College of New Jersey, The (The College of New Jersey Art Department)

The Department of Art offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree with majors in Fine Arts,Graphic Design, and Digital Ats, and the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree with majors in Art Education and Art History. In addition, students may minor in Art History, Fine Arts, Digital Arts and Photography. Courses in art foundation studies and the liberal arts are integral parts of the curriculum. The Art Department is committed to providing programs of study which develop a high level of conceptual and technical ability, resources beyond the studio for a broader education in the arts, exposure to and understanding of electronic media and methods of communication, and a balance between a demanding course of professional study and a liberal arts education.

The art facility features traditional studios as well as state-of-the-art computing and electronic media labs. The faculty of the Art Department consists of scholars, exhibiting artists, and active professionals; it is augmented by guest lecturers and adjunct professors who are practicing professionals in the New York-Philadelphia corridor. The department enjoys an enviable placement record in terms of graduate study and employment, and graduates of the program have attained positions of leadership in their respective fields. The College of New Jersey is located near the major art and design centers of New York and Philadelphia and students are encouraged and often required to visit museums, galleries, design studios, production houses, and other art facilities in these areas.


The Fine Arts Program curriculum consists of an intensive foundation in drawing, 2D and 3D design, color theory, digital arts, a variety of studio disciplines, and a core of art history courses. It culminates with the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. The Fine Arts Program offers a flexible program of study in which the student may follow a specific advanced curriculum in the major fine arts, or may design their own advanced curriculum through faculty advisement and critique. The senior year includes two capstone courses which result in an exhibit of senior thesis work.


The Fine Arts Program

The Fine Arts Program takes advantage of the College's proximity to major museums, galleries, and collections in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington to broaden students' exposure to current trends and traditional concepts and techniques. Students begin to focus on the professional aspects of their careers early on and are encouraged to exhibit work throughout the College campus as well as in the annual student exhibit and other venues.

Advanced studio courses may be repeated for credit to gain the desired depth in the studio areas. Independent study is available to upper-level art majors with three courses in a studio or lecture area in which they have earned a minimum 3.33 GPA. A minimum of 12 courses must be taken in the Art Department at The College of New Jersey. Personal advisement and portfolio preparation counseling are available to those students who wish to prepare for graduate school.

The Art Department announces a new minor: Photography.
The Photography Minor is available to all TCNJ students who are passionately interested in exploring photography. Students must complete five photography courses that include Photography I, Photography II, Digital Photography and Histories of Photography. Students choose a fifth course based on advisement.


The Digital Arts

The Digital Arts major features an intensive core curriculum (and a range of options) in specifically digital media such as Imaging and Photography, Video, Time-based Media, Sound Design, Animation, Web Design-both Static and Dynamic, and Interactive and Performance Media.

Upon graduating with a BFA in Digital Arts, TCNJ students will be highly prepared to either continue their education as strong candidates at the most competitive graduate programs in New Media or to enter professional fields as amongst the most skilled digital artists in an increasingly competitive job market.

The essence of the Digital Arts curriculum is the study of art (in both studio and seminar classes) that is originated, created and/or output with the use of digital technologies. The course of study parallels the development of art and technology in western culture from still photography to the moving image to electronic interactivity and to the production of immersive environments, utilizing the latest digital tools available. The fundamental principle underlying the curriculum is that student artists must understand and develop the historical, aesthetic, conceptual, and technical aspects of the digital arts within the larger context of art-making.

The Digital Arts student can choose to specialize in a particular area or opt for broad and comprehensive exposure to media in the discipline. The student's creative visual language is developed in foundation courses of fine arts, which introduce a rigorous practice in drawing, color theory, design, conceptual analysis, introductory digital courses, and photography. The exemplary educational background The College of New Jersey offers--one that emphasizes "creative expressions", "critical thinking", and a "cultural, social, and intellectual life enriched and enlivened by diversity"-- is integral to the curriculum. Second year study incorporates student learning of foundational skills with new technical forms that include interactive art and design, time-based media (video and animation) and web design. Third year students specialize in a Digital Arts component to further develop their aesthetic, technical and conceptual abilities. The final year is comprised of advanced research and study in the Digital Arts that ensures both a conceptual and technical maturation of each student.

The Art Department announces a new minor: Photography. The Photography Minor is available to all TCNJ students who are passionately interested in exploring photography. Students must complete five photography courses that include Photography I, Photography II, Digital Photography and Histories of Photography. Students choose a fifth course based on advisement.


The Graphic Design Program

The BFA program in Graphic Design approaches the profession as an interdisciplinary, cross-media field that is rooted in the fine arts. Students learn to give form and expression to the content of our culture and become creators and interpreters of the environment in which we live. They must be able to perceive and adapt to changing cultural demands and to the changing design field. As the design field continues to expand into new media and new environments, designers are confronted with exciting intellectual and technological challenges. Students must be prepared to meet these new challenges, possess the educational background to develop original ideas and solve a wide range of design problems.

After completing the Graphic Design Major, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills in the following areas: creative problem solving, use of technology and relevant traditional Graphic Design skills, understanding of history and contemporary issues in design, visual and critical research, writing and communication skills, and design practice. During the students' capstone experience, Senior Research and Seminar, students will focus on advancing their personal vision through Design Research, writing, and innovative design projects. They will develop an original body of work that will culminate in a Portfolio and Portfolio Review, a presentation of students' Portfolios to the public and the Graphic Design Community.


The Art History Program

The Art History Program offers a BA in Art History to majors and also serves as part of the foundation program for other Department of Art majors. It also provides a minor for students majoring in art or any other field. Art history is a scholarly, academic discipline, and its study sharpens critical thinking and strengthens both writing and analytical skills. The program offers a list of varied and exciting courses that include topics such as Non-Western Art, Women Artists in History, and various period studies. Students in majors from around the campus may also use selected art history courses to fulfill general education requirements. Students in the Honors Program further have the opportunity to mix the history of art with other disciplines such as history or literature in dynamic courses such as Paris Between the Wars, Cities and Sanctuaries of Greece and Rome, and the Holocaust in Art and Literature.
Art History Major

The major provides students with both broad introductory courses and specialized geographical and chronological studies emphasizing theory, methodology, and historiography of the discipline, creating a curriculum designed to provide both a well-rounded foundation and advanced study in the discipline. The program utilizes the varied resources of museums and collections in the area through field trips and specialized object research. In order to promote cross-cultural exchange and exposure to art outside the area, students enrolled in the Art History major are required to study abroad for at least a summer and preferably a semester. The curriculum culminates in a senior capstone experience that allows Art History majors to develop an original research project and to demonstrate their critical thinking skills.


The Art Education

The conceptual framework for Art Education, as for all programs in professional education at The College of New Jersey, is creating exemplary professionals. Themes and outcomes associated with that framework are described in the School of Education section of the bulletin.

The Art Education Major offers a Bachelor of Arts degree and qualifies an individual for New Jersey State Art Teacher Certification, kindergarten through twelfth grade. The required curriculum includes a full range of art studio, art history, and art therapy courses. Students are given opportunities to experience actual classroom environments and situations through observations and teaching practicum in both the junior and senior years. This program is designed to prepare the student both as artist and teacher.

Required studio courses include computer graphics, drawings, design, painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography and the crafts. These courses and the required Sophomore Professional Experience, Art Education/Elementary and Secondary and Principles and Practices in Art Education lead to student teaching. A full semester of student teaching offers experiences at both elementary and secondary levels.

Candidates for a teacher-education certificate must have a 2.75 cumulative grade point average to successfully complete their teacher education program. They must also meet the state hygiene/physiology requirement and pass the appropriate Praxis examination before the New Jersey State Department of Education will issue the appropriate certificate. Teacher-education candidates will receive a 'certificate of eligibility with advanced standing' which requires a candidate to be provisionally certified for his or her first year of teaching. After one year of successful teaching, the candidate is eligible for a permanent certificate. The teacher candidate will also have to pay a fee during his or her first year of teaching.

Students may take art therapy courses as an art option/elective. Art therapy certification may be obtained through completion of a graduate program in art therapy.

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The College of New Jersey Art Department Art School Location

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