Programs and Curriculum
The Foundation Program
Among the most distinctive hallmarks of the VCUQatar education is the Foundation Program. This is an intensive year of introductory study that cultivates critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, creative problem solving, visual literacy and skills. The small size of the Foundation classes fosters an exceptional degree of personal attention from the faculty and creates a sense of camaraderie among the students. The "Introduction to University" class supports students' adaptation to university life and study.
The Foundation studio curriculum guides students in the study of relationships: from black to white, paper to steel, ideas to reality. Students obtain skills in drawing, color, composition, form, space, motion, two- and three-dimensional design work, basic design principles and visual perception. Fundamental visual communication skills are stressed, such as model making, sketching and visual presentation. Students create and present their work to engage class discussions and group critiques. In addition to the studio classes, courses in art history provide students with a diversity of cultural perspectives.
Within the year, students take short introductory courses in fashion design, interior design, graphic design, or painting and printmaking. This experience helps students select their area of focus for the BFA degree. Successful completion of the Foundation Program qualifies a student for entry into sophomore year. Students are required to create a final portfolio that must demonstrate a high level of skill before being accepted into the program of their choice.
Foundation Courses
- Drawing Studio
- Surface Research
- Space Research
- Time Studio
- Project
- Art History Survey I and II
- Focused Inquiry (English) I and II
- Introduction to the University
- Mathematics
- Behavioral/Social Science elective
Art Foundation Program Courses
ARTF 101-102 Conceptualization and Presentation
Continuous course. 1 lecture and 6 studio hours. 3-3 credits. A foundation course with emphasis on conceptualization, sensing and knowing. This course includes studies in preconceptions, value systems, visual semantics, attitudes, criticism, and analysis of visual phenomena.
ARTF 103-104 Design Fundamentals
Continuous course. 1 lecture and 6 studio hours. 3-3 credits. A foundation course with emphasis on systems and non-systems of spatial order, as well as color applications and theory. Included in this course is the understanding and application of the computer as a tool to support the design process. Perfected craftsmanship and professional presentation are important aspects of this class.
ARTF 105-106 Survey of World Art
Continuous course. 4-4 lecture hours. 4-4credits. Writing Intensive. Prerequisite for 106: 105 or permission of instructor.
A survey of the history and development of painting, sculpture, architecture and the related visual arts of major world cultures, including European, American, Oriental, African, Islamic and Pre-Columbian. 530 TOEFL score required.
ARTF 109-110 Drawing Fundamentals
Continuous course. 1 lecture and 6 studio hours. 3-3 credits. A foundation course that begins with emphasis on traditional realistic drawing that includes still life, landscape, perspective drawing, anatomy, and artistic structure and progresses toward emphasis on the formal and conceptual nature of drawing.
General Education, Electives and VCUQatar wide Courses
ARTS 370, 371 Topics in Art
Semester course. 3 lecture or 9 studio hours (or combinations thereof). 3, 3 credits. An in-depth study of a selected topic in art. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topics to be offered each semester.
ARTH 457 Women, Art and Society
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. A re-examination of a variety of issues, concerning women, art and society; the position assigned women within the history of art as it related to historical place and the aesthetic values of the canon, the gendering of style, patronage, audience and gaze. Through a survey of images of and by women, as well as through an anaylsis of art historical and critical text, this course addresses the question:
ARTH 474 Studies in Film
Semester courses; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. May be repeated. An in-depth examination of selected topics.
ARTH 489 Topics in Advanced Art History
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. May be repeated. An in-depth study of a selected topic in art history not included in the curriculum.
GDES 300 Creative Strategies
Semester course. 1 lecture and 6 studio hours. 3 credits. A course in which alternative creative communication problem solving strategies are investigated.
GDES 330/IDES 330/FASH 330 The Business of Design
Semester course. 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Introduction to global economics and general business concepts such as the free enterprise system, legal forms of business and financial considerations. Survey of business and management practices such as planning, decision making, communication, global ethics, marketing, human resources, finance and entrepreneurial skills.
GDES 370/IDES 370/FASH 370: Design History: 20th and 21st Centuries
Semester course. 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites ARTF 105-106. Study of the major theories and styles of communication arts, fashion and interior environments and furnishings of the 20th and 21st Centuries. Contemporary analysis of cultural conditions and the manner in which designers respond to those conditions. Writing Intensive.
CRAF 491: Topics in Crafts
Semester Course; 1-3 credits. May be repeated for a maximum of nine credits. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. A seminar or workshop on a selected issue or topic in the field of crafts. See schedule of classes for specific topics to be offered each semester.
ENGL 100: Introductory Writing and Rhetoric Workshop
Semester Course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Placement in either ENGL 100 or 101 by Writing Assessment Exam (sophomore standing and completion of 24 credits). This course introduces students to the critical thinking, conventions and language requirements of academic writing. Emphasis is coherence, fluency, grammar and usage. These credits may not be used to satisfy general education requirements.
ENGL 114: English Grammar and Usage
Semester course: 3 lecture hours. 2 credits. Permission of the English faculty. An intensive study of the fundamentals of English grammar, usage, punctuation, mechanics, and spelling through drills and written exercises. This course is not equivalent to ENGL 101 or 200 and these credits may not be used to satisfy the college of Humanities and Sciences degree requirements in composition and rhetoric
ENGL 101 Writing and Rhetoric Workshop I
Semester course. 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Introduction to effective writing and critical analysis. Emphasis is on preparing students to write essays and to answer exam questions and for preparing students to communicate effectively in the world of work. Offered as onesemester or year long class.
ENGL 200 Writing and Rhetoric Workshop II
Semester course. 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite ENGL 101. Principles and practices of critical reading, analysis, and writing; methods and criteria for finding and evaluating information from a variety of printed and electronic sources; appropriate ways to use and document outside evidence in academic writing.
ENGL 291 Topics in Literature
Semester course. 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Maximum six credits in all topic courses at the 200 level. Prerequisite: ENGL 101. An introduction to literature through the in-depth study of a selected topic or genre.
ENGL 303 Writing for the Workplace
Semester course. 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: ENGL 200 and three credits in a 200-level literature course (or equivalent). Development of critical writing skills used in business, science, technology and government, including instructions, descriptions, process explanations, reports, manuals and proposals. The course will include such topics as communication theory, technical skill, illustrations, format for proposals, reports and manuals.
MATH 001 Elementary Algebra
Semester course. 3 lecture hours. No credit. Topics include basic properties of real numbers, operations with algebraic expressions, solution of equations and inequalities, exponents and radicals, introduction to functions and graphing.
NOTE: The credits awarded to course numbers beginning with "0" do not count toward the credits required for the BFA degree program.
MATH 131 Introduction to Contemporary Mathematics
Semester course. 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: MATH 001 or satisfactory score on the VCU Math Placement Test. Topics include optimization problems; data handling; growth and symmetry; and mathematics with applications in areas of social choice. Major emphasis is on the process of taking a real-world situation, converting the situation to an abstract modeling problem, solving the problem and applying what is learned to the original situation.
PHOTO 243 Photography
Semester course. 1 lecture and 6 studio hours. 3 credits. Study of fundamental camera techniques and basic photographic processes in relation to visual communication. An emphasis will be placed on photography's expressive possibilities.
PHYS 107 Wonders of Technology
Semester course. 5 lecture/laboratory/recitation hours. 4 credits. Introduction to physics concepts involved in everyday technological applications. The course covers selected topics in mechanics, heat, optics, electricity, and magnetism, and modern physics by depicting their role in common devices. The laboratory focuses on applications of physics principles to everyday real-life situations. Not applicable toward the physics major.
SOCY 101 General Sociology
Semester course. 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. An introduction to the study of human society. The basic concepts of society and culture and their relationships to each other are studied and then used to analyze the major social institutions.
VCUQatar 101 Introduction to the University
Ten Weeks: 1 lecture hour. I credit. A course to orient new students to the rich traditions and purposes of a university education. Students will assess their expectations and evaluate their academic strengths and career goals. Through lectures, guest speakers and individual projects, students will discover the VCUQatar resources and services designed to help them solve problems and to achieve a personally rewarding and successful academic program.
VCUQatar 102 Turning Point - Discover a New Direction
Ten Weeks: 1 lecture hours. 1 credit. A ten-week course designed for students who find themselves on academic warning at the end of the fall term. A small classroom environment will help students identify their academic difficulties, analyze study skills and develop a plan to improve their academic lives. Students will learn about VCUQatar resources designed to help them succeed academically. Finally, through participating in class discussions, keeping a reflective journal and producing individual projects, students will develop a plan for improving their academic performance at VCUQatar.
