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BA in Art

The Bachelor of Arts in Art offers a general studio curriculum in project-based learning, which identifies and promotes continuing contact with the enduring values of our artistic heritage and the application of these values to the future. The educational aim of the school is to provide a broad foundation in art. The curriculum emphasizes fundamental artistic concepts through art making, problem solving, and experimentation in studio courses.

Program Requirements Quarter Hours
Liberal Studies Requirements 84
Major Requirements 56
Open Electives 52
Total hours required 192

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate competency of technical execution appropriate to their chosen medium.
  • Differentiate between artistic styles and the diverse populations and communities from which works of art are made.
  • Express their thoughts and opinions in critiques, written assignments, and through their artwork.
  • Integrate the ways in which their materials, techniques, and subjects generate meaning.
  • Understand the place of art making in a global context that connects with other disciplines.

College Core Requirements

Study in the Major Field

The student’s course of study in the College consists of three parts: Liberal Studies, the major field, and electives. Together these three parts contribute to the liberal education of the student which is the common purpose of all study in the College. By “liberal education” the College understands not only a deep and thorough knowledge of a particular area of study but a knowledge of the diverse areas of study represented by criticism, history, the arts, the behavioral  and social sciences, philosophy, religious studies, the natural science, and mathematics. 

The major field program generally is built upon a set of core courses and a specialized “concentration.” The number of courses required for a major varies by department. Most students go beyond the minimum requirements, electing additional courses which both broaden and deepen their understanding of their chosen discipline. 

Because no academic major program is built in isolation, students are required to pursue a number of electives of the student’s choice. The inherent flexibility of this curriculum demands that the student consult an academic advisor at each stage in the total program and at least once prior to each registration.

Students will be prompted to visit the College Office for their official graduation check early in their senior year.

Declaration of Major, Minor and Concentration

All students in the College are required to declare a major field prior to beginning their junior year. The student will then be assigned a faculty advisor in the major field department or program and should make an appointment to see that advisor at his or her earliest convenience. 

Students must declare or change majors, minors, and concentrations, via Campus Connection. However, for the purpose of exploring the possibility of changing a major field, the student should consult an academic advisor in the Office for Academic Advising Support.

The Modern Language Requirement (MLR)  

All students will be required to demonstrate competence in a modern language (i.e., a language other than English) equivalent to the proficiency attained from one year of college-level language study. This Modern Language Requirement (MLR) may be demonstrated by:

  • placing into 104 or above on the DePaul language placement exam
  • completing the last course or earning AP/IB credit for the last course in the first-year college sequence of any language (e.g. 103 for DePaul language classes)
  • completing a college course or earning AP/IB credit for a college course beyond the first-year level in any language (e.g. 104 or above for DePaul language classes)
  • completing the final course of a four-year sequence of the same modern language in high school*
  • completing a proctored exam by BYU and passing the exam (see the Department of Modern Languages website for registration details)
  • completing a proctored Written Proficiency Test (WPT) by Language Testing International (LTI) and achieving a score of Beginner High or above (see the Department of Modern Languages website for registration details)

*Students are strongly encouraged to take the DePaul language placement exam even if they have met the MLR via study of a language in high school. This will ensure continuation of language study at the proper level.

Please note: Modern Languages courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Modern Language Requirement.

Students who complete an Inter-College Transfer (ICT) to the College will abide by the MLR in place on the effective date of the ICT, regardless of when they first matriculated at DePaul.

Students who have met the MLR and wish to pursue further work in the language may elect the “Modern Language Option” (see below).

The Modern Language Option (MLO)

The Modern Language Option is available to all BA students who wish to study a modern language beyond the level required by their College, and to all other undergraduate students without a modern language requirement who wish to study a language at any level. 

Students selecting the MLO may substitute a sequence of three courses in the same language for three domain courses. 

The three MLO substitutions must be made in three different domains, and any substitutions must be consistent with the principle that students complete at least one course in each learning domain.

MLO substitutions may not be used to replace requirements in the Math & Computing, and Scientific Inquiry, domains. ​

Students majoring in one modern language may use the Modern Language Option for study of a second language at the Intermediate level or above.

Modern Languages courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Modern Language Option.

NOTE: Please contact your college/school regarding additional information and restrictions about the Modern Language Option.

External Credit and Residency

A student who has been admitted to the College begins residency within the college as of the first day of classes of the term in which the student is registered. Students in residence, whether attending on a full-time or part-time basis, may not take courses away from DePaul University without the written permission of the college. Permission must be obtained in advance of registration to avoid loss of credit or residency in the college; see the LAS website for more information. 

Liberal Studies Requirements

Honors program requirements can be found in the individual Colleges & Schools section of the University Catalog. Select the appropriate college or school, followed by Undergraduate Academics and scroll down.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year ProgramHours
Chicago Quarter
LSP 110
DISCOVER CHICAGO
or EXPLORE CHICAGO
4
Focal Point
LSP 112 FOCAL POINT SEMINAR 4
Writing
WRD 103 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I 1 4
WRD 104 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC II 1 4
Quantitative Reasoning
MAT 120 QUANTITATIVE REASONING 2 4
Sophomore Year
Race, Power, and Resistance
LSP 200 SEMINAR ON RACE, POWER, AND RESISTANCE 4
Junior Year
Experiential Learning
Required 4
Senior Year
Capstone
ART 393 SENIOR PROJECT STUDIO (or other related capstone course - with advisor approval, applied to major) 1 4
1

Students must earn a C- or better in this course.

2

Readiness for MAT 120 is determined by the math placement test taken online after admission. Students may need to take developmental coursework prior to MAT 120. Students who complete MAT 120 and both a Computational Reasoning course and a Statistical Reasoning course in the Math and Computing Learning Domain take one less Learning Domain course. Students may not apply the course reduction to any Domain where only one course is required, and cannot be applied to the Scientific Inquiry Learning Domain.  The MAT 120 requirement may be waived by passing a dedicated proficiency exam or it may be fulfilled by credit for advanced math coursework earned  in-residence at DePaul (MAT 135MAT 136MAT 147MAT 148MAT 149MAT 150MAT 151MAT 152 MAT 155MAT 156MAT 160MAT 161MAT 162 MAT 170MAT 171MAT 172, or equivalent) or earned externally either as transfer credit from another college/university or as test credit through AP, CLEP, IB, or International A and A/S Level exams. Calculus course(s) may be used to fulfill any of the three QR/MCD requirements.

Learning Domains

Arts and Literature (AL)

  • 1 Course Required

Historical Inquiry (HI)

  • 2 Courses Required

Math and Computing (MC)

  • 2 Courses Required
    [1 CR Course, and 1 SR Course]​​

Philosophical Inquiry (PI)

  • 2 Courses Required

Religious Dimensions (RD)

  • 2 Courses Required

Scientific Inquiry (SI)

  • 2 Courses Required
    [1 Lab Course, and 1 SWK Course]​​

Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry (SCBI)

  • 3 Courses Required

Notes

Courses offered in the student's primary major cannot be taken to fulfill LSP Domain requirements. If students double major, LSP Domain courses may double count for both LSP credit and the second major. Students who choose to take an experiential learning course offered by the major may count it either as a general elective or the Experiential Learning requirement.

In meeting learning domain requirements, no more than one course that is outside the student’s major and is cross-listed with a course within the student’s major, can be applied to count for LSP domain credit. This policy does not apply to those who are pursuing a double major or earning BFA or BM degrees.

Major Requirements

Core Requirements

Course Title Quarter Hours
ART 101DIGITAL FOUNDATIONS4
or ART 106 BEGINNING DRAWING
Select one course from the following list:4
TWO-DIMENSIONAL FOUNDATIONS
INTRO TO VISUAL DESIGN
MOTION GRAPHICS FOUNDATIONS
Select one course from the following list:4
THREE DIMENSIONAL FOUNDATIONS
FOUR DIMENSIONAL FOUNDATIONS

School Requirements

Course Title Quarter Hours
Select 5 courses from the following list: (three course selections are recommended on the 200-level)20
DIGITAL FOUNDATIONS (If not applied to the Core)
TWO-DIMENSIONAL FOUNDATIONS (If not applied to the Core)
BEGINNING DRAWING (If not applied to the Core)
BEGINNING PAINTING
THREE DIMENSIONAL FOUNDATIONS (If not applied to the Core)
FOUR DIMENSIONAL FOUNDATIONS (If not applied to the Core)
BEGINNING SCULPTURE
INTRODUCTION TO 3D PRINTING
VISUAL COMMUNICATION
COLOR THEORY AND APPLICATION
INTERMEDIATE DRAWING
DRAWING SPECIAL TOPICS
INTERMEDIATE PAINTING I
WATERCOLOR PAINTING
INTERMEDIATE SCULPTURE
ADVANCED THREE-DIMENSIONAL DESIGN
FIGURE DRAWING
BEGINNING FIGURE SCULPTURE
BEGINNING DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
BEGINNING PHOTOGRAPHY
VIDEO ART
DIGITAL ART
BEGINNING PRINTMAKING
ISSUES IN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
SCREEN PRINTING
PAINTING: MIXOLOGY
INTERMEDIA STUDIO
TEXT IN THE VISUAL ARTS
EXPERIMENTAL FILM AND VIDEO
MURAL PAINTING 1
COMMUNITY VIDEO PRODUCTION
MAKING COMICS
GRAPHIC DESIGN: FORM
1

ART 291 or ART 292 can only be used if they are not applied to Experiential Learning. 

Course Title Quarter Hours
Select 3 courses from the following list: (please consult the course description and pre-requisite for a 300-level course)12
THE PHOTOGRAPHIC BOOK
ADVANCED DRAWING
DIGITAL SCULPTURE
ADVANCED PAINTING I
ADVANCED PAINTING II
FIGURE PAINTING
PERFORMANCE/INSTALLATION ART
ADVANCED SCULPTURE
ADVANCED SCULPTURE II
ADVANCED FIGURE SCULPTURE
ADVANCED FIGURE DRAWING
INTERMEDIATE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
INTERMEDIATE PHOTOGRAPHY
INTERMEDIATE PRINTMAKING
ADVANCED PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECTS
SPECIAL TOPICS IN EXPERIMENTAL VIDEO ART
ADVANCED DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY
ADVANCED DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
INTERMEDIATE PRINTMAKING: SCREEN PRINTING
TOPICS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC PRACTICE
PORTFOLIO
FIGURE DRAWING IN CONTEXT
ADVANCED PAINTING: MIXOLOGY
GRAPHIC ART
PRINT MEDIA
ILLUSTRATION
DRAWING PROJECTS
PHOTOJOURNALISM
STUDENTS TEACHING ART IN THE ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM 1
SERVICE LEARNING IN THE ARTS INTERNSHIP
GRAPHIC ART IN THE PUBLIC REALM
WEB ART & DESIGN I
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IN THE STUDIO
Or Other Course (with approval of the advisor)
1

ART 382, ART 383 or ART 348 can only be used if they are not applied to Experiential Learning. 

Art, Culture, Theory, Criticism, and History Requirements

Course Title Quarter Hours
Select 2 courses from the following list:8
INTRODUCTION TO EUROPEAN ART
ART FROM 1945 - 1975
HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
ART & ARTISTS IN CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
THINKING PHOTOGRAPHY
SPECIAL TOPICS IN ART
CINEMA & ART
HISTORIES OF DESIGN
HISTORY OF COMICS
HISTORY OF ANIMATION
OR related HAA, CDM, ART, or Other course based on approval of the advisor

Senior Requirements

Course Title Quarter Hours
Students must complete 2 courses.8
ART 393SENIOR PROJECT STUDIO 14-4.5
ART 395SPECIAL TOPICS IN ART 24
1

ART 393 offered in the Winter Quarter.

2

Any course section not applied elsewhere in this degree program. ART 395 is offered every quarter in select topics. 

Open Electives

Open elective credit also is required to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours. The Modern Language Requirement (MLR) credits earned can be applied to open electives.​​