Art & Design

Visual Arts Building 117 ~ 260-481-6709

The mission of the Department of Art and Design is to serve our students and community in the following ways:

• Provide an engaging educational experience for artists, designers, and educators
• Foster an environment of research and creative endeavor
• Offer comprehensive programs in art and design that focus on the development of technical and conceptual skills through creative investigations
• Promote appreciation and critical awareness of the visual arts through community and global engagement

Degree programs offered by the Department of Art and Design provide comprehensive training for the following degrees: Art (B.A.) , Art (Art, B.F.A.)  with concentrations in Art Education, Ceramics, Drawing, Graphic Design, Imaging and Photography, Interior Design, Metalsmithing, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture, Web Design. 

Minors in Art History Minor  or Art and Design Studio Minor  are also available; the Art and Design minor includes courses in Ceramics, Drawing, Graphic Design, Imaging and Photography, Metalsmithing, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture and Web Design and is available to students seeking degrees outside the Department of Art and Design, or to add an emphasis to their existing degree program.

Purdue University Fort Wayne is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

Courses are offered on campus, with some distance and hybrid course offerings.

Residence Requirements  At least 33 credit hours, including art methods courses, must be completed on the PFW campus. For the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, registration in and completion of at least 33 credits of resident course credit at the junior level or above (300-400 level), including at least 15 credits at the senior level (400 level) or above, are required in courses applicable to the major.

Transfer and Returning Student Credit  All studio and art history courses transferred from another institution or former Indiana University-Purdue University art programs must be evaluated by appropriate faculty in the Department of Art and Design before they may be applied to a major in the department, unless transfer equivalencies have previously been established. See Transfer and Returning Student Credit Review below.

Transfer and Returning Student Credit Review  - Courses in art that have been transferred to PFW from another institution or former PFW art programs will not be credited to an incoming or returning Art and Design major unless they have been reviewed by the Chair of the Department of Art and Design.  For a review of transferred studio credit, the student should provide the viewer with a portfolio consisting of representative work in each area (e.g. painting, sculpture, etc.) for which the transfer credit is desired.  The portfolio should include both studies and finished work and be as encompassing as possible. Syllabi and course descriptions from the previous university are also helpful in evaluating course equivalency. Students transferring credits to pursue the Bachelor of Fine Arts B.F.A. degree, must pass the required portfolio review to be admitted into the B.F.A. program. Students requesting transfer credits for classes in the first and second year foundation studio courses must be able to provide work from those transfer classes as part of their portfolio review process.

Scholarships

Each spring semester the Department of Art and Design offers scholarships to art and design majors.  The awards are based on both artistic merit and the student’s contribution to the Department of Art and Design.

Special Academic Regulations

Credit by Self-Acquired Competency is at the discretion of the department, and evaluated on an individual basis.

Enrollment Policy - To ensure that degree-seeking students are guaranteed priority registration in their classes, the following policies will be observed:

1. Students who are not progressing toward completion of degree requirements, including students who have graduated but wish to continue a program of study, will be reclassified in a new degree code;
2. Course registration for these students will not be processed until the final week before the beginning of each semester. This will allow students an opportunity to access studio classes when space is available;
3. All upper level studio courses may be repeated up to a maximum of 18 credits. Students should become familiar with financial aid restrictions regarding repeat limits if they utilize financial aid;
4. Prerequisites for studio fundamentals courses may be waived by the appropriate instructor during the week before classes begin, contingent upon space availability. Completion of all prerequisites is required to continue with classes beyond 6 credit hours in that discipline.

Course Audit - The Department of Art and Design does not allow students to audit any Art and Design classes due to the following reasons:

1. Space Limitations - Studio classes are small in size and space is at a premium;
2. Equipment - Studios have limited equipment for the students enrolled; class sizes are typically between 12-15 total;
3. Safety - Due to some potentially dangerous processes, safety is a major concern for instructors in our classes;
4. Pass/Fail Option - The pass/fail option is not permitted in the department of Art and Design.

Repeat limits - All Non-major and non-degree seeking students may not repeat any Art and Design classes beyond 6 credit hours. Select advanced studio courses may be repeated up to a maximum of 18 credits, however, students must be familiar with financial aid restrictions on re-taking courses. No courses may be repeated in Graphic Design or Imaging and Photography concentrations.

Self-Paced Courses and Independent Study - Independent study courses are available for students with at least a junior class standing, to pursue studio interests not served in other course offerings. Independent study courses may be arranged with the appropriate faculty member on the basis of a viable course of study, a reasonable load for the instructor, and space availability. Priority will be given to degree-seeking student and to classes with regularly scheduled meeting times.

Dismissal and Readmission

If you are on Academic probation and do not correct academic deficiencies during your next two semesters of enrollment, you will be dismissed from university, and the Art and Design program.

If you are dismissed from the Art and Design program, you may seek readmission under the university guidelines specified in Academic Regulations, Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct    of this Catalog.

Time Limit

You must complete the degree requirements specified in the Catalog in effect at the time you were regularly admitted to the university. However, to ensure that you will be professionally competitive with other members of your graduating class, you may be required to satisfy the degree requirements specified in the most current Catalog if you have not completed all requirements for your degree within seven years from the date of your admission.

Degree Requirements

• A student may elect the Pass/Not-Pass grading option for non-degree elective courses only. The Pass/Not-Pass grading option is not available to General Education or any electives required for the major.