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School of Fine Arts

James D. Kriley, Dean

Pages 202-206
The School of Fine Arts has a dual responsibility. As the only school of Fine Arts in Montana, it has a primary responsibility through its faculty to provide the finest professional training in Art, Dance, Drama and Music. In addition, it trains serious young people who wish to teach in the fine arts. These two goals are part of a strong professional program, for the faculty of the school feels that the best practitioners make the best teachers and that an honest regard for excellence is best developed through a true involvement in creative experience.


Department of Art

Tom Rippon, Chair

Pages 203-206
The department seeks to provide an integrated and comprehensive introduction to studio art, including art criticism and theory. Programs aim at providing intensive professional training for students interested in a career in the field of art. Students may specialize in any of several areas and, with faculty guidance, construct an individual program fitted to particular objectives. Degree concentrations for the B.A./B.F.A., and M.A./M.F.A. degrees are offered in Ceramics, Painting and Drawing, Printmaking, and Sculpture. Art History courses include a Survey of Art of Western Civilization to the present, a variety of upper-division courses, with some special attention given to art from the Renaissance to modern and contemporary movements. Courses in criticism are also included in the program. The curriculum includes courses which prepare students for certification and careers as art teachers in elementary and secondary schools.

The graduate program of the department trains students to become independent, self-directed, practicing artists. Graduate students are expected to integrate their studio work with their studies in art history, criticism and course work outside the department.

Special Degree Requirements

Art majors seeking the B.A. degree must complete 48 credits in art: Art Fundamentals, 9; Art History, 9; Photography, 3; Ceramics, 3; Printmaking, 3; Sculpture, 3; Painting, 3; Drawing, 3; Upper-division Studio Courses, 6; Art Criticism, 3. One semester of English composition must be completed with a grade of C or better, and University General Education requirements must be fulfilled as listed previously in the catalog.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts is a professional degree requiring 72 credits in art distributed as follows: Art Fundamentals, 9; Art History, 12; Photography, 3; Ceramics, 3; Printmaking, 3; Sculpture, 3; Painting, 3; Drawing, 3; Art Criticism, 6; Senior Thesis, 6; Upper-division Courses, 6; Area of Concentration, 9; Art Studio Electives, 6. One semester of English composition must be completed with a grade of C or better, and University General Education requirements must be fullfilled as listed previously in the catalog.

A student may elect either the B.A. or the B.F.A. program.

Art 123A, 125A and 135S form a visual fundamentals series. They are prerequisites for all 200-level studio art courses. Studio courses fulfill general education Perspective 1. The 200-level painting, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, and drawing courses are introductions to materials and processes. These courses follow Art 123A, 125A and 135A and are prerequisite to enrolling in a major area of concentration. Art 203 and 303H are writing courses for general education. Art history survey series 150L and 151L is a prerequisite or corequisite for upper-division art history and criticism courses which fulfill general education requirements for Perspective 2 or 3.

Bachelor of Arts with an Art Education Emphasis

The art education emphasis is designed for the student seeking an endorsement (K-12) in the extended major teaching field of art. A student must meet complete Art 123A, 125A, 135A, 150L, 151L, 215A, 229A, 235, 240A and 307 and one course chosen from Art 231A, 232A, 233A, or 234A. Dance 427, Philosophy 340, three elective credits in Drama and three elective credits in Music also are required. For an endorsement to teach art (K-12), a student also must gain admission to Teacher Education and Student Teaching and meet all the requirements for teacher certification (see the School of Education section of this catalog).

Minor Teaching Field of Art: For an endorsement in the minor teaching field of Art, a student must complete Art 123A, 135A, 235, 240A and 307; one course chosen from Art 150L-151L; and one course chosen from Art 231A, 232A, 233A or 234A. A student also must gain admission to Teacher Education and Student Teaching and must meet the requirements for teacher certification (see the School of Education section of this catalog).

Suggested Course of Study

Programs for the B.A./B.F.A. Degree.

First Year

*Semester of enrollment depends on beginning letter of student's last name.

Second Year

Third Year

Fourth Year

Requirements for a Minor

Art History/Criticism

To earn a minor in art history/criticism the student must complete at least 24 credits to include the following: Art 123A, 150L, 151L, 203; 9 credits from 300-level art history courses; 3 credits from Art 303H, 403H, 405H or 451.

Art Studio

To earn a minor in art studio the student must complete at least 27 credits to include the following: Art 123A, 125A, 135A; 150L, 151L; 9 credits from Art 215A, 229A, 231A, 232A, 233A, 234A, 235, 240A, 323; and 3 credits in 300-level studio courses.

Courses

Faculty

Professors

Associate Professors

Assistant Professors


95-96 UM Undergraduate Catalog