Visual Arts
[ graduate program | courses | faculty ]
OFFICE: 216 Mandeville Center for the Arts
http://visarts.ucsd.edu
The Department of Visual Arts offers courses in painting, drawing, sculpture, performance, computing in the arts, film, video, photography, and art history/criticism (including that of film and video). A bachelor’s degree from this department provides students with a solid liberal arts background and is preparatory training for careers as artists, art historians, filmmakers, video artists, photographers, digital media artists, and art critics. It also provides students the initial skills required for teaching and work in museums, television, and the commercial film, photography, and internet industries.
By its composition, the Department of Visual Arts is biased in the direction of actively producing artists and critics whose presence at the center of the contemporary art world necessitates reconsideration and reevaluation of artistic productions, their information structure, and significance. Consequently, a flexible introductory program of historically based courses has been devised mainly to provide the student an opportunity to concentrate on areas involving significantly different aesthetic and communication structures. A series of studio courses, in which painting and sculpture are included, is presented to bring the student into direct contact with the real contingencies compelling redistribution of aesthetic attitudes and reinterpretation of genres. Because of the exploratory nature of our program, the department is prepared to emphasize new media that would traditionally be considered to have scant relation to the visual arts. Thus, courses in theatrical events, linguistic structures, etc., are provided. In this context, theoretical courses with a media orientation, as in film, video, photography, or computing, are also offered.
The Department of Visual Arts is located in the Mandeville Center for the Arts. In addition, the master of fine arts program office, as well as faculty and graduate students’ studios/research spaces are located in the Visual Arts Facility sited in Sixth College. Ph.D. student offices are located in the Literature Building. Facilities and equipment are available to undergraduates in both the Mandeville Center and at the campuswide Media Center, providing the opportunity to study painting, drawing, photography, computing in the arts, 16mm film, performance, sculpture, and video. Facilities at the Media Center include portable video recording equipment, video and audio editing suites, non-linear editing, and production studios. Additional film equipment available includes an animation stand, optical printer, two sound-mixing studios, and numerous film editing suites. Courses in computing in the arts take place in the Silicon Graphics/Mac/NT lab located at the Visual Arts Facility, the INTEL-shared lab in the Applied Physics and Mathematics building, and a dedicated ICAM lab in building 201 University Center.
The University Art Gallery displays a continually changing series of exhibitions, and the Mandeville Annex Gallery, located on the lower level, is directed by visual arts undergraduate students. A gallery and performance space, located in the Visual Arts Facility, are directed by graduate students.
The Undergraduate Program
College Requirements
The Department of Visual Arts teaches courses applicable toward the Muir, Sixth, and Warren general-education requirements, the Marshall humanities requirement, the Eleanor Roosevelt and Revelle fine arts requirements. Optional minors may be taken within any college.
Minor in Visual Arts
The Department of Visual Arts offers minors in seven areas of study: studio painting/drawing/ sculpture, photography, computing, art history, history and criticism of film and video, digital video and film production, and ICAM. A minor consists of seven specific courses, of which at least five must be upper-division. Because the requirements differ for each minor, prospective visual arts minors should consult with the departmental advisor for a complete list of appropriate classes acceptable for the minor.
Students are advised to begin their program in the second year; otherwise, they cannot be guaranteed enough time to complete the classes required for a minor.
Art History (VA26)
Required Courses
20. Introduction to Art History
Choose one from
21A. Introduction to Art of the Americans or Africa and Oceania
21B. Introduction to Asian Art
Choose one course from three of the five Distribution areas A–E.
Please refer to the Art History major for the course options in each area:
- European Pre-Modern: Ancient and Medieval
- European early Modern: Renaissance and Baroque
- Modern and Contemporary
- Arts of the Americas
- Arts of Asia
Choose two additional Art History courses from any area A–E.
Studio Minor (VA28)
Required Courses
22. Formations of Modern Art
111. Structure of Art
Choose one course from
1. Introduction to Art-Making: Two-Dimensional Practices
2. Introduction to Art-Making: Motion- and Time-Based Art
3. Introduction to Art-Making: Three-Dimensional Practices
Choose four courses from:
104A. Performing the Self
104BN. Verbal Performance
104CN. Personal Narrative
105A. Drawing: Representing the Subject
105B. Drawing: Practices and Genre
105C. Drawing: Portfolio Projects
105D. Aesthetics in Chinese Calligraphy
105E. Chinese Calligraphy Installation
106A. Painting: Image Making
106B. Painting: Practices and Genre
106C. Painting: Portfolio Projects
107A. Sculpture: Making the Object
107B. Sculpture: Practices and Genre
107CN. Sculpture: Portfolio Projects
ICAM: Interdisciplinary Computing and the Arts (VA29)
Required Courses
ICAM 40/VIS 40. Introduction to Computing in the Arts
ICAM 110. Computer Arts: Current Practice
ICAM 150/VIS 159. History of Art and Technology
Choose one from
1. Introduction to Art-Making: Two-Dimensional Practices
2. Introduction to Art-Making: Motion and Time-Based Art
3. Introduction to Art-Making: Three-Dimencional Practices
MUS 4. Introduction to Western Music
Choose one from
ICAM 101/VIS 140. Digital Imaging: Image and Interactivity
ICAM 103/MUS 170. Musical Acoustics
Choose two from
ICAM 102/VIS 145A. Time and Process Based Digital Media I
145B. Time and Process Based Digital Media II
ICAM 120. Virtual Environments
ICAM 130/VIS 149. Seminar in Contemporary Computer Topics
MUS 171. Computer Music I
MUS 172. Computer Music II
MUS 176. Music Technology Seminar
132. Installation Production and Studio
141A. Computer Programming for the Arts I
141B. Computer Programming for the Arts II
147A. Electronic Technologies for Art I
147B. Electronic Technologies for Art II
Computing (MO53)
Required Courses
22. Formations of Modern Art
VIS 40/ICAM 40. Introduction to Computing in the Arts
111. Structure of Art
VIS 159/ICAM 150. History of Art and Technology
Choose three upper-division Computing courses:
ICAM 101/VIS 140. Digital Imaging: Image and Interactivity
ICAM 102/VIS 145A. Time and Process Based Digital Media I
145B. Time and Process Based Digital Media II
147A. Electronic Technologies for Art I
147B. Electronic Technologies for Art II
Photography (MO54)
Required courses
22. Formations of Modern Art
60. Introduction to Digital Photography
111. Structure of Art
158. Histories of Photography
VIS 159/ICAM 150. History of Art and Technology
164. Photographic Strategies
165. Camera Techniques
History and Criticism of Film and Video (MO72)
Required courses
70N. Introduction to Media
84. History of Film
111.* Structure of Art
Choose four upper-division courses in the history and/or criticism of film and video. (Courses numbered 150–157 except 156N)
*Five unique upper-division courses in media history/criticism are required if you are also completing a Visual Arts major or minor.
Digital Video and Film Production (MO71)
Required courses
70N. Introduction to Media
84. History of Film
111.* Structure of Art
174. Media Sketchbook
Choose one upper-division course in digital video and film production listed below:
171. Digital Cinema: Theory and Production
175. Editing: Theory and Production
176. 16 mm Filmmaking
177. Scripting Strategies
178. Sound: Theory and Production
Choose two upper-division courses in the history and/or criticism of film and video listed below:
150. History of Silent Cinema
151. History of Experimental Film
152. Film in Social Context
153. The Genre Series
154. Hard Look at the Movies
155. The Director Series
157. Video History and Criticism
194S. Fantasy in Film
*Five unique upper-division courses in media are required if any of these courses overlap with your major or minor.
**Students may not major in Visual Arts Media (VA27) and minor in Digital Video and Film Production.
Education Abroad Program
Students are often able to participate in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) and UC San Diego’s Opportunities Abroad Program (OAP) while still making progress toward completing their major. Financial aid is applicable to study abroad and special study abroad scholarships are readily available. Students considering this option should discuss their plans with an Education Abroad advisor before going abroad, and courses taken abroad must be approved by the departmental faculty advisor. More information on EAP/OAP is detailed in the Education Abroad Program of the UC San Diego General Catalog or on their Web site http://programsabroad.ucsd.edu/pao/. Interested students should contact the Programs Abroad Office in the International Center.
Residency Requirements
A minimum of two-thirds of the course work completed for the major must be taken at UCSD. Students who transfer to UCSD in their second or third year may petition to substitute courses taken at other colleges and universities for major requirements.
Visual Arts 111, Structure of Art, must be taken at UCSD by all students, including transfer students, in the art history, media, and studio majors.
Honors Programs
The department offers honors programs in art history, in media, and in studio for outstanding students.
The art history honors program will provide outstanding students with pre-professional experience. It consists of an issue-oriented seminar followed by a directed group study and will result in an exhibition with catalogue, a scholarly conference with a mock publication and/or series of research papers. Students who meet the criteria may, with permission of the art history faculty advisor or the art history honors seminar instructor, enroll in the art history honors program during the last quarter of their junior year or as a senior. This program is open to juniors and seniors who meet eligibility requirements: minimum major GPA of 3.5 (3.3 overall), completion of all lower-division art history requirements, completion of all upper-division art history distribution requirements, and completion of Art Historical Methods (VIS 112) and at least one additional art history seminar. The level of distinction will be determined by the faculty committee on the basis of work in the honors seminar and on the research project.
The media honors program will help students develop high-quality professional portfolios. The honors thesis project is a sequence of individual studies that runs the length of an academic year to provide sufficient time for ideas to develop and critically aware work to be produced. Students may arrange to work with different faculty advisors each term or may engage a single advisor for the year. To be eligible for the honors thesis sequence, students must have at least a 3.5 GPA in the major and have approval of all the advisors with whom they will work. Qualified students may begin their sequence the last quarter of their junior year or during their senior year. At the end of the third quarter, all involved media faculty will meet to critique the overall quality of the final thesis work to determine level of distinction.
Through exhibition, verbal and written presentations and course work, the studio honors program is intended to give the student as strong a technical, critical, and theoretical base as possible. The program is open to juniors and seniors with a minimum 3.5 GPA in the major (3.0 overall), who have completed all lower-division studio requirements and all upper-division groups I, II, III, and IV (subgroup A) requirements.
Students interested in participating in an honors program should consult with the departmental advisor.
Double Major within the Department
There are three double majors within the Department of Visual Arts: Art History/Theory/ Criticism paired with either studio, media, or ICAM. Students interested in a double major within the department must have at least ten upper-division courses that are unique to each departmental major and the remaining courses may overlap with other major requirements. Students should consult with the departmental advisor for additional information.
Major Requirements
Twenty courses are required in studio, media, and ICAM and eighteen courses in art history for the attainment of the bachelor of arts degree. A minimum of twelve of these courses must be upper-division, however, some majors may require more upper-division courses.
All courses taken to satisfy major requirements must be taken for a letter grade, and only grades of C– or better will be accepted in the visual arts major.
Studio Major
The studio major is aimed at producing a theoretically based, highly productive group of artists. Lower-division courses are structured to expose students to a variety of ideas in and about the visual arts. Introductory skills are taught, but their development will occur at the upper-division level in conjunction with the student’s increasing awareness of the range of theoretical possibilities in the field. The curriculum includes courses in drawing, painting, sculpture, performance, photography, video, 16mm film, many offerings in art history/criticism, as well as new courses in digital imaging and electronics.
Group I: Lower-Division
Foundation Level
Five courses required.
1. Introduction to Art Making: Two-Dimensional Practices
2. Introduction to Art Making: Motion and Time Based Art
3. Introduction to Art Making: Three-Dimensional Practices
22. Formations of Modern Art
Choose one from
20. Introduction to Art History
21A. Introduction to the Arts of the Americas or Africa and Oceania
21B. Introduction to Asian Art
84. History of Film
Group II: Upper-Division
Entry Level
Five courses required.
111. Structure of Art
Choose four from
40/ICAM 40.* Introduction to Computing in the Arts
60.* Introduction to Digital Photography
70N.* Introduction to Media
104A. Performing the Self
105A. Drawing: Representing the Subject
106A. Painting: Image Making
107A. Sculpture: Making the Object
Note: Required for Visual Arts studio, media, and art history majors.
*VIS 40, 60, or 70N can be taken to fulfill Group II entry level studio requirements, but will not count toward the fifteen upper-division courses needed to fulfill the major requirements.
Group III: Upper-Division
Intermediate Level
Two courses required.
104BN. Verbal Performance
105B. Drawing: Practices and Genre
105D. The Aesthetics of Chinese Calligraphy
106B. Painting: Practices and Genre
107B. Sculpture: Practices and Genre
140/ICAM 101. Digital Imaging: Image and Interactivity
147A. Electronic Technologies for Art I
Group IV: Upper-Division
Advanced Level
Five courses required.
Group A
Choose two from
104CN. Personal Narrative
105C. Drawing: Portfolio Projects
105E. Chinese Calligraphy as Installation
106C. Painting: Portfolio Projects
107CN. Sculpture: Portfolio Projects
147B. Electronic Technologies for the Art II
Group B
Group A must be completed before Group B can be taken.
Choose three from
108. Advanced Projects in Art
110A. Contemporary Issues and Practices
110B. New Genres/New and Old Technologies
110C. Proposals, Plans, Presentations
110D. Visual Narrative/Tableau
110E. Art in Public Places/Site Specific Art
110F. Installation: Cross-Disciplinary Projects
110G. The Natural and Altered Environment
110H. Image and Text Art
110I. Performing for the Camera
110J. Ritual Performance
110K. Installation Performance
130. Special Projects in Visual Arts
132. Installation Production and Studio
Group V: Upper-Division
Non-Studio
Three courses required.
Upper-division art history, film history, and theory/ criticism courses such as
113CN.* History of Criticism III: Contemporary (1950–Present)
117B.* Theories of Representation
117I.* Western and Non-Western Rituals and Ceremonies
124CN. Nineteenth-Century Art
125A. Twentieth-Century Art
125BN. Contemporary Art
152. Film in Social Context
154. Hard Look at the Movies
157. Video History and Criticism
158. Histories of Photography
159/ICAM 150. History of Art and Technology
194S. Fantasy in Film
*seminar
Honors Program in Studio
110M. Studio Honors I
110N. Studio Honors II
The Studio Honors I and the attached Studio Honors II count as one course towards the fulfillment of a Group IV requirement.
Art History/Theory/Criticism Major
The major in art history, theory, and criticism is designed both for students who desire a broadly based education in the humanities and for those who plan to pursue a career in an art-related profession. In both cases, the foundation for study is proficiency in the languages of artistic expression. Through the study of art history, students learn to treat works of art as manifestations of human belief, thought, and experience in Western and non-Western societies from prehistory to the present day. Courses in criticism review the theoretical approaches that are used to understand artistic achievement. By combining art historical and critical study, the program promotes in the student an awareness of the cultural traditions that have shaped his or her intellectual outlook and provides a framework for informed judgment on the crucial issues of meaning and expression in contemporary society.
Majors are encouraged to take relevant courses in allied disciplines such as history, communication, anthropology, and literature, and in such area programs as classics and Italian studies. In addition, students who plan to apply to graduate schools are strongly advised to develop proficiency in one or more foreign languages, as is dictated by their area of specialization.
FOUNDATION LEVEL—Lower-Division
Five courses required.
20. Introduction to Art History
22. Formations of Modern Art
23. Information Technologies in Art History
Choose one from
21A. Introduction to the Art of the Americas or Africa and Oceania
21B. Introduction to Asian Art
Choose one from
1, 2, 3. Introduction to Art-Making
60. Introduction to Digital Photography
70N. Introduction to Media
Note: VIS 23 should be completed by the end of the sophomore year or taken the first time it is offered after a junior declares an art history major or transfers into the program. VIS 23 is a prerequisite for VIS 112.
ADVANCED LEVEL—Upper-Division
Thirteen courses required.
GROUP I—Required Courses
Two courses.
These two courses are required for all art history and criticism majors:
111. Structure of Art*
112. Art Historical Methods
Note: Majors must complete VIS 112 by the end of their junior year and are strongly advised to do so earlier.
*Required of Visual Arts art history, media, and studio majors.
GROUP II—Distributional Requirement
Six courses.
Choose one course from each of the following areas:
A. European Pre-Modern: Ancient and Medieval
120A. Greek Art
120B. Roman Art
120C. Late Antique Art
120D. Prehistoric Art
121AN. The Idea of Medieval Art
121B. Castles, Cathedrals, and Cities
121D.* The Illuminated Manuscript in the Middle Ages
128A. Topics in Pre-Modern Art History
129A.* Seminar in Pre-Modern Art History
B. European Early Modern: Renaissance and Baroque
122AN. Renaissance Art
122CN. Defining High Renaissance Art
122D. Michelangelo
122GS. The City in Italy
122F.* Leonardo’s La Gioconda
123AN. Between Spirit and Flesh: Northern Art of the Early Renaissance
123BN.* Jan van Eyck
124AN. Baroque Art
128B. Topics in Early Modern Art History
129B.* Seminar in Early Modern Art History
C. Modern and Contemporary
124BN. Art and the Enlightenment
124CN. Nineteenth Century Art
125A. Twentieth Century Art
125BN.* Contemporary Art
125DN.* Marcel Duchamp
125F. Latin American Film
128C. Topics in Modern Art History
129C.* Seminar in Modern Art History
158. Histories of Photography
159/ICAM 150. History of Art and Technology
D. Arts of the Americas
126AN. Pre-Columbian Art of Ancient Mexico and Central America
126BN. The Art and Civilization of the Ancient Maya
126C.* Problems in Mesoamerican Art History
126D.* Problems in Ancient Maya Iconography and Inscriptions
126HN. Pacific Coast American Indian Art
126I. Southwest American Indian Art
126J. African and Afro-American Art
126K. Oceanic Art
126P. Latin American Art, 1890–1950
126Q. Latin American Art, 1950–Present
126R. Latin American Photography
128D. Topics in Art History of the Americas
129D.* Seminar in Art History of the Americas
E. Arts of Asia
127B. Arts of China
127C. Arts of Modern China
127D.* Early Chinese Painting
127E.* Later Chinese Painting
127F.* Japanese Buddhist Art
127G.* Twentieth-Century Chinese Art
127N. Twentieth-Century Art in China and Japan
127P. Arts of Japan
127Q.* Japanese Paintings and Prints
128E. Topics in Art History of Asia
129E.* Seminar in Art History of Asia
F. Theory
113BN.* History of Criticism II: Early Twentieth Century (1900–1950)
113CN.* History of Criticism III: Contemporary (1950–Present)
117A.* Narrative Structures
117B.* Theories of Representation
117E.* Problems in Ethnoaesthetics
117F. Theorizing the Americas
117G. Critical Visual Theory and Practice since 1980
117H. Constructing Gender in Fifth-Century BC Athens and Eighteenth-Century France
117I.* Western and Non-Western Rituals and Ceremonies
128F. Topics in Art Theory and Criticism
129F.* Seminar in Art Theory and Criticism
*seminar
Students must take at least three upper-division seminars in addition to VIS 112. These three additional seminars may come from any area and be taken in fulfillment of the distribution requirements or as open electives.
In accordance with standard university policy, the department requires that students take two-thirds of the upper-division courses in their major at UCSD. The distribution requirement must be fulfilled with courses taken at UCSD. Courses taken abroad or at other U.S. institutions do not count towards, and will not be substituted for, the six-course distribution requirement.
GROUP III—Electives
Five courses.
Students are required to take five upper-division courses in addition to VIS 111, VIS 112, and those used to fulfill the distribution requirements. At least three of these must be courses in art history or theory. For the remaining two, choose from the following:
- Any upper-division art history course(s) in history or theory
- any upper-division course(s) in media history and criticism (e.g., VIS 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156N, 157);
- up to two upper-division courses in studio or media production; or
- with permission of art history faculty advisor, one upper-division course in a related department or program such as anthropology, history, literature, or critical gender studies.
- two two-unit curatorial practices workshop courses (VIS 128P) count as one course towards the fulfillment of an elective.
Honors Program in Art History
129G.* Art History Honors Seminar
129H.* Art History Honors Directed Group Study
*seminar
The completion of both the Art History Honors Seminar and the Art History Honors Directed Group Study counts as one course towards the fulfillment of the Group III requirement.
Students who meet the criteria may, with permission of the art history faculty advisor or the Art History Honors Seminar instructor, enroll in the Art History Honors Program during the last quarter of their junior year or as a senior. This program is open to juniors and seniors who meet eligibility requirements. Please consult with the departmental advisor for these requirements.
Media Major
With a visual arts foundation, the program is designed for students who want to become creative videomakers, filmmakers, photographers, and computer artists, encouraging the hybridity of media. The curriculum combines hands-on experience of making with practical and theoretical criticism, provides historical, social, and aesthetic backgrounds for the understanding of modern media, and emphasizes creativity, versatility, and intelligence over technical specializations. It should allow students to go on to more specialized graduate programs in the media arts, to seek careers in film, television, computing, or photography, or to develop as independent artists. All media majors should see the Visual Arts Undergraduate advisor upon entrance into UCSD.
FOUNDATION LEVEL—Lower-Division
Six courses required.
Group A
1 or 2 or 3. Introduction to Art Making
22. Formations of Modern Art
84. History of Film
Group B
40/ICAM 40. Introduction to Computing in the Arts
670. Introduction to Digital Photography
70N. Introduction to Media
All six courses listed under Groups A and B above are required. VIS 70N is prerequisite for use of the Media Center facilities; no further production courses may be taken until VIS 70N is completed.
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL—Upper-Division
Nine courses required: six from Group A and three from Group B.
Group A
Two courses required. Required courses for all emphases:
111. Structure of Art
174. Media Sketchbook
Choose One Emphasis
Four courses required.
Computing Emphasis
Three courses plus one from photography or video and digital cinema.
140/ICAM 101. Digital Imaging: Image and Interactivity
145A/ICAM 102. Time- and Process-Based Digital Media I
147A. Electronic Technologies for Art I
Photography Emphasis
Two courses plus two from computing or video and digital cinema.
164. Photographic Strategies
165. Camera Techniques
Video and Digital Cinema Emphasis
Three courses plus one from computing or photography.
171. Digital Cinema—Theory and Production
175. Editing—Theory and Production
176. 16mm Filmmaking
177. Scripting Strategies
178. Sound—Theory and Production
GROUP B—History, Criticism, and Theory
Three courses required.
113BN. History of Criticism II: Early Twentieth Century (1900–1950)
113CN. History of Criticism III: Contemporary (1950–Present)
117B. Theories of Representation
150. History of Silent Cinema
151. History of Experimental Film
152. Film in Social Context
153. The Genre Series
154. Hard Look at the Movies
155. The Director Series
156N. Special Problems in Film History and Theory
157. Video History and Criticism
158. Histories of Photography
159/ICAM 150. History of Art and Technology
Note: Any courses in the art history distributional requirement may be taken to fulfill the Group B requirement.
VIS 158 is required for all students with a photography emphasis.
VIS 159/ICAM150 is required for all students with a computing emphasis.
ADVANCED LEVEL—Upper Division
Five courses required.
180A. Documentary Evidence and the Construction of Authenticity in Current Media Practices
180B. Fiction and Allegory in Current Media Practices
183A. Strategies of Self
183B. Strategies of Alterity
Three of the above are required for the photography and video and digital cinema emphases and two are required for the computing emphasis. The A and B portion of VIS 180 and VIS 183 courses cannot be taken concurrently.
Electives
Three courses required.
Computing Emphasis
Three courses required.
145B. Time- and Process-Based Digital Media II
147B. Electronic Technologies for Art II
149/ICAM 130. Seminar in Contemporary Computer Topics
Photography Electives
Two courses required.
166. Advanced Camera Techniques
167. Social Engagement in Photography
168. Color Techniques in Photography
Video and Digital Cinema Electives
Two of the courses below required.
181. Sound and Lighting
182. Advanced Editing
184. Advanced Scripting
If not taken previously, one of the 180A, 180B, 183A, or 183B courses may be used toward the upper-division elective requirement.
Students must have senior standing before any of the following four courses may be taken and instructor approval is required to enroll.
109. Advanced Projects in Media
131. Special Projects in Media
132. Installation Production and Studio
197. Media Honors Thesis
Note: Enrollment in production courses is limited to two per quarter. Production courses are numbered VIS 109, 131, 132, 140/ICAM 101, 145A/ICAM 102, 145B, 147A-B, 164–184.
Interdisciplinary Computing and the Arts (ICAM)
The Interdisciplinary Computing and the Arts major in the Departments of Music and Visual Arts draws upon, and aims to bring together, ideas and paradigms from computer science, art, and cultural theory. It takes for granted that the computer has become a metamedium and that artists working with computers are expected to combine different media forms in their works. All of this makes the program unique among currently existing computer art or design programs which, on the one hand, usually focus on the use of computers for a particular media (for instance, specializing in computer animation, or computer music, or computer design for print) and, on the other hand, do not enter into a serious dialogue with current research in computer science, only teaching the students “off-the-shelf” software.
The program also recognizes that creating sophisticated artistic works with computers requires a new model of the creative process, one which combines traditional artistic procedures with the experimental research characteristic of the sciences. All in all, it aims to train a new type of cultural producer, who is familiar with art and media history, who is equally proficient with computer programming and artistic skills, who is always ready to learn new technologies, and who is comfortable interacting with scientists and computer industry resources.
The goals of the program are
- to prepare the next generation of artists who will be functioning in a computer-mediated culture
- to give students necessary technical, theoretical, and historical backgrounds so they can contribute to the development of new aesthetics for computer media
- to prepare students to mediate between the worlds of computer science and technology, the arts, and the culture at large by being equally proficient with computing and cultural concepts
- to give students sufficient understanding of the trajectories of development in computing so they can anticipate and work with the emerging trends, rather than being locked in particular software currently available on the market
Lower-Division
Eight courses required.
Arts
Four courses required.
MUS 4. Introduction to Western Music
VIS 1. Introduction to Art-Making: Two-dimensional Practices
VIS 22F. Formations of Modern Art
VIS 77N. Introduction to Media
Computer Science
One course required.
CSE 11. Introduction to Computer Science: JAVA
Note: CSE 11 is an accelerated course in the JAVA programming language. CSE 8A/8L and 8B, which cover the same material in a non-accelerated format, may be substituted.
Mathematics
Two courses required.
Math. 20A. Calculus for Science and Engineering
Math. 20B. Calculus for Science and Engineering
Note: MATH 20A and 20B are accelerated calculus courses for Science and Engineering. MATH 10A, 10B, and 10C, which cover similar material in a non-accelerated format, may be substituted.
Computing and the Arts
One course required.
ICAM 40/VIS 40. Introduction to Computing in the Arts
Upper-Division
Twelve courses required.
Survey
One course required.
ICAM 110. Computing in the Arts: Current Practice
Foundation
Three courses required.
ICAM 101/VIS 140. Digital Imaging: Image and Interactivity
ICAM 102/VIS 145A. Time-and Process-Based Digital Media I
ICAM 103/MUS 170. Musical Acoustics
Advanced
Four courses required.
Choose three from
ICAM 120. Virtual Environments
ICAM 130/VIS 149. Seminar in Contemporary Computer Topics
VIS 109. Advanced Projects in Media
VIS 131. Special Projects in Media
VIS 132. Installation Production and Studio
VIS 141A. Computer Programming for the Arts I
VIS 147A. Electronic Technologies for Art I
VIS 174. Media Sketchbook
MUS 171. Computer Music I
MUS 173. Audio Production: Mixing and Editing
MUS 174A-B-C. Recording/MIDI Studio Techniques
MUS 175. Musical Psychoacoustics
MUS 176. Music Technology Seminar
Choose one from
VIS 141B. Computer Programming for the Arts II
VIS 145B. Time- and Process-Based Digital Media II
VIS 147B. Electronic Technologies for Art II
MUS 172. Computer Music II
Theory and History
Two courses required.
ICAM 150/VIS 159. History of Art and Technology
and one of
VIS 150. History of Silent Cinema
VIS 151. History of the Experimental Film
VIS 152. Film in Social Context
VIS 153. The Genre Series
VIS 154. Hard Look at the Movies
VIS 155. The Director Series
VIS 156N. Special Problems in Film History and Theory
VIS 157. Video History and Criticism
VIS 158. Histories of Photography
VIS 194. Fantasy in Film
MUS 111. Topics/World Music Traditions
MUS 114. Music of the Twentieth Century
Senior Project
Two courses required.
ICAM 160A. Senior Project in Computer Arts I
ICAM 160B. Senior Project in Computer Arts II
Note: Enrollment in production courses is limited to two per quarter. Production courses are numbered VIS 109, 131, 132, 140/ICAM 101, 141A-B, 145A/ICAM 102, 145B, 147A-B, 174. ICAM 120, 160A-B.