Core Requirements
All students must complete the Avila University Core Curriculum as a part of their degree programs. The Core consists of a minimum of 39 credit hours that meet the requirements listed below. Please go to Core Curriculum for more information and to view all Core classes.
Core Foundations (9-11 credit hours)
Foundations requirements provide the basic skills essential for effective participation in other classes as well as the professional world.
Core Pillars & Levels (30 credit hours)
Pillars and Levels requirements address the breadth of knowledge expected of a liberal arts education and challenges students to integrate prior knowledge and create new ideas through higher levels of coursework.
Cross-Application Note: All courses that meet a Pillar also meet a Level and may meet a Designation requirement. Some courses taken for major and/or minor requirements may also meet Core requirements.
| CORE CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES |
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Social Justice & Civic Life Pillar
(6 credit hours required) |
Creativity & Culture Pillar
(6 credit hours required)
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Belief & Reason Pillar
(6 credit hours required) |
Explorations of Nature Pillar
(6 credit hours required) |
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24 credit hours required
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ACQUIRE LEVEL |
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| TRANSFORM LEVEL |
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| 6 credit hours required |
CONTRIBUTE LEVEL |
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Core Designations
Core Component Designations requirements incorporate assignments and experiences focused on developing and deepening student understanding to prepare students for responsible lifelong contributions to the global community.
| CORE Designations |
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Interdisciplinary Studies (IS)
(9 credit hours)
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Global Studies (GS)
(9 credit hours)
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Community Engagement (CE)
(3 credit hours)
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Transfer Students
The Core Component Designations requirement for transfer students is determined by the number of credit hours transferred to Avila University. Please see the Transfer Students page within this catalog.
Cross-Application
As noted above, courses can have multiple designations and thus meet multiple requirements at once.
Example: BI 215 - Humans & the Environment (3) meets all of the following requirements:
- Belief & Reason Nature Pillar
- Transform Level
- Global Studies (GS) Designation
- Major Requirement
Art + Design (AR)
The Art foundation courses provide broad experience in conceptual thinking as well as technique in order to provide students with an opportunity to determine and develop strengths and interests. A concentration need not be selected until the second year of full-time study.
Major Requirements
Major in Art with concentration in Graphic Design. A maximum of 75 hours in any single subject is allowed.
Students enrolled as Graphic Design majors and Graphic Design Minor must submit a complete portfolio of work produced in AR 245 - Typography I (3) . The portfolio must be submitted by the last course date, not including finals.
The portfolio will be reviewed by two Art & Design faculty and one outside graphic design professional. Work produced in other AR courses may also be considered. The Review Committee must approve the student’s portfolio in order for the student to continue as a Graphic Design major/minor. The Review Committee will notify the student of the decision by Friday the week before finals.
Senior Exhibit. The graduating Graphic Design senior must exhibit advanced works. Application for the Senior Exhibit in Thornhill Gallery must be made one semester prior to graduation. An exhibit committee consisting of the Gallery curator, Art & Design Chair, and principal concentration instructor will review and approve works for inclusion in the exhibit. At the discretion of the Department, one work may be selected from the exhibit for inclusion in the University’s permanent collection.
Art Foundation Requirements for B.A. or B.F.A.
Graphic Design Concentration
Art Foundation courses plus:
Technology Requirement
Computer competency is met by one of the following courses.
Outcomes
Each art major should be able to:
Outcome 1.
Understand the stylistic, cultural, and social concepts and characteristics of the major artistic periods (AR 181 , AR 183 , AR 387 )
Outcome 2.
Understand principles of color theory, space, and form within two-dimensional and three-dimensional space (AR 117 , AR 219 )
Outcome 3.
Possess fundamental technical skill in various media including drawing, photography, and others (AR 111 , AR 221 , AR 231 , AR 261 , AR 351 , AR 365 ).
Graphic Design Outcomes
In addition to the art major outcomes, each graphic design major should also be able to:
Outcome 1.
Possess a repertoire of methods to organize textual and visual information (AR 442 , AR 444 , AR 447 ).
Outcome 2.
Understand technical aspects of graphic design production including computer software and printing technology (AR 271 , AR 379 , AR 471 ).
Assessment
The outcomes for Art + Design majors are assessed through a combination of written and performance examinations, performance assignments, and portfolio of completed projects.
Students must have a minimum grade of “C” for all Art courses. Students may not repeat an art course more than one time.
Graphic Design Assessment
Assessment for Graphic Design majors includes a portfolio reflecting a selection of assignments completed throughout the program. This portfolio is formally constructed in AR 497 - Portfolio Preparation (3) and is reviewed by two A + D faculty as well as professionals in the design community.
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