Art Programs & Courses

Graphic Design I Fine Arts I Book Arts I Art Education

Prior to specialized courses in their major, all art students complete core requirements from the General Education curriculum. This core is comprised of courses which develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. Please refer to the University Catalog for Art course descriptions.

Major General Requirements: 
ART 100
Plus an additional 26 semester credits in: ART 203, 207, 208, 250, 251, 303, 351

Requirements for an Art Minor:  
ART 100 and 251, and 12 additional credits of art.

Requirements for a Book Arts Minor: ART 100, 202, 205, 220, 233, 335, and 360 plus 1 Art History elective (recommend History of Graphic Design) = 22 credits total

GRAPHIC DESIGN
Commercial applications of the visual arts attract students who major in graphic design. The graphic designer helps society clarify its messages. Students learn to speak in this visual language of type, color, image and text in an articulate and responsive manner. The fine art background of the core focuses and informs all design practice.

Graphic design at St. Ambrose is taught by professional designers. They teach students letter form and color choices, historical influences in the creation of original design products, and how to analyze the needs of their client and respond with personal image-making skills.

Requirements for Graphic Design concentrationr: 22 credits in addition to the general requirements, to include ART 202, 205, 210, 232 or 233, 310, 401, with the option of taking 410 and 3 additional credits of art.

FINE ARTS
For students interested in careers in studio arts, art-related professional occupations, or graduate studies, St. Ambrose's integrated, liberal arts approach to art making is highly valuable. The fine arts major provides an environment that supports and challenges an individual's creative growth.

Oil painting, drawing, and other media become new expressive voices for the artist. Students learn to incorporate life experience into their investigation of the complex language of form and content. Technical and expressive competence develop simultaneously.

Students are encouraged to develop their creative ambition in a personal and independent manner. The department's role is to extend and support the student's growth as an artist. The faculty strives to understand the nature of each student's creativity in order to guide them toward mature artistic statements.

Requirements for Fine Arts major: 22 credits in addition to the general requirements, to include ART 304, 330, 331, 400, 430, 431.

BOOK ARTS
Book Arts is an excellent concentration for artists desiring a multi-media environment for their talents and who have a flair for diverse materials. Printmaking, photography, fine paper, unusual and standard binding techniques, computer applications, drawing, painting and design all convene in the book. The idea of a book is not confined to its common commercial definition but can take many inventive forms. The book can emerge from the creative process as a graphic novel, a sculpture, an installation or any form at all. Students with book arts concentration are valued in all graphic arts fields of employment.

Requirements for a Book Arts Concentration: ART 202, 205, 220, 233, 335, and 360 plus 6 hrs. of art electives = 24 credits total

ART EDUCATION 
Students interested in the teaching of art may pursue K-6 or 7-12 art teaching licensure through this major, offered in cooperation with the Education department. The program includes experience in a range of art studio areas, art history and arts education methods courses. Students apply for admission to The Practitioner Preparation (Teacher Education) Program and includes areas of study necessary to prepare competent and professional classroom teachers, and is approved by the Iowa Department of Education. Students who plan to teach in a state other than Iowa should consult the Education Department chair concerning certification requirements.

Field experiences are central to this major, and include arranged teaching in the area elementary grades and in public and private agencies, observation and participation in the area secondary schools, and extensive supervised student teaching.

Requirements for Art Education major: ART 100, 200, 201, 203, 207, 208, 220, 251, 303, 330, 340, 342 and 351. Education course requirements are found in the Education Department section of the University Catalog.

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