General Education Course Descriptions
The creative spirit has shaped, designed, and created much of what we value in our visual world. Become the artist you know you can be at Northwest College of Art.

General Education Course Descriptions

General education classes place an emphasis on principles and theory that are designed to develop essential academic skills for enhanced and continued learning. General education classes are expected to develop critical thinking, problem solving and analytical skills, enable individuals to prepare for and advance in their professional lives. And contribute to lifelong learning.

These descriptions are typical course offerings that make up our curriculum. They are intended to give you a broad overview of the B.F.A. degree program. Courses are subject to change at the discretion of the College. Changes may include but are not limited to, course name, title, prerequisite, sequence, schedule, content, or credit value. Changes may occur whenever deemed necessary. Prerequisites may be waived by the Director or Curriculum & Academic Advisor.

Anthropology

AN 201 (2 credits)

Anthropology is the scientific study of the origins and nature of human beings. After introducing anthropology as a scientific study, the course will look into the salient features of physical anthropology and then of cultural anthropology. The former will investigate such topics as the origin of human beings, their life cycles, races, and prehistoric activities, while the latter will examine kinship, language, economic activities, religion, and politics as revealed by the known record. A final topic, within the realm of cultural anthropology, will be the role of art in the human experience.

Art History I

AT 151 (2 credits) · Prerequisite: Art Introduction

Art History I introduces students to architecture, sculpture, painting, and the decorative arts produced by western cultures and those of the ancient near east. It begins with the Paleolithic drawings and sculptures and continues through the art of Byzantium.

Art History II

AT 201 (2 credits) · Prerequisite: Art History I

A continuation of Art History I, this course focuses on European art from the Middle Ages to the Baroque era. It also covers other cultures including Islamic, Pre-Columbian, and Meso-American art forms, giving students a global view of the history of art.

Art History III

AT 251 (2 credits) · Prerequisite: Art History II

Art History III begins with the 18th century debate between the power of the aristocracy and the new philosophies of the Enlightenment. This course concludes with trends and controversies in contemporary art.

Art Introduction

AT 101 (2 credits)

Art Introduction helps students to make connections with art. What is art? What is the function of art? These and other questions relating to the construction of images and objects, their ability to communicate ideas, and how to evaluate the work in a critical way, are all explored and defined by the student.

Business Planning and Practices

BP 351 (2 credits)

This course is an introduction to business for art and design related employment, career development, market research, and freelance issues. Learning to write, present, interview, research, and create business plans and other business documents are demonstrated, reviewed, and required.

College Life

CL 101 (non-credit)

This course will give students information and practices to help make a successful transition from the high school way of life to that of an NCA college student. Students with at least 15 credits of prior college experience may waive the course.

Communications

CM 201 (2 credits)

This class emphasizes the analysis, understanding, and utilization of communication variables affecting human interaction. These variables include person perception, feedback, idea development, and non verbal cues. The course focuses on small group and individual to individual communications in structured and non structured environments.

Contemporary Literature

KL 151 (2 credits)

Students read contemporary novels, poems, plays, and essays, and respond to them through discussion and written assignments. Various types of literary criticism are introduced in order to equip students with different “ways of reading.” Students hone the academic-writing skills they developed in English composition, producing critical essays that build strong arguments to support theses about the reading assignments.

Creative Writing

KS 251 (2 credits)

This course encourages vision, expression, and personal growth through reading, analysis, and writing, with a focus on individual process. Students become familiar with the basic principles and forms of creative writing through lecture, analysis of the works of established and emerging authors, and ongoing writing projects in fiction, poetry, and/or drama. Student work is shared and discussed in ongoing supportive workshops.

Cultural Survey

KS 351 (2 credits)

This overview of culture will investigate salient human activities in various parts of the world. It will touch upon such things as language, religion, and nationality and explore the mechanisms of several selected cultures throughout the world. By the time the course is completed, an appreciation of “culture”, cultures, and why multiculturalism is worth pursuing in the United States ought to have been cultivated.

English Composition 1

WT 101 (2 credits)

Exploring and developing written communication skills and understanding their importance in personal and professional communication are the purposes of this class. Through a series of projects, students will draft and refine various types of compositions. They will learn to inform and persuade various audiences in a professional, literate manner while employing their own writing style.

English Composition 2: Advanced Expository Writing

WT 301 (2 Credits) · Prerequisites: English Composition 1

This course is a continuation of English Composition 1. In it, students continue their exploration and development of written communication skills and the understanding of their importance in personal and professional communication. Through a series of written projects, students will draft and refine various types of compositions. They will continue to learn how to inform and persuade various audiences in a professional, literate manner while developing and employing their own writing style.

This course is also intended to give upper division undergraduates an opportunity to learn, develop, and further practice forms of academic writing such as argument and analyses, as well as to explore forms of the essay, such as the personal essay, the literary essay, political or social commentary, etc. Advanced instruction in writing well- developed paragraphs, thesis statements, and essays will be provided. Students will also continue to develop critical thinking skills through reading, observation, and writing.

Environmental Issues

EV 451 (2 credits)

This class exposes students to the major and minor environmental concerns of today and tomorrow. Students discuss and brainstorm about solutions and problems associated with our earth and become aware, active, and conscious to our environment.

Ethics

TH 451 (2 credits)

Students develop important insights into the definition and practice of ethics in contemporary society. They gain a deeper understanding of how ethical behavior has been defined and practiced from the ancients (Greek and Asian) and how these definitions have been carried forward, modified, and redefined in modern and postmodern philosophy.

Human Relations

HR 151 (2 credits)

Human relations lays a foundation — both theoretical and experiential — for understanding one’s unique relation to self, to others, and to society. Students learn conceptual models for understanding their behavior in relation to others. They work to better understand the dynamics of love, sex, and conflict, through lecture, discussion, self reflection, readings, research and projects.

Philosophy

FY 401 (2 credits)

Classic and contemporary Western and Eastern philosophers will be explored in this class. Through lecture and assigned reading, the students will explore subjects such as ethics, politics, philosophy, and metaphysics as they struggle with the great minds of history in search for the meaning of life.

Psychology

SK 251 (2 credits) · Prerequisite: Self Awareness, or Human Relations

This course is an introduction to contemporary methods and thought in psychology. This will include examining personality theory, methods of psychological inquiry, and the effects of the body on psychological functioning.

Public Speaking

KP 201 (2 credits)

Public Speaking is one of the most important courses a student can take. This course is designed to help the student become proficient at the types of public speaking that they will encounter in their personal and professional lives. The student will deliver no fewer than three speeches, all of considerable length. The types of speeches will include interview, persuasive, and impromptu. The persuasive speech will be written out in prose prior to the speech.

Quantitative Principles

QP 351 (2 Credits)

This course serves as an introduction to the power, scope, and richness of the mathematical ideas used in the modern world, with an emphasis on developing students’ problem-solving, critical thinking, and analytic skills in dealing with quantities and their magnitudes and interrelationships. Students will explore a variety of topics that involve mathematical reasoning and in doing so gain confidence and the ability to use various quantitative methods to solve problems.

Self Awareness

SA 101 (2 credits)

Students will explore the development of the “self” by becoming acquainted with a variety of theories. These may include ego and personality development, the spectrum of consciousness and the unconscious, collective and personal consciousness, and physiological determinants such as right/left hemispheric brain functions. Students will be expected to explore the nature of individualization and self-actualization.

Semiotics

SS 301 (2 credits) 

Semiotics is the study of how “signs” are constructed and identified so that we may understand how culture shapes perception. Although ancient in origin, semiotics evolved during the twentieth century as a distinct field of study from its roots in philosophy, psychology, anthropology, and linguistics.