B.A. in Art (080) with a Specialization in Fine Art
A blend of studio-based art, socially-engaged art, theory and research, our Fine Art B.A. program builds on Newark’s historical roots in art, activism and community building. Responding to a range of interests and emerging issues in the arts, we have designed a curriculum to help our students build foundations for satisfying, sustainable, ethical, diverse and life-long careers in the arts as well as other professional sectors of our society. In addition to focused studies in the program’s particular strengths of painting and photography courses in Critical Studies and advanced Art History offer students social, cultural, and historical contexts for their art practice, while also preparing them for a year-long thesis project that culminates in a gallery exhibition. This rigorous educational journey provides students fundamentals for life as an artist but also broader perspectives for other careers in the arts. These broader perspectives come from, in partnership with Express Newark, the socially engaged art center at Rutgers-Newark
Many Fine Arts students also choose to pursue a Minor in Art History and/or our Minor in Curatorial and Museum Studies which focuses on a range of skills that are crucial for working in today's cultural institutions, skills such as budgeting and acquisitions, print and digital marketing, public writing, and audience cultivation.
The B.A. in Fine Art, as well as the Minor in Art History and the Minor in Curatorial and Museum Studies, are offered through the Department of Arts, Culture, and Media (ACM). ACM houses programs and/or majors in Art, Graphic Design, Art History, Media Studies (with majors in Journalism and in Video Production), Music, and Theater. Each major includes an ACM core sequence requirement. Taking advantage of the range of disciplines in ACM and the campus mission to engage with its community, the core combines an integrated sequence of classes, shaped in large part by projects drawn from the urban region surrounding the University. The sequence consists of three classes: Introduction to Arts, Media, and Culture, a class designated by each program that combines interdisciplinary pedagogy with a student's major; and either Colloquium in Arts, Culture, and Media or Seminar in Arts, Culture, and Media.
Major Requirements for Major in Art (080): Specialization in Fine Art (B.A.) Effective Fall 20’
57 Credits
Required Foundation Courses (18 credits)
21:080:121 Introduction to Drawing (3)
21:080:251 Introduction to Painting (3)
21:080:261 Introduction to Photography (3)
21:080:223 Figure Drawing (3)
21:082:101 Introduction to Art History I (3)
21:082:102 Introduction to Art History II (3)
Studio Courses of Specialization (15 credits)
21:080:252 Painting II (3) or 21:080:355 Painting and Drawing Workshop (3)
21:080:265 Experiments in Photography (3)
21:080:351 Painting III (3)
21:080:361 Studio Photography (3)
21:080:352 Painting IV (3) or 21:080:362 Photography Workshop (3)
Senior Program (6 credits)
21:080:497 Senior Seminar Studio I (3)
21:080:498 Senior Seminar Studio II (3)
Required Art History Courses (9 credits)
21:082:350 Development of Modern Art (3)
21:082:360 Art Since 1945 (3)
21:___:___ A 200-level or above AH course approved by your advisor, such as: African Photography; Global Modernisms; Gender and Photography; Arts of Africa, etc.
Required Critical Studies Course (3 credits)
21:080:285 Seminar in Contemporary Art (3)*
*ACM Critical Studies Core Requirement
Arts, Culture, and Media Departmental Core Requirements for Specialization in Fine Art (B.A.) (Also see Critical Studies*) (6 credits)
21:083:101 Introduction to Arts, Culture, and Media (3)
21:083:301 Colloquium in Arts, Culture, and Media (3) or 21:083:401 Seminar in Arts, Culture, and Media (3)
Other Courses (9 credits)
(it is recommended to take ACM courses)
B.A. in Art (080) with a Specialization in Art History
Course topics in the art history specialization range from the study of ancient to contemporary art and include classes on non-Western art and critical studies. The program consists of 16 courses earning 48 credits, with an additional 6 credits of Department of Arts, Culture, and Media (ACM) departmental requirements. Through their studies of the history of art, students acquire not only an understanding of artistic styles within their cultural context, but also are introduced to the many methodological and theoretical avenues through which the history of art may be investigated. In addition to courses in art history, students have the opportunity to choose from a wide range of internships in the metropolitan region in museums and nonprofit art-related institutions. Over the course of their studies, art history students hone their writing and research skills and are introduced to the variety of professional applications of their degree, from academia to museums to the corporate world.
The specialization in art history is offered through the Department of Arts, Culture, and Media (ACM). ACM houses programs and/or majors in art, graphic design, art history, media studies (with majors in journalism and video production), music, and theater. Each major includes an ACM core sequence requirement. Taking advantage of the range of disciplines in ACM and the campus mission to engage with its community, the core combines an integrated sequence of classes, shaped in large part by projects drawn from the urban region surrounding the university. The sequence consists of three classes: Introduction to Arts, Culture, and Media, a class designated by each program that combines interdisciplinary pedagogy with a student's major; and either Colloquium in Arts, Culture, and Media or Seminar in Arts, Culture, and Media.
Major Requirements for Major in Art (080): Specialization in Art History (B.A.)
Required Studio Courses (6 credits from the following)
21:085:102 Design Fundamentals (3)
21:085:103 3-D Design Fundamentals (3)
21:080:121 Introduction to Drawing (3)
21:080:251 Introduction to Painting (3)
21:080:261 Introduction to Photography (3) or 21:080:263 Intro to Digital Photography (3)
Required Foundation Courses (6 credits)
21:082:101 Introduction to Art History I (3)
21:082:102 Introduction to Art History II (3)
Required Art History Courses (6 credits)
21:082:350 Development of Modern Art (3)
21:082:360 Art Since 1945 (3)
Required Critical Studies Course(3 credits)
*ACM Critical Studies Core Requirement
3 credits in consultation with adviser:
21:080:285 Seminar in Contemporary Art (3)
21:089:256/257 Art and History of Film (3)
21:086:309 Imagery and Culture (3)
21:014:255 Race & Gender in American Film (3)
21:050:311 Popular Culture & the Media (3)
21:510:301 Film & History (3)
21:510:314 Film and Colonialism (3)
21:730:328 Philosophy & the Arts (3)
Elective Courses for Specialization (21 credits in consultation with adviser)
21 credits of art history (082) or related courses 200 level or above
Senior Thesis (6 credits)
21:082:497 Senior Seminar in Art History I (3)
21:082:498 Senior Seminar in Art History II (3)
Arts, Culture, and Media Departmental Core Requirements for Art History (6 credits)(Also see Critical Studies*)
21:083:101 Introduction to Arts, Culture, and Media (3)
21:083:301 Colloquium in Arts, Culture, and Media (3) or 21:083:401 Seminar in Arts, Culture, and Media (3)