General Catalog 2007-2009

Department of Music, Art, and Communication

---

Music, Art and Communication is rooted in the liberal arts tradition that teaches and communicates the human experience through sounds, images, and words. The faculty members of the department are supportive and demanding mentors whose first priority is to help students discover their intellectual and creative potential. The Department promotes both a creative and cultural awareness within the college and an interactive educational and cultural link between the college and the community.

Students pursuing any of the Department’s academic programs are encouraged to take advantage of the interdisciplinary opportunities the department offers to complement a major. Courses in the visual arts are of benefit to those studying art, mass communication and public relations. Courses in audio and video production are of interest to those in art, music and public relations. Musical ensembles and performing groups are available on a credit or voluntary basis to all students in the Department who wish to avail themselves of this creative outlet.

The Department administers one of the most active internship programs on the campus. Students are encouraged to investigate the internship option as a means of exploring career choices and acquiring career experience before leaving college.

Art

The Music, Art and Communication Department offers two Baccalaureate programs in Art, one in Fine Art, and one in Graphic Design. These majors prepare the student to enter a variety of professional careers in the visual arts or graduate study. An Associate degree in Fine Art is also offered and academic minors are available in Art History, Fine Art, Visual Communication, and Photography. A course in Art Education is offered to students completing the Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education.

Portfolio Requirements for Admission

In addition to fulfilling all York College of Pennsylvania admissions requirements, a student seeking to be admitted into either the Fine Art or Graphic Design program is required to submit a portfolio of 10-20 examples of art. The portfolio should contain the student’s best work, reflect a range of abilities, interests, and concepts, and demonstrate skill in a variety of media.

An introductory artist’s statement must be included stating the major for which the applicant wishes to be considered for. The statement should be a brief synopsis of the artist’s experience, how he or she feels about the work, who or what has been an influence, and what the student’s aspirations are for the future. Name, mailing address and email address (if applicable) must be included on the statement.

The portfolio must be submitted in the form of 35mm slides. No actual pieces of artwork will be accepted. Each slide must be labeled with the applicant’s name, title of work (or name of project), date, medium, and dimensions (height x width). The top of the work must be marked with an arrow. Slides must be placed into 8.5 3 11 plastic slide sleeves and then compiled in a binder with the statement and a slide inventory list.

The portfolio should be sent only AFTER the student has received notification from the Admissions Office that he or she is accepted into York College. Acceptance into York College of Pennsylvania does not guarantee acceptance into Art programs. The portfolio submission deadline for new freshmen, transfer and internal transfer students are November 1st (for entry in the spring semester) and March 15th (for entry in the fall semester). The student will be notified of the decision of the review committee approximately two weeks after the portfolios are reviewed. Because enrollment in the art program is limited, portfolios received after the 15th of March will be reviewed as space permits. Students may not submit portfolios to Fine Art or Graphic Design more then two times.

Portfolios are to be forwarded to: Portfolio Review Committee, York College of Pennsylvania, 439 Country Club Rd.,York, PA 17405-7199. The committee will notify the student by mail that it has received the portfolio. Portfolios will be returned if the student provides a suitable envelope with appropriate postage.

Students transferring from other institutions are required to submit a portfolio of artwork for admission to the Fine Art and Graphic Design programs. The applicant should follow the specifications and deadlines previously outlined. The portfolio needs to contain a minimum of two examples of work from each art course the student wishes to transfer to York College. Transfer credit in Graphic Design is given only for foundation courses (Viscom I, Viscom II, Drawing I, Painting I, Computer Graphics I, and Sculpture I), art history courses, and art electives. Transfer credit in Fine Art is given for foundation courses (Design I, Design II, Drawing I, Painting I, Figure Drawing I, and Sculpture I), art history courses, art electives, and any additional nine credits in art.

Students currrently attending York College and wishing to declare Fine Art or Graphic Design as a major need to follow the specifications outlined previously. The portfolio should not include work produced during high school and must include recent work from all college art courses. Deadline dates for portfolio review are the same as those for incoming or transfer students. Students already attending YCP and submitting portfolios may deliver them by hand to MAC206 during regular business hours to the attention of the Portfolio Review Committee.

Baccalaureate Degree Programs

Bachelor of Arts Degree in Fine Art

The Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art is designed to prepare the student for entry into professional positions such as illustrator, teacher, art director, art critic, studio/commercial photographer, or independent artist, and stresses life-long growth as an artist. The program emphasizes mastering technical processes, understanding the role of cultural history as an influence upon artistic expression, developing verbal and visual communication skills, and the importance of creative and original thinking. Students expand their studio and academic experiences through exhibitions, internships in professional settings such as the College art gallery, completion of the Professional Development Seminar, and participation in activities such as artist’s lectures and museum excursions.

Requirements For Graduation:

To be eligible for graduation, students majoring in Fine Art must complete a minimum of 124 credits, achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher, satisfy the College’s residency requirements, and complete the General Education Requirements of the College. Courses used to complete general education requirements may not be taken on a pass/fail basis, and credits earned in WRT100 may not be applied to degree requirements.

In addition, students majoring in Fine Art are required to complete a series of foundation courses, which offer a common studio experience to all art majors. Foundation courses must be successfully completed by the end of the first semester of sophomore year. Foundation courses teach basic skills, provide a technical foundation on which to build, develop creative and problem-solving skills, and help identify professional and studio interests. The student is also required to participate in the Sophomore Portfolio Review and Senior Portfolio Review and Exhibition, both of which provide an opportunity for self-evaluation and professional evaluation. During senior year the student participates in the Professional Development Seminar and the Senior Art Major’s Exhibition. The student is required to earn a grade of 2.0 or higher in all major courses.

Required courses for the BA in Fine Art:

Fine Art (suggested course sequence)

Bachelor of Arts Degree in Graphic Design

This professional program, combined with a strong academic curriculum, provides graduates with the skills and knowledge they will need to enter diverse areas of visual communication such as publication design, advertising design, packaging, corporate identity design, and multimedia production, or to pursue graduate study. The program contains components of studio work, design theory, criticism and history. Student designers learn not only about the tools and techniques, both traditional and digital, necessary to make their ideas come to life, but also the ways in which their work relates to their culture and society. The program’s emphasis on the history of graphic design gives students a valuable perspective on where their chosen discipline has been, where it is going, and how technology affects the way we communicate. Through professional memberships, internships, field trips, and exposure to visiting artists, students gain valuable perspective on personal areas of interest in the vast and changing field of design.

Requirements For Graduation:

To be eligible for graduation, students majoring in Graphic Design must complete a minimum of 129 credits, achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher, satisfy the College’s residency requirements, and complete the General Education Requirements of the College. Courses used to complete general education requirements may not be taken on a pass/fail basis, and credits earned in WRT100 may not be applied to degree requirements.

In addition, students majoring in Graphic Design are required to complete a series of foundation courses, which offer a common studio experience for all art majors. Foundation Courses must be successfully completed by the end of the first semester of Sophomore Year. Foundation courses teach basic skills, provide a technical foundation on which to build, develop creative and problem-solving skills, and help identify professional and studio interests. The student is also required to participate in the Sophomore Portfolio Review and Senior Portfolio Review and Exhibition, which provide an opportunity for self-evaluation and professional evaluation. During senior year the student participates in the Professional Development Seminar and the Senior Art Major’s Exhibition. The student is required to earn a 2.0 or higher in all major courses.

Required courses for the BA in Graphic Design:

Graphic Design (suggested course sequence)

Main Menu