College of the Arts

Departments, Schools and Degree Programs

Vision, Mission and Values

The College of the Arts seeks to create a bridge between the arts and cultures of the world and the unique context and traditions of Acadiana. We prepare students to be creative, critical and responsive professionals through our fine arts, design and performance programs. We serve our students and communities by means of collaborative, experiential, innovative, and globally relevant learning opportunities and partnerships. We are passionate about delivering exceptional teaching and mentoring, supported by faculty research and creative activity. We foster individual as well as collaborative initiatives in the arts, among the arts, and with other disciplines. We encourage teaching and learning rooted in traditional approaches and integrating evolving concepts and technologies. We strive to attract, build and celebrate a diverse body of students, faculty and staff. We enhance the cultural, civic and artistic environment of Lafayette, Acadiana, and all of Louisiana through community engagements of students, faculty and alumni. We seek to achieve the highest standards of professionalism in all that we produce.

Undergraduate Degree Requirements

Areas of Specialization

Architecture

In the United States, most registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit professional degree programs in architecture offered by institutions with U.S. regional accreditation, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted an eight-year term, an eight-year term with conditions, or a two-year term of continuing accreditation, or a three-year term of initial accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established education standards. Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may require a non-accredited undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the non-accredited degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette offers the following NAAB-accredited professional degree - M. Arch. degree which consists of a minimum of 123 semester credit hours of undergraduate coursework combined with 45 semester credit hours of graduate coursework for a total of 168 semester credit hours.

Individuals and firms shall not perform or offer to perform architectural services, either directly or indirectly, unless they have secured a license to practice architecture from the Louisiana State Board of Architectural Examiners. Additionally, no person shall use the title “architect” or any derivation of that word unless they have secured a license to practice.

The next accreditation visit for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette School of Architecture and Design is 2022.

Interior Design

This four-year professional program leads to the Bachelor of Interior Design degree. The Council for Interior Design Accreditation and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) accredit the Interior Design program. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is a member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA) and recognizes Council for Interior Design Accreditation as a reliable authority on interior design education. Education, the experience, and examination qualify the professional interior designer to develop the purpose and quality of interior spaces for improving the quality of life and welfare of the public. The professional interior designer formulates preliminary developmental, and construction documents based on design concepts that are aesthetic, appropriate, purposeful, and in accordance with codes and standards. The designer collaborates with other licensed practitioners and is the client’s agent reviewing and evaluating design solutions during implementation and upon completion.

The interior design program leading to the Bachelor of Interior Design is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, 206 Grandville Avenue, Suite 350, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503.

The CIDA-accredited program prepares students for entry-level interior design practice, for advanced study, and to apply for membership in professional interior design organizations. The Bachelor of Interior Design granted by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette meets the educational requirement for eligibility to sit for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification Examination (NCIDQ Exam). For more information about NCIDQ Exam eligibility visit: https://www.cidq.org/eligibility-requirements.

The last CIDA accreditation visit was Fall 2017; the next CIDA accreditation visit is scheduled to occur in Fall 2023. 

The last NASAD accreditation visit was in the Spring of 2018; the next NASAD accreditation visit is scheduled to occur in the Spring of 2026. 

Industrial Design

This four-year professional program offers a curriculum designed to prepare students for successful practice in the field of industrial design. Students receive a Bachelor of Industrial Design upon graduation. This is the only degree-granting program in industrial design in Louisiana. The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) accredit the program. Industrial design is the profession of generating concepts and products that optimize the purpose, significance, and form of products for consumer and producer. Industrial designers often work within the context of cooperative working relationships with other members of a development group. The industrial designer’s unique contribution places emphasis on those aspects of the product or system that relate most directly to human characteristics, requirements, and interests. Industrial designers also maintain a practical concern for technical processes and requirements for manufacture; marketing opportunities and economic constraints; and distribution sales and servicing processes.

Music

The music programs in the School of Music and Performing Arts are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and offers a Bachelor of Music degree with concentrations in performance, music media, theory-composition, piano pedagogy, and jazz. The Bachelor of Music degree is a professional program with primary emphasis on development of the skills, concepts, and knowledge essential to the professional life of the musician. The Bachelor of Arts is offered in conjunction with the College of Education. This degree prepares students to teach music at the elementary and secondary levels. Programs in both instrumental and vocal certification are offered. Also offered are the Bachelor of Arts in Music Business and the Bachelor of Arts in Music with an emphasis in Traditional Music. The School of Music also provides community services primarily in the areas of performance and consultation.

Performing Arts

Students pursuing a degree in Performing Arts choose a primary area of study in Acting, Dance, Design/Technology, Directing, or Theatre culminating in the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. The Performing Arts programs in the School of Music and Performing Arts are professional training programs emphasizing the practical aspects of theatre and dance and the importance of process. The programs encourage a multi-disciplinary and collaborative approach to the performing arts as an avenue to personal creative exploration and growth. The Department strives to integrate theatre and dance with elements of architecture, music, drama, visual arts, literature, and technology into a series of high-quality, innovative presentations to UL Lafayette, the Acadiana region, and the state of Louisiana. By combining classroom theory and practical hands-on experience, the concentrations seek to create imaginative, artistic graduates capable of embracing the challenges of the 21st Century.

Visual Arts

The Department of Visual Arts offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art (BFA) with concentrations in Ceramics , Computer Art and Animation , Graphic Design , Metalwork and Jewelry , New Media and Digital Art , Painting , Photography , Printmaking , and Sculpture . The department, in alliance with the College of Education, offers a Bachelor of Arts in Art or Music Education K-12, with a concentration in Art Education  and  a Post Bachelor Certificate in  Art Education Grades K-12 .

The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) accredited Department of Visual Arts at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette prepares students for careers as professional artists, designers, animators, and art educators. The faculty embraces holistic teaching that integrates art history and critical theory with traditional studio practice and emerging new media. The low faculty to student ratio provides exceptional opportunities for attention to individual students in the development of a student’s unique artistic voice through a rigorous curriculum. The Departments curriculum reinforces core art fundamentals in drawing and design with art history and critical theory courses. The capstone course for all concentrations - ceramics, computer art and animation, graphic design, metalwork and jewelry, new media and digital art, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture - concludes with the development and exhibition of a coherent body of work. All students receiving the Bachelor of Arts in Art or Music Education or the Post Bachelor Certificate in Art Education Grades K-12 participate in community teaching experiences as well as professional student teaching experiences. In addition, the department sponsors visiting artists, lectures, and student’s workshops. Graduates from our programs go on to have successful careers as professional artists, graphic designers, art educators, and community leaders.

Specific Degree Requirements of the College

1. In addition to fulfilling the general requirements for the degree, a student in the College of the Arts must adhere to University policy and is required to complete a minimum of 120 hours of acceptable degree credits, 45 of which must be at the 300/400 level.
2. The University requires that in order to be certified for graduation students must achieve an overall grade point average of 2.0 or above. The College of the Arts imposes one additional requirement. Students must achieve a grade of “C” or better in all courses considered to be part of the major area of study in the curriculum. In addition, the School of Architecture and Design requires students to earn a “C” or better in all courses required in the curricula for the Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies. The Bachelor of Interior Design and Industrial Design degrees require students to make a “C” or better in all courses with the exception of MATH 103  or MATH 105 . Students must earn a “D” or better in MATH 103  or MATH 105 . In addition, the School of Architecture and Design requires students to earn a “C” or better in all courses required in the curricula for Architectural Studies, Interior Design, and Industrial Design.
3. The College of the Arts requires students to complete in residence a minimum of twelve (12) semester hours of credit in their major area; six (6) of which must be at the 300/400 level. The School of Architecture and Design and the Department of Visual Arts have additional residence requirements. See their procedures in the following sections.
4. For the purpose of fulfilling the basic English requirements in all curricula, students who place into ENGL 115  will receive credit for ENGL 101  and ENGL 115  will substitute for ENGL 102 .
5. International students may not schedule for credit towards meeting degree requirements classes in their native language below 311 in French, German and Spanish. The Department of Modern Languages will recommend the placement of international students.
6. The University requires that each undergraduate program contain a specific number of core curriculum credits. However, each department has the prerogative to limit the courses it will accept in a particular curriculum to meet this requirement. In addition, some departments have special elective requirements above the University’s core curriculum. For these reasons, students should carefully consult the curriculum, paying particular attention to the footnotes, and should discuss their plan of study with their academic advisor.
7. It should be noted that many of the electives in a given curriculum must be chosen at the 300/400 level in order to meet the graduation requirement of 45 hours or more of upper-level course work. Courses that are designated as a substitute for a required course or contain subject matter that is below or equal to the level of the required course cannot be used for core or elective credit. This rule applies to all remedial courses.
8. Students in the College may pursue an approved minor with permission from the department head or director of their major. For additional information regarding minors, please review the Policies Governing Minors .

Special Procedures

Although the academic rules and regulations printed toward the end of this catalog will usually successfully guide students through their academic careers at the University, some of these rules and regulations appear to require amplification. Several significant problem areas are treated below:

1. All students are assigned an Academic Advisor in their major department. In the College of the Arts, the head of the major department is responsible for reassigning students to a new academic advisor. Students must consult their advisors on all academic matters and are urged to do so frequently.
2. Students must follow the curriculum plan presented either in the catalog which was current at the time they began the curriculum or in the catalog in force at the time of their graduation (see the time limitation in “10” below). For example, if a student enrolled in the interior design curriculum in 1999 and then changed to architecture in 2001, the appropriate catalog to follow is 2001-2003, NOT 1999-2001.
3. Students who drop out of the University for two or more regular semesters must follow the catalog that is current at the time of their re-entry.
4. Any variation from the courses listed in the student’s curriculum must be requested in writing by the student’s academic advisor and approved in writing by the Department Head or Director of the School and then by the Dean of the College.
5. If students are required to take a course below the level of the first course in the subject required by their curricula (for example, English 90 or Math 92), they may not apply credit earned in the lower level course towards graduation.
6. Students must attain the grade of “C” in ENGL 101  and ENGL 102  and in all ESOL courses and a “D” in MATH 103  or MATH 105  in order to proceed to the next higher course in the sequence.
7. When scheduling a course, students should be sure that they have completed all prerequisites listed under the course description in the catalog. In order to schedule a course which may be taken for graduate or advanced undergraduate credit (indicated by “G”), students MUST have attained junior standing (i.e., completed at least 60 semester hours).
8. Students are urged to exercise care when scheduling classes, since changes in their processed schedules may be impossible to make because of closed classes and time conflicts.
9. A student may not schedule more than 20 semester hours during a regular semester or 10 semester hours during a summer session without WRITTEN PERMISSION of the Dean of the College. After obtaining this permission, a student may schedule the maximum semester hour load allowed by the University; 24 semester hours during a regular semester and 12 semester hours during a summer session. Permission to schedule the maximum semester hour load will in large part depend on the student’s cumulative grade point average. (See suggested class loads for various cumulative grade point averages presented in this catalog under Undergraduate Registration   
10. Students are responsible for submitting a Degree Plan to the office of the dean during the semester immediately preceding the semester in which graduation is expected. The maximum period of time for which the provisions of any Catalog may be used in preparing a degree plan is six years. Students who begin their degree programs more than six years prior to the date of their anticipated graduation must consult with their academic advisor to determine which catalog should be used for the preparation of the Degree Plan. Once the Degree Plan has been approved by the Dean, any changes must be requested in writing on official forms obtained through the academic advisor and approved by the Department Head/Director and the Dean of the College.
11. The Degree Plan is not to be considered as a substitute for the Application for the Degree, which is initiated in the Dean’s office in the College of the Arts, or the Registrar’s office.

Transfer Credit

The Office of Admissions determines which transfer courses are acceptable to the University. With the approval of the Dean of the College of the Arts, each department determines which of these acceptable courses may be applied toward the degrees it offers. A portfolio review of work may be required for student placement and/or for a transfer studio course to be applied toward the degree. Students transferring into the College of the Arts from another college or department within University, or when they transfer from one program to another within the College of the Arts, they must fulfill the College of the Arts catalog requirements in effect at the time of the transfer.