Liberal Arts

Undergraduate students will meet the following student performance criteria:

Critical Thinking and Analysis

• Raise clear and precise questions, use abstract ideas to interpret information and reach supported conclusions. Understand and define a problem or argument and address it using acquired knowledge.

Written Communication

• Write with conciseness and clarity and apply the conventions of standard written English to communicate effectively in a variety of contexts.

Information Literacy

• Gather, identify, and apply relevant information and reference material in coursework.

Art Historical Awareness

• Identify artwork from various periods and styles and make distinctions and connections among them through stylistic and cultural analysis. Analyze the ways art can affect and/or reflect cultural, political and humanistic issues and recognize how cultural context influences artistic development.

Historical Awareness

• Develop and draw upon historical knowledge in order to analyze relevant historical and contemporary issue(s).

Cultural Ideas & Influences

• Identify how cultural perspectives can affect interpretation of topics in the arts, politics or global relations.

Quantitative Literacy

• Recognize, comprehend, and generate quantitative information in a variety of representational forms.

Professional Communications and Readiness

• Demonstrate an understanding of professional skills and behaviors by creating materials appropriate for seeking employment in the chosen field.

Oral Communication

• Clearly present creative ideas and analytical information to a variety of audiences.

Academy of Art University Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the Academy of Art University will demonstrate the ability to:

1. Produce a body of work suitable for seeking professional opportunities in their chosen field of art and design.
2. Solve creative problems within their field of art and design, including research and synthesis of technical, aesthetic, and conceptual knowledge.
3. Communicate their ideas professionally and connect with their intended audience using visual, oral, and written presentation skills relevant to their field.
4. Execute technical, aesthetic, and conceptual decisions based on an understanding of art and design principles.
5. Evaluate work in their field, including their own work, using professional terminology.
6. Recognize the influence of major cultural and aesthetic trends, both historical and contemporary, on art and design products.
7. Learn the professional skills and behaviors necessary to compete in the global marketplace for art and design.

Undergraduate Liberal Arts Program Requirements can be met in the following ways:

• Take Academy course and earn a passing grade
• Transfer in a comparable course from a previous post-secondary institution
• Earn credit through: AP exam (4 or higher) and/or IB HL exam (5 or higher)
• Waiver* through passing score on ACT, AICE, AP, CLEP, IB or SAT exam
• Waiver* through passing score on Academy of Art University Placement Exam (available for the Practical Mathematics courses in the following majors only: Architecture, Game Programming, Landscape Architecture, Fashion Marketing, Fashion Merchandising & Fashion Product Development)

*Units from waived requirements must be made up with elective Liberal Arts course work.

All exam scores must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar for review.
All degree programs include Liberal Arts requirements.

• Learn more about Undergraduate Liberal Arts Graduation Requirements.

Transfer of Coursework from a Previous Institution:

Students transferring courses from a previous college or university will be placed out of the corresponding Academy degree requirement and receive the appropriate unit credit for each course transferred. Official transcripts should be sent as early as possible to allow for ample processing time. Transcripts received after a student’s first semester or unofficial transcripts will not be reviewed for transfer credit.

NOTE: The Academy will award up to 12 units of Liberal Arts for Advanced Placement (AP) exams with a score of 4 or higher.*
NOTE: The Academy will award up to 12 units of Liberal Arts for International Baccalaureate (IB) High Level (HL) course work with a score of 5 or higher.*

*Applicable to students with a Spring 2023 start date or later.