Art/Art and Graphic Design

Betty Friedman
Chair
(650) 508-3631
bfriedman@ndnu.edu

The Department of Art offers a curriculum that seeks the aesthetic, intellectual, and spiritual fulfillment of its students through the development of creative intuition, technical competence, and cultural sensitivity.

The Art major is offered for emerging artists to explore their artistic vision through rigorous studio work and the study of Art History. For those seeking a studio art program, the Art Department offers a Bachelor of Arts degree.

The Department of Art offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in the major of Art for those planning to pursue a career in Art as this degree is preferred and often required for entrance into an MFA program. Further studio practice in this major provides a focus for portfolio development within a major technique.

The Bachelor of Arts in Art and Graphic Design offers instruction in professional graphic design concepts, production techniques, technology, and web design. It is tailored for those seeking careers in the graphic design field. Art and Graphic Design Majors must complete an internship in graphic design and produce a final design portfolio. 

The Art Department offers a special articulated program with NDNU's graduate program in Art Therapy Psychology. This program allows qualified students in their last year of undergraduate work to begin study for the master's degree, while completing the bachelor's degree. They are allowed to enroll in up to six units of selected graduate coursework in Art Therapy that fulfills part of the undergraduate general elective requirement, while also counting those graduate units toward the master's degree. Undergraduate Art majors who are interested in NDNU’s Art Therapy Psychology graduate program are encouraged to also minor in Psychology.

Jump to:

• Learning Outcomes
• Bachelor of Arts in Art
• Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art
• Minor in Art
• Bachelor of Arts in Art and Graphic Design
• Minor in Art and Graphic Design
• Interdisciplinary Minor
• Course Descriptions

Learning Outcomes

Art Major Program Level Learning Outcomes

Students completing a degree in Art:

• Will be familiar with art history from the past to the present including the recognition and comprehension of art movements, cultural and regional styles, technical developments and visual content.
• Can demonstrate visual problem solving using basic design principles in 2-D design, 3-D design and color dynamics.
• W ill be able to combine risk-taking and experimentation with disciplined work habits as part of the creative process.
• W ill be able to communicate effectively in a variety of visual, written and oral forms with vocabulary specific to Art.
• W ill self-expression in painting and drawing through rigorous studio practice.
• Will develop a portfolio integrating their best examples of paintings, drawings, prints, photography and sculpture.

Art and Graphic Design Major Program Level Learning Outcomes

Students completing a degree in Art and Graphic Design:

• Will be familiar with art history from the past to the present, including the recognition and comprehension of art movements, cultural and regional styles, technical developments and visual content.
• Can demonstrate visual problem solving using basic design principles in 2-D design, 3-D design and color dynamics.
• Can effectively use graphic design industry specific software for design and production of projects and portfolios.
• Can communicate effectively in a variety of ways, including written, oral and visual, with vocabulary specific to the graphic design field.
• Will have experience working in the design field through an internship in the profit or not-for-profit sector.
• W ill have a portfolio of their best design projects demonstrating their own style in graphic design and web design.

Bachelor of Arts in Art

In addition to major requirements, students must meet Core Curriculum Requirements and General Degree Requirements.

Prerequisites		Units
ART1001	Drawing I	3
ART1002	Drawing II	3
ART1018	Life Drawing I	3
ART1019	Life Drawing II	3
ART1101	Two-Dimensional Design	3
ART1109	Color Design	3
ART1118	Three-Dimensional Design	3
ART1127	Advanced Design	3
ART1201	Art through Time: An Art History Survey	3
Total Prerequisites		27
Major Requirements		Units
ART2201	Art History: Modern Art	3
ART2215	Art History: Contemporary Art since 1945	3
Three units of Painting from the following:		3
ART2301	Representational Painting
ART2305	Projects in Painting
ART2310	Outdoor Painting
Three units of Media Graphics from the following:		3
ART2405	Media Graphics: Layout and Typography
ART2410	Media Graphics: Production Techniques
Three units of Printmaking from the following:		3
ART25 01	Printmaking: Etching
ART25 05	Printing: Multimedia Workshop
ART2615	Sculpture I	3
ART2625	Photography I	3
ART2635	Gallery Techniques	3
ART2881	Senior Seminar	3
Upper-division electives in Art History		3
Total Major Units		30
Other Degree Requirements* and General Electives		67
*Other degree requirements include Core Curriculum Requirements and General Degree Requirements (e.g. U.S. History).
Total Unit Requirement		124

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art

The requirements for the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Art are the same as the requirements for the corresponding Bachelor of Arts degree in Art, except that the BFA degree students must take three upper-division courses in a Major Technique and satisfy the following additional requirements:

ART2001	Advanced Life Drawing	3
Two courses in a Minor Technique		6

Major and minor techniques may be chosen from painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, or graphic design.

Minor in Art

Students who wish to minor in Art must complete 15 units, of which a minimum of six must be upper division and taken in residence, to be arranged in consultation with the Art Department Chair.  

Bachelor of Arts in Art and Graphic Design

In addition to major requirements, students must meet Core Curriculum Requirements and General Degree Requirements.

Prerequisites		Units
Six units of Drawing from the following:		6
ART1001	Drawing I
ART1002	Drawing II
ART1010	Drawing with Illustrator
ART1018	Life Drawing I	3
ART1019	Life Drawing II	3
ART1101	Two-Dimensional Design	3
ART1109	Color Design	3
ART1118	Three-D imensional Design	3
ART1127	Advanced Design	3
ART1201	Art through Time: An Art History Survey	3
Total Prerequisites		27
Major Requirements		Units
ART2215	Art History: Contemporary Art since 1945	3
Three units of Art History from the following:		3
ART2201	Art History: Modern Art
ART2210	Art History: Art in Business and Industry
Three units of Painting from the following:		3
ART2301	Representational Painting
ART2305	Projects in Painting
ART2310	Outdoor Painting
ART2401	Media Graphics: Graphic Design	3
ART2405	Media Graphics: Layout and Typography	3
ART2410	Media Graphics: Production Techniques	3
ART2415	Elements of Web Design	3
Three units of Printmaking from the following:		3
ART2501	Printmaking: Etching
ART2505	Printmaking: Multimedia workshop
ART2625	Photography I	3
ART2635	Gallery Techniques	3
ART2880	Senior Graphic Design Portfolio	3
ART2990	Graphic Design Internship	2
Total Major Requirements		35
Other Degree Requirements* and General Electives		62
* Other degree requirements include Core Curriculum Requirements and General Degree Requirements (e.g., U.S. History).
Total Unit Requirement		124

Minor in Art and Graphic Design

A minor in Art and Graphic Design is available to any student and is comprised of the following classes:

Required Courses		Units
ART1010	Drawing with Illustrator	3
ART1101	Two-Dimensional Design	3
ART2401	Media Graphics: Graphic Design	3
ART2405	Media Graphics: Layout and Typography	3
ART2410	Media Graphics: Production Techniques	3
Total Unit Requirement		15

Interdisciplinary Minor

An interdisciplinary minor in Web Design is also available, combining courses from Art, Communication, and Computer Science.  For general information on Interdisciplinary Minors, see Undergraduate Academic Information.