School of Arts and Humanities

Visual and Performing Arts with Visual Arts Concentration (BA)

Students who complete the major in Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) pursue an interdisciplinary study of the arts by completing a major core that includes courses in writing, interdisciplinary studies, professional development, historical context, theory, and practice. The VPA major culminates in a Senior Capstone. Students who are majoring in VPA can focus their studies by choosing from nine possible concentrations.

The Visual Arts concentration focuses student work in design, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture. Students will learn traditional and cutting-edge techniques as well as acquiring a broad base of knowledge in art history.

Since the following catalog course descriptions are very general, students are urged to consult the detailed course descriptions available on the web site for the School of Arts and Humanities. At least one-half of the total semester credit hours for major requirements must be taken at UT Dallas.

Unless otherwise noted, courses in Visual and Performing Arts are open to all students in the University.

 

Bachelor of Arts in Visual and Performing Arts with Visual Arts Concentration

Degree Requirements (120 semester credit hours)¹

View an Example of Degree Requirements by Semester

Faculty

FACG> ah-visual-and-performing-arts-ba-with-visual-arts-concentration

Professors: John J. Pomara @pomara, Marilyn Waligore @waligore

Clinical Associate Professor: Lorraine Tady @ltt042000

Associate Instructor of Record: Diane Durant @ddm043000

Senior Lecturer: Greg L. Metz @glmetz

I. Core Curriculum Requirements: 42 semester credit hours²

Communication: 6 semester credit hours

RHET 1302 Rhetoric

And choose one course from the following:

COMM 1311 Survey of Oral and Technology-based Communication

COMM 1315 Public Speaking

Mathematics: 3 semester credit hours

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

Select any 3 semester credit hours from Language, Philosophy and Culture Core courses

Creative Arts: 3 semester credit hours

Choose one course from the following:

AHST 1303 Survey of Western Art History: Ancient to Medieval³

AHST 1304 Survey of Western Art History: Renaissance to Modern³

AHST 2331 Understanding Art³

FILM 2332 Understanding Film³

Or select any 3 semester credit hours from Creative Arts Core courses

American History: 6 semester credit hours

Select any 6 semester credit hours from American History Core courses

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

Select any 6 semester credit hours from Component Area Option Core courses

II. Major Requirements, Lower-Division: 12 semester credit hours beyond Core Curriculum

ARTS 2380 Visual Design Foundations

Select any 3 semester credit hours from the following history/theory courses:

AHST 1303 Survey of Western Art History: Ancient to Medieval³

AHST 1304 Survey of Western Art History: Renaissance to Modern³

AHST 2331 Understanding Art³

FILM 2332 Understanding Film³

Select any 9 semester credit hours from the following studio courses:

ARTS 1316 Drawing Foundations

ARTS 2315 Topics in Visual Art

ARTS 2316 Painting Foundations

ARTS 2350 Photography: Design

ARTS 2381 Introduction to Sculpture

III. Major Requirements, Upper-Division: 42 semester credit hours

Major Core Courses: 15 semester credit hours

VPAS 3340 Writing in the Arts

VPAS 4389 Theory and Practice of the Visual and Performing Arts

VPAS 4390 Senior Capstone

or VPAS 4V99 Senior Honors in Visual and Performing Art

Select 3 semester credit hours of Related Courses from the following:

ARHM 3342 Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies in the Arts and Humanities

VPAS 3300 Elements of Art and Performance

Or Related Upper-Level Course from the School of Arts and Humanities⁴

Select 3 semester credit hours of Professional Development Courses from the following:

ARTS 3311 Contemporary Art Practices

ARTS 4310 Studies in Contemporary Exhibitions

Visual Arts Concentration: 27 semester credit hours

Select any 3 semester credit hours from the following:

AHST 3318 Contemporary Art

AHST 3319 Twentieth Century European Art: Avant-Garde and Aftermath

AHST 3324 History of Photography

or upper-level FILM course

3 semester credit hours of upper-level AHST or FILM course

6 semester credit hours of 3000-level courses from Visual Arts studios

3 semester credit hours of upper-courses from Visual Arts studios

6 semester credit hours of 4000-level courses from Visual Arts studios

6 semester credit hours of upper-level Visual and Performing Arts electives

IV. Elective Requirements: 24 semester credit hours

Free Electives: 24 semester credit hours

Both upper- and lower-division courses may be used as electives, but students must complete at least 51 semester credit hours of upper-division courses to qualify for graduation.

Incoming freshmen must enroll and complete requirements of ARHM 1100.¹

 

1. Incoming freshmen must enroll and complete requirements of UNIV 1010 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. A required Preparatory course that also fulfills a Core Curriculum requirement. Semester credit hours may be counted in Core Curriculum.

4. Course cannot come from the AHST prefix.