curriculum student may fulfill the requirement of one Advanced Course in either Studio Art or Art History & Visual Culture.

Advanced Course in Studio Art (3 credits)

• ART 388 Advanced Art Seminar (3 credits). Either after completing or while simultaneously enrolled in the Intermediate courses, take Advanced Art Seminar (offered fall semester only). Ordinarily, this class is taken fall of senior year.

Advanced Course in Art History & Visual Culture (3 credits)

• ART 392 Seminar in Art from the Early Modern through the Modern Periods (3 credits). Must be taken within the junior or senior year. May be repeated for credit.

Senior Presentation or Project

The student may fulfill this requirement following the standards described in either the Studio Art Track section or the Art History & Visual Culture Track section.

The content on this page is for informational purposes only. Official degree requirements can be found in the Whittier College Catalog.