School of Arts and Humanities
Arts and Technology (BA)
Students who complete the major in Arts and Technology receive a thorough grounding in the mutually productive interaction of technology with the arts, with specific emphasis on the interplay of visual art, music, and narrative with the new modes of expression and communication that have emerged from the convergence of computing and media technologies. The program stresses not only the creation but also the potential applications and cultural implications of interactive media. A student majoring in Arts and Technology will be required to channel selected coursework according to individual needs and specialties. Particular attention should be given to the Prescribed Electives for the major, and close consultation with academic advisors is recommended. By selecting courses from a variety of the remaining elective headings, students are able to combine courses in technology and fine arts with coursework in literary criticism and interpretation, creative writing and translation, and linguistics and languages.
Unless otherwise noted, courses in Arts and Technology are open to all students in the university. However, students majoring in Arts and Technology may be given preference in certain course enrollments.
Bachelor of Arts in Arts and Technology
Degree Requirements (120 semester credit hours)1
I. Core Curriculum Requirements: 42 hours2
Communication: 6 semester credit hours
COMM 1311 Survey of Oral and Technology-based Communication
RHET 1302 Rhetoric
Mathematics: 3 semester credit hours
One of the following:
MATH 1306 College Algebra for the Non-Scientist
MATH 1314 College Algebra
Select any 3 semester credit hours from Mathematics core courses
Life and Physical Sciences: 6 semester credit hours
Select any 6 semester credit hours from Life and Physical Sciences core courses
Language, Philosophy and Culture: 3 semester credit hours
One of the following:
HUMA 1301 Exploration of the Humanities
LIT 2331 Masterpieces of World Literature
PHIL 1301 Introduction to Philosophy
PHIL 2316 History of Philosophy I
PHIL 2317 History of Philosophy II
Select any 3 semester credit hours from Language, Philosophy and Culture core courses
Creative Arts: 3 semester credit hours
One of the following:
ARTS 1301 Exploration of the Arts
AHST 1303 Survey of Western Art History: Ancient to Medieval
AHST 1304 Survey of Western Art History: Renaissance to Modern
AHST 2331 Understanding Art
DANC 1310 Understanding Dance
DRAM 1310 Understanding Theater
FILM 2332 Understanding Film (Recommended)
MUSI 1306 Understanding Music
American History: 6 semester credit hours
Two of the following:
HIST 1301 U.S. History Survey to Civil War
HIST 1302 U.S. History Survey from Civil War
HIST 2301 History of Texas
HIST 2330 Themes and Ideas in American History
HIST 2332 Civil War and Reconstruction
Government / Political Science: 6 semester credit hours
GOVT 2305 American National Government
GOVT 2306 State and Local Government
Social and Behavioral Sciences: 3 semester credit hours
Select any 3 semester credit hours from Social and Behavioral Sciences core courses
Component Area Option: 6 semester credit hours
Two of the following:
ARHM 2340 Creativity
ARHM 2341 Global Media
ARHM 2342 Connections in the Arts and Humanities
ARHM 2343 Science and the Humanities
II. Major Requirements, Lower-Division: 21 semester credit hours
ARTS 1316 Drawing Foundations
ARTS 2380 2D Design Foundations
ATEC 2320 Introductory Topics in Arts and Technology
or ATEC 2325 Fundamentals of Game Design and Development
or ATEC 2326 Computer Animation Processes
ATEC 2382 Computer Imaging
ATEC 2384 Basic Design Principles and Practices
CS 1335 Computer Science I for Non-majors3
CS 2335 Computer Science II for Non-majors4
III. Major Requirements, Upper-Division: 24 semester credit hours
Major Core Courses
ARTS 3371 Black and White Photography
or ARTS 3372 Color Photography
or ARTS 3377 Digital Photography
or ARTS 3379 Photography and New Media
ATEC 3320 Digital Content Design and Usability
or ATEC 3325 Introduction to Computer Mediated Communication
Any ATEC 3000 level Animation (ATEC 3317 Modeling and Texturing I)
or ATEC 3327 Lighting and Composition I
or ATEC 3328 Rigging I
or ATEC 3336 Computer Animation I)
or ATEC 3351 Game Design
or ATEC 3310 Audio Technologies
ATEC 4340 Project Management for Arts and Technology
ATEC 4380 Capstone Project
CS 3360 Computer Graphics for Artists and Designers
HIST 3337 Technology and Western Civilization
or HIST 3374 American Technological Development
or HIST 3332 History of the Electronic Age
LIT 3334 Literature of Science
or LIT 3316 The Literature of Science Fiction
or LIT 3317 The Literature of Fantasy
or HIST 3328 History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine
IV. Elective Requirements: 33 semester credit hours
Prescribed Electives: 15 semester credit hours
Any five of the following:
ATEC 3310 Audio Technologies
ATEC 3312 Audio Productions Lab
ATEC 3317 Modeling and Texturing I
ATEC 3326 Emerging Media Production
ATEC 3327 Lighting and Composition I
ATEC 3328 Rigging I
ATEC 3330 Digital Video Production I
ATEC 3336 Computer Animation I
ATEC 3351 Game Design
ATEC 3352 User Experience Design for Games
ATEC 3361 Internet Studio I
ATEC 3363 Basic Interaction Design
ATEC 3364 Level Design I
ATEC 3365 Virtual Environments
ATEC 4310 Digital Audio Processing
ATEC 4328 Rigging II
ATEC 4336 Computer Animation II
ATEC 4347 Advanced Design
ATEC 4348 Modeling and Texturing II
ATEC 4349 Lighting and Composition II
ATEC 4361 Internet Studio II
ATEC 4365 Level Design II
ATEC 4367 Game Design II
ATEC 4368 User Experience Design for Games II
Free Electives: 18 semester credit hours
Both upper-and lower-division courses may be used as electives, but students must complete at least 51 hours of upper-division courses to qualify for graduation.
1. Incoming freshmen must complete and pass UNIV 1010 Freshman Seminar and the corresponding school-related freshman seminar course. Students, including transfer students, who complete their core curriculum at UT Dallas must take UNIV 2020.
2. Curriculum Requirements can be fulfilled by other approved courses from institutions of higher education. The courses listed are recommended as the most efficient way to satisfy both Core Curriculum and Major Requirements at UT Dallas.
3. Students who are ATEC/CS double majors or who plan to minor in CS must enroll in CS 1334 Programming Fundamentals for Non-Majors and CS 1134 Computer Science Laboratory or CS 1337 Computer Science I (if placed out of CS 1334 and CS 1136).
4. Students who are ATEC/CS double majors or who plan to minor in CS must enroll in CS 2336 Computer Science II.