Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular semester. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

• CFA AR 690: History of Art Education (4 credits)
  This course is intended to enrich art educators' understanding of the Western origins and on-going development of Visual Arts education in the United States, along with Invisible histories and Non-Western influences. It will acquaint students with the rich histories of their field through discussion, practical application, research and writing a historical paper. Beginning with the emergence of art education through an early apprenticeship model and progressing through the centuries to a post-modern understanding of what Visual Art Education means and is, grounds the content of this course.
• CFA AR 710: Comics
  This is a drawing-intensive class that focuses on comics as a means to self- expression through graphic narrative. In this course, students will be introduced to the basic building blocks of comics language to construct increasingly more personal works. Students develop an understanding of the idioms of the visual form starting with single images and then moving through multi-paneled strips, single page stories, and finally multi-paged narratives. With each step forward, students gain increasing confidence to use the language of comics as their own personal means of expression. Be prepared to write and draw a lot of pages
• CFA AR 747: Advanced Printmaking (Variable credit)
  This course offers intensive professional study in printmaking techniques to students who wish to focus on the print as they expand their personal visual statement, through workshop practice, critique and the refinement of critical thinking. Students may also add basic techniques to their vocabulary. Experimentation is encouraged while students develop technical skill and independent problem solving through print. In addition to demonstrations and hands-on guidance, the opportunity to combine printing applications and experimental media will be an option, as well as the opportunity to print at large scale. The class will be introduced to contemporary artists engaged in print practice through presentations, field trips to exhibitions and visiting artists.
• CFA AR 748: Advanced Printmaking
  Prereq: CFA AR 451, 452, or equivalent. Open to graduate students and qualified undergraduates with consent of instructor. Printmaking workshop for intensive professional study of printmaking processes. Emphasis on development of individual methods and projects. 4 cr, each semester.
• CFA AR 765: Practicum I ( 4 credits; Fall semester)
  The practicum I course serves to ground the theory and knowledge acquired in previous coursework to practical field application within the art classroom in a PreK-12 school, at Elementary or at Secondary level. The practicum I course provides pre-service candidates with experience in planning, implementing and assessing art experiences for children and youth, while developing classroom management skills and a reflective practice, as they work alongside a licensed art teacher/supervising practitioner. With their mentor's guidance, students develop and teach art lessons, completing a minimum of 300 hours of internship in the art classroom of which 100 are in full responsibility of the class. The practicum is overseen by a program supervisor who observes the teaching practice of the candidate, advising and reporting on the candidate's progress. A successful practicum culminates with an endorsement for an initial license in the teaching of visual arts (preK-8 or 5-12 depending on the practicum placement) as established by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. This course is taken concurrently with CFA AR 563: Art Education Seminar: Curriculum and Instruction I.
• CFA AR 766: Practicum II (4 cr. Spring semester)
  The practicum II course serves to ground the theory and knowledge acquired in previous coursework to practical field applications within the art classroom in a PreK-12 school, at Elementary or Secondary level. The practicum II provides pre-service candidates with experience in planning, implementing and assessing art experiences for children and youth while developing classroom management skills and reflective practice, as they work alongside a licensed art teacher/supervising practitioner. With their mentor's guidance, students develop and teach art lessons, completing a minimum of 300 hours of internship in the art classroom of which 100 are in full responsibility of the class. The practicum is overseen by a program supervisor who observes the teaching practice of the candidate, advising and reporting on the candidate's progress. A successful practicum culminates with an endorsement for an initial license in the teaching of visual arts (PreK-8 or 5-12 depending on the practicum placement) as established by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. This course is taken concurrently with CFA AR 564: Art Education Seminar: Curriculum and Instruction II.
• CFA AR 770: Ceramics 1
  Introduction to methods and strategies for using ceramics as a sculptural medium. The course initiates the students to the process, vocabulary and techniques involved in all the steps of hand-building, glazing and firing. Students explore traditional and experimental techniques: coiling, slabbing, imprints, and molds, extruding, altered throwing, glazing and staining. The class includes experimentation with surface treatments and initiation to glaze chemistry. Lectures, museum visits and research on historical and contemporary ceramics sustain the studio work and provide context. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Creativity/Innovation.
  BU Hub Learn More

  • Aesthetic Exploration
  • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • Creativity/Innovation
• CFA AR 781: Post-Bac Graphic Design 1
  In this course, structured for students with little prior course work in graphic design, students develop visual literacy, and learn a design process and design vocabulary through challenging studio based coursework. Coursework includes foundational exercises in form making and typography as well as comprehensive exercises in graphic design leading to the solution of advanced visual problems through a structured curriculum of both theoretical and practical studies. In addition to computer-aided graphic design, traditional methods, such as letterpress and photography are emphasized. The program is conceived to enable graduates to function in a constantly changing and expanding field.
• CFA AR 782: Post-Bac Graphic Design 2
  A continuation of CFA AR 781. Coursework includes foundational exercises in form making and typography as well as comprehensive exercises in graphic design leading to the solution of advanced visual problems through a structured curriculum of both theoretical and practical studies. In addition to computer-aided graphic design, traditional methods, such as letterpress and photography are emphasized. The program is conceived to enable graduates to function in a constantly changing and expanding field. At the end of this intensive year, students may be considered for matriculation into the two-year MFA program alongside incoming two-year MFA students.
• CFA AR 810: Visual Narrative Concept Studio I (4cr.)
  Throughout this course students will develop individual visual and written research projects using series and sequence as a framework. Students will compile research materials relating to their study and focus on the interpretation and translation of information, concepts, forms and symbols into a language of visual storytelling. Semester I of Concepts Studio will provide the basis for students to explore the narratives they are interested in telling. Through individual meetings with Graduate faculty, group discussions and group critiques, students will test their concepts and the forms they use to deploy them. The work created in this course will provide the foundation for the development of thesis projects in the second year.
• CFA AR 811: Visual Narrative Concept Studio II (4cr.)
  A continuation of Concept Studio I with the expectation that students have identified content in relation to narratives that they are interested in telling. Semester II focuses on the exploration of forms that are appropriate to deploy these narratives. Through individual meetings with Graduate faculty, group discussions and group critiques, students will further test their concepts and the forms they use to deploy them. The work created in this course will provide the foundation for the development of thesis projects in the second year.
• CFA AR 812: Visual Narrative Concept Studio III (4cr.)
  Concept Studio III emphasizes the development of the thesis project. Having established and identified content and form in Semesters I and II, students advance the work that will become their thesis in individual consultation with the graduate faculty, the community of graduate peers, as well as with a roster of visiting artists.
• CFA AR 813: Visual Narrative Thesis Studio (8 cr)
  The Thesis Studio emphasizes the final development and completion of the Visual Narrative thesis project to culminate in finalization and presentation at the end of the second year of graduate study. The thesis is comprised of original written and visual work that integrates drawing, narrative, sequence and theoretical and/or arts-based research.
• CFA AR 814: Visual Narrative Topics Seminar I (2cr.)
  A first year reading and discussion seminar for MFA students, the topic of this course rotates each semester based on contemporary practice and theory as well as covering the work of artists in the field and the development of long-standing field-facing questions. This course encourages a content-based discussion of the readings, as well as critical analysis of the complex issues surrounding historical and current visual storytelling.
• CFA AR 815: Visual Narrative Topics Seminar II (2cr)
  A first year reading and discussion seminar for MFA students, the topic of this course rotates each semester based on contemporary practice and theory as well as covering the work of artists in the field and the development of long-standing field-facing questions. This course encourages a content-based discussion of the readings, as well as critical analysis of the complex issues surrounding historical and current visual storytelling.
• CFA AR 816: Visual Narrative Professional Development Seminar (2cr.)
  Throughout this course students will develop a portfolio and learn about professional practice and development in a range of related fields. The Professional Development Seminar helps students complete proposals for work in the fourth semester Visual Narrative Thesis Studio.
• CFA AR 817: Visual Narrative Thesis Seminar (2cr.)
  This course emphasizes the final development and completion of the thesis to be presented at the end of the second year of graduate study. The thesis is comprised of original written and visual work that integrates drawing, narrative, sequence and theoretical and/or arts-based research.
• CFA AR 821: Graduate Sculpture 1
  Concentration on the development of a personal mode of sculptural expression. Students will work on an individual body of work and research materials and their practical application.
• CFA AR 822: Graduate Sculpture 1
  A continuation of CFA AR821. Concentration on the development of a personal mode of sculptural expression. Students will work on an individual body of work and research materials and their practical application.
• CFA AR 823: Graduate Sculpture 2
  Further concentration on developing a personal direction in sculpture. Students will work to prepare an individual body of work in preparation for the thesis exhibition at the end of the year.