Department of Art and Design

Faculty and Fields of Interest

Scott Ahrens animation and game arts, graphic design, virtual reality

Rose Botti-Salitsky interior architecture and design

Michelle Bowers graphic design, typography

Gabo Camnitzer foundations, social practice

Victoria Crayhon photography

Richard J Creighton Professor Emeritus

Aleta Deyo fashion design

Jan Fairbairn graphic design, typography

Anthony Fisher painting

Laura Franz typography, graphic design, web typography

Lara Henderson graphic design

Rebecca Hutchinson ceramics

Spencer Ladd graphic design, typography, photography

Yoon Soo Lee graphic design

Bruce Maddocks illustration

Sarah Malakoff photography

Bryan McFarlane Professor Emeritus

Stephanie McGoldrick interior architecture and design

Otto Metzger animation, game arts, video

Mark Millstein animation, game arts, video

Anthony Miraglia Professor Emeritus

Ziddi Msangi graphic design

Elena Peteva painting, drawing

Stacy Latt Savage sculpture

Suzanne Schireson painting, drawing

Michael Swartz 2D animation, 3D animation, virtual reality

Alan Burton Thompson jewelry/metals

Shawn Towne animation and game arts

Jess Worby illustration

This faculty’s range of specialization is enhanced by Lecturers who specialize in many other fields.

BFA in Art + Design

The BFA in Art + Design and BS in Interior Architecture + Design programs are comprehensive and dynamic, studio-based 120-credit degrees that prepare students for productive, creative lives and careers in visual art and/or design. In addition to intensive training within a specific discipline, students are encouraged to cross boundaries and pursue solutions through integrated media projects.

An Art School (CVPA) embedded within a University is a unique opportunity for art and design students to develop cross-disciplinary sensitivity and gain exposure to fields across campus. Active artist-faculty offer individualized instruction emphasizing the development of each student’s visual voice.

See a specific concentration for more information.

BS in Interior Architecture + Design

The Interior Architecture + Design program prepares students for professional-level entrance into the design field. You will learn contemporary design techniques, have access to state-of-the art design technology, build a personal portfolio, and gain workplace experience through internships.

You will pursue a well-rounded interior architecture and design degree that integrates technical know-how and artistic vision, develops your creative potential, and helps you launch your career.

Accredited by the Council for Interior Architecture and Design Accreditation (CIDA), CVPA’s Interior Architecture + Design program is the only public option in New England.

Interior architects work for a wide range of clients. They work in hospitality, healthcare, commercial, corporate, residential, retail and institutional design. Many interior architecture and design professionals work in niches such as environmental design, historic preservation, furniture design, ergonomics, and health and safety.

Many graduates of the Interior Architecture + Design program go on to graduate school, to pursue a Master of Interior Design, Master of Architecture, Master of Sustainability Design, MBA, or other advanced degrees.

The program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Interior Architecture + Design is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, www.accredit-id.org, 206 Grandville Avenue, Suite 350, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. The CIDA-accredited program prepares students for entry-level interior design practice, for advanced study, and to apply for membership in professional interior design organizations. The Interior Architecture + Design granted by University of Massachusetts Dartmouth meets the educational requirement for eligibility to sit for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification Examination (NCIDQ Exam). For more information about NCIDQ Exam eligibility visit: https://www.cidq.org/eligibility-requirements.

Admission to a Concentration

Admission to specific concentrations requires submission of a portfolio. All transfer students who wish to be admitted to courses marked with a “*” above the sophomore level must submit a portfolio. Acceptance into advanced courses are rare, not automatic.

Designated Studio Courses

Each Art + Design concentration has a list of designated courses, each of which requires a grade of C or better for advancement. Students who receive less than a C in one of these courses shall be subject to review that may result in provisional continuation or dismissal from the option.

Student Reviews

Student reviews take place during Sophomore, Junior, and Senior years. Reviews provide students the opportunity to discuss their work and personal goals privately with the primary faculty who assess student progress. Faculty evaluate each student’s creative direction and technical skills, identifying strengths and weaknesses as they move through their concentration. Remedial coursework may be recommended at any level of review. See a specific concentration for more information.

Art + Design Learning Objectives

The program learning objectives listed below are learned and evaluated through course-based learning objectives and assignments that are available in the syllabus of each course. Upon successful completion of the degree requirements in Art + Design, students will be able to:

Identify and apply the elements and principles of visual design when visually communicating information and ideas;

Apply knowledge of historical narratives, contemporary issues, and processes and directions of their fields, to produce interpretations and/or artifacts;

Describe the history of their field, theoretical framework of their field, and contemporary work being done in their field;

Develop and produce relevant projects using various media and technologies — both traditional and contemporary — appropriate to their field;

Perform a useful critical analysis of communication, form, and concept;

Create work with an appropriate relationship between form, content, and context when visually communicating information and/or ideas;

Solve formal, conceptual, and communication problems through the process of self-directed trial, error, and refinement;

Demonstrate perceptual acuity (perceptual “sharpness,” to see/understand things in a way others do not), conceptual and contextual understanding, and technical facility at a professional entry level in their chosen fields;

Solve visual/aural, conceptual, and technical problems through independently- and collaboratively- generated analysis, evaluation, and refinement;

Assess and present their research, process, and outcome in an articulate manner;

Present themselves in a professional manner appropriate to their field of study.

Interior Architecture + Design Learning Objectives

The Interior Architecture + Design Program is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA). The baccalaureate curriculum combines the techniques of the trade with the depth and breadth of a liberal arts education and includes an extensive thesis year-long project, a portfolio project, preparing students to work in a global market.

The mission of the Interior Architecture + Design Program is to provide an educational experience which guides the ethical and professional development of future design professionals. The program emphasizes and encourages professional participation and promotes a global perspective. The baccalaureate curriculum combines the techniques of the trade with the depth and breadth of a liberal arts education preparing students to work in a global market.

In addition to the University Studies skills prospective students who successfully complete this program will have an awareness, understanding and competency in program outcomes listed below.

Upon successful completion of the IAD academic degree program, students will demonstrate:

PO1 - Global Context: Graduates will have a global view and consider social, cultural, economic, and ecological contexts in all aspects of their work.

PO2 - Collaboration: Graduates will participate in interdisciplinary experiences.

PO3 - Business Practices and Professionalism: Graduates will understand the principles, processes, and responsibilities that define the profession and the value of Interior Architecture + Design.

PO4 - Human-Centered Design: Graduates will apply knowledge of human experience and behavior to designing the built environment.

PO5 - Design Process: Graduates will employ all aspects of the design process to creatively solve a design problem.

PO6 - Communication: Graduates will be effective communicators.

PO7 - History Graduates will apply knowledge of history of interiors, architecture, decorative arts, and art.

PO8 - Design Elements and Principles: Graduates will apply elements and principles of design.

PO9 - Light and Color: Graduates will apply principles and theories of light and color effectively to environmental impact and human wellbeing.

PO10 - Products and Materials: Graduates will complete design solutions that integrate furnishings, products, materials, and finishes.

PO11 - Environmental Systems and Human Wellbeing: Graduates will use the principles of acoustics, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, water and waste systems in relation to environmental impact and human wellbeing.

PO12 - Construction: Graduates will understand interior construction and its interrelationship with base building construction and systems.

PO13 - Regulations and Guidelines: Graduates will apply laws, codes, standards, and guidelines that impact human experience of interior spaces.

Programs

Baccalaureate in Art + Design

Minors