Arts

Approved courses provide instruction in or about a medium of creative expression. Courses may focus on the physical practice and techniques of the medium, on its critical and theoretical interpretation, on its historical development, or on a combination of these approaches. Courses explicate the methods used to study and critique the medium as a vital element of personal or cultural expression and exchange.

Approved courses generally fall into one of five categories (for majors and/or non-majors):

Courses about the development and interpretation of a medium:

1. introductions to the disciplines;
2. introductions to subfields in the disciplines;
3. courses on the physical practice of a medium (studio art, creative writing, music composition or performance, dance, and theatre acting, directing or stagecraft);
4. instructional courses on the skills and methods required and their critical evaluation;
5. courses focused upon performance.

Learning Objectives for General Education Arts Courses

Arts courses enable students to demonstrate:

1. an understanding of the history and/or practice of one form of artistic expression;
2. an understanding of the function and meaning of form;
3. that they have the vocabulary they need to continue to learn about how art is made and interpreted;
4. depending on the nature of the course, recognition of the difference and overlap between creative and critical thinking;
5. depending on the nature of the course, an understanding of how art works are embedded within different cultures at different times and places.