Course Search Degree Programs

This course will introduce students to basic techniques of working with sound as an artistic material. As a prerequisite for many of the department's upper level offerings, the class is designed to familiarize the student with both the technology and the historical and aesthetic background relevant to our facilities and courses, to the field of 'sound art' and experimental music in general, and to the application of sound in other disciplines (video, film, performance, installations, etc.)
This offering of Introduction to Sound Practices will focus on digital ways of working with sound - editing and mixing in Logic Pro, Modular Synthesis with VCV Rack, and sampling using the visual programming language Max/MSP. The physics of sound will be a recurring subject.
Examples of music and sound art, created using similar technology to that in our studios, will be played or performed and discussed in class. We will listen to artists such as Ryoji Ikeda, George Lewis, and Eliane Radigue, and read short texts by Jennifer Stoever, Bob Ostertag, and Luigi Russolo.
Students are expected to use studio time to complete weekly assignments, which are designed to hone technical skills and, in most cases, foster artistic innovation. These projects will include compositions exploring synthesis, sampling, and field recording.

Artists' Books is a beginning/intermediate level course that focuses on the fundamental techniques of bookbinding so as to be able to design and produce one or an edition of artists' books and boxes. The class begins by learning a range of traditional binding techniques, discussing material choices, and learning about the history of artists' books. Later on breaking out of the box to take risks, explore concepts and unconventional materials will be strongly encouraged for individual projects. In addition, the intention of this class is to meld your own studio work and personal expression with the form of artists' books.

Through this course, students will learn techniques traditionally used in working with fur to reimagine materials from faux fur and upcycled materials, to felt, leather, suede and woven fabrics. Focused in the introduction and use of specialized industrial sewing machines specifically designed to stitch fur like materials, students will learn designing, pattern cutting, and construction for garments and accessories, and will explore the history and future of fur and fur like fabrics both as a material and an embellishment. Students will design and create one full garment.

This drawing studio serves as a broad introduction to historical and contemporary drawing practices. This course presents drawing as an organizer of thought, experience, and image.

Students will investigate a full range of drawing materials and supports. Lectures and exercises introduce various concepts of drawing, possibly including illusionistic form and space, gesture and expressive mark-making, or collage and found imagery, depending on the instructor?s emphasis.

Designed to accommodate many skill levels, students can explore various creative strategies through technical drawing exercises, material explorations, and individual projects. Structured classroom critiques will bring drawing concepts into personal student work.

This course introduces students to digital pattern-making for fashion. Students learn to use the CAD hardware and software, designing and modifying patterns virtually. This includes digitizing/converting hard patterns to digital files, modifying existing stock patterns, textile printing, 3-D visualization, and plotting sample patterns. Students receive a hands-on approach to developing virtual patterns through fabric testing, using body measurements, and assembling prototypes for final design approval. Other industry skills are developed, such as creating pattern cards, cutter's musts, grading, and marker making.

Join our trip to Peru to discover a unique experience while gaining insight into South America's large tradition of textile crafts as well as other artistic practices. In addition to our in-depth study of textiles, we will also concentrate on art as a catalyst for intercultural exchange, focusing on the rich vibrant indigenous Quechuan communities of the Peruvian Highlands. During the course students will have a series of practicums focusing on backstrap weaving, service projects, ritualistic ceremonies, and interactions with local indigenous communities, as we will embrace cultural tourism as a means of inter-cultural exchange through our social interactions. Another focus is the pre-Hispanic archaeological sites located in the Sacred Valley, with a visit to Machu Picchu as a highlight.

Join our trip to Peru to discover a unique experience while gaining insight into South America's large tradition of textile crafts as well as other artistic practices. In addition to our in-depth study of textiles, we will also concentrate on art as a catalyst for intercultural exchange, focusing on the rich vibrant indigenous Quechuan communities of the Peruvian Highlands. During the course students will have a series of practicums focusing on backstrap weaving, service projects, ritualistic ceremonies, and interactions with local indigenous communities, as we will embrace cultural tourism as a means of inter-cultural exchange through our social interactions. Another focus is the pre-Hispanic archaeological sites located in the Sacred Valley, with a visit to Machu Picchu as a highlight.

Siena is a hill town in Tuscany that was first settled by the Etruscans in 900 ¿ 400 BC. It reached its peak as a political, economic and artistic center in the Medieval period from 1150 ¿ 1350 AD. During those years it prospered, enjoying a ¿golden¿ era as an independent republic with a representative government, where enlightened trade and economic philosophies fostered modern banking practices and distinctive styles of painting, sculpture, and architecture developed in the service of aesthetic pleasure and civic pride. Today, Siena's historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the city's art, medieval architecture, museums, archives, university and cuisine are internationally renowned.
Living the Past in the Present will use the archival and cultural resources there to give young artists greater insight into how historical interests and study can serve as a catalyst for their own growth and work as contemporary artists and thinkers. We will be interacting with artists, historians, archivists, art and architecture conservators, scientists and ordinary Sienese to understand how the experience of growing up, living, working and creating in a place with hundreds of years of vibrant historical and cultural traditions affects contemporary identity and expression.
Our time on the study trip will primarily be used for visiting and learning about sites, collections, and the people who study and live amongst them. We will also be gathering reference information to document what we are looking at and learning about: sketches, drawings, lists, diagrams, photographs, research notes, and reflective writing. There will be two assignments (one studio, one academic) that we will work on in Siena.

Siena is a hill town in Tuscany that was first settled by the Etruscans in 900 ¿ 400 BC. It reached its peak as a political, economic and artistic center in the Medieval period from 1150 ¿ 1350 AD. During those years it prospered, enjoying a ¿golden¿ era as an independent republic with a representative government, where enlightened trade and economic philosophies fostered modern banking practices and distinctive styles of painting, sculpture, and architecture developed in the service of aesthetic pleasure and civic pride. Today, Siena's historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the city's art, medieval architecture, museums, archives, university and cuisine are internationally renowned.
Living the Past in the Present will use the archival and cultural resources there to give young artists greater insight into how historical interests and study can serve as a catalyst for their own growth and work as contemporary artists and thinkers. We will be interacting with artists, historians, archivists, art and architecture conservators, scientists and ordinary Sienese to understand how the experience of growing up, living, working and creating in a place with hundreds of years of vibrant historical and cultural traditions affects contemporary identity and expression.
Our time on the study trip will primarily be used for visiting and learning about sites, collections, and the people who study and live amongst them. We will also be gathering reference information to document what we are looking at and learning about: sketches, drawings, lists, diagrams, photographs, research notes, and reflective writing. There will be two assignments (one studio, one academic) that we will work on in Siena.

In this Study Trip Intensive, students will learn about the dynamic art histories of Mexican American/Chicanx, Black American and other contemporary artists living and working in Los Angeles. Students will visit museums, galleries, and community centers dedicated to nurturing, showcasing, and archiving the art of people of color, including Black- and Latinx-founded art institutions. Students will meet curators, artists and other art professionals, be given private tours to view historical sites and modern and contemporary art, including MOCA, the Brick, The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture; LACMA, The Hammer Museum. The Watts Towers, Human Resources and the Performance Art Museum. The class will participate in at least one artist-led art-making workshop and visit the studios of a wide range of Los Angeles based artists including Rafa Esparza, Daniel Joseph Martinez, Charles Gaines, Patty Chang, Laura Owens, Nakita Gale, Rebecca Morris, Mark Bradford, Cauleen Smith, Anna Sew Hoy, Anna Betbeze, Brooklin A. Soumahoro, and Carolyn Castaño.

In this Study Trip Intensive, students will learn about the dynamic art histories of Mexican American/Chicanx, Black American and other contemporary artists living and working in Los Angeles. Students will visit museums, galleries, and community centers dedicated to nurturing, showcasing, and archiving the art of people of color, including Black- and Latinx-founded art institutions. Students will meet curators, artists and other art professionals, be given private tours to view historical sites and modern and contemporary art, including MOCA, the Brick, The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture; LACMA, The Hammer Museum. The Watts Towers, Human Resources and the Performance Art Museum. The class will participate in at least one artist-led art-making workshop and visit the studios of a wide range of Los Angeles based artists including Rafa Esparza, Daniel Joseph Martinez, Charles Gaines, Patty Chang, Laura Owens, Nakita Gale, Rebecca Morris, Mark Bradford, Cauleen Smith, Anna Sew Hoy, Anna Betbeze, Brooklin A. Soumahoro, and Carolyn Castaño.

This seminar explores the politics and practices of a countersexual society, drawing on the framework developed by trans studies scholar Paul B. Preciado. This framework challenges the heteronormative social order and reimagines the body as a space for freedom and expression. The course critically engages with traditional narratives of gender, race, and sexuality, examining the oppressive conventions that sustain them. We will investigate countersexual practices¿such as casual pleasure, pain, race play, drug use, and BDSM¿as sites of political action and resistance, reframing them as alternatives to normative structures. Our inquiry will begin with an examination of sexuality in early 20th-century sexology and feminism, extending to more recent trends in queer of color critique, Black feminism, and trans studies. Additionally, we will explore contemporary case studies in performance and body art to understand the role of the body¿s materiality in pursuing a countersexual revolution.

Symbiosis describes the relationships that bind organisms in a life together. Symbioses can be between species or within species¿bee to flower, mother to child, and even parasite to host. Drawing from ecological, evolutionary, and behavioral research, we will carefully consider the dynamics of cooperation and dependency across cells, food webs, and even urban neighborhood. Studying symbiosis is not only a window into a myriad of extraordinary biological relations, it is also fundamental to systems thinking in the context of sustainability. Weekly readings, in-class exercises, small collaborative projects will be integral to our study, leading to an understanding of how observation and experiment can help us unpack the many complexities of living together.
We will consider the work by Lynn Margulis, Robin Wall-Kimmerer, Charles Darwin,Suzanne Simard, Harry Harlow, Thomas Schelling, Vi Hart, and many others.
Weekly readings, in-class and out-of-class exercises, small collaborative projects.

Artists of all walks of life have made the plunge over the last two decades to create work digitally with a tablet. This skills-based intensive will investigate a wide range of digital drawing techniques, best practices, and formal concerns as they relate to comics specifically utilizing ProCreate and Adobe Illustrator software.
Examples will vary but typically include vertical scroll webcomics, editorial cartoons, caricature, and publication asset design.
Students can expect short technical assignments to make up the majority of this course. Students are expected to provide their own iPad and laptop for this course.

This course is an introduction to the User Interface (UI) / User Experience (UX) principles, issues, and methods of user-centered responsive web design (mobile, tablet, and laptop).
Students design a website of their choice, in two ways. The first way is making the website with Figma (2 weeks), and the second way translates the Figma website into a simplified HTML/ CSS website made with Dreamweaver (1 week).
Principles, issues and methods explored include: problem-solving processes, content organization / wireframes, navigation strategies, usability principles, interface look and feel, interface design elements, user requirements /specifications, audience analysis, and professional best practices.
This course is for students from all departments who may have no previous web design experience, as well as those with some experience who want to explore web design in new ways. There are no prerequisites for this course, and all necessary software skills will be taught in class.

Come to Peru and encounter a unique experience while gaining insight into South America's large tradition of textile crafts as well as other artistic practices. In addition to our in-depth study of textiles, we will also concentrate on art as a catalyst for intercultural exchange, focusing on the rich vibrant indigenous Quechuan communities of the Peruvian Highlands. A series of practicums focusing on backstrap weaving, service projects, ritualistic ceremonies, and interactions with local indigenous communities, we will embrace cultural tourism as a means of inter-cultural exchange through our social interactions. Another focus is the pre-Hispanic archaeological sites located in the Sacred Valley, with a visit to Machu Picchu as a highlight.

Come to Peru and encounter a unique experience while gaining insight into South America's large tradition of textile crafts as well as other artistic practices. In addition to our in-depth study of textiles, we will also concentrate on art as a catalyst for intercultural exchange, focusing on the rich vibrant indigenous Quechuan communities of the Peruvian Highlands. A series of practicums focusing on backstrap weaving, service projects, ritualistic ceremonies, and interactions with local indigenous communities, we will embrace cultural tourism as a means of inter-cultural exchange through our social interactions. Another focus is the pre-Hispanic archaeological sites located in the Sacred Valley, with a visit to Machu Picchu as a highlight.

Siena is a hill town in Tuscany that was first settled by the Etruscans in 900 - 400 BC. It reached its peak as a political, economic, and artistic center in the Medieval period from 1150 to 1350 AD. During those years, it prospered, enjoying a ¿golden¿ era as an independent republic with a representative government, where enlightened trade and economic philosophies fostered modern banking practices and distinctive styles of painting, sculpture, and architecture developed in the service of aesthetic pleasure and civic pride. Today, Siena¿s historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the city¿s art, medieval architecture, museums, archives, university, and cuisine are internationally renowned.

This course will use the archival and cultural resources there to give artists greater insight into how historical interests and study can serve as a catalyst for their own growth and work as contemporary artists and thinkers. We will be interacting with historians, curators, art and architecture conservators, scientists, and ordinary Sienese to understand how the experience of living, working, and creating in a place with hundreds of years of vibrant historical and cultural traditions affects contemporary identity and expression.

Siena is a hill town in Tuscany that was first settled by the Etruscans in 900 - 400 BC. It reached its peak as a political, economic, and artistic center in the Medieval period from 1150 to 1350 AD. During those years, it prospered, enjoying a ¿golden¿ era as an independent republic with a representative government, where enlightened trade and economic philosophies fostered modern banking practices and distinctive styles of painting, sculpture, and architecture developed in the service of aesthetic pleasure and civic pride. Today, Siena¿s historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the city¿s art, medieval architecture, museums, archives, university, and cuisine are internationally renowned.

This course will use the archival and cultural resources there to give artists greater insight into how historical interests and study can serve as a catalyst for their own growth and work as contemporary artists and thinkers. We will be interacting with historians, curators, art and architecture conservators, scientists, and ordinary Sienese to understand how the experience of living, working, and creating in a place with hundreds of years of vibrant historical and cultural traditions affects contemporary identity and expression.

This course explores the theme of estrangement in literature, examining how characters, narrators, and societies experience alienation, dislocation, and otherness. We will analyze texts that depict estrangement through social, racial and philosophical lenses, considering how literary form and narrative structure contribute to feelings of displacement. Through close reading, discussion, and critical writing, students will engage with questions such as: How do literary techniques heighten feelings of estrangement? In what ways does estrangement function as a political or existential condition? And how does literature both reflect and resist social alienation? Readings will include theoretical works such as Mikhail Bakhtin¿s The Dialogic Imagination, which introduces concepts of heteroglossia and the carnival as spaces of subversion, and Ralph Ellison¿s Invisible Man, a novel that powerfully illustrates racial and existential alienation in 20th-century America. Additional readings may include works by Franz Kafka, Samuel Beckett, and Toni Morrison, among others.

Form and structure from Western classical music traditions have much in common with that of contemporary popular music. The forms, performance practices, and rhythmic and harmonic structures established long ago in the music of the streets and courts of Europe were conveyed by colonial and economic forces into the musical cultures of many continents where they were absorbed and transformed into the diverse and vibrant popular music of today. This course is a study of the astonishing historical consistencies underlying the formal construction, performance, and social functions of contemporary dance music, songs, and instrumental music. With the music you listen to today as the starting point of our studies, we will examine the musical structures of creators like Bach, Mozart, Stravinsky, Son House, Duke Ellington, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Imogen Heap, Beyonce, and Steve Reich to reveal the underlying architecture which ties all of these traditions to the music on your own playlist. We will also study how those forms of music illustrate the social and economic systems which sustain them. Much of our work and assignments will be in deep listening, the practices of musical analysis, and the visualization of musical forms.

Across all cultures, physical and mental health has long been associated to what we eat. Modern nutritional science has brought a whole new level of understanding¿as well as complexity¿to that connection. Can disease be prevented, or wellness and longevity increased, by what we chose to habitually eat or not eat? What are some of the most prevalent nutritional fads and frauds? To help us distinguish facts from the hype and the myths, this course provides a core introduction to the various categories of foods, to nutrition science, and how these function relation to our physiology and our health.

This course is designed to provide students an opportunity to gain experience as interns in professional arts and design environments and prepare for professional life after SAIC. During the semester, faculty provide in-depth mentorship and act as liaison with the internship site supporting students meet their learning goals as outlined for the semester. Through group meetings and online discussions, students engage with a peer cohort of students participating in a variety of internships. Students work on-site at internships for a total of 140 hours (approx 14 hours per week) for the term. In addition to successfully completing the internship, students will conduct an informational interview with their employer, attend 4 class meetings and an onsite meeting with the faculty and supervisor, complete an internship supervisor evaluation, revise their resume, and update their online portfolio, website, or professional profile.

Students are required to secure an internship prior to the start of the semester. Internships must be approved by the Career and Professional Experience (CAPX) office. Students are encouraged to meet with a CAPX advisor for assistance with researching and applying for internships. In order to begin the internship approval process students should go to https://bit.ly/35vmTTM. Upon approval, course registration is managed by CAPX.

Note that international students must receive CPT authorization prior to participating in an off-campus internship.

Internships may be in-person, hybrid, or virtual; however all four class meetings are virtual. Class meeting day and time are determined by the faculty.

In consultation with Study Abroad, undergraduate students may spend up to two semesters (30 credit hours) at approved partner schools, or at another Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD) school in North America. Various types of credit can be earned depending on the host school?s offerings. Approval from Study Abroad is required. The process has two steps; the student first submits an application and portfolio to Study Abroad and it is reviewed by a faculty panel. If approved to proceed, the student then applies to the proposed host school. Information and resources about International Exchange, AICAD Exchange, and Tuition Transfer programs are available at Study Abroad.

In this Study Trip Intensive, students will learn about the dynamic art histories of Mexican American/Chicanx, Black American and other contemporary artists living and working in Los Angeles. Students will visit museums, galleries, and community centers dedicated to nurturing, showcasing, and archiving the art of people of color, including Black- and Latinx-founded art institutions. Students will meet curators, artists and other art professionals, be given private tours to view historical sites and modern and contemporary art, including MOCA, the Brick, The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture; LACMA, The Hammer Museum. The Watts Towers, Human Resources and the Performance Art Museum. The class will participate in at least one artist-led art-making workshop and visit the studios of a wide range of Los Angeles based artists including Rafa Esparza, Daniel Joseph Martinez, Charles Gaines, Patty Chang, Laura Owens, Nakita Gale, Rebecca Morris, Mark Bradford, Cauleen Smith, Anna Sew Hoy, Anna Betbeze, Brooklin A. Soumahoro, and Carolyn Castaño.

In this Study Trip Intensive, students will learn about the dynamic art histories of Mexican American/Chicanx, Black American and other contemporary artists living and working in Los Angeles. Students will visit museums, galleries, and community centers dedicated to nurturing, showcasing, and archiving the art of people of color, including Black- and Latinx-founded art institutions. Students will meet curators, artists and other art professionals, be given private tours to view historical sites and modern and contemporary art, including MOCA, the Brick, The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture; LACMA, The Hammer Museum. The Watts Towers, Human Resources and the Performance Art Museum. The class will participate in at least one artist-led art-making workshop and visit the studios of a wide range of Los Angeles based artists including Rafa Esparza, Daniel Joseph Martinez, Charles Gaines, Patty Chang, Laura Owens, Nakita Gale, Rebecca Morris, Mark Bradford, Cauleen Smith, Anna Sew Hoy, Anna Betbeze, Brooklin A. Soumahoro, and Carolyn Castaño.

This course examines the concept of kinship as a dynamic, constructed, and reimagined social practice that extends beyond traditional notions of family. While representations of the family frequently appear in art history and popular culture, our focus will be on how contemporary artists, scholars, and curators redefine the understanding and recognition of kinship. The course will begin with an introduction to key concepts in kinship studies, followed by thematic explorations that pair artists, artworks, and exhibitions with relevant theoretical and art historical texts. Central themes will encompass artistic lineages, cultural inheritances, queer and crip kinship, intergenerational memory work, the politics of care, and diasporic family histories.
Artists and collectives featured in this course include Amalia Mesa-Bains, Kelly Church, Jess T. Dugan, bell hooks, Carmen Lomas Garza, Sky Hopinka, Kira Dominguez Hultgren, Place as Practice Research Collective, Betye Saar and Alison Saar, Rose B. Simpson, Sins Invalid, Karina Aguilera Skvirsky, The Care Collective, The Family Camera Network, Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Carrie Mae Weems, and Maggie Wong.
This online course prioritizes active participation and engagement through class discussions and writing exercises linked to the readings, dialogues, and virtual guest presentations. The creative assignment will require students to produce a family album utilizing a medium of their choice. To facilitate the development of the final essay, the course schedule will include an idea-generation workshop as well as allocated in-class writing time.

How do you shape your creative or scholarly practice while leveraging transferrable skills to support your future career plans? Spine Intensive is a multi-level course for BFA Studio students who need to fulfill any one of their required Academic Spine classes: Sophomore Seminar, the Junior Professional Practice, or the Senior Capstone. This course offers students interdisciplinary approaches to critically evaluating and effectively communicating their creative practice or research interests in relation to their academic or career aspirations. Through essential readings, assignments, studio projects, and writing, students will develop the ability to articulate clear narratives that not only explain the purpose and process of their art making or research driven practice, but also translate these narratives into actionable plans to advance their work and post graduation interests. Students will receive individualized assignments aligned specifically with the level of course requirement being fulfilled as well as one on one advising with faculty as they develop documentation of their work, a statement of purpose, resumes and other applicable materials to support their academic development and career readiness. Spine Intensive can only be taken once to for credit.