101 Mesa Arts Building; (949) 824-6646
Faculty
James Penrod, M.F.A. University of California, Irvine; C.M.A. Laban Institute of Movement Studies, Associate Dean of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts and Professor Emeritus of Dance
The program in Arts Interdisciplinary is designed for undergraduate students who wish to investigate particular issues in specific disciplines in and beyond the arts. Although participation in studio classes is required, the program emphasizes the study of the history, theory, and criticism of the arts in the School's various departments and their relations to other disciplines. The nature of the program provides each student the opportunity to plan an individual course of study with the approval of the Director or an appropriate advisor. Because the program is designed for students with a strong sense of personal direction and a desire for an academic appreciation of the arts, students wishing to enter the program must submit a statement of purpose to the Director prior to the quarter in which they intend to declare their major. Admission to the program is based upon the statement of purpose and upon the student's prior record of high academic performance. The program leads to a B.A. degree in Arts Interdisciplinary.
The University's Education Abroad Program may be of particular interest to the Arts Interdisciplinary major. Centers emphasizing study in the history, theory, and criticism of the arts are located in Vienna, Austria (music, art), Copenhagen, Denmark (medieval studies), Paris, France (French critical thought and film criticism), Göttingen, Germany (music, archaeology), and Bologna, Italy (music, art, drama). Arts courses also are part of the general curriculum in other study centers in France, Hungary, Spain, Israel, and Sweden, in addition to arts courses in English-language study centers in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Ghana, Egypt, and India.
The minor in Digital Arts is geared toward students with computer skills who want a grounding in the arts. This program allows students to acquire a working knowledge of digital imaging and related technological skills within an arts context. It provides the tools necessary to understand the basic aesthetic components of the new digital media, relating digital arts to traditional art forms. These tools range from a basic understanding of "art" to sophisticated applications of state-of-the-art computer software, in various forms of art production including CD-ROM, digital video and photography, Web site and other network applications, installations, and more.
For entry into the minor, students must show ability to use e-mail, surf the net, and use productivity tools such as word processing or spreadsheets. It is highly recommended that students in the minor have their own computer. Additional information is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.arts.uci.edu/saffairs/.
University Requirements: See pages 54-59.
School Requirements: None.
Program Requirements
Three one-year surveys in three different areas of the arts selected from Art History 40A, B, C, Dance 90A-B-C, Drama 40A, B, C, Music 14A-B-C, Music 40B-C-D, or Studio Art 10A, B, C; nine performance/studio courses (e.g., acting, ballet, drawing, chorus, orchestra); six upper-division courses in the history, theory, and criticism of the arts in at least two areas of the arts, including Arts 130; a senior thesis; two years in a language other than English at University level or equivalent competence; related courses in disciplines other than the arts are encouraged.
Sample Program for Freshmen
| Fall | Winter | Spring | |||
| Survey Course | Survey Course | Survey Course | |||
| Foreign Language | Studio Course | Studio Course | |||
| English and Comp | Foreign Language | Foreign Language | |||
| Lit. WR39A | English and Comp. | English and Comp. | |||
| Lit. WR39B | Lit. WR39C | ||||
With the exception of the courses listed here, Arts Interdisciplinary majors choose courses, in accordance with the program requirements, from those listed under Dance, Drama, Music, and Studio Art.
The Minor in Digital Arts consists of a minimum of eight courses which fall into three categories: I. Required; II. Elective (background); and III. Elective (applied).
I. Required: Arts Interdisciplinary 1A-B, C (Arts Core).
II. Elective (background). At least two of the following: Dance 21A (Music for Dancers); four units of any of the dance techniques--Dance 30A (Ballet I), 40A (Modern Dance I), 50A (Jazz I), 110 (Ethnic Dance); Drama 30A (Acting), 50A (Introduction to Costume Design), 50B (Introduction to Scenic Design), 50C (Introduction to Lighting Design); Music 25 (Fundamentals of Music); four units of any of the music performance ensembles (Music 7, 160, 161, 162, 171, 173, 174, 175, 176, 178); Studio Art 20 (Basic Drawing), 30 (Basic Painting), 71 (Basic Photography), 81 (Basic Video).
III. Elective (applied). At least three of the following, one of which must be from the Digital Imaging group (Studio Art 65A or Arts Interdisciplinary 50): Arts Interdisciplinary 50 (Multimedia Arts); Dance 180A (Laban Studies); Drama 159 (Proseminar in Theatre Design, when topic is Digital Imaging); Music 51 (Music Technology and Computers), 151 (Computer Music Composition); Studio Art 65A (Introduction to Digital Imaging), 65B (Introduction to Digital Multimedia), 65C (Introduction to the Internet), 106 (Interactive Digital Media: Sound and Video), 110 (Interdisciplinary Digital Arts), 166 (Advanced Collaborative Project), 175 (Digital Arts Aesthetics).
Each of these courses may be taken one time only for credit toward the minor. No course in the Elective (applied) requirements may be taken Pass/Not Pass.
1A-B, C Arts Core (4-4, 4) F, W, S. An introduction to the arts in general, and to the arts at UCI. Concentration on (1) the interdisciplinary nature of the arts, (2) the content of particular arts disciplines, and (3) the departments in the UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts. Prerequisite for 1B and 1C: 1A. (IV)
40A-B-C Selected Interdisciplinary Topics (4-4-4) F, W, S. Studies in the historic and theoretical interrelationships of artistic disciplines, including such fields as dance, music, art, and/or drama; and investigation of their underlying social and aesthetic bases and the influence of one art upon another. Topics vary.
50 Multimedia Arts: History, Criticism, and Technology (4) F, W, S. Introduction to the history, criticism, and practices of multimedia technology. Students learn through hands-on experience, work in multimedia, in its various forms. Prerequisite: prior computer experience with Macintosh or Windows.
100A-B-C The Senior Thesis (4-4-4) F, W, S. Planning, drafting, writing, and presentation of an academic thesis. Open to Arts Interdisciplinary majors, who will interrelate two or more artistic disciplines, and to Campuswide Honors Program students, who will focus their thesis on one or more major areas in the Arts. Prerequisite for 100B: 100A. Prerequisites for 100C: 100B and satisfactory completion of the lower-division writing requirement.
130 Crossing Boundaries: An Introduction to Interdisciplinary Study (4) F, W, S. Investigation of interdisciplinary thought and action beginning with the nature of discipline and extending to the relationship between science and art, politics/society and art, and struggles within the arts between theory and practice and across apparently segregating boundaries. Prerequisite: upper-division standing. May be taken for credit three times as topics vary.
150 Introduction to the Alexander Technique (2) F, W, S. Group lessons. Applying the principles of the Alexander Technique to all movement, including professional activities. Expanding awareness through development of the kinesthetic sense; exploring choices in movement through recognition of habit patterns. Increased ease of movement, enhanced coordination, stress reduction, poise.
199 Independent Study (1 to 4) F, W, S. Individual study or directed projects as arranged with faculty member. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
