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Department of Art

Location: Art, Phone: (409) 880-8141

Chair: Donna M. Meeks, donna.meeks@lamar.edu

The mission of the Department of Art is to provide an environment designed to nurture artistic, academic and personal growth in Â鶹ÊÓƵ students. Through its curricula and community outreach, the department prepares the art student for a professional career with courses in practice, theory, art history, and art education. Educational, cultural, and academic opportunities are made available so that each student may reach his or her full potential by participating in those human experiences and qualities inherent in the fine arts. As the visual arts engage a rapidly changing world, the department maintains a curricular balance between those traditions found in art history and the challenges of a future being shaped by technological developments. The Art program emphasizes the development of skill building and theoretical insight by exploring the products of the human hand and the new opportunities offered by advancing technology.

The Department of Art offers undergraduate instruction leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design and the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art. The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design requires course work in the following areas of study: Graphic Design, Web Design, Motion Design, and Illustration. The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art offers course work in the following areas of concentration (or major): Photography, Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, Sculpture, Ceramics, and Fibers.

The Department of Art offers undergraduate instruction leading to the the Bachelor of Science degree in Studio Art or Graphic Design. The Bachelor of Science degree in Studio Art is designed for students seeking all-levels art teacher certification. The Bachelor of Science degree in Graphic Design is designed for those students seeking to combine a minor program of study outside of the discipline with graphic design studies.

All students entering a degree program in art must be counseled by the chair of the art department as to study options in the department. Academic advising is mandatory for all art majors. Art majors are required to follow the prescribed sequence of courses. The letter grade “C” will be the minimum prerequisite grade for continuing studio courses in sequence. All prerequisites must be satisfied prior to enrollment in art courses. During either the fall or spring semester prior to graduation, a candidate for a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree will be required to take Senior Thesis and prepare an exhibition as a degree completion requirement. Art majors are required to meet formally with the art department chairperson two semesters prior to anticipated graduation for the purpose of degree audit.

A minor in art history is available to students in other programs or departments by earning 18 hours of credit as required by the Department of Art.

Art electives are available for non-majors who desire experiences in the visual arts as part of their general education. Non-majors are required to meet prerequisites for art elective courses.

Transfer credit of freshman and sophomore art courses is in compliance with the Transfer Curriculum for Visual Arts adopted by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Undergraduate Degrees Offered

Bachelor of Fine Arts–Graphic Design Emphasis - 126 hrs
Bachelor of Fine Arts–Studio Art Emphasis - 126 hrs
Bachelor of Science–Studio Art, All-levels certification - 132 hrs
Bachelor of Science–Graphic Design - 120 hrs

Bachelor of Fine Arts – Graphic Design Emphasis

Suggested Program of Study – Total Min. Hours: 126

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design requires 48 credit hours of academic foundations and 78 credit hours of professional program including studio elective courses. All students must satisfy provisions of the Texas Success Initiative program, see section 6.1.22 in this catalog. Developmental courses do not count in the GPA (except for determining full-time status and issues related to probation and suspension) and do not count toward graduation.

  1. Philosophy of Knowledge Core Curriculum: 48 Hours
  2. Major Requirements
    1. 69 hours from the following: ARTS 1303, 1304, 2305, 1311, 1312, 1316, 1317, 2311, 2323, 2324, 2316 or 2326 or 3316, 2331, 2356, 3199 (three enrollments), 3305, 3313, 3333, 3355, 4333, 4343, 4353, 4363, 4399
    2. Studio Art Elective: three hours
    3. Art History Electives (upper division): six hours
  3. Other requirements:
    1. All students entering a degree program in art must be counseled by the art department chair as to study options available.
    2. Departmental advising is mandatory for all art majors, and each art student will be assigned a faculty advisor.
    3. Art majors are required to follow the prescribed sequence of courses.
    4. The letter grade "C" will be the minimum prerequisite grade for continuing studio courses in sequence.
    5. Art majors are required to meet formally with the art department chairperson two semesters prior to anticipated graduation for the purpose of degree audit.

Bachelor of Fine Arts – Studio Art Emphasis

Suggested Program of Study – Total Min. Hours: 126  

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art requires 48 credit hours of academic foundations and 78 credit hours of professional program including studio elective courses. Students must select a major (a minimum of nine credit hours in a discipline) in one of the following areas: Painting: 2316, 3316, 3317, 3326, 3327, 4316, 4326; Printmaking: 3355, 3365, 4355; Drawing: 2323, 2324, 3315, 3325, 4315, 4325; Sculpture: 2326, 3375, 4375; Ceramics: 3376, 3386, 4376; Photography: 2379, 3303, 4303, 4305, 4306, 4353; Fibers: 3335, 4331, 4341. All students must satisfy provisions of the Texas Success Initiative program, see section 6.1.22 in this catalog. Developmental courses do not count in the GPA (except for determining full-time status and issues related to probation and suspension) and do not count toward graduation.

  1. Philosophy of Knowledge Core Curriculum: 48 hours
  2. Major Requirements: 78 Hours
    1. 54 hours from the following: ARTS 1303, 1304, 2305, 1311, 1312, 1316, 1317, 2311, 2323, 2324, 2316, 2326, 2356, 3199 (three enrollments), 3315, 3335 or 3376, 3355, 4399
    2. Studio Art Electives (Six credits at upper division): 18 hours
    3. Art History Electives (upper division): six hours
  3. Other Requirements:
    1. All students entering a degree program in art must be counseled by the art department chair as to study options available.
    2. Departmental advising is mandatory for all art majors, and each art student will be assigned a faculty advisor.
    3. Art majors are required to follow the prescribed sequence of courses.
    4. The letter grade "C" will be the minimum prerequisite grade for continuing studio courses in sequence.
    5. Art majors are required to meet formally with the art department chairperson two semesters prior to anticipated graduation for the purpose of degree audit

Bachelor of Science – Studio Art, All-Levels Certification

Suggested Program of Study – Total Min. Hours: 132

The Bachelor of Science degree in Studio Art is designed for those seeking all-levels art teacher certification and requires 48 credit hours of academic foundations and 84 credit hours of professional program (including 24 hours of professional development in the College of Education and Human Development). For details concerning requirements for teacher certification and information on professional education courses, consult the College of Education and Human Development section in this catalog. All students must satisfy provisions of the Texas Success Initiative program, see section 6.1.22 in this catalog. Developmental courses do not count in the GPA (except for determining full-time status and issues related to probation and suspension) and do not count toward graduation.

  1. Philosophy of Knowledge Core Curriculum: 48 hours
  2. Major Requirements: 60 hours
    1. 54 hours from the following: ARTS 1303, 1304, 1311, 1312, 1316, 1317, 2305, 2311, 2323, 2316 or 3316, 2356, 3305, 3335, 3355, 3371, 3376, 4331, 4381
    2. Studio Art Elective: three hours
    3. Art History Elective (upper division): three hours
  3. Other Requirements
    1. 24 credit hours in Professional Pedagogy as specified by the College of Education and Human Development
    2. All students entering a degree program in art must be counseled by the art department chair as to study options available.
    3. Departmental advising is mandatory for all art majors, and each art student will be assigned a faculty advisor.
    4. Art majors are required to follow the prescribed sequence of courses.
    5. The letter grade "C" will be the minimum prerequisite grade for continuing studio courses in sequence.
    6. Art majors are required to meet formally with the art department chairperson two semesters prior to anticipated graduation for the purpose of degree audit.

Bachelor of Science – Graphic Design

Suggested Program of Study – Total Min. Hours: 120

The Bachelor of Science degree in Graphic Design is available for those students seeking to combine graphic design studies with a minor program of study. Students may choose a minor program of study from any approved minor outside of the Department of Art. All students must satisfy provisions of the Texas Success Initiative program, see section 6.1.22 in this catalog. Developmental courses do not count in the GPA (except for determining full-time status and issues related to probation and suspension) and do not count toward graduation.

  1. Philosophy of Knowledge Core Curriculum: 48 hours
  2. Major Requirements: 54 hours
    1.  54 hours from the following: ARTS 1303, 1304, 1311, 1312, 1316, 1317, 2311, 2323, 2316 or 2326 or 3316, 2331, 2356, 3305, 3313, 3333,
         4333, 4343, 4353, 4380
    2.  Studio Art Elective: none

  3. Other Requirements: 

    1. All students entering a degree program in art must be counseled by the art department chair as to study options available.
    2. Departmental advising is mandatory for all art majors, and each art student will be assigned a faculty advisor.
    3. Art majors are required to follow the prescribed sequence of courses.
    4. The letter grade "C" will be the minimum prerequisite grade for continuing studio courses in sequence.
    5. Art majors are required to meet formally with the art department chairperson two semesters prior to anticipated graduation for the purpose of degree audit.

Minor in Art History

An art history minor consists of ARTS 1303, ARTS 1304, and ARTS 2305 and three courses chosen from the following: ARTS 4328, ARTS 4338, ARTS 4348, ARTS 4368, ARTS 4388, and ARTS 4398. To qualify for a minor, a grade of no less than “C” must be obtained in each of the courses applied to the minor.