College of Fine Arts and Communication

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General Information

The College of Fine Arts and Communication at the University of Missouri-St. Louis offers undergraduate degree programs in the Departments of Art and Art History, Communication, Music, and Theatre Dance and Media Studies. Graduate study degree programs, administered through the Graduate School, are also offered in the Departments of Communication and Music.

The faculty and alumni of this college have distinguished themselves as scholars, visual artists, teachers, and performers. Students of the college pursue their activities in a variety of campus locations, including the Fine Arts Building, Lucas Hall, the Music Building and the Arts Administration Building. The Touhill Performing Arts Center affords two world-class venues for performances by university students and faculty, campus ensembles, and visiting artists. In addition, Gallery 210 and Gallery FAB offer visual arts programming of regional, national and international importance. Gallery VISIO in the Millennium Student Center showcases work by students and faculty.

The College of Fine Arts and Communication consists of some 50 full-time faculty members and is distinguished by its collaboration with the community. Six endowed professorships link the University to the Saint Louis Symphony, the Saint Louis Art Museum, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Laumeier Sculpture Park, and other local cultural institutions. The Des Lee Fine Arts Education Collaborative connects the University and a variety of partner cultural institutions to local school districts.

All the departments of the College of Fine Arts and Communication offer coursework in the evening or in other non-traditional modes (i.e. on-line and/or video). The Department of Communication offers sufficient coursework to complete its degree program in the evening. Consult the website of the department in which you are interested for details on degree requirements and a 3-year schedule of planned course offerings.

Requirements for Undergraduate Study

All majors in the College of Fine Arts and Communication must meet the following requirements:

Cultural Diversity Requirement
To expand cultural awareness, students in some academic units may be required to complete a course that emphasizes Asian, African, Middle Eastern, Latin American, Pacific aboriginal, Native American, or a comparable culture. Courses that satisfy this requirement involve substantial material independent of the cultures' interactions with European cultures. If a course focuses on one facet of a culture, it must treat the topic within the context of the culture as a whole. These courses are coded with the initials [CD] for Cultural Diversity A list of courses which fulfill the Cultural Diversity requirement may be found in the introductory section of this Bulletin.

Academic Policies

Grade Requirements
To graduate, all majors in the college must satisfy one of the following grade point options:

Residency Requirements

Transfer students must complete at least 30 of the last 36 hours of their degree program in residence at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Unless otherwise specified, a transfer student must complete 12 hours of graded work at UMSL at the 2000 level or above within the minimum number of hours required for each major.

Unless otherwise specified, a transfer student must complete at least six hours of graded work at UMSL at the 2000 level or above within the minimum number of hours required for each minor. Students should consult the minor department for specific residency and grade requirements.

Specific Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Course Requirements
After fulfilling the general education and specific major degree requirements, students are to take the remaining hours required to complete the bachelor’s degree from courses from one or more of the following areas at UMSL or university-quality equivalents at other institutions: anthropology/archaeology, art (appreciation, history, studio), astronomy, biology, chemistry, communication, criminology and criminal justice, economics, English, languages and cultures, geology, history, mathematics/computer science, media studies, music (appreciation, history, performance), philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, social work, sociology, theatre and dance, business, education, engineering, or interdisciplinary. Other areas or courses not listed require approval by the chair of the student’s department.

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
The College offers the B.A. degree in art history, communication, music, and theatre and dance. All B.A. degree candidates must successfully complete a curriculum that includes a departmental major or an approved interdisciplinary field. A major must include at least 30 credit hours but no more than 45 hours.

Foreign Language Requirement
Candidates for the B.A. degree are required to complete 13 credit hours or the equivalent in proficiency in one foreign language. Foreign language guidelines are as follows:

1) Students entering with no high school language units must enroll in Language 1001 or may enroll in the 2115 series (see no. 4).

2) Students with the degree of proficiency equivalent to 13 hours of college-level work in French, German or Spanish may obtain exemption by passing the department's placement exam. The specific dates for the exam are posted on-line or may be obtained from Languages and Cultures in the Department of Anthropology, Sociology, and Languages at 314-516-6240.

3) Native speakers of language other than English may meet the foreign language requirement by presenting a transcript from a university or secondary school of their native country. The department will certify native speakers of those languages which are taught at the university. Those who are proficient in other languages must submit certification of competence to the college.

4) Language 2115 A, B, C (Intensive) will satisfy the foreign language requirement. Aptitude testing is required prior to enrollment. For more information, call Languages and Cultures at 314-516-6240.

5) Students may not repeat, for either credit or quality points, an elementary course if they have already completed a higher-level course for which the elementary course, or its equivalent, is a prerequisite.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.)
The College offers the B.F.A. degree in studio art. A foreign language is not required. Students choosing an emphasis in drawing, graphic design, painting, photography, printmaking or general fine arts must take at least 75 credit hours in studio art (including 30 hours in the foundation art program). Students seeking K-12 art teacher certification take a minimum of 50 credit hours in studio art (including 30 hours in the foundation art program) and must fulfill the General Education Requirements in both the College of Education and the College of Fine Arts and Communication.

Bachelor of Music (B.M.)
The College offers the B.M. degree in music education, performance and with elective studies in business. The requirements are the same as for the B.A. degree with the addition of music education courses for music majors seeking state teacher certification. Although foreign language proficiency is not required, foreign language study is required for applied voice students.

Applied Music and Studio Art
Students not majoring in music may count no more than eight hours in music-performing organizations (Music 1400, 1410, 1500, 1520, etc.) Students in the college majoring in music may count any number of hours of applied music (private lessons). Students not majoring in studio art may count any studio art course toward any degree in the college. This also includes transferred credit.

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
The College offers the B.S. degree in media studies. All majors must complete a minimum of 51 hours in Media Studies courses and at least 24 of these hours must be taken at UMSL. A minimum of 39 credit hours in Media Studies and a minimum of 12 credit hours in Theatre and Dance, totaling 51 credit hours, are required. At least 18 hours of coursework must be taken at the 2000 level or above at UMSL. There is no foreign language requirement, but foreign language proficiency is recommended.

Bachelor of Liberal Studies (See Interdisciplinary Programs for complete description).

Certificate Programs
An undergraduate certificate program is offered in Advertising, Photographic Studies, Public Relations and Nonprofit Organization Management and Leadership. The certificate in Non-Profit Arts Organization Management & Leadership is currently inactive.

Minors
A number of minors are available at UMSL. Some are offered by individual departments, while others, such as Classical Studies and Africana Studies, are interdisciplinary in nature and involve a number of departments. The requirements for the various minors are listed in either the departmental or interdisciplinary sections of this Bulletin.