Curriculum
Our program combines development of technical skill in traditional studio media and new and emerging technologies with conceptual inquiry to empower you to create visual messages capable of engaging clients and changing culture.
- Freshman
- Sophomore
- Junior
- Senior
ID | Course Title | Course Req |
---|---|---|
Liberal Arts (6 cr. required) | ||
LA122 | Writing in Context | 3 |
LA225 | Perspectives on Society & Culture | 3 |
Art History (6 cr. required) | ||
AH125 | Exploring Visual Culture | 3 |
AH210 | Intro to World Art History | 3 |
Studio Courses (3 cr. required) | ||
Studio Elective | 3 | |
Seminar (1 cr. required) | ||
FD100 | First Year Seminar* | 1 |
Foundation Studio - (15 cr. required) | ||
FD101 | Visual Elements: 2D | 3 |
FD102 | Visual Elements: Digital Tools | 3 |
FD105 | Drawing 1 | 3 |
FD111 | 3D Design | 3 |
FD112 | Time Arts | 3 |
TOTAL | 31 | |
At the completion of First Year: 31 cr. earned to date | 31 |
*FD100 First Year Seminar is required of all freshman with fewer than 30 transfer credits.
recommended electives: FD 200 First Year Design Studio
ID | Course Title | Course Req |
---|---|---|
Art History (3 cr. required) | ||
AH213 | History of Design Arts | 3 |
Liberal Arts (9 cr. required) | ||
LA225 | Perspectives on Society & Culture | 3 |
MTH101 Math or SCI223 Science | 3 | |
MTH101 Math or SCI223 Science | 3 | |
Studio Courses (18 cr. required) | ||
IL251 | Word & Image | 3 |
IL252 | Visual Techniques | 3 |
IL253 | Painting for Illustration | 3 |
IL255 | Drawing for Illustration | 3 |
IL254 | Digital Media Strategies I | 3 |
IL256 | Digital Media Strategies II | 3 |
TOTAL | 30 | |
At the completion of Second Year: 61 cr. earned to date | 61 |
ID | Course Title | Course Req |
---|---|---|
Art History (3 cr. required) | ||
Art History 200/300-level | 3 | |
Liberal Arts (9 cr. required) | ||
LA325 | Literature Seminar | 3 |
LA321 | Social Science Seminar | 3 |
Liberal Arts 300/400-level elective | 3 | |
Studio Courses (18 required cr.) | ||
IL351 | Visual Vocabulary | 3 |
IL354 | Design & Image | 3 |
IL352 | Cultural Marketplace | 3 |
*Studio Elective from suggested menu of courses | 3 | |
Studio Elective | 3 | |
Studio Elective | 3 | |
TOTAL | 30 | |
At the completion of Third Year: 91 cr. earned to date | 91 |
*Studio elective suggested menu of courses:
Recommended electives: IL257 IL: Special Topics, IL258 Capsule
Collection, IL259 Picture Book, IL260 Environments & Architecture, IL261
Flora & Fauna, IL262 Graphic Novel, IL263 Intro to Game Development, IL264
Character Design, IL265 Visual Development, IL266 The Moving Image, IL357
Advanced Graphic Novel, IL359 Advanced Picture Book, IL358 IL: Special
Topics, IL362 Advanced Graphic Novel, GD351 Motion Graphics, GD251
Fundamentals of Interactive Media
ID | Course Title | Course Req |
---|---|---|
Art History (3 cr. required) | ||
Art History 300/400-level | 3 | |
Liberal Arts (6 cr. required) | ||
LA421 | Research for Creative Practice | 3 |
Liberal Arts 300/400-level elective | 3 | |
Studio Courses (15 required cr.) | ||
IL450 | Illustration Advanced Studio I | 3 |
IL451 | Illustration Advanced Studio II | 3 |
Studio Elective | 3 | |
Studio Elective` | 3 | |
Thesis (9 cr. required) | ||
TH453 | Thesis Development (semester 1) | 3 |
GD 445 Center for Design or ND 301 Internship | 3 | |
TH499 | Thesis (semester 2) | 3 |
TOTAL | 30 | |
At the completion of Fourth Year: 121 cr. earned to date | 121 |
Learning Outcomes
Understand the methodologies and practice of the contemporary Illustration marketplace.
To have a robust and diverse technical facility as an image maker and visual communicator.
To create a portfolio of work that exhibits a clear, focused personal vision and visual language.
To have a strong historical context of illustration as a means of visual cultural communication.
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Foundation Year
A time to explore
In your Foundation Year, you’ll be immersed from day one in media and making of all kinds from drawing, design, and sculpture, to digital tools, video, and performance. It’s a year of discovery, a time to explore new ways of thinking and making, meet new friends, and get to know your new community.
Foundation YearThesis
Preparing for graduation
Your senior year is an exciting time of tranistion from student to working artist or designer. The focus of your senior year is conceiving a thesis project of your own design and producing it with the support of faculty, your peers, and a mentor who works with you one-on-one.
Senior ThesisAreas of Study
Freedom to focus
PNCA offers ten undergraduate majors, all of which offer you choices in your electives and liberal arts courses. This means that whatever your major, you have the freedom to focus many of your course choices around your particular area of interest. We've outlined the following Areas of Study to give you a sense of the scope of courses available at PNCA.
Areas of StudyLiberal Arts
Fortify your intellectual foundation
Liberal Arts courses round out your education, helping you become a more thoughtful, well-rounded artist or designer. Explore widely or select your courses to focus on one of what we call Areas of Study.
Liberal ArtsCome tour PNCA today
Come explore and experience how PNCA is dedicated to empowering students to reimagine what art and design can do in the world.
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