Degree Offerings

http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/academics/schools/school-of-liberal-arts/departments-programs/art-and-art-history/degree-offerings.html

The Art and Art History department offers a Bachelor of Arts degree with an emphasis in Art History or Studio Art.

Both art history and studio art students undertake an inclusive series of lower division courses in visual art production and history. These courses are intended to give a general overview of the variety and breadth of visual art production. On the upper division level, art history students are required to take courses that consider the history of visual art in its specific social, cultural, religious, and aesthetic context. In so doing, students gain a clear understanding of the role of art as way of telling the story of humankind. Students choosing the studio art emphasis can select from courses in a variety of media including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and more experimental new media. These upper division classes, while allowing for further individual exploration, place higher standards on the concepts in, and execution of, students’ artistic production. As in art history, the emphasis is on making art that reflects its particular social, cultural, religious, and aesthetic context. Acknowledging the importance of direct contact with diverse artistic practices, students in both emphases are encouraged to travel abroad, either through January Term or a semester program.

The senior thesis for art history students involves an in-depth study of works of art in the permanent collection of the Hearst Art Gallery. For their senior project, studio art majors are required to create a cohesive body of artwork to be included in the Hearst Art Gallery spring exhibition. Students will contribute to the organization, selection, and hanging of their work in this thesis exhibition. They are also required to write a comprehensive, well-researched artist statement to accompany their work in the show.