The defining characteristic of the BFA program at the School of Art & Design is that it does not emphasize the usual disciplinary distinctions (painting, printmaking, graphic design, industrial design, animation, illustration) but focuses on the creative skills that are common to all of these practices. Creative process, critical thinking, project development, community engagement and collaboration are at least as important as learning mastery of technique and craftsmanship.
The first two years of the four-year program are structured; the second two are extraordinarily flexible, culminating with the Senior Integrative Project.The BFA also includes an international study requirement and student exhibition opportunities. Career exploration and planning start in the first year.
Curriculum
This chart represents basic credit distributions for a sample plan of study. Schedules will vary for each student.
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Required Core Studio Courses | 24 |
| Elective Studio Courses | 36 |
| Lecture Series | 8 |
| A&D Academic Courses | 9 |
| University Academic Courses | 39 |
| Integrative Project | 12 |
| BFA in Art & Design - Total | 128 |
Required Core Studio Courses
Eight required Core Studio courses are completed during the first two years of the program. Core Studio courses are typically offered once per year, not every semester, so students should make sure they enroll in these courses in the recommended sequence and recommended semesters - see the Sample Plan of Study for details.
- Fundamentals of Drawing: Includes life-drawing, technical drawing, design drawing, and illustration.
- Digital Studio: Includes basic computing skills and programming, 2D image generation and manipulation, web design, and 3D object generation and surfacing.
- Tools, Materials, and Processes: A series of three studio courses that expose students to a wide variety of the physical materials, tools, and processes useful to contemporary art and design practices.
- Concept, Form, and Context: A series of three studio courses that teach problem solving and problem generation, focusing on the development and structuring of ideas.
| Course Title | Course # | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Fundamentals of Drawing | 100 | 3 |
| Digital Studio | 110 | 3 |
| Tools, Materials, and Processes I: Construction | 120 | 3 |
| Tools, Materials, and Processes II: Messages | 121 | 3 |
| Tools, Materials, and Processes III: Time | 220 | 3 |
| Concept, Form, and Context I: The Human Being | 130 | 3 |
| Concept, Form, and Context II: Culture | 230 | 3 |
| Concept, Form, and Context III: Nature | 231 | 3 |
Read about a student's experience in TMP.
Students create fantastic architecture in Digital Studio.
Elective Studio Courses
Students will take twelve elective studio courses (36 credits) in their four years at A&D, beginning in their second semester.
One elective studio must be an engagement studio, in which students interact with a segment of the local community. Two elective studios may come from other UM schools or departments.
A&D Elective Studio courses vary each semester.
For the Winter 2012 semester, elective studios include:
* - This course fulfills the Engagement Studio requirement.
Read about the first SmartSurfaces course.
Learn about a class that taught students to make carillon bells.
A&D students work with specimens from the Museum of Zoology.
Check out projects created in Furniture Making.
Check out ads created by students in Animation for Broadcast.
In Paper Sculpture, students design pop-up books and more.
Art & Design Academic Requirements
A&D's academic requirements are designed to engage students in both the history of art and design and the current practice of emerging artists.
The Penny Stamps Lecture Series brings respected emerging and established artists/designers to the School to conduct a public lecture and engage with students. Students must enroll in the 1-credit/semester Lecture Series and attend the weekly lecture each semester through all four years of the program.
First and second year students complete Art & Design Perspectives, a series of three 3-credit courses designed to be broader in scope than traditional art history courses, integrating art and design issues, ideas, and history.
| Course Title | Course # | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Penny Stamps Lecture Series - Fall (4 Semesters) | 160 | 4 |
| Penny Stamps Lecture Series - Winter (4 Semesters) | 161 | 4 |
| Art & Design Perspectives I: The Creators | 150 | 3 |
| Art & Design Perspectives II: Society | 151 | 3 |
| Art & Design Perspectives III: Technology & the Environment | 250 | 3 |
Read one student's impression of the Stamps Speaker series.
Check out upcoming and past presentations.
Watch videos of past lectures on PLAY.
University Academic Requirements
University Academic Requirements are designed to develop basic familiarity with the three traditional components of liberal arts - humanities, social sciences and natural sciences; an introduction to analytical reasoning; empathy with other cultures; and familiarity with contemporary environmental issues.
| Requirement | Course Info | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Writing | LSA Course Guide: "FYWR" | 4 |
| Upper Level Writing | LSA Course Guide: "ULWR" | 3-4 |
| History of Art | LSA Course Guide: "HISTART" | 3 |
| Social Science | LSA Course Guide: "SS" | 3 |
| Natural Science | LSA Course Guide: "NS" | 3 |
| Analytical Reasoning | LSA Course Guide: "MSA", "QR/1", "QR/2", Phil 180 or 201. |
3 |
| Environmental Studies | LSA Course Guide: "ENVIRON". | 3 |
| Race and Ethnicity | LSA Course Guide: "RE" | 3 |
| Academic Electives | Choose additional courses to equal 39 credits. |
Integrative Project
In the 12-credit Integrative Project, seniors use the techniques, concepts and skills they've learned to plan, conceptualize, and build a single project of their choosing over the course of their final year. With the help of faculty advisors, they manage their own creative process and working schedules, and work in their own dedicated studio space. The project culminates in a final presentation where the student engages the public through exhibition, publication or performance, and is documented in a written thesis, website, and digital portfolio.
| Course Title | Course # | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Integrative Project | 400 | 12 |
Read about four A&D seniors and their Integrative Projects.
Check out the work featured in the 2011 Senior Show.
Read about a student's Integrative Project experience.
IP students come up with new ways to display their projects.
Reviews
Students must complete a Sophomore Review and a mid-year IP Critique during their senior year.
In the Sophomore Review, students conduct a presentation of their work to date in the program to an ad-hoc faculty committee. In preparation for reviews, students must supply faculty committee members with résumés, statements about their work, and reflections on their development to date. Special meetings for sophomores are held prior to the reviews in order to help them prepare.
A successful Sophomore Review is required for continuation in the program. Students who perform unsatisfactorily on their Sophomore Reviews are required to re-review at a designated date; some may be asked to take time off or improve deficiencies prior to advancing; and a small minority may be directed to leave the program. These reviews are a significant assessment component of the program.
The IP Critique is an opportunity for students to receive faculty advice and feedback midway through the year-long Integrative Project. Details regarding preparation for the IP Critiques are discussed in the individual IP classes.
All lectures take place at 5 pm on Thursdays at the historic Michigan Theater in downtown Ann Arbor.
The PLAY Blog takes you inside A&D’s community of makers, with posts by students, faculty and staff.
Website © 2012 Regents of the University of Michigan. The A&D website is produced with funding from Susan Smucker Wagstaff and Reid Wagstaff.