Major Requirements

Credits Required: 

Total credits: 120

Credits in the major: 60

You officially begin the major by enrolling in VPA 300: VPA Major ProSeminar: VPA Major ProSeminar where you work with the instructor to create your Individual Learning Plan (ILP). The ILP maps out the way you will achieve all the required core courses in the major and each of the Major Learning Outcomes designated below by successfully completing the listed courses or alternative assessment options. You conclude the major by completing your Capstone, a publicly presented project that displays your cumulative learning in the major. [Learn more at CSUMB.EDU/capstone].

For freshmen and sophomores we recommend

VPA 205: Intro to Art Appreciation    

VPA 206: Street Art Excavations 

VPA 209: Day of the Dead Workshop 

VPA 210: The Artist & Society  

VPA 215: Beginning Drawing   (even if you have had drawing in HS)

Core Curriculum

Required Courses

  • To be taken fall of junior year:
  • VPA 300: VPA Major ProSeminar (4 units)
  • To be taken twice:
  • VPA 302: VPA Visiting Artist Series (2 units)
  • Complete all:
  • VPA 307: Diverse Hist Contemp Art (4 units)
  • VPA 308: Ways Of Seeing (4 units)
  • VPA 309: Materials & Methods (2 units)
  • VPA 310: Mixed Media Drawing (4 units)
  • To be taken two semesters, senior year:
  • VPA 405: Senior Capstone (4 units)

MLO 1 Historical and philosophical analysis

Including the ability to research, define, analyze and critically formulate positions on issues in visual and public art from contemporary, historical, ethical and sociopolitical perspectives.

Required Courses

  • Complete one of the following:
  • VPA 305: Media Culture (4 units)
  • VPA 313: Regional Art History (4 units)
  • VPA 341: Feminist Art: History, Theory (4 units)
  • VPA 347: Chicana/o-Black Art (4 units)

MLO 2 Individual and aesthetic exploration

Including the ability to investigate and develop their own individual aesthetics within a critical and reflective framework of personal experiences and perspectives in the context of their work.

Required Courses

  • Complete two of the following:
  • VPA 301: Beginning Painting (4 units)
  • VPA 303: Beginning Sculpture (4 units)
  • VPA 304: Painting & Mural (6 units)
  • VPA 305: Media Culture (4 units)
  • VPA 310: Mixed Media Drawing (4 units)
  • VPA 315: Life Drawing (4 units)
  • VPA 316: Photography as Art (2 units)
  • VPA 316L: Photography as Art Lab (2 units)
  • VPA 326: Photo as Art II: Alternative (2 units)
  • VPA 326L: Photo as Art II: Alternative (2 units)
  • VPA 330: Tile & Mosaic in Public Art (4 units)
  • VPA 401: Installation & Performance Art (4 units)
  • VPA 403: Sculpture & 3D Design (6 units)

MLO 3 Community issues analysis

Including the ability to define and investigate cross-cultural and community issues, problem solve and respond with community-sensitive work.

Required Courses

  • Complete one of the following
  • VPA 306S: Digital Public Art (4 units)
  • VPA 312: Vis Arts Ed For Teachers (4 units)
  • VPA 320S: Museum Studies (4 units)
  • VPA 321: Museum Collections Practices (4 units)

MLO 4 Organizational and collaborative skills

Including the ability to use collaborative strategies to plan and achieve interdisciplinary arts projects. *MLO 4 can be met through the same course taken to satisfy MLO 3.

Required Courses

  • Complete one of the following:
  • VPA 306S: Digital Public Art (4 units)
  • VPA 312: Vis Arts Ed For Teachers (4 units)
  • VPA 320S: Museum Studies (4 units)
  • VPA 321: Museum Collections Practices (4 units)

MLO 5 Production skills

Including the ability to develop production skills to produce and present public and individual artworks, projects or exhibitions.

Required Courses

  • Complete three of the following:
  • VPA 301: Beginning Painting (4 units)
  • VPA 303: Beginning Sculpture (4 units)
  • VPA 304: Painting & Mural (6 units)
  • VPA 305: Media Culture (4 units)
  • VPA 306S: Digital Public Art (4 units)
  • VPA 309: Materials & Methods (2 units)
  • VPA 310: Mixed Media Drawing (4 units)
  • VPA 315: Life Drawing (4 units)
  • VPA 316: Photography as Art (2 units)
  • VPA 316L: Photography as Art Lab (2 units)
  • VPA 326: Photo as Art II: Alternative (2 units)
  • VPA 326L: Photo as Art II: Alternative (2 units)
  • VPA 330: Tile & Mosaic in Public Art (4 units)
  • VPA 401: Installation & Performance Art (4 units)
  • VPA 403: Sculpture & 3D Design (6 units)

MLO 6 Critical and evaluative skills

Including the ability to use critical and evaluative skills to revise work in response to community/audience relevancy, personal expression and social accountability.

Required Courses

  • Complete one of the following, not taken to fulfill MLOs 3 and/or 4:
  • VPA 306S: Digital Public Art (4 units)
  • VPA 312: Vis Arts Ed For Teachers (4 units)
  • VPA 320S: Museum Studies (4 units)
  • VPA 321: Museum Collections Practices (4 units)

MLO 7 Distribution skills

Including the ability to present and distribute artwork in multiple contexts to engage diverse audiences. *MLO 7 can be met through the same course taken to satisfy MLO 6, but must be different from the one selected to meet MLO 3 and/or 4.

Required Courses

  • Complete one of the following:
  • VPA 306S: Digital Public Art (4 units)
  • VPA 312: Vis Arts Ed For Teachers (4 units)
  • VPA 320S: Museum Studies (4 units)
  • VPA 321: Museum Collections Practices (4 units)

Concentrations