Bachelor of Arts, Major in History

at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth USA

The BFA in Art + Design: Drawing offers professional, studio-based training in the visual arts with all the advantages of a university education.

The BFA is a professional degree with concentrated areas of specialization, so you will take more art courses than you would in a BA program. At UMass Dartmouth, you also have the advantages of a university education where you can diversify your studies and expand your career opportunities.

You will learn fundamental skills and contemporary drawing practices through a wide spectrum of drawing course offerings such as:

• Representation
• The human figure
• Architecture & perspective
• Concept-development
• Mixed media
• Abstraction
• Time-based media
• Installation

You will develop cross-disciplinary sensitivity—with the possibility of combining drawing with painting, printmaking, photography, digital media, textiles, sculpture, time-based media, installation and other disciplines in contemporary art making. You will also be able to explore fields across the university, such as business, engineering, and science.

The Ceramics program offers the opportunity for concentrated studio work involving both technical and conceptual challenges. Through questioning and experimentation, students work to consolidate materials and processes while developing strong conceptual and expressive ideas.

Graduate students are encouraged to pursue individual areas of interest which may include fabrication of functional or sculptural forms. Your work in the studio is complemented by courses in clay and glaze formulation, kiln construction, and ceramic history and aesthetics.

You will work closely with a faculty advisor to ensure guided exploration to develop maturity. Individual meetings take place on a weekly basis and critiques occur each month. Studies culminate with both a visual and written thesis.

As a photography major, you will gain expertise in both traditional and digital techniques and explore photographic imagery in all contexts. When you pursue your BFA in Art + Design: Photography, you will develop your own photographic vision and deepen your expressive communication.

The BFA is a professional degree with concentrated areas of specialization, so you will take more art courses than you would in a BA program. At UMass Dartmouth, you also have the advantages of a university education where you can diversify your studies and expand your career opportunities.

Your studies will include:

• Black & white darkroom photography
• Color digital imaging & printing
• Large format photography
• Studio lighting
• Video
• The history of photography
• Contemporary practice

Your work will culminate in a gallery exhibition and a portfolio that demonstrates your individual style, technical proficiency, and aesthetic sophistication.

A degree in photography will prepare you for a career as a fine art and commercial photographer, photojournalist, videographer, photo editor, gallery or museum director, curator, image consultant, multimedia designer, photo educator, photo archivist, studio manager, filmmaker, web designer, lab technician, and professional printer.

A UMassD bachelor's degree in Public Administration will train students to work in the public sector at the local, state or federal level. We aim to prepare graduates who possess the analytical, critical-thinking, and writing skills necessary for employment in the public sector.

A UMassD bachelor’s degree in Public Administration will train students to work in the public sector at the local, state or federal level. We aim to prepare graduates who possess the analytical, critical-thinking, and writing skills necessary for employment in the public sector. A BS in Public Administration will require more intensive quantitative analytical skills and prepare you for budgetary and financial management.

As a student in the Public Administration program, you will learn to:

• Understand concepts, theories and empirical findings in public administration
• Design research and perform data analysis and interpretation
• Understand and synthesize professional and popular writing on public affairs
• Formulate and analyze arguments including their structure and force
• Assess the relevance and weight of evidence
• Write clearly and persuasively
• Organize their ideas in a focused paper or presentation

Economics is the science of decision-making. Economists identify and analyze the costs and benefits of financial and social decisions.

As an economics major at UMass Dartmouth, you'll learn how to:

• Advise businesses and government on economic issues
• Collect and analyze data
• Interpret and forecast market trends
• Research economic issues and design policies to solve them

Skills in cost-benefit analysis, the core of an economist's training, are widely applicable to and highly valued in current job markets.

Economists pursue careers in business, economic journalism, finance, government, insurance, management, public policy and real estate. Your studies will also prepare you for graduate study in areas such as accounting, business and law.

Physicists and astronomers conduct theoretical, experimental, and computational studies to explore the fundamental properties and laws that govern space, time, energy, and matter on scales ranging from atoms to the universe.

As a physicist, you can investigate the structure of the atom, design and program computers, solve environmental problems, and develop new manufacturing materials. Physicists lead some of the world's major technology companies and research institutes, paving the way for technological innovations such as lasers, solar cells, electric cars, medical diagnostics, and computers.

The powerful array of technical skills you'll acquire as a physics major will prepare you for a career in many areas of theoretical and applied science. You'll be ready to assume leadership roles in industry, business, and government or explore the fields of materials science, biophysics, geophysics, oceanography, and medical physics. Within a year of graduation, 95% of physics majors are either in graduate school or employed.

Illustration is the interpretation and translation of text and narrative into visual form. As you pursue your BFA in Art + Design: Illustration, you'll explore the art of telling a story through images.

A BFA is a professional degree with concentrated areas of specialization, so you will take more art courses than you would in a BA program. At UMass Dartmouth, you also have the advantages of a university education where you can diversify your studies and expand your career opportunities.

Your studies will focus on the understanding and application of meaning as it applies to visual communication. You will be introduced to specialized areas such as book illustration, character development, concept art, and documentary illustration and will gain experience in the fundamental principles of color, composition, drawing, and rendering.

As you develop your own personal style, you'll build a professional portfolio and learn about the business aspects of illustration. A degree in illustration will prepare you for careers in animation, illustration, multimedia design, scientific visualization, as well as for graduate study.

The Interior Architecture + Design program prepares students for professional-level entrance into the design field. You will learn contemporary design techniques, have access to state-of-the art design technology, build a personal portfolio, and gain workplace experience through internships.

You will pursue a well-rounded interior architecture and design degree that integrates technical know-how and artistic vision, develops your creative potential, and helps you launch your career.

Accredited by the Council for Interior Architecture and Design Accreditation (CIDA), CVPA's Interior Architecture + Design program is the only public option in New England.

Interior architects work for a wide range of clients. They work in hospitality, healthcare, commercial, corporate, residential, retail and institutional design. Many interior architecture and design professionals work in niches such as environmental design, historic preservation, furniture design, ergonomics, and health and safety.

The program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Interior Architecture + Design is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, www.accredit-id.org, 206 Grandville Avenue, Suite 350, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. The CIDA-accredited program prepares students for entry-level interior design practice, for advanced study, and to apply for membership in professional interior design organizations. The Interior Architecture + Design granted by University of Massachusetts Dartmouth meets the educational requirement for eligibility to sit for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification Examination (NCIDQ Exam).

Psychology is the scientific exploration of human behavior. Our curriculum offers a broad introduction to this dynamic and diverse field, with an emphasis on the understanding and design of research. The study of human behavior can prepare you for many different careers, from business to education and the social sciences.

You'll also investigate psychology's subfields through courses that consider:

• Our biological heritage: physiological psychology, perception
• Basic human functioning: cognition, learning, personality, social
• Applied fields: counseling, behavior modification, organizational psychology, community psychology

You'll work with faculty who:

• Study the theoretical, such as hemispheric specialization within the brain, and semantic processing of memory
• Conduct applied research, such as the control of obesity, chronic pain, and stress
• Are leaders in the mental health community and bring their expertise to the classroom

Psychology graduates work in fields such as human resources, software and product development, and communications. Further education will open paths toward research and clinical practice.

As a music major, you'll develop your performance abilities and explore the world's musical heritage from the Americas to Africa, Asia and Oceania, Europe, and the Middle East/West Asia.

The BA in Music program provides opportunities for intensive study in applied music, the history of music, music education, and theory. Grounded in the importance of cultural, geographical, and social contexts, our curriculum is distinguished by its focus on the study and performance of music from diverse cultures, including jazz and world music.

Technology is an important part of the curriculum, emphasizing skills for contemporary music and its integration with time-based arts such as computer music, dance, theater, video/film, and the visual arts.

Your studies in music at UMassD will prepare you for careers in composition, education, performance, recording, and sound design—as well as for advanced study in music and related disciplines.