Credits Required: 

Total credits: 120

Credits in the major: 60

You officially begin the major by enrolling in VPA 300: VPA Major ProSeminar: VPA Major ProSeminar where you work with the instructor to create your Individual Learning Plan (ILP). The ILP maps out the way you will achieve all the required core courses in the major and each of the Major Learning Outcomes designated below by successfully completing the listed courses or alternative assessment options. You conclude the major by completing your Capstone, a publicly presented project that displays your cumulative learning in the major. [Learn more at CSUMB.EDU/capstone].

For freshmen and sophomores we recommend

VPA 205: Intro to Art Appreciation    

VPA 206: Street Art Excavations 

VPA 209: Day of the Dead Workshop 

VPA 210: The Artist & Society  

VPA 215: Beginning Drawing   (even if you have had drawing in HS)

Core Curriculum

Required Courses

MLO 1 Historical and philosophical analysis

Including the ability to research, define, analyze and critically formulate positions on issues in visual and public art from contemporary, historical, ethical and sociopolitical perspectives.

Required Courses

MLO 2 Individual and aesthetic exploration

Including the ability to investigate and develop their own individual aesthetics within a critical and reflective framework of personal experiences and perspectives in the context of their work.

Required Courses

MLO 3 Community issues analysis

Including the ability to define and investigate cross-cultural and community issues, problem solve and respond with community-sensitive work.

Required Courses

MLO 4 Organizational and collaborative skills

Including the ability to use collaborative strategies to plan and achieve interdisciplinary arts projects. *MLO 4 can be met through the same course taken to satisfy MLO 3.

Required Courses

MLO 5 Production skills

Including the ability to develop production skills to produce and present public and individual artworks, projects or exhibitions.

Required Courses

MLO 6 Critical and evaluative skills

Including the ability to use critical and evaluative skills to revise work in response to community/audience relevancy, personal expression and social accountability.

Required Courses

MLO 7 Distribution skills

Including the ability to present and distribute artwork in multiple contexts to engage diverse audiences. *MLO 7 can be met through the same course taken to satisfy MLO 6, but must be different from the one selected to meet MLO 3 and/or 4.

Required Courses

Concentrations