Delaware College of Art and Design

Overview

DCAD's associate degree program is offered in six disciplines: Animation, Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Illustration, Photography and Interior Design. It is a concise, comprehensive and demanding program that provides the training and information necessary to compete successfully in today's art and design markets. The program serves highly motivated students who wish to pursue careers in the fields of art and design.

Through an engagement with studio activities, process and environment, students develop both their skills and resourcefulness. The liberal arts curriculum instructs students in written and verbal expression, critical thinking, history and theories of art and design, and the humanities. Students enrolled in the associate degree program receive thorough preparation for entry-level or, where appropriate, middle-management employment, as well as a solid basis upon which to further their education. Completion of requirements for the associate degree may be accomplished through two years of full-time study.

The curriculum consists of 68 credits, composed of: 44 credits in studio courses, and 24 credits in academic courses, including 12 credits in art history. The associate degree program requires a core group of Foundation courses during the first year and includes a Foundation Seminar which provides a basic introduction into each area of concentration offered. Beginning with their second year, students will take major-specific courses in addition to liberal arts courses. Students who successfully complete the curriculum can transfer directly from DCAD into the third-year curriculum at either Pratt or the Corcoran.

Foundation Program
The purpose of the Foundation experience is to develop visual literacy and provide basic studio techniques, an introduction to art history, and an understanding of the underlying concepts and principles of the visual arts. Both two-dimensional and three-dimensional forms in their optical, technical and symbolic natures are investigated. The Foundation Program is the same for all majors. The Foundation Program's courses are included along with each major's curriculum on the following pages.

Academic Studies
A fundamental understanding of the history of art is essential for all aspiring artists and designers in order to situate their own work within a broader context and establish professional credibility; therefore, art history is the foundation of the Academic Studies curriculum. In a three-semester survey of world art, complemented by courses that focus on corresponding literature, students analyze visual and literary works selected to emphasize formal, topical, thematic, and contextual relationships across disciplines. In the fourth semester, students focus on an in-depth study of the art associated with their area of concentration. A carefully structured writing curriculum aimed at building skills incrementally is an integral part of all Academic Studies classes.

Objectives of the Academic Studies curriculum are:

* To train well-informed professionals who are prepared to undertake further study.
* To develop critical thinking and analytical writing skills.
* To develop familiarity with the methodologies of art history as a discipline.
* To build awareness of the history of world art and literature with particular emphasis on the history of practice in students' chosen fields.


Degree Programs

Fine Arts

Since the Renaissance, the fine arts have been recognized as an intellectual discipline that parallels literature. They have figured prominently in the formation of contemporary visual imagination.

In this program, talented students are educated to become art makers, idea generators, problem solvers and visual communicators who are capable of redefining the ways in which we perceive and experience ourselves and the world around us. Through learning the process of form/ content relationships, students are encouraged to develop ways of choosing directions, media and subject matter. Through studio work, group discussion, lectures, seminars, individual consultations with faculty and visiting artists, and frequent trips to museums, galleries and artists' studios, students develop the technical ability, critical awareness, knowledge of historical frameworks, and self discipline to develop a unique, personal vision. A rigorous, structured program prepares the student for the challenges of further study at four-year colleges of art and design.

Objectives of the program in Fine Arts are:

* To develop of technical skills, historical knowledge and critical ability.
* To develop individual vision, self-direction, and creative energy.
* To prepare for further study in fine arts or other areas of art and design.


Graphic Design

Graphic designers are artists who apply their talents to solving the visual communications problems of their clients. For graphic designers, there are as many and varied career options as there are designers. Many graphic designers find career opportunities in corporations, government agencies, and advertising and design firms; others choose to work independently as freelancers. Projects that designers work on can include books, magazines, posters, packaging, websites, or signage. Any time there is a need to communicate a message to an audience, there is a need for a talented graphic designer.

The graphic design program provides students with a foundation in the principles, history, theory, and professional practices of design in order to prepare them for advanced study at a four-year institution. Guided by a faculty of both professional designers and design educators, students explore various approaches and solutions to design problems while learning to develop and articulate their own unique visions as designers and artists. The rich design and corporate communities in Wilmington also afford students the opportunity to interact with the professional design community and to work on real client-based projects in the classroom.

Objectives of the program in Graphic Design are:

* To offer an intensive design education experience and provide students with the tools necessary to build on that experience.
* To bridge traditional concepts of graphic design with the latest technology, enabling the students to be more effective designers.
* To help students develop a core of knowledge preparing them for advanced study and a portfolio of work demonstrating professional competencies


Illustration

In a world where the use of visual imagery continues to grow, the demand for illustration and design increases. Currently, illustrators are sought for work in books, magazines and newspapers; advertising; packaging; products; comic books; logos; institutional art, and many other pictorial aspects of the design industry. Clients and consumers value illustration that attracts attention, that cuts through the clutter to illuminate an idea, story, or product.

Through DCAD's illustration program, students develop and sharpen skills that translate ideas to paper, canvas, or computer screen, communicating effectively and convincingly. The program encompasses the training of hand, eye and mind. Students receive training in the tools, materials, and techniques required to create persuasive, visually appealing illustrations. At the same time, they are taught to become responsible and creative problem-solvers, working through ideas from rough concepts and sketches to finished art. The final art may be drawn, painted, or created on a computer. The faculty in the illustration department at DCAD are accomplished professionals who guide the students, not only through the rigors of artistic and professional training, but by serving as role models and mentors.

Objectives of the program in illustration are:

* To provide critical skills for effective visual communication.
* To link the traditional concepts, theories, and practice of illustration with an ever-evolving marketplace and the latest in design technology.
* To inform the student about the historical continuity of the profession of illustration and its place in the history of world art.
* To thoroughly prepare the student with the foundation to develop a marketable illustration portfolio, or to pursue further study.


Photography

Everywhere we look, we are faced with photographic images. These images range from the commercial to the photo-journalistic to the purely artistic.

Working with practicing professionals, students in the photography program explore the full range of technical, aesthetic and professional options available to the photographer. Photography is, first, a technical undertaking. As students acquire technical expertise in the medium, they begin to explore aesthetic and personal considerations. This grounding in techniques, tools and intellectual stimulation lead the students to the freedom to create powerful, meaningful images.

Objectives of the program in illustration are:

* To provide the student with a solid foundation in photographic craft and a thorough introduction to traditional and technologically innovative practices within the field.
* To foster individual vision in the creation and capturing of photographic images.
* To enable the student to develop a marketable photography portfolio, or pursue further study.


Animation

Animation is the term used to describe the illusion of motion created when a sequence of images, each slightly changed from the previous, is viewed in rapid succession.Animation is the term used to describe the illusion of motion created when a sequence of images, each slightly changed from the previous, is viewed in rapid succession.

At the Delaware College of Art and Design, the animation major focuses on the skills necessary for the production of independent and commercial applications. The primary objective of the curriculum is to prepare talented students with a foundation of knowledge and skills that can be applied to any of the varied contemporary uses of this medium, such as traditional character animation, clay animation, stop motion or computer-generated. DCAD's program provides the fundamental drawing and design skills necessary to be successful in this field combined with an understanding of the principals of motion, story telling and conceptual development, as well as the application of these disciplines to current technology.

Objectives of the program in Animation are:

* To expose students to the many forms animation has taken over its 100-year history.
* To develop analytical problem-solving ability, both technical and creative.
* To train students to utilize drawing as a communication tool for action and story.
* To develop an understanding of the complexities and application of the principles of animation, including gravity, motion and timing.
* To creatively understand and link the relationships between sound, image, and movement in animation.
* To develop a working knowledge of computer hardware and animation software.


Interior Design

The interior spaces we live and work in provide the backdrop for most of our activities. Interior design influences our movements, social interactions and moods. With the power to transform the physical environment, interior designers impact the quality of everyday life by translating ideas and emotional responses into built space. The optimal use of space provides functional efficiency and creates a harmonious interplay of space, light, furnishings and materials.

Interior designers work in interior design and architectural firms, or independently as freelance designers. While many graduates will work as residential or commercial designers, others will build a career in furniture design, set design, facilities and project management, lighting design and sales.

At DCAD’s interior design program, students make connections between the space and its users through a rigorous process of analysis and design development. Projects such as loft apartments, retail spaces and institutional interiors aim to integrate the space with its function. These reality-based projects use local sites and take on contemporary social and technical issues that prepare students for further study or for the workplace. Students also explore furnishings, color, materials and lighting as well as basic construction systems and building code requirements.

A range of two and three-dimensional presentation techniques is explored to find that which best expresses the project’s design concept. Each student develops a personal language of form and space while balancing social responsibility with innovative formal solutions. Drawing on rich design resources of the region, the faculty is composed of active, practicing designers in the field and experienced design educators.

Objectives of the program in interior design are:

* To transform ideas about movement and space into fulfilled designs.
* To develop methods of representation that stem from the internal needs of individual projects.
* To teach students the history of interior design and help them understand how design impacts individual and social needs.
* To produce imaginative and responsible interior designers.

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Delaware College of Art and Design Art School Location

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University of Delaware (Arts and Humanities) Arts and Humanities The division of Arts and Humanities includes the visual and performing arts, languages and literatures, philosophy, the Center ... Address: 116 Hullihen Hall

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