Fine Art Diploma
Overview
Faculty of Fine Arts and Communications
MacEwan.ca/FineArt
The two-year Fine Art diploma program prepares students for degree completion (Bachelor of Fine Art or Bachelor of Arts) and for starting a professional art practice. Students study historical and contemporary art in studio and art history courses, along with English, FFAC options and university electives. Students work in studios in Allard Hall on MacEwan University’s downtown campus, walking distance to campus facilities and services, as well as to museums and galleries in Edmonton’s downtown arts district.
The Fine Art program exposes students to the diversity of contemporary art practice, and emphasizes the development of creative, research and professional skills. In the first year, students learn elements and principles used in visual composition, art themes and media, creative research and histories of art and visual culture. In the second year, they develop a personal direction as they study and explore contemporary art theories and practice, professional practice, and pursue idea and process within studio course objectives. Digital technologies along with traditional approaches are incorporated throughout the curricula in coursework in drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, performance art, digital art, video and emerging forms. Studio assignments are designed to foster creative problem-solving skills, fluency with creative language and a strong work ethic. Through critiques, lectures and seminars, and visiting artist lectures, students learn to discuss their own art as it relates to contemporary art and its influences and contexts.
Career Potential
Graduates of the program can be self-employed artists who work on commissioned artworks or exhibit their artwork in art galleries and museums or the public sphere. The program provides a solid grounding to pursue various career pathways such as becoming artists, designers, illustrators, architects, film or media production artists, muralists, art teachers, university art professors, photographers, art historians, art writers, gallery administrators, art technicians, curators, archivists, and art conservators.
Contact Information
Program of Study
| Year I | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| ARTE 104 | Five Centuries of Art and Visual Culture: From Renaissance to the 19th-Century | 3 |
| ARTE 106 | Digital Foundations 1 | 3 |
| ARTE 107 | Three-Dimensional Foundations 1 | 3 |
| ARTE 110 | Foundation Drawing 1 | 3 |
| ARTE 111 | 2D Foundation: Theory and Structure 1 | 3 |
| ARTE 119 | Introduction to Creative Research 1 | 3 |
| ARTE 120 | Observational Drawing 1 | 3 |
| ARTE 224 | The Visual Culture of Modernity: Fin-de-siècle to Mid-Twentieth Century | 3 |
| ENGL 102 | Analysis and Argument | 3 |
| Choose an ENGL course from the following: | 3 | |
| Approaches to Literature: Trends and Traditions | ||
| Approaches to Literature: Narrative Across Media | ||
| Approaches to Literature: Contemporary Literature and Culture | ||
| Credits | 30 | |
| Year II | ||
| ARTE 205 | Introduction to Painting | 3 |
| ARTE 206 | Intermedia I | 3 |
| ARTE 208 | Introduction to Professional Practice | 3 |
| ARTE 219 | Concepts and Practice | 3 |
| ARTE 230 | Introduction to Contemporary Drawing 1 | 3 |
| ARTE 234 | Art and Visual Culture II: Modernism and Postmodernism | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective or FFAC Option 2 | 3 | |
| Choose 2 senior-level ARTE courses from the Fine Art Option list below | 6 | |
| Credits | 30 | |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
| 1 | The minimum passing grade for this course is a C-. |
| 2 | DESN courses can be used to fulfill the FFAC option. |
Fine Art Option Courses
Note: Not all Fine Art Option courses are offered in every year.
| Course ID | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ARTE 207 | 3D Spatial Practice | 3 |
| ARTE 214 | History of Photography | 3 |
| ARTE 215 | Painting II | 3 |
| ARTE 216 | Intermedia II | 3 |
| ARTE 259 | Special Topics in Art | 3 |
| ARTE 314 | Thinking Photography | 3 |
The minimum passing grade for a course at MacEwan University is a D unless otherwise noted next to the appropriate course in the program of study.
Course Substitutions
| Credit Earned in: | May Be Substituted for Credit in Program Course: |
|---|---|
| ARTE 102 | ARTE 104 |
| ARTE 121 | ARTE 119 |
| ARTE 123 | ARTE 107 |
| ARTE 202 | ARTE 224 |
| ARTE 203 | ARTE 234 |
| ARTE 231 | ARTE 205, ARTE 215 |
| ARTE 240 | ARTE 219 |
| ARTE 241 | ARTE 206, ARTE 207 |
| VCPH 100 | ARTE 106 |
Program Regulations
Students in the Fine Art program are required to successfully complete all courses in Year 1 of the Program of Study in order to be able to progress to Year 2.
Program courses (ARTE) and Design Studies courses (DESN, VCDE, VCDF, VCDI, VCDM, VCDR, VCMI, VCOM, VCPH, VCPR) cannot be used to fulfill elective requirements. However, a DESN course can be used to fulfill one (1) FFAC option.