Back to RobbieQuinn.com

Dockery, C., Quinn, R.D., Baugh, S.J. & Christian, K. (2006). Finding balance in contemporary foundations programs. Submitted manuscript.

BENCHMARKING DATA AND EVALUATIVE REPORT

To get a better understanding of the types of Foundations programs in place in the United States, we conducted a benchmarking project of all the institutions of higher education that are currently using a foundations program. In order to limit the overwhelming results, we implemented the following criteria for school selection: 1) An institution must be NASAD accredited, 2) Only one school from each Carnegie Classification per state, i.e.- only one Doctoral/Research University-Extensive, Master’s College or University I, etc. Given these requirements, we selected 55 colleges or universities from 43 states for inclusion in the benchmark document. The results of our efforts are presented in the following table.

State	School/Carnegie Type	Program Description/ Hours	Course/ Hours	Course Description/ Hours
Arizona	University of Arizona (Doctoral/Research Universities-Extensive)	The Foundations area is responsible for providing basic instruction in studio practice and application of art in drawing, two-dimensional design, three-dimensional design (and color theory), as well as visual concepts and the place of art in contemporary society.	None provided	None provided
Colorado	University of Denver (Doctoral/Research Universities-Extensive)	None provided. B.A. requires 17 hours of Foundations coursework. B.F.A. and Art Ed. require 12 hours.	ARTS 1000 Strategies of Artmaking (3 hours)	This course is an introduction to the visual language of art and an overview of issues in 20th century art. Creative thinking is developed through hands-on projects. It is required of all majors in studio art, electronic media arts design and art history. $30 lab fee.
			ARTS 1055 Color (3 hours)	An investigative introduction to color theory and practical color application, this class begins with Albers' Interaction of Color and moves on from there. Students will learn the basics of color theory, perception and applied color mixing, a focus not taught exclusively in any other course. It is required of all majors in studio art, electronic media arts design and art history. $30 lab fee.
			ARTS 1035 Drawing I (3 hours)	Fundamental drawing practice and history based on selected exercises, slide presentations, comprehensive group/individual critiques & workshops. Still life and figure drawing are covered in this course. Projects focus on ways to comprehend and draw three-dimensional forms, with emphasis on conceptual issues and use of materials. It is required of all majors in studio art, electronic media arts design and art history. $30 lab fee.
Idaho	University of Idaho (Doctoral/Research Universities- Extensive)	Preparing architecture, art and design professionals for the future (Hours not provided)	Art 121 Design 1 (Hours not provided)	Design I is an interdisciplinary course intended to prepare students for study in a wide variety of art and design disciplines. Emphasizing a balance between the formal and communicative aspects of design, students are presented with open design problems and are challenged to devise their own solutions in both 2 and 3 dimensions, irregardless of media. Many are able to personalize their work to best prepare for a chosen course of study. Students are provided opportunities to develop an awareness of design's cultural context and establish good studio practice. Research, problem-solving skills, craft, professionalism and articulate presentations are all important to success in this course.
			Art 122 Design 2 (Hours not provided)	Art 122 builds on the structure established in A&D 121 where the study of design elements drives problem-solving activities that students realize in the media of their choice. The Georgia Tech College of Architecture describes design "as intentioned activity that shapes virtually everything in the world: places, spaces, products, systems and environments." Whether students are pursuing careers as architects, artists or designers, they are in the business of changing their environments as part of their daily practice. Art 122 provides controlled opportunities and guides for altering the space around us creatively, responsibly and effectively. In addition, A&D 122 provides opportunities for students to work on teams on collaborative projects. They are also introduced to awareness of viewer experience, time (4D), light and contextual design.
			Art 111 Drawing 1 (Hours not provided)	Drawing I is a survey style course where students are introduced to a variety of techniques and skill sets that will be required in their professional lives. Observational drawing is emphasized while students are introduced to figure drawing, devices for defining space, presentation of value and line as well as opportunities to work on collaborative projects. In addition, students learn techniques for understanding space and proportion.
			Art 112 Drawing 2 (Hours not provided)	Drawing II builds on the vocabulary and concepts introduced in A&D Drawing I with continued instruction in observational drawing. However, Drawing II places emphasis on mixed media approaches, drawing in color and an introduction to color theory, visualization, and three-dimensional drawing well as anatomy study and more extensive figure drawing.
			Art 110 Visual Communica-tion (Hours not provided)	Introduction to the design disciplines, visual communication and visual culture
Montana	Montana State University-Bozeman (Doctoral/Research Universities- Intensive)	None provided (12 hours required for all undergrad degree programs)	Art 110 2-D Fundamentals (3 hours)	The development of basic two-dimensional technical and aesthetic concepts through drawing techniques and color media. Emphasis on basic visual problem solving through external and internal perception.
			Art 111 3-D Fundamentals (3 hours)	The development of basic three-dimensional technical and aesthetic concepts through additive and subtractive methods. Emphasis on basic visual problem solving through use of various processes and materials.
			Art 202 Ancient-Medieval Art (3 hours)	This course examines the visual arts from their beginnings to ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome through the Medieval Period. It focuses on an understanding of art as the nonverbal expression of universal cultural concepts.
			Art 203 Renaissance-Modern Art (3 hours)	A survey of Renaissance, Baroque, 19^th and 20^th century art which focuses on the evolution of humanistic expression and the emergence of the artist as an individual responding to the impact of modern society.
Utah	Brigham Young University (Doctoral/Research Universities-Extensive)	Visual Arts Core (VACor) Note: Referred to as Foundations in Course Listings. Required of all majors in the visual arts (except art history), the visual arts core is a predisciplinary preparation that embraces knowledge and skills from each discipline and underlying principles common to all disciplines. The core is designed to serve students more efficiently by facilitating their progress through the visual arts programs and allowing flexibility in choosing their individual program direction. The core enables students to acquire a basic and broad understanding of the visual arts before engaging in the specific discipline's content and modes of inquiry. (13 hours required)	VACor 111-VA Seminar (.5 credits)	Discussion-based seminar emphasizes thinking skills and generating ideas. Exercises and problems based on issues and events that affect the visual arts. Readings, writings, guest lecturers, and discussions.
			VACor 112-VA Smeniar (.5 credits)	Lecture-based seminar addresses issues and themes pertinent to visual arts professions. Guest lecturers, teleconferences, readings, writings, and discussions covering studio and cognate areas.
			VACor 120-Composition (1.5 credits)	Formal elements of design and composition with 2-D and 3-D applications using the computer along with traditional formats. Readings, writings, and participation in course work exhibitions required.
			VACor 121A-Drawing: Observational (1.5 credits)	Observational and conceptual drawing using a variety of media and methods. Readings, writings, and participation in course work exhibitions required.
			VACor 121B-Drawing: Spatial (1.5 credits)
			VACor 122-Color Theory (1.5 credits)	Color concepts and theories using a variety of media and methods. Readings, writings, and participation in course work exhibitions required.
			VACor 130-Color Application (1.5 credits)
			VACor 131-Figure Drawing (1.5 credits)	Figure study using a variety of media and methods. Readings, writings, and participation in course work exhibitions required.
			VACor 132-3D Design (1.5 credits)	Design concepts and theories using a variety of media and methods, including computer applications. Readings, writings, and participation in course work exhibitions required.
			VACor 133-3D Design (1.5 credits)	Three-dimensional concepts, theories and issues using a variety of media and processes. Readings, writings, and participation in course work exhibitions required. Fee.
Wyoming	Casper College (Associate's Colleges)	None provided. (9 hours required for all four Associate's Degree Programs)	Art 1110 Foundation: Two-Dimensional (3 hours)	Studies and sequential exercises in the basic elements of design: shape, line, value, color, and texture. Exploration of the relationships of these elements with emphasis on composition
			Art 1120 Foundation: Three-Dimensional (3 hours)	A lecture and problem solving course in the basic elements and principles of three-dimensional design with emphasis on composition.
			Art 1130 Foundation: Color Theory (3 hours)	Studies and sequential exercises in color theory. Exploration of the relationships of hue, value, and chroma, studied in progressive exercises to enhance student's awareness of color and its aesthetic relationships.
Michigan	Kendall College of Art and Design (Specialized Institutions—Schools of art, music, and design)	None Provided. 18 Hours.	2-D design (3 hours)	A problem-solving course covering the principles of composition and modular design systems. Uses predominantly abstract shapes, and black, white, and achromatic gray ranges.
			3-D Design (3 hours)	Solving compositional problems in space through the exploration of structure, tension/strength, aesthetics, and proportion.
			Color (3 hours)	A problem-solving course which studies the properties and interactions of color and its resulting perceptual effects in pictorial space.
			Drawing I (3 hours)	The process of drawing as observation and conceptualization through eye-hand coordination. Emphasizes linear construction with concern for accurate proportion and simple positive-negative/figure-ground relationships. Includes six weeks of linear perspective.
			Drawing II (3 hours)	Emphasis on development of convincing illusion of three-dimensional objects, through the combined use of line, value, proportion, and composition. This course focuses on the further refinement of the concepts, processes, and techniques introduced in Drawing I. Expanded exploration of perspective, composition, media exploration, and idea development within traditional subject matter will be emphasized. The first half of the semester will be used to solidify and review concepts initiated in Drawing I, while the second half will be reserved for new areas of exploration and expanded study of perspective.
			Life Drawing I (3 hours)	Emphasizes precise linear construction and structural aspects of the figure. Anatomical focus is on skeletal structure and its effect on surface form. Tonal construction introduced late in the semester.
	Siena Heights University (Master's Colleges and Universities I)	None Provided. 15 Hours	ART 105 Foundations I: (3 hours)	Core Concepts
			ART 145 Foundations II: (3 hours)	Core Concepts
			ART 109 Foundations III: (3 hours)	Drawing Concepts
			A RT 245 Foundations IV: (3 hours)	Figure Study
			ART 140 Foundations V: (3 hours)	Language of Art
Iowa	University of Northern Iowa (Master's Colleges and Universities)	The Foundation Program is a one-year program required of all Art majors and Art minors. First-year introductory courses provide an intense exploration of basic art concepts and skills as preparation for the specialized and advanced areas of media-emphasis study. The Foundation Program year offers students an opportunity to get to know both their peers and the faculty of the Department of Art during this shared beginning. The first-year experience includes introduction to the Kamerick Art Building facilities, encouragement to participate in student organizations, and attendance at UNI Gallery of Art openings and presentations by visiting artists. The 18 hours of foundation courses are prerequisite to all upper level studio and art history courses in the Department. Generally, students enroll in Drawing I, 2-D Concepts, and Survey of Art History I during the first semester; and Drawing II, 3-D Concepts, and Survey of Art History II during the second semester. Teaching in the Foundation Program is shared by members of the Department of Art Faculty.	Drawing I (3 hours)	Exploration of drawing concepts and drawing materials with an emphasis on the perception of visual form.
			Drawing II (3 hours)	Students build on the visual vocabulary of drawing with a greater emphasis on self-direction and personal content.
			2-D Concepts (3 hours)	Investigation of beginning experiences in conceiving and making art in a variety of two-dimensional media, with an emphasis on the interaction between work and idea, skills in artmaking, and the common vocabulary of art.
			3-D Concepts (3 hours)	Introduction of beginning experiences in conceiving and making art through the generation and manipulation of three-dimensional forms, utilizing simple tools and technical processes.
			Survey of Art History I (3 hours)	Introduction to the history of art; Ancient through Medieval.
			Survey Art History II (3 hours)	Introduction to the history of art; Renaissance through Modern.
Ohio	Art Academy of Cincinnati (Specialized Institutions—Schools of art, music, and design)	The Foundations curriculum provides a broadening and deepening studio experience. Foundations is the basis for building increasingly sophisticated skills, techniques and ideas. Faculty teach basic principles by requiring students to work with visual elements in new ways and across media in an intense, six-credit studio Core class the first semester. A distinctive feature of the Core is the team-teaching approach where faculty from two different disciplines conduct classes together. Their different points of view show students there is no single right way and encourage a variety of solutions to problems, collaboration and risk-taking. All first year students begin their study in the Foundations program.	Foundations Core (6 hours)	Concepts, materials, techniques, tools and vocabulary are studied in a sequence of interrelated assignments involving two-dimensional design, three-dimensional design and some drawing. Students develop their ability to manipulate and organize ideas to communicate, solve problems and express themselves through visual language. Important technical components include safe use of the power tools in the woodshop. Stress on self-discipline and craftsmanship help develop the student's positive self-image in relation to the visual arts.
			Foundations Drawing I (3 hours)	An introduction to drawing as a disciplined activity requiring continued practice and repetition of technical, formal and conceptual aspects. The course builds on principles, concepts, media and techniques taught in Foundations Core. Students learn to draw convincing representations of observed and invented forms in a variety of spatial situations including still life, interiors and landscape. Using a variety of dry and wet media the topics covered include analytical drawing, perspective, contour, planar analysis of form and modeling in light and shade.
			Foundations Drawing II (3 hours)	Focus is on observational, descriptive and formal aspects of objective drawing. Working with the clothed and nude figure in an environment, students gain knowledge of interior structure to create integrated and unified form. Students continue their study of human anatomy for purposes of artistic description and expression. Other issues include foreshortening, freehand perspective, light, shadow, surface qualities and color. Students will explore working in a range of scale, with both wet and dry media, in black and white and in color. The figure is investigated for its use both as an expressive form and as a means for visual investigation.
			Drawing III (3 hours)	This transitional course from the introductory to the intermediate level drawing experience continues to build on the students' previous introduction to the drawing discipline. Using color, line and composition to emphasize depiction of space, form and content students concentrate on depicting the figure in space. Continue the development of their critical evaluation skills, expressive capabilities, and explore non-objective aspects of observation, representation and abstraction.
			Drawing IV (3 hours)	This sequential course continues in the process of providing transition for the student from the introductory experience into the intermediate level of drawing. Students become self-directed in identifying goals in drawing and developing strategies to achieve them. Using color, line and composition to emphasize depiction of space, form and content, students aim to achieve equivalency between the seen and drawn experience. Collage, photo-transfer, fabric, colored paper and other materials are used to enhance the student's exploration of alternative media to express form.
	Bowling Green State University (Doctoral/Research Universities-Intensive)	The First-Year Program is a coordinated and dynamic experience designed to provide students with the methods of artistic research and practice that will allow them to translate their experiences and knowledge into artworks. Formal elements of design and technique are explored in a larger context which foregrounds how materials, processes and context establish meaning. Students are encouraged to grow imaginatively and analytically by exploring areas in which different media and disciplines fruitfully overlap. By becoming more perceptive and responsive to themselves and the world around them, students broaden their notions of art and their understanding of the roles of artists. 9 Hours.	ART 102 Two-Dimensional Foundations (3 hours)	Introduction to principles of art through a variety of concepts and media used in creative two-dimensional form organization. Required of art majors and minors.
			ART 103 Drawing Foundations (3 hours)	Development of drawing skills through observation of natural objects to aid expressive draftsmanship and pictorial accuracy. Required of art majors and minors.
			ART 112 Three-Dimensional Foundations (3 hours)	Creative principles of art in three-dimensional form emphasizing aesthetics, utilitarian concepts and tools in experimental studio experiences. Required of art majors and minors.
West Virginia	West Virginia University (Doctoral/Research Universities-Extensive)	Developing strong fundamental visual and critical skills prepares students for growth in their area of concentration later in the program. The first two years provide many students with the first hand knowledge they need to find their strengths, and make the right choice when it comes time to choose a major. Freshmen students entering the foundation program begin their studies with introductory courses in drawing, 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional foundations, art history, and introductory level elective courses in three of the five major studio areas. The foundation studio experience is designed to give students the maximum exposure to hands-on creative problem-solving with conventional and unconventional media and techniques. Studio courses stress the importance of personal growth, risk-taking, and the fundamentals of visual thinking; art history stresses the traditions of the various media. Students develop to their highest potential while working with a variety of materials in 3D foundations, exploring color theory and design with paint and collage in 2D foundations, and work in drawing, ranging from large-scale collaborative projects, to traditional figure drawing, to abstraction. Students work in a group studio with core foundations faculty, developing vital technical, conceptual and critical thinking skills, and self-discipline.	None Provided.
Virginia	Virginia Commonwealth University (Doctoral/Research Universities-Extensive)	Foundation studies at VCUArts are the basis for your formal education, your continuing education, and your eventual practice as an artist or designer. During your year of Foundation Studies, you will initiate and develop habits of creative exploration, thoughtful problem formulation, studio-based research and responsive problem solving that will serve you for a lifetime, inside or outside of the Arts. Within the School of the Arts, you are part of a community of artists and designers who are rigorously pursuing a range of ideas in varied disciplines. Your foundation year enables you to formulate or confirm your decision about where to focus your education and to establish meaningful connections across the arts, design and the broad range of disciplines with which you will interact as a practitioner. Full-time students typically enroll for 15-16 credits per semester for a two-semester total of 31 credits in order to complete the program requirements in one year. Part-time, transfer and change of major students may carry lighter credit loads. Completion of the program is required for admission into a visual arts major. Students accepted to and placed in the Art Foundation Program do not achieve departmental affiliation until after the screening of portfolios during the spring semester of the freshman year. At that time the student can apply to the department of his or her choice. Departmental acceptance is based on individual student performance and competency in the chosen area. Successful completion of the Art Foundation Program does not automatically guarantee acceptance into the student's preferred major.	ARTF 101 (2 hours)	Conceptualization and Presentation
			ARTF 103 (2 hours)	Design Fundamentals
			ARTF 105 (4 hours)	Survey of World Art
			ARTF 107 (1 hour)	Introduction to the Arts
			ARTF 109 (2 hours)	Drawing Fundamentals
			ARTF 111 (2 hours)	Drawing Studio
			ARTF 102 (2 hours)	Conceptualization and Presentation
			ARTF 104 (2 hours)	Design Fundamentals
			ARTF 106 (4 hours)	Survey of World Art
			ARTF 109 (2 hours)	Drawing Fundamentals
			ARTF 112 (2 hours)	Drawing Studio
Maine	Maine College of Art (Specialized Institutions—Schools of art, music, and design)	This one year intensive course of study includes courses in drawing, two and three-dimensional design, art history, studio electives, and liberal arts. Second year students choose from a variety of Focus Electives in two-dimensional design, three-dimensional design, drawing, and interdisciplinary design. Total: 21 hrs	Drawing 1& 2: FD 111-112: 6 Credits	FD 111-112 Drawing 1 And 2 (Full Year) Students draw simple to complex subjects, including the human figure. Emphasis is on controlling measurement, contrast, proportion, gesture, mass, and volume. The use of tone and line to create overlap, foreshortening, and perspective develops students' abilities to represent the three-dimensional world on a two-dimensional surface. Both traditional and invented drawing tools are used. Required: 3-credits/semester; 6 hours/week.
			Two-Dimensional Design 1 & 2: FD103-104: 4 Credits	FD 103-104 Two-Dimensional Design 1 And 2 (Full Year) An awareness of visual order on the two-dimensional or flat surface is stressed. This course concentrates on understanding organization in black, white, and grays as well as the properties and interactions of color. Required: 2-credits/semester; 4 hours/week.
			Three-Dimensional Design 1&2: FD105-106: 4 Credits	FD 105-106 Three-Dimensional Design 1 & 2 (Full Year) The structural and visual qualities of real objects within a spatial environment are explored. Both semesters concentrate on the relationships of mass, volume, and surface, made and observed. Modeling, casting, carving, and construction are introduced. Required: 2 credits/semester; 6 hours/week.
			Art History Survey: AH101-102: 6 Credits	AH 101-102 Art History Survey (Full Year) This yearlong survey covers art from prehistoric times through the early years of the twentieth century. Students study and evaluate the art and styles of different historical periods. Through lectures and discussions, students are exposed to the ideas, purposes and meanings of art from various cultures. Original objects from collections in the Boston museum of fine arts, the walker art museum and the Portland museum of art are the focus of individual study and research. Required: 3-credits/semester; 3 hours/week. This course may not be dropped without department head approval. A lab fee is charged; see rate schedule.
			Tool Technology: FD 107: 1 Credit	FD 107 Tool Technology (Fall Or Spring) The woodshop in the MECA building is available to all students as a resource. This one semester course provides an introduction to the safe use and maintenance of hand and machine tools through various assignments addressing structural, visual, and technical problems. Students take this course in either the fall or spring. Required: 1 credit; 2 hours/week. A lab fee is charged; see rate schedule.
New Hampshire	New Hampshire Institute of Art (Specialized Institutions—Schools of art, music, and design)	There are several required introductory level studio and art history or theory courses. It is expected that students will take those courses in their first terms in the program, to better prepare them for the intermediate and advanced level courses to follow. 18 hrs.	Foundations 2-D (3 credits)
			Color Theory (3 credits)
			Foundations 3-D (3 credits)
			Materials and Processes (3 credits)
			Introduction to Drawing (3 credits)
			Intermediate Drawing (3 credits)
Massachusetts	Massachusetts College of Art (Specialized Institutions—Schools of art, music, and design)	A strong foundation program is essential to an effective and comprehensive art college experience. A “foundation” course is sometimes equated with development of a “tool chest” of vital resources for advanced studio training and liberal-arts studies, and a variety of information, experiences, and knowledge of art forms from all over the world, past and present. In the Studio Foundation Program, students develop such a tool chest-the by-product of their immersion in a demanding, intense experience. The program is as much about getting usefully lost as about finding one's direction. 24 hrs	Drawing I - 3	The drawing experience and its usefulness across disciplines. Drawing is seen as a vehicle for thinking, seeing, and communicating. Formal elements of line, value, shape, texture and space are worked individually and in common. Includes drawing from direct observation and invented images. Studies include illusions of space and shape via figure and form analysis. Through the use of thumbnail sketches, students analyze and improve composition techniques and methods. Constant reference to historical and contemporary drawing practice from many traditions.
			Drawing I - 3
			Visual Language I - 3	From the complexities of art and design, Visual Language I will isolate a series of topics for examination, discussion and development. These topics are fundamental to all of the disciplines within the field of art and design. The topics in this course include: learning about terms and concepts common to all of the visual arts (for example, composition, space content, color); exploring material, media and presentation skills (traditional and digital technologies included); initiating an historical and contemporary context for art and culture (issues surrounding the history and the institutionalization of art, and issues in contemporary art making); and, furthering a student\'s own sense of direction in the arts. Through proscribed projects students will progressively define and articulate their subjective interests, expressive ideas, and visual affinities.
			Drawing II - 3	This course will focus on representing the figure in a variety of ways moving towards the development of a personal way of seeing. We will use a life model and skeleton as a departure and explore abstraction and personal expression through the use of metaphor, symbolism, formal interpretation and color issues. Twentieth century art movements such as surrealism, expressionism, pop and new image will be used as a resource. Students are expected to have a solid working background in visual fundamentals. There will be a number of field trips to area museums and galleries.
			Visual Language II - 3	In this second semester of Visual Language, students are progressing towards a more sustained and independent inquiry into a topic of personal interest. This course emphasizes development and acquisition of the conceptual and material processes necessary in the successful realization of a project in any discipline. In Visual language II students develop a major independent project. The objectives and outcomes of this project will be described through a learning contract to be developed in consultation with either instructor. Students will be expected to integrate and extend processes and media that were introduced in Visual Language I.
			Form Study - 3	An Introduction to the central tenets of three-dimensional art and design. Understanding 3D form is essential for all majors including sculptors, architects, and industrial designers, and is necessary for successful 2D images. Through design and construction of assigned projects, students explore the conceptual and technical fundamentals of form study: scale, volume, mass, and space. Using a wide range of materials in conjunction with varied building techniques, students creatively investigate the 3D form and its position in space.
			Studio elective - 3
			Perspectives in Art History I - 3
			Perspectives in Art History II - 3
	University of Massachusetts, Lowell (Doctoral/Research Universities— Intensive)	18 hrs	Art Concepts I	Art Concepts I will focus on learning the visual language of the creative process through an examination of the principles of two-dimensional visual organization. These fundamental basics form the underlying structure of all studio and communication arts. Through slide lecture, guest lecturers, field trips, and studio projects, students will begin to understand the many forms that visual expression takes. The course will develop creative problem solving skills and students will learn to respond to personal challenge. Students will also be instructed in the principles of professional execution and be introduced to diverse modes of thought, media, and aesthetic expression.
			Art Concepts II	Art Concepts II will focus on learning the visual language of the creative process through an examination of the principles of three-dimensional visual organization. These fundamental basics form the underlying structure of architecture, environmental graphic design, product design and sculpture. Through slide lecture, guest lecturers, field trips, and studio projects, students will begin to understand the many forms that three-dimensional expression takes. The course will develop creative problem solving skills and students will learn to respond to personal challenge. Students will also be instructed in the principles of professional execution and be introduced to diverse modes of thought, media, and aesthetic expression.
			Art Concepts Colloquium	The colloquium component of Art Concepts will introduce the student to the major occupations in the fields of art and design and continue to introduce diverse modes of thought, media, and aesthetic expression. The course will also give students exposure to the art resources of the region including museums, galleries and art supply stores. Through a series of slide lectures, visiting artists, films, field trips, studio projects and writing assignments students will develop critical and analytical observation and thinking skills.
			Form and Content	Form and Content is considered the capstone course of the Art Foundations Requirement. Through a variety of studio assignments and individual projects students will explore the integration of humanities related concepts and develop an understanding of how visual artists think, live and function in the twenty first century. As part of the course requirements students will participate in the foundations exhibition at the end of the semester.
			Drawing/ Form and Space,	A foundation course in basic concepts, focusing on the translation of the three-dimensional world to the two dimensional surface. Through a variety of media, surfaces, and approaches students will concentrate on building visual literacy and its application to the realm of ideas. A wide range of assignments is given to develop graphic expression.
			Concept Drawing	The emphasis is on giving form to ideas through building a solid sense of visual literary. Assignments include a wide range of color media, surface, and subject matter with the focus on the psychological and structural use of color, creative experimentation, and the development of personal style.
Rhode Island	Rhode Island School of Art and Design (Specialized Institutions—Schools of art, music, and design)	Among the most distinctive hallmarks of a RISD education is the Foundation program. Each undergraduate's introduction to the college is through a year-long immersion in Foundation Studies, designed to promote creativity and foster greater understanding of visual language. Liberal arts courses play an essential role in Foundation, and rigorous two- and three-dimensional design studios are applicable to whatever major is selected in spring of the freshman year. 18 hrs	DRAWING I - 3	Drawing plays a vital and primary role in the life of an artist or designer. In Drawing, students engage in rigorous observational drawing of natural and man-made forms towards an understanding of structure and dynamics. Clear structuring of space as well as formal compositional elements and their intrinsic relationship to non-objective and representational drawing are explored. The expressive character of lines, tones, and marks are studied as inseparable from the information, concept and content of drawing.
			DRAWING I - 3
			DRAWING II - 3	Second semester continuation of DRAWING
			TWO-DIMEN-SIONAL DESIGN I - 3	In this course, the two-dimensional plane provides the ground for the study of the elements of visual language and their relationship to experience, expression and communication. Texture, pattern, figure/ground oscillation, scale, and color are some of the many components of this exploration. Their fundamental and complex interactions are manifested through a variety of media.
			TWO- DIMEN-SIONAL DESIGN II - 3	Second semester continuation of TWO-DIMENSIONAL DESIGN,
			THREE-DIMENSIONAL DESIGN I - 3	The program in three-dimensional design comprises three types of content. These are: visual content or form, including line, plane, shape, and proportion; and literary content or meaning, including subject matter and interpretation. The third content distinguishes three-dimensional design from two-dimensional design, it is physical content or volume. This includes material properties, structural dynamics and space. Students are expected to explore three-dimensional design through imagination and analysis.
			THREE-DIMENSIONAL DESIGN II - 3	Second semester continuation of THREE-DIMENSIONAL DESIGN
	Rhode Island College (Master's Colleges and Universities I)	The Foundations Program consists of six courses: two drawing courses, two design courses, and two Synthesis courses, which offer comprehensive instruction in two-dimensional and three-dimensional concepts. 18 hrs.	ART 101: Drawing I: General Drawing - 3	The fundamentals and history of freehand drawing are explored. Observational analysis of forms and space, media characteristics, and pictorial organization approaches are stressed. Studio.
			ART 101: Drawing I: General Drawing - 3
			ART 104: Design I: Two-Dimensional Design - 3	Two-dimensional compositional strategies are applied through intuitive and logical organization of the visual elements. Students also develop basic problem-solving skills, while learning to think visually. Studio.
			ART 105: Drawing II - 3	Drawing from the human figure is introduced, including basic anatomy, general nomenclature, and consideration of various artistic problems. Students work from live models, the skeleton, and anatomy texts. Studio.
			ART 114: Design II: Three-Dimensional Design - 3	The sequential development of planar and volumetric forms in real space provide the basis for study of visual structure. The role that media, process, and problem solving have in the development of form are also covered. Studio.
			ART 204: Synthesis/ Three-Dimensional Emphasis	Using drawing and three-dimensional techniques, a synthesis of the skills and concepts developed in the previous four foundation courses is realized. The interaction of two- and three- dimensional approaches is stressed. Includes woodshop lab. Studio.
			ART 205: Synthesis/ Two-Dimensional Emphasis	Emphasis is on the synthesis of basic drawing language and fundamental design skills. Extended possibilities for the manipulation of materials and the conceptual aspects of image construction are stressed. Includes woodshop lab. Studio.
Connecticut	University of Connecticut (Doctoral/Research Universities—Extensive)	The foundation program introduces students to ideas and skills that are the core of the experience of being an artist. The program exposes first year students to a variety of materials, techniques, and art making processes that are both traditional and innovative. Students may find themselves working with found objects, appropriated imagery and typography as well as paint, paper and wood. In these courses students are encouraged to explore both the formal aspects of the materials as well as such issues as identity, popular culture and technology. Another component of this program is an introduction to critical writing on contemporary visual culture focusing on art, advertising, fashion, media and digital technologies. These studies are intended to present concepts and issues that impact on contemporary art. These courses supply the students with a common curriculum before they choose a studio concentration at the completion of their foundation studies.
	Lyme Academy College of Fine Art (Specialized Institutions—Schools of art, music, and design)	This Foundation year includes a carefully designed program of two semesters each in drawing, painting, color and design, sculpture, English, and art history. Students are introduced to basic techniques in all areas and begin to make decisions that will enable them to make an educated choice for their major at the end of the Foundation year. 27 hrs.	Drawing - 6
			Drawing - 6
			Painting - 6
			Sculpture - 6
			Beginning Composition - 3
			Survey of Art History - 6
	University of Bridgeport (Doctoral/Research Universities— Intensive)	All design majors begin with foundation courses in two and three dimensional design, color, drawing, photography, computer applications, and background courses in art and design history.
New York	School of Visual Art (Specialized Institutions—Schools of art, music, and design)	Freshman fine arts majors must take all the courses listed below. These courses are the foundation-year requirements and they must all be successfully completed by the end of your first year at the College. 21hrs
			Survey of World Art I - 3	An introduction to art of Western and non-Western cultures, approached chronologically or thematically. Using modern and contemporary art as a focal point, the course will bring out subjects, themes and stylistic tendencies that relate the past to the present. The relationship of the artist to the society of the period as well as the characteristics intrinsic to each art form -- painting, sculpture, and architecture -- will be explored. Key monuments and important artists will be discussed. Student participation will be an integral part of this course. Museum visits will be arranged during the year.
			Survey of World Art II -3
			Drawing - 6	This course is about learning to see. It examines drawing both as an act of creating independent works of art and as a preparatory process in the creation of a finished work. Projects are assigned to study design elements as they relate to drawing. Basic skills are stressed. Open to first-year students only.
			Painting - 6	Study of visual perception through the use of painting media, stressing both technical skills and individual expression; and exploring both form and content.
			Sculpture/ Video Art 3	An investigation of perception as it relates to space and volume in three dimensions; and in video as it relates to time and the moving image. Emphasis is on the exploration of diverse media and their potentialities.
	Skidmore College (Baccalaureate Colleges--Liberal Arts)	12 hrs	Visual Concepts - 3
			Form and Space - 3
			Drawing - 3
			Color - 3
New Jersey	Rowan University (Master’s Colleges and Universities I)	All students are considered foundation students for the first year. In the first year, all students take the Foundation Core: Representational Drawing, Figure Drawing, Expressive Drawing, Two-Dimensional Design, Three-Dimensional Design, Color Theory, and Digital Media & Techniques. During the semester a student is completing the final studio courses in the Foundation Core, he/she signs up for the Foundation Core Portfolio Review. 19.5 hrs	Representa-tional Drawing	This course presents the basic representational skills and knowledge for effective drawing. It covers the elements and fundamentals of perspective, composition, anatomy, light and shade and rendering.
			Figure Drawing	This course consists of experimenting, exploring and improvising with techniques suitable for drawing representation of such visual forms as figure and still-life. It also covers nonrepresentational approaches.
			Expressive Drawing
			Color & Design - 2D	An introductory lecture/studio course dealing with compositional strategies, to teach students to manipulate elements in dealing with solutions to the problems of aesthetics, function, and balance and the relationship between form and content. In the studio student's work on selected conceptual problems in both black and white and color in various materials.
			Color & Design - 3D	Drawing on the experiences gained in the 2D design and color problems, this course teaches students to establish visual excitement in a 3D format. Students deal with relationships of organic and natural structures and mechanical and geometric forms, as well as methods for relating them to one another.
			Color Theory
			Digital Media & Techniques – 1.5	This foundation workshop introduces students to digital media in solving art and design problems through demonstrations and hands-on experience. Students will explore various computer program applications related to the fine and graphic arts.
Pennsylvania	Carnegie Mellon (Doctoral/Research Universities— Extensive)	The Media Studios can be viewed as the foundation courses for the program. Students take two Media Studios each semester during the freshman and sophomore years for a total of eight courses. These studios ensure that all students have an exploratory experience with all of the media resources of the department. They also serve as preparation for advanced studio work.
	Temple University (Doctoral/Research Universities— Extensive)	Studies for the BFA degree at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art begin with a common freshman experience, the Foundation Year. During this year, students are enrolled in studio courses in Drawing, 2-D and 3-D Principles, and Foundation Computer. The Foundation Program is highly structured and intensive. It forms the fundamental basis for studio practice, critical thinking, and the understanding and implementation of principles of visual art expression. The program emphasizes creative and critical thinking, problem solving, visual thinking, perception and observation, as well as presenting traditional vocabulary, theory, media, and techniques of artistic practice. The Foundation Faculty is comprised of faculty from all major areas in the School, providing freshmen with a broad perspective and diverse points of view from which to build their experience as artists.
	Bucks County Community College (Associate's Colleges)	These courses, with the exception of the Seminar course, correspond to those in the Foundation program at NASAD accredited schools. They are configured differently but the hour/credit ratio is the same. For example, at many schools there are two 2-Dimensional Design courses, which equal twelve hours for six credits. In this program there are three 2-Dimensional Design courses which equal twelve hours for six credits. All the courses should be taken in their number sequence from lowest course number to the highest. Many of the courses build on the information and skills developed in previous courses. Students will do themselves a disservice by taking the courses out of sequence. 21 hrs	Drawing/ Principles	An introduction and overview of problems in space, value, and volume. This course includes the study and observation of appearance and structure of natural form. Development of perception, observation and memory, stressing drawing considered as an art form with emphasis on disciplined draftsmanship. Introduction to a wide variety of black and white media.
			Drawing/ Composition	The principles of composition, with an emphasis on a working knowledge of the elements of the structural arrangements of form and space, will be analyzed. Drawing techniques and various media are explored in class and for homework.
			Drawing Spatial Systems	An in-depth study of the systems of perspective and spatial illusions utilized by different cultures and ages. Both western and non-western approaches will be considered. Regular criticism, lectures, discussions, as well as studio practice
			2D Design Principles	Exposure to abstract as well as representational 2D Design concepts. Problems in conceptualization, execution, presentation, teamwork, and research techniques will be emphasized. Black, white, and gray media will serve as the basis for learning the vocabulary, concepts, and principles that pertain to 2D Design. Lecture and studio four hours per week.
			2-D Design/Image and Technique	This class will investigate the fundamental aspects of two-dimensional design through the exploration of techniques including computer graphics, xerography, papermaking, relief printing, photo silkscreen, and visual book formats. Emphasis will be placed upon the student's ability to deal with concepts discussed in class, primarily on a problem solving basis
			2-D Design/Color Theory	Work in color will be divided into two technical areas: working with paper, and working with pigment. Exposure to as many color concepts as possible including problems in conceptualization, execution, presentation, teamwork, and research techniques. The importance of using color vocabulary verbally and demonstrating that understanding visually is expected and encouraged.
			3-D Design Principles	A course covering the elements and principles of three-dimensional form in space. The relationship between two and three-dimensional thinking will be explored and stressed. The techniques and materials to be used will not demand highly evolved skills. Developing craftsmanship and problem solving skills will be emphasized.
			3-D Design/ Materials and Techniques	The study of 3-D concepts, techniques and structure as it relates to three-dimensional materials and their technical manipulation. Emphasis is placed on developing design concepts into sculptural realities. An introduction to various materials, and the safe operation of hand and power tools.
			3-D Design/ Figure Modeling	The study of three-dimensional form in space utilizing the human body as the basis. There is some emphasis on anatomy to understand structure and how and why the body moves through space. Clay and plaster will be utilized along with the basics of armature construction, casting and mold-making.
			Foundation Seminar I	Analysis of major problems in art and aesthetics with special emphasis on contemporary society. Speakers, films, and videos examine significant examples of contemporary art. The impact of social, economic, and religious conditions on the images of aesthetics of today's artists.
			Foundation Seminar II	Speakers, films, and videos address the exploration of the self in regard to creativity. The defining of terms such as self, creativity, art, and intelligence. The relevance of art to life, to a society at war with itself as a primary theme and effort is made to acquaint the student with the range of considerations the artist must involve himself or herself in.
			Sophomore Seminar	Designed to provide important information to those students who plan to transfer or seek a job in the field of art after graduation. Information provided through lecture, demonstrations, trips, and individual consultation will apply directly to the preparation of a presentation portfolio. How to survive as an artist will also be considered.
Maryland	Maryland College of Art and Design (Specialized Institutions—Schools of art, music, and design)	The Associate of Fine Arts Degree program at Maryland College of Art and Design begins with a foundation year, which introduces students to the basics of drawing, two and three-dimensional design, and color. Students develop their artistic skills and understanding by experimenting with the full range of media and techniques. 24 hrs	Design I - 3 credits	This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of two-dimensional design using black and white media. Projects introduce the elements of design, composition, creative problem solving, research, and technique.
			Design I - 3 credits
			Drawing I - 3 credits	An introduction of basic drawing techniques and creative visual problem solving. Rendering techniques cover line, value, gesture, spatial elements, and linear perspective. Readings, slide viewing, and field trips enhance and enrich the individuals ability to analyze, depict, and critique form and space as expressed in a two-dimensional image. This course develops the students ability to verbally and visually reason and communicate about the visual experience.
			Color Theory - 3 credits	This studio class provides a theoretical and practical understanding of color theory. Students explore color mixing, color symbolism, color expression, and aesthetics.
			Art History I - 3 credits	This course introduces the student to Western art from prehistory to northern late Gothic. The sculpture, painting, and architecture of each area are examined in terms of style, iconography, and function.
			Intro to Figure Drawing - 3 credits	This course focuses on studies in proportion, perception, and perspective. Students explore the expressive and poetic nature of line and value in drawings of the human structure from anatomy reproductions and master drawings.
			Drawing II - 3 credits	Students explore thematic development and personal exploration through various subject matter and visual stimuli. Readings, slide viewing, and field trips enhance and enrich the individuals ability to analyze, depict and critique form and space as expressed in a two-dimensional image. This course further enhances the students' ability to verbally and visually reason and communicate about the visual experience.
			3-D Design - 3 credits	The techniques and tools for composing objects in space are investigated in Three-Dimensional Design. Projects will introduce a variety of black and white media and color media.
			Art History II - 3 credits	This course introduces the student to major works of art from the early Italian Renaissance to the present. The sculpture, painting, and architecture of each area are examined in terms of style, iconography, and function.
District Of Columbia	Corcoran College of Art and Design (Specialized Institutions—Schools of art, music, and design)	The Foundation year is one of the most important experiences in the education of an artist or designer. It is both the basis for and the transition to a professional education, establishing a strong set of technical skills along with an introduction to the concepts that underlie the creative process and the visual arts. 30 hrs	Drawing – 6	Introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels of drawing are offered both semesters. Courses are designed to instill a strong basic vocabulary of techniques, terms, and materials upon which students build further studies. Line, value, perspective, and form are explored in a series of drawing exercises from the figure, landscape, and still life using black and white, as well as color media. In the second semester, experimental processes are also explored.
			Design I and II - 6	Design concentrates on the elements of visual thinking, and applies to all fields of visual arts. Through exercises and discussions, students study compositional principles, elements and terminology towards an understanding of visual meaning. Ideas are developed in both two- and three-dimensional formats. The first semester is devoted to black and white, and the second to color theory and practice. Both semesters culminate with “application” projects.
			Resources I and II - 6	Students learn to work with permanent materials, using simple and direct construction methods and artistic considerations. Through a series of assignments, the individual nature of wood, thin metal, and plastic are explored. Proper use of hand and power tools is taught. Creative and inventive solutions as well as craftsmanship are encouraged through a series of projects that begin with simple constructions and move through drawing and planning stages to designing and building inventive and complex works.
			Introduction to majors for Freshman - 6	Foundation Year students are provided an overview of the majors offered at the Corcoran in order to decide which most closely fits their goals and aspirations.
			Back to Modernism - 3	This one semester survey examines major themes and styles of 20th century art. Beginning with contemporary first world art, the course will move backwards to 1900, identifying important issues that concerned fine artists, photographers, and graphic designers. Particular attention is paid to art forms and practices influenced by cultures outside the Euro-American tradition, and the effects of mechanization and technology on the arts and culture.
			Introduction to Art History - 3	This required freshman course prepares students for the study of art history through intensive practice looking at, discussing, and writing about art. Students learn the tools of art history, its terminology, and various critical and historical methodologies, studying work of all periods and cultures. There is extensive study of works of art in the collection of the Corcoran Museum and numerous museums and art galleries in Washington, DC. Successful completion of AS100 is a prerequisite for Art History courses above the 100 level.
North Carolina	North Carolina State University (Doctoral/Research Universities— Extensive)	All students entering the College of Design take a Design Fundamentals course that introduces them to the heart of design education, the studio experience. Here students learn to use the design process, establish disciplined work habits, discuss their work and collaborate with others. This forms the foundation of all subsequent design work in the College and design professions.	Design I - 3	This course will introduce methods of form generation using the elements of design and the principles of organization. These will be investigated through a series of two and three-dimensional exercises.
	East Carolina University (Doctoral/Research Universities— Intensive)	The Foundation year is essential to one's development as an artist regardless of the area of intended study. Think of the Foundation year as laying the groundwork for the following three years. There are certain basic principles and ideas which remain constant whether one is intent upon a career in the fine arts or the applied arts (environmental design, graphics, illustration, etc.), two-dimensional, or three-dimensional design. This essential understanding of design principles is even helpful to one's critical abilities in the more theoretical areas of study such as Art History and Community Arts Management. 21 hrs	Design I - 3
			Design II – 3	This course is essentially a continuation of Design I where students learn methods of form generation using the elements of design and the principles of organization (as listed on page 13). These are investigated through a series of exercises, both two and three dimensional, with greater emphasis on three dimensional structures than in Design
			Drawing I - 3	This course will introduce methods of drawing from observation. Emphasis will be on object drawing and on methods of creating the illusion of space. Composition and organization of the elements of design will be a concern at all times.
			Figure Drawing - 3	This course will continue the process begun in beginning drawing, of building a solid foundation in basic drawing skills through observation. The student will aim to develop a sensitivity to the structure, anatomy and expressive qualities of the human form in a variety of ways including; line, plane, value, mass and shape. Composition will be a consideration at all times.
			The Dimensions of Art - 3	This course serves as an introduction to the various ways of perceiving, discussing and analyzing works of art. The student will aim to increase a sensitivity, appreciation and awareness of critical aspects of art objects and their function in the world.
			Art History Survey I - 3	This course is a survey of the history of art from the Old Stone Age through the Gothic periods. Although it continues the approach to analyzing artworks used in Art 1905, it differs in its chronological approach to highlighting cultural periods. Topics for this course include both Western and non-Western art.
			Art History Survey II - 3	This course is a survey of the history of art from the Renaissance to modern times. Although it continues the approach to analyzing artworks used in Art 1905 and 1906, it differs in its chronological approach to highlighting cultural periods
South Carolina	Columbia College of Art and Design (Specialized Institutions—Schools of art, music, and design)	Through the Foundation Studies program, students gain the secure footing needed to propel their careers forward. Required for all CCAD freshmen, the program builds new skills through a series of increasingly complex art and design assignments. The objective is to provide a strong technical base and to stimulate a vision of the student's creative potential.	Design Courses	Color concept, two-dimensional design, three-dimensional design, fundamentals of typography, structural drawing, and computer fundamentals
			Fine Arts Courses	Fundamentals of drawing I & II and fundamentals of painting
			Foundation Studies Electives	Fundamentals of type II digital and media survey
	Coastal Carolina University (Baccalaureate Colleges—Liberal Arts)	Timely progress through the Art program depends on early enrollment in, and successful completion of Art Foundation courses. Foundation courses are designed to build art skills, and must be taken before enrolling in Intermediate and Advanced courses. During the first semester, students are encouraged to enroll concurrently in ARTS 103 Fundamentals of Art I, and ARTS 111 Drawing I. During the second semester, students are encouraged to enroll concurrently in ARTS 104 Fundamentals of Art II, and ARTS 112 Drawing II. 12 hrs	FUNDA-MENTALS OF ART I - 3	An introduction to the basic principles of two-dimensional design and color.
			FUNDA-MENTALS OF ART I - 3
			DRAWING I - 3	Basic course in the materials and techniques of drawing.
			FUNDA-MENTALS OF ART II – 3	An introduction to the basic principles of three-dimensional design and form.
			DRAWING II - 3	Basic course in the materials and techniques of drawing.
Georgia	University of Georgia (Doctoral/Research Universities— Extensive)	All students wishing to apply to any studio area in art begin in the Foundation program. 16 hrs.	Pro Seminar in Art - 1	The profession of artist and fields of concentration in studio art.
			Pro Seminar in Art - 1
			Drawing I - 3	The techniques, materials, and principles of drawing.
			Color/Comp-osition - 3	Color emphasizing and its role in composition and two-dimensional design.
			Drawing II - 3	A continuation of Drawing I with an emphasis on figure drawing.
			3-Dimensional Design - 3	Three-dimensional forms and space using various materials and methods.
			Monuments of Art - 3	A chronological survey of major monuments of world art.
	Savannah College of Art and Design (Specialized Institutions—Schools of art, music, and design)	The foundation studies program encompasses a curriculum of beginning, intermediate and advanced studio courses including drawing, 2-D and 3-D design, color theory and life drawing. Foundation studies classes consist of studio work augmented by slide lectures, demonstrations, field trips and critiques. In these courses, students learn to manipulate the principles and elements of art while developing technical skills with various tools and media. This enables students to expand their critical thinking and deepen their understanding of visual language, which can be applied to concepts and materials encountered in major programs and in the professional world.	Foundations program is different for each major: mainly drawing and design courses.
	Georgia Southern University (Master's Colleges and Universities I)	15 hrs.	ART IN LIFE - 3	Introduction to the study of appreciation of the richness, diversity and significance of the visual arts. Including discussion and analysis of architecture, sculpture, painting, ceramics, drawing, printmaking, photography, design and other art forms from various historical periods and world cultures.
		15 hrs.	TWO DIMEN-SIONAL DESIGN - 3	Emphasizes two-dimensional design through analysis of line, texture, color, size, shape and mass. Individual experiences with a variety of media.
Illinois	Bradley University (Master's Colleges and Universities I)	All Art majors must complete the studio and art history core requirements. Often these courses are prerequisites for higher level courses. TOTAL HOURS 24	-Art History Survey I -Art History Survey II -Drawing I -Drawing II -2-D Design -3-D Design -Art & Design Awareness I -Art & Design Awareness II -Life Drawing
	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Doctoral/Research Universities-Extensive)	All first year students in art and design will be admitted to the general curriculum and receive instruction in basic drawing, design and art history. Art and design courses constitute 65% of the total requirements for each BFA degree. The remaining 35% of the curriculum consist of University of Illinois general education requirements and electives. Experienced faculty members from the design and studio arts areas are assigned to teach the Foundations program. After completing 1 year in the general curriculum, students must select one of the specialized art and design curriculum. TOTAL HOURS: 15	-2D Visual Organization -3D Visual Organization -Drawing -Composition -Color -Media proficiency	This course uses lectures, demonstrations, discussions and hands on experienced to introduce students to a variety of basic materials, techniques and general concepts related to design within the context of 3-D form and space.
	Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (Doctoral/Research Universities-Extensive)	The Foundations program consists of several courses designed to ground the student in the basics of art making and exegesis. It provides the beginning artist with the tools needed to proceed to advanced levels and helps focus the skills of those who have already begun their training. The program serves all areas of the school of art and design. This combination of courses exposes students to a wide array of contemporary and traditional art forms and the techniques of their making. Projects are designed to introduce, fuse content, skill and the principles of design and composition. The program supports risk taking and the investigation of artistic possibilities. TOTAL CREDIT HOURS 21	-Art History 207A, 207B and 207C -Studio Foundations courses AD 100 A and AD 100B -Drawing Courses AD 110 and AD 120	An introduction to the basic materials and methods of drawing. Students will develop skills in direct observation, composition, and techniques using still-life and natural forms.
	Art Institute of Chicago (Specialized Institutions—Schools of art, music, and design)	FIRST YEAR PROGRAM: the FYP, as both an introduction to, and a preparation for the student's next three years of study, reflects the full scope of activity that takes place within the School. The curriculum is specifically designed to broaden and extend a student's existing art making vocabulary while introducing new ways of thinking about art and artistic practice. The program is founded upon intensive studio investigation of techniques, methods and concepts common to all areas of creative production. The program is required of all freshmen and is composed of 4 units of study that collectively introduce the complexities of creating 2D, 3D and 4D and interdisciplinary art and design.	-2D Studio -3D Studio -4D Studio (time arts) -Research Studio -Studio Research Seminar -One studio elective each year	Through direct observation and experimentation the student is led to develop a personal approach to expression. The figure, landscape, and still-life will be examined in a variety of materials.
	Northern Illinois University (Doctoral/Research Universities-Extensive)	The program provides beginning students with fundamental skills, knowledge and experiences essential to their development as visual arts professionals. Students will have achieved upon completion of the foundations program: and ability to develop and solve visual problems using various strategies for idea generation-ability to creatively translate ideas into visual terms using a wide range of art media and processes- a capacity to think critically and write and speak clearly about visual arts-an understanding of the wide range of contemporary and historical visual culture and its role in society-manifest a work ethic that reflects integrity, teamwork, dedication to professional growth, social responsibility and the confidence to take risks.
	Illinois State University (Doctoral/Research Universities-Intensive)	The foundations program in studio art and art history prepares students for study in all of the visual arts disciplines. All first year art majors take foundations courses in Studio Art and Art History. Foundations courses provide connections to disciplines within the visual arts, to general studies and to personal experience. The courses provide building blocks for students to succeed in any School of art program. Experienced faculty teach foundations courses. As professionally active artists, they provide students with the models for the professional art world. The same faculty members teach upper level courses. As a result, students receive foundation that directly prepares them for upper level work.	-2D & Time Arts Fundamentals Studio -3D & time Arts Fundamentals Studio -Drawing Fundamentals Studio -Survey of Art History I -Survey of Art History II
Arkansas	University of Arkansas at Little Rock (Doctoral/Research Universities-Intensive)	All majors must complete the 21 -hour foundations program before enrolling for courses above the 2000 level TOTAL CREDIT HOURS: 21	- Studio Art 1310: Basic Drawing - Studio art 1315 Two Dimensional Design -Studio Art 2310 Figure Drawing -Studio Art 2315 Three Dimensional Design -Studio art 2318 designing with New technologies -Art history 2310 Art History Survey I -Art history 2311 Art History Survey II
Wisconsin	University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point (Master's Colleges and Universities I)	TOTAL CREDIT HOURS: 18	-2D Design -3D Design -Basic Drawing -Survey of Western Art History I -Survey of Western Art History II	Basic studio course concerned with comprehension of visual concepts and development of skills through exposure to drawing media.
	Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (Specialized Institutions—Schools of art, music, and design)	In the foundations program students are provided with studio and liberal studies classroom experiences that introduce them to intensive college level study. The first foundations semester involves a core curriculum that will prepare the student for a major by dealing with far ranging concepts fundamental to the visual arts. In the second foundations semester, the student will move toward their major area of study by concentrating on either design or fine arts concepts in selected two and three dimensional	First year program: 2 semesters: -Basic drawing -Observation- al drawing -Perspective drawing -Foundations photography -2D Composition -Color Theory/Composition -Space/form/ materials-fine arts -space/form/ materials-design -visual statement selective (1.5 credit hours) -majors seminar	Introductory course that explores two-dimensional concepts in a variety of processes and media.
			Design II - 3	Introductory course that explores three-dimensional concepts in a variety of processes and media.
			Drawing II - 3	Continuation of Drawing I with emphasis on creative development of visual ideas using traditional and experimental techniques and media.
			Color Theory - 3	Course focuses on both analytical and intuitive understanding and application of color.
			Figure Drawing - 3	Individual exploration of figurative forms in a variety of drawing media and processes.
Washington	Western Washington University (Master's Colleges and Universities I)	“1^st yr. Program designed to provide an integrated base of approaches, attitudes, & experiences in art & art-making which parallel the pluralistic nature of art today.” TOTAL: 24 or 25 units/credits	Art 109(Vis. Dialogue) Art 110(Form Content) Art 120 Art 130 AH 220 (a or b) AH 230 (a or b) AH 240 (a or b) “+” 1 AH elective --3 for vis. dialogue --9 for form & content --9 for art history --3 for an elective	Art 109: an intro. to ideas & artists in 20^th century art w/ an emphasis on the contemporary. Art 110: study of representational drawing such figure dr., perspective studies, & drawing from memory & imagination. Various techniques & materials are intro. & formal elements & principles of design are intro. Art 120: focus on 2-D problem solving, visual & critical thinking, & elements & principles. Involves intro. to color theory. Art 130: focus on 3-D as well as same elements in Art 120. AH: art history classes focus on visual culture in various cultures such as ancient Greece, Rome, America & Europe.
	Cornish College of the Arts (Specialized Institutions—Schools of art, music, and design)	Website describes the Foundation year as being the same for all 5 concentrations available @ or within the art school. TOTAL units: 14 or 15 out of 29.	AR 111-112 (Visual Fundamen-tals) AR 101 (Digital Visual language) AR 102 (Visual Drawing) AR 141 (Visual Art History) Arts Electives—2 units H & S Integrated Studies—6 units --6 units for visual fundamentals (2 & 3-D art) --3 for visual drawing --3 for art history --3 for digital visual language	AR 111-112: explores underlying principles for making art in 2 & 3-D. Establishes a vocab. & develops basic techniques in application to materials & visual imagery. AR 101: intro. to Macintosh platform; intro. computer as a powerful tool for artists of all persuasions. Addresses ethical, philosophical, & practical considerations regarding digital image processing & how technologies shape our lives as members of a rapidly changing society & as artists. Intro. to Adobe Photoshop & Adobe ImageReady software. AR 102: development of basic perspective skills & elements of composition in relation to the figure, landscape, & still life. Investigation into dry & wet blk. & white media using line, shape, form, texture, & value. AR 141: overview of image making & architectural construction from some of earliest evidence currently known until approx. 1500. H & S Integrated Studies = Humanities & Sciences. Involves providing breadth & depth of study in memory, reason, & imagination. Is said to “…give students an opportunity to explore the philosophical, literary, & historical contexts in which art takes place. [Classes] reveal the word through physical & social sciences, & helps students develop skills, such as writing & research, that are complementary to their artistic development”. Provides students w/academic skills & experience in active learning within the community.
Oregon	Pacific Northwest College of Art, (Specialized Institutions—Schools of art, music, and design)	Foundation Program is described as a “common body of studies that enable students to achieve a mastery of the basic principles of visual organization. TOTAL units/credits: 21	FD 101 (3 units) FD 102 (3 units) FD 111(3 units) FD 112 (3 units) FD 105-106 (3 units) LA 121-122 (3 units) LA 125-126 (3 units)	FD 101: Visual Elements: Print/Photo Processes FD 102: Visual Elements: Additive & Subtractive Color/Digital Media FD 111: Visual Elements: 3D Design FD 112: Visual Elements: Time Arts FD 105-106: Drawing LA 121-122: English Composition LA 125-126: Art & Design in Contemporary Society
	Oregon College of Art & Craft (Specialized Institutions—Schools of art, music, and design)	Purpose of foundation program is said for students/artists to develop a basic “vocabulary” before creating. “Students develop visual perception skills in order to learn how to translate info. & discuss art through critique, processes of drawing, & 2 & 3-D design. TOTAL credits/units: (18 out of 30)	AH 101/102 (6 units) DR 101 (3 units) DR 102 (3 units) DR 103 (3 units) DR 104 (3 units) HU/SS102 or WR 101 (3 units) HU/ SS102 (3 units) Studio Concentration (6 units) --6 drawing units --6 design units (2 & 3-D) --6 art history units	AH 101/102: History of Art: Survey of Western art DR 101: Drawing Foundations: Observation & Materials DR 102: Drawing Foundations: New Formats-Observation to Imagination DR 103: Design Foundations: 2-D design DR 104: Design Foundations: 3-D design HU/SS 101: Origins of Modernism WR 101: English Composition HU/SS 102: Modernism in the 20^th Century
	Portland State University (Doctoral/Research Universities— Intensive)	Describes foundations as a time where “students gain specific skills that prepare them to work further in courses from each of the concentrations” TOTAL credits/units: 30	Art 115, 116, 117 (9 credits) Art 131, 132, 133 (9 credits) ArH 204,205,206 (9 credits) ArH 207 (3 credits) --6 design (2 & 3-D) units --3 color theory units --9 drawing units --12 art history units	Art 115, 116, 117—Basic Design: 2-D design, *3-D design, color theory Art 131, 132, 133—Intro. to drawing ArH 204, 205, 206, 207—History of western art, modern western art
Nevada	University of Nevada-Las Vegas (Doctoral/Research Universities— Intensive)	Could not find any sign of a foundations program. However, website does refer to “core” classes and says that “…all art majors must satisfactorily complete the following core program of introductory level courses before declaring an area of concentration within the program or declaring the intent to pursue a B.F.A. degree”---in essence this seems almost the same as a foundations program. 27 or 33 hrs.	--6 drawing units --3 composition & color units --3 sculpture units --6 ceramic units --3 photography units --3 painting units --3 printmaking units -**6 art history (it is a possibility that students pursuing a BFA degree may not have to take art history as part of their foundations.	Art 101: Beginning Drawing Art 102: Beginning Drawing II Art 104: Fund. of Composition & Color Art 131: Beginning Sculpture Art 140: Beginning Ceramics Art 141: Beginning Ceramics II Art 170: Beginning Black & White Photography Art 220: Beginning Painting Art 255B: Beginning Printmaking: Lithography Art 190: Survey of Western Art History I Art 191: Survey of Western Art History II
California	California State University, Long Beach (Master's Colleges and Universities I)	27 hrs.	--9 art history units --6 design (2 & 3-D) units --6 drawing units --3 painting units --3 sculpture units	AH 115 A: Foundation Art History I AH 115 B: Foundation Art History II AH 115 C: Foundation Art History III Art 130: Foundation 2-D design Art 131: Foundation 3-D design Art 181: Foundation Drawing Art 184: Foundation Life Drawing Art 187: Foundation Painting Art 161: Foundation Life Sculpture *Note: Color theory is NOT really emphasized, nor is ceramics—they are not required by every major.
	Academy of Art College (Specialized Institutions—Schools of art, music, and design)	18 hrs.	--9 form/drawing units --3 perspective units --3 color units --3 design (3-D) units	FND 110: Analysis of form: an intro. to the basic principles, materials, & techniques necessary to develop skills in drawing. Involves a step by step examination of drawing procedures using line, shape, & form, as well as an intro. to basic in perspective. Students will learn to draw proportionally & observation between object & image. FND 112: Figure Drawing: initial study of drawing fundamentals as they apply to the human form & its structure. Students work directly from the model in various media concentrating on gesture, contour, & the human form proportionately & descriptively. Emphasis on positive & negative space relationships, volume, & mass, & gesture drawing. FND 113: Sketching for Communication: students explore the basic principles of drawing to enable them to communicate conceptual ideas in sequence. FND 116: Perspective: 1, 2, & 3 pt. perspective to determine pitch, angles, & circles are discussed, as well as plotting shadows, reflections, measuring depth & relocation objects in perspective. FND 125: Color & Design: offers an in-depth study of the elements, principles, & concepts of color & design. Students learn to achieve a sense of color harmony through the use of analogous split complimentary colors. FND 131: Figure Modeling: study of principles & concepts of 3-D design. Various projects in structure, forms, & volume are assigned to enhance the students’ design capabilities.
	Otis College of Art & Design (Specialized Institutions—Schools of art, music, and design)	Foundation program is said to be primarily structured to provide basic visual arts ed. & offers comprehensive training in the fundamentals of art & design. TOTAL foundation credits/units: 27 (w/art history; 24 w/out art history)	Form & Space I / II 6 units Color & Design I/II 6 units Life Drawing I/II 6 units Drawing & Composition I/II 6 units Art history 3 units	--Form & Space I: focused compositional study of organizing principles in form provides a basis for understanding the 3-D world. Line, plane, & volume are studied both in the context of primary forms & more complex compositions in-the-round. --Form & Space II: Stud. Transfer acquired skills to the further study of 3-D composition through sequenced instruction & problem-finding. The basis for design expands to encompass areas of study such as the construction of meaning, the human body, & architectural scale/space. Aspects of media, process, & source info. expand as students individually, & collaboratively, engage more complex issues of form & space. --Life Drawing I: involves rigorous training in the use of gesture, anatomy, & structural figure drafting. --Life Drawing II: structural drawing & perceptual skills are expanded through study of the figure’s relation to environment. --Drawing & Comp. I: drawing skills are acquired through sequenced instruction & problem-solving w/traditional & contemporary media. Study of pictorial representation includes observational skill-building, spatial analysis, & pictorial organization, providing a bases for draftsmanship & composition. The course proceeds analytically through line, plane, & volume w/emphasis on dynamics of light & perception of tone. --Drawing & Comp. II: observation, analysis, & compositional organization are furthered by the addition of color, problem-finding, & complexity of idea. --Color & Design I: sequenced investigation into the dynamics of various organizing principles using trad. & contemporary media (photography, photo-copying, computer graphics, etc.) --Color & Design II: practical aspects of color mixing are studied in both traditional & contemporary media, including value, hue, chroma, & Munsell’s attribute’s color.

Summary of Benchmarks

Eastern region.

In the Eastern region, particularly in the Northeast, there were a large number of art schools; also in this area were the largest number of non-traditional (or beyond traditional) foundations programs. The non-traditional programs typically featured courses that focused on aspects of visual communication, conceptual and contextual aspects of art, or on aesthetic issues of the contemporary art world. Program descriptions from schools in this region typically described the foundations program as an immersion in the study or art, or the laying of a groundwork for continued study in art. Foundations programs consist of materials courses, seminars, lectures, speakers, and museum or gallery activities. The following is a list of some of the interesting classes that are outside of the standard curriculum (please refer to course descriptions in previous table):

Maine College of Art’s “Tool Technology”

Massachusetts College of Art’s “Visual Language I and II”

University of Massachusetts, Lowell’s “Concept Drawing,” “Form and Content,” “Art Concepts Colloquium” and “Art Concepts I and II”

Rhode Island College’s “Synthesis/Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Emphasis” Courses

Bucks County Community College’s “Foundation Seminars I and II”

Corcoran College of Art and Design’s “Resources I and II” and “Back to Modernism”

Georgia Southern University’s “Art in Life”

Central region.

In this component of the benchmarking research, colleges, universities, and art schools that were NASAD accredited were examined for their foundations programs. The states that had NASAD accredited art programs with foundation programs included Illinois, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Missouri, Texas, and Iowa. Illinois had the largest percentage of NASAD accredited schools. Most traditional colleges and universities in the Central states were characterized by “traditional” foundations programs, which include 2D Design, 3D Design, Drawing I, Life Drawing, and two art history surveys (commonly Western Art History). Common to many of the programs were a media proficiency/ technology component. Across the Central states, the most innovative activity/foundations programs were found in art schools such as the Art Institute of Chicago, Milwaukee Institute of Design, and Kansas City Art Institute. The exception in innovative foundations programs in colleges and universities was Northern Illinois University. Exceptions in the typical foundations courses, commonly found in art schools, were courses with titles such as Research Studios/Research Seminar, Foundations Photography, Space/Form/Materials, Visual Statement Selective, Topics in Western Thought, Issues in Modern Art, Modernism and After. Overall, the assumption is that the art schools, with a more focused curriculum, has more license to incorporate or design alternatives to the traditional foundations format. Most colleges and universities that are not devoted solely to the study of art, subscribe to a more traditional program. Overall the traditional foundations curriculum is in place in colleges and university programs across the Midwest and still secured in some format in many Central art schools.

Mountain region.

This region's benchmarks are compiled from 13 higher education institutions. The Foundations programs at these schools are all first-year programs that range in length from 9 hours to 31 hours, with most programs being 12-18 hours. Most courses are 3 hours in length. The most revealing information about these Foundations programs is found in their program descriptions and course descriptions. Most Foundations program descriptions mention the importance of building basic skills, techniques, and principles. Other often-mentioned curricular material includes the development of visual and critical thinking skills, art history, problem-solving, and studio-based research development. Course descriptions provide the richest information about the nature of the Foundations programs, oftentimes including the hours of length of the individual courses. The most common course titles are those such as 2-D Design, 3-D Design, Drawing, Color, and Art History Survey. Other course titles and descriptions of interest include Visual Communication, Conceptualization and Presentation, and Strategies of Artmaking.

Pacific region.

The biggest emphasis of all the schools in the four states researched is on drawing courses, 2-D & 3-D courses, and art history. There does not seem to be a huge emphasis on color theory, printmaking, ceramics, photography, or sculpture (perhaps sculpture is addressed in 3-D design courses). This is said because students are not required to take these courses as a part of their foundation program or students are given a choice between these courses. For example, students might be put in an either-or situation: you can take ceramics or you can take printmaking but not both. All schools seem to share similar views or ideas about what a foundations program is/its purpose. There was a very small technology/computer emphasis. One school was found that introduced students to the computer as a powerful tool for artists of all persuasions & how technologies shape our lives. There is what I would consider an in-between or mediocre emphasis on painting requirements.

(Specialized Institutions—Schools of art, music, and design)

Rhode Island School of Art and Design (Specialized Institutions—Schools of art, music, and design)