Art & Design

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The Art & Design Programs support the University as an educational and cultural center within the Saint Louis Community by offering courses of study combining liberal and professional learning.  The B.F.A. and B.A. programs are designed to promote creative thinking, aesthetic understanding, and technical proficiency, along with a historical perspective and a strong liberal arts core.

Together, all Art & Design students share a core curriculum designed to build strong foundational skills and knowledge, encourage creative problem solving, and promote cultural awareness. They then bring that foundational experience to the specialized and advanced studies of their major. Each program offers distinct opportunities to develop current in-demand critical thinking skills, gain rich experience with the tools and technologies of their discipline, and access to curricula designed to prepare students for a meaningful career in a creative field. This includes a required internship, a senior capstone/seminar experience and the opportunity to join one of our professionally affiliated student organizations.

Maryville’s Art & Design Programs provide the educational foundation for excellence through the integration of theory, history, research, technology, craftsmanship, and professional practice. Their unified goals are to:

• Provoke critical thinking and creative expression

• Encourage synthesis of concepts and information through: disciplined inquiry, analysis, and problem solving

• Strengthen verbal, visual, and technical skill sets

• Support service learning and community engagement through professional and service activities

• Facilitate practical experience through internships and partnerships with professional organizations

• Provide opportunity to learn through the creative process

• Encourage excellence through rigorous academic and applied practice

• Promote ethical practices

Policies

Portfolio Review: Students majoring in a Maryville Art & Design program are required to formally present their semester’s cumulative studio at the end of each semester. Students completing the foundational curriculum present their work to the entire A&D faculty. After foundational courses are completed, students present to the faculty of their chosen program. Students are responsible for hanging and presenting their work. They are expected to describe their concepts, defend their decisions, identify areas of improvement and accomplishment, and reflect on their personal progress.  Faculty provides oral feedback concerning areas of achievement and improvement, their presentation and communication skills, and their growth. This process is also used to assess student progress and ability to achieve the goals of the program. In the foundational level, their progress is formally documented.

Senior Exhibit: Graduating seniors are required to take part in an end of year exhibit.

Art & Design Foundation Core GPA Requirement: All Art & Design programs share a foundational core consisting of the following courses: ADAH 100, ADAH 150, ADSA 100, ADSA 101, ADSA 150, ADSA 151, and ADGD 265 or ADID 265. Art & Design students are required to earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (“B Average”) within the foundational core. Students who do not meet this requirement, but who have earned the minimum (“C-“) grade within those courses can petition to continue in an Art & Design major via a formal Art & Design faculty review and approval.

Entrance Portfolio: Students with high school art experience are encouraged to submit a portfolio to be considered for a merit scholarship. (Please see Admissions Requirements for guidelines). Students without portfolios or adequate art experience will be accepted into their chosen Art & Design program; however, they must follow the same policies set for all first year Art & Design students.

Transfer students with prior art and design course work are required present a portfolio for evaluation.  (Please see Admissions Requirements for guidelines).

Accreditation

Maryville University’s Art & Design program is accredited by:

• National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)

• Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA)

• National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)

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