College of Art and Design

Alida Fish
Interim Dean
afish@uarts.edu
215-717-6121

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

The College of Art and Design was established in 1876 as part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Together, they were originally known as the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art, created in response to the growing interest in art and art education stirred by the country’s Centennial Exposition. In 1948, it became Philadelphia Museum School of Art, reflecting expanded programs that trained artists in a variety of areas.

The School received accreditation as a college in 1959, and in 1964 it separated from the Museum to become the Philadelphia College of Art (PCA). In 1985 PCA merged with the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts to become the Philadelphia Colleges of the Arts. The Colleges were granted university status in 1987 and became the University of the Arts.

The College of Art and Design believes the arts are a fundamental and significant form of human achievement. The study of art encompasses and reflects diversity of knowledge, thought, aesthetics and expression.

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

Bachelor of Fine Arts

• Animation 
• Crafts (Ceramics, Fibers, Metals, and Wood) 
• Film/Animation 
• Film/Digital Video 
• Graphic Design 
• Illustration 
• Multidisciplinary Fine Arts 
• Painting and Drawing 
• Photography 
• Printmaking/Book Arts 
• Sculpture 

Bachelor of Science

• Industrial Design 

The College also offers the following graduate degree programs:

Master of Art

• Art and Design Education 
• Museum Communication 
• Museum Education 
• Master of Art in Teaching 

Master of Fine Arts

• Book Arts/Printmaking 
• Ceramics 
• Museum Exhibition Planning and Design 
• Painting 
• Sculpture 

Master of Industrial Design 

These special undergraduate and graduate programs are also offered:

• Concentration in Art Therapy 
• Pre-certification Concentration in Art and Design Education 
• Post-baccalaureate certificate program in Crafts 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

The galleries in Media Arts, The Mednick and Gallery 1401, The Art Education Gallery, the Fine Arts Galleries, Gallery 817, and the Printmaking/Book Arts Gallery, and the Richard C. von Hess Illustration Gallery all show works of emerging and established artists. Student-run invitational and juried exhibitions in Gallery One give students the experience of installing shows. Museum Exhibition Planning and Design MFA students gain experience and skills from their practical work in the galleries. Highlights of the year are the Annual Student Show, a featured Commencement event, and Senior Student and Master of Fine Arts exhibitions.

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

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

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

• Crafts: Ceramics, Fibers, Metals, Wood 
• Fine Arts: Painting and Drawing , Printmaking/Book Arts, Sculpture, Multidisciplinary Fine Arts 
• Graphic Design   
• Illustration 
• Media Arts: Animation, Film/Digital Video, Photography 

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

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

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

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

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

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

In addition, there are two formalized advising sessions:

1. Second semester, Freshman year: When students enter a major department, Students meet to be oriented to their new department’s academic requirements, standards, and expectations, elective options and opportunities, program strategies, two-year planning, and office hours.
2. Second semester, Junior year: Individual meetings to review progress, plan final year (both semesters), and review graduation requirements. Students may access their degree audit by signing into the University Portal at any time.

Faculty advisors have access to degree audits and transcripts for the students they advise following the recording of grades each semester.

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

The general credit structure for the BFA is as follows:

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

The Elective component of the BFA degree may include  both studio and liberal arts courses.

• Studio courses may be completed in any department in the College of Art and  Design, the College of Media and Communication, or the College of Performing  Arts.
• Students are required to take at  least nine studio elective credits outside of their major  program.
• Major Programs may require up to six elective credits in another studio discipline and/or liberal arts.
• Students may take a maximum of six liberal arts credits as a part of their 21-credit elective requirement. Students pursuing an Art History minor may take a maximum of nine liberal arts credits as part of their 21-credit elective requirement.

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

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

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

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

A student who receives more than one grade of  C - or lower in required major courses in a given semester will be reviewed by the Academic Review Committee and provided with a cautionary letter, even if the student’s GPA is above 2.0.

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

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

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

 

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

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

1. Students must meet eligibility requirements, which may include a satisfactory grade point average, prerequisites, and departmental portfolio review.
2. Intent to complete a minor is declared by filing the completed Minor Declaration Form with the Office of the Registrar. The forms are available in the Office of the Registrar.
3. A student may not major and minor in the same program, except where indicated.
4. Courses applied to the minor may only be applied towards elective requirements.
5. All minors require a minimum of 15 credits,  Generally, no substitutions to the minor requirements are allowed. The minor advisor may permit a substitution only in exceptional situations.
6. The requirements of the minor must be completed prior to graduation.
7. A student pursuing a minor may be required to complete more than the minimum number of credits required to complete the undergraduate degree in order to also complete the minor.
8. Minors are available only to undergraduate students. 

Internships courses are available for all students in the College of Art and Design. They reinforce and expand classroom theory and practice and allow the student to test possible career choices and get a feel for the workplace. Students applying for an internship must meet the following eligibility requirements: Junior or Senior level in a BS or BFA program, a 2.5 cumulative grade point average and be registered for no more than 18 credits, including those from the internship during the semester. No more than six internship credits may be credited toward a BS or BFA degree.

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

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

Opportunities to study abroad are available through a number of programs hosted by other institutions. Interested students should meet with Study Abroad Coordinator in the Office of the Provost and with the chair of their major department to discuss the appropriate program, timing, and feasibility of off-campus study. Those who wish to study abroad must complete a Petition to Study Abroad with appropriate approvals.  To learn about the application process click here .
 

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

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

AICAD International Affiliates

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

Susan Viguers
sviguers@uarts.edu
Graduate Coordinator
215-717-6270

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

All programs require University seminars on “Structure and Metaphor,” and “Art and Society,” which bring students together from all graduate programs at the College of Art and Design. Additionally, all MFA students take the University seminar on “Criticism.”

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

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

 
A cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for good standing and for graduation for graduate students. Students must also achieve a grade of B or above in all program-required courses. If they receive less than a B- in any such course they will be required to repeat it. The original course/grade will remain on the student’s record along with the repeated course/grade, and the degree requirement for the student will be increased by the number of credits that must be repeated.
 
A student whose GPA is lower than 3.0 or a student who receives more than one grade of B- in a program-required course (even if the student’s GPA is above 3.0) will be reviewed by the Academic Review Committee and placed on academic probation.

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

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

MFA C/P/S students are limited to one off-semester leave of absence between the first and third summers. If a longer leave of absence is necessary, the student will be asked to take a break from the program for a full year.

A maximum of six credits of graduate credits may be transferred and applied toward the graduate degree. All transfer credits must be graduate-level classes or upper-level undergraduate classes taken for graduate credit at an accredited college or university, approved by the Registrar and the Graduate Director and must be a B or higher grade.

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