Undergraduate Art History Major: Learning Goals

The art history faculty has determined the following goals for our program:

• General familiarity with the history of art in its entirety from pre-history to the present.
• Ability to identify the medium, chronological period, geographical origin, religious and  cultural-historical context of works of art.
• Ability to analyze the formal, technical, stylistic, compositional characteristics of works of art—the time periods when these were introduced—and the potential influences that contribute to a work’s overall visual appearance or organization.
• Ability to identify the subject matter of works of art, their potential meaning and significance, and the larger intellectual, historical, or political trends—and patronage practices—that impact their production.
• Ability to connect works of art to cultural manifestations in other disciplines in the liberal arts (literature, theology, music, dance, philosophy) and to apply methods from the sciences (economics, psychology, physics, chemistry) to their study.
• Familiarity with the history of the history of art, and critical self-consciousness of how an interpretive approach relates to others practiced in the discipline.
• Ability to do advanced research in the field: knowledge of the important resources in terms of scholarly books, peer-reviewed journals, on-line databases, image archives, etc.
• Ability to distill the above knowledge and adduce evidence in the construction of logical, clearly reasoned arguments.
• Ability to present these arguments in the form both of oral presentations and written papers modeled on the professional standards presently applied in the discipline.
• For those considering graduate school, the Ability to conduct research in foreign languages, is essential. This is facilitated by junior-abroad programs, in which many of our students participate, largely prompted by a desire to study works of art in their specialty first-hand and on site.

Art History Assessment

Assessment of written work submitted by an undergraduate art history senior in FA 401: Seminar in Art Historical Research fall, a course required for all majors.

Rated on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest

1. Has student compiled an appropriate bibliography?
2. Has student demonstrated an appropriate mastery of sources, and an ability to document them effectively?
3. Has student employed discipline specific terminology?
4. Has student addressed issues of formal analysis, and how these issues pertain to the meaning of the objects under discussion?
5. Has student demonstrated ability to engage multiple approaches?
6. Has student constructed a persuasive argument?
7. Has student conducted original research?

The Undergraduate Film Studies Major: Learning Goals

A student completing a Film Major in the context of Liberal Arts will be evaluated prior to graduation on the following points before a panel of two or three faculty members:

General View of Film: Based on the initial course in Introduction to Film Art

Film Production: Intermediate grasp of sound, lighting, composition

Film Editing: Digital editing for a film production (Final Cut Pro or Avid non-linear)

History: Solid grasp of American film( feature and documentary), basic knowledge of foreign film (European, Mid-East, Latin American, or World Cinema)

Criticism: Ability to grasp nuances in script, characterization, camera work, etc.

Written Expression: Clarity and proper grammar for essay writing; structure, for screenwriting, with a focus on narrative.

Research: Ability to do scholarly research and documentation

At the same time, as part of the requirement, the Film Major necessitates a student writing a thesis, completing a screenplay, or producing a short film (feature or documentary) under close supervision of an advisor.

Film Studies Assessment

The Undergraduate Studio Art Major: Learning Goals

The Studio Art Major offers students a course of study that includes introductory and advanced investigations in a variety of media, an exploration of the conceptual approaches inherent in artworks, and background knowledge of art history. Through a course of directed study, advanced students create a body of work equivalent to a visual thesis, which is exhibited.

The Studio Art major will be assessed on their ability to:

• Create a body of work equivalent to a visual thesis. These artworks should display a mastery of technique, an individual visual and conceptual sensibility, and historical understanding of the issues relevant to their work.
• Effectively communicate issues and aspects of visual experience and culture in oral and written arguments.
• Discuss and articulate knowledge of contemporary artists and understanding of the current ideas and concepts generated by visual artworks in global cultural discourse.

They should also:

• Develop technical abilities and fundamental knowledge with a variety of media.
• Develop a self-reflective and critical approach in making artworks.
• Develop creative thinking and problem solving skills.
• Develop the ability to research ideas, and to make one’s work accessible to others thru clear, well organized visual thinking.
• Acquire the ability to verbally express the ideas and concepts with which one works visually.
• Acquire standards for a visually critical and contextualized practice.
• Develop skills in the preparation and use of presentational strategies.
• Develop documentation skills consistent with professional practice.
• Acquire a familiarity with artists and their practice in a variety of historical periods.

Studio Art Assessment: