Liberal Arts
The liberal arts curriculum is an extremely important component of your education in the visual arts
These classes build critical-thinking skills and examine the creative process in a wide range of subjects. Through your four years of liberal arts coursework, you will learn effective writing, research, and analysis skills and establish the framework to think globally.
The Liberal Arts Department, for all BFA degree programs, consists of 5 distribution areas: Art History, Verbal Communication, Life & Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Behavioral & Social Sciences, and Humanities.
In order to graduate with a BFA, you must take 42 total credits in the Liberal Arts:
- 12 credits in the Art History distribution area
- 9 credits in the Verbal Communication distribution area
- 3 in the Life & Physical Sciences distribution area
- 3 in the Behavioral & Social Sciences distribution area
- 12 in the Humanities distribution area
- 1 additional 3-credit course in any Liberal Arts Department distribution area
Because of the organization of each major’s coursework throughout your time at PCA&D, the Liberal Arts requirement is typically spread out evenly over four years. See Associate degree graduation requirements for required Liberal Arts credits.
you'll be able to
- Demonstrate the ability to incorporate cultural and historical context into their analytical process and then demonstrate the ability to choose when and how this critical thinking should be applied to intellectual and creative problems presented in their coursework.
- Demonstrate the ability to apply information literacy and research techniques to course projects, assignments, and classroom discussion.
- Demonstrate the ability to deliberately compose and effectively communicate their informed ideas and viewpoints through oral and written projects and assignments as well as classroom discussion.
- Demonstrate a broad knowledge of visual culture as well as a proficiency in art historical analysis and theory through course projects, assignments, and classroom discussion.
- Demonstrate a well-rounded knowledge base in the Liberal Arts, including general humanities, social sciences, life sciences, and mathematics
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