2011-2012 Archived Catalog Information

Overview

The New England School of Art & Design at Suffolk University (NESADSU) offers a disciplined study of the visual arts and design with a comprehensive liberal arts component. Originally founded as the New England School of Art in 1923, NESADSU is one of 18 departments within the University’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Beginning with a challenging, interdisciplinary Foundation program, students are trained to become flexible, adaptable artists and designers, who appreciate and assimilate technological change as they master traditional and current disciplines, techniques and conventions. Excellence in technique, the joy of creative expression, the passion to explore, the ability to think critically, to problem solve and to accommodate change are hallmarks of our mission.

Our Faculty
All full- and part-time faculty, including the program directors are practicing professional artists and designers, who bring a realistic, practical point of view of the art and design professions into the classroom.

Portfolio Reviews & Career Preparation

An integral part of NESADSU’s educational philosophy involves career preparation, and a major component of this preparation is the portfolio review. Informal critiques are a part of every class and formal reviews a part of every year. At the end of the freshman year, the Foundation Program Director and a panel of faculty members, along with fellow students, review your work to date. Evaluating strengths and weaknesses, the panel makes recommendations regarding your chosen program of study. During the sophomore, junior and senior years, reviews are held periodically to assess your work and plan strategies for improvement. In your senior year, a final review, before a panel of professionals who are not affiliated with the school, will give you the opportunity to present a final selection of work in a professional setting. Portfolio reviews prepare you for the rigors of the employment market and help you develop techniques for successful job placement. Regularly scheduled reviews are required of all MFA, MA and BFA candidates beginning in the Foundation (freshman) year (and all Certificate candidates prior to graduation), as is participation in senior group shows and graduate theses exhibitions.

Program Options & Requirements
BFA: Interior Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Fine Arts
MA: Interior Design, Graphic Design
MFA: Interior Architecture
Certificate: Graphic Design
Educator Licensure in Visual Arts
BA or BS, Performing and Visual Arts
Continuing Education & Preparatory Programs

Please Note: Interested persons who lack an undergraduate bachelor’s degree should investigate the BFA programs. Those who hold a baccalaureate degree should review the Master of Arts program in Interior Design or Graphic Design, or the Master of Fine Arts program in Interior Architecture.

Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree Programs
The BFA programs require four years to complete (if done on a full-time basis) and involve one year of foundation studies and three years of major coursework. There is also a comprehensive liberal arts component throughout, providing a broad general studies background to complement the intensive professional art and design education. The combination provides a competitive edge when job hunting as well as strong preparation for an advanced degree in the arts.

In order to earn a BFA degree, a student must complete 124 credits, of which approximately 58 percent (72 credits) will be studio and related courses, 13 percent (16 credits) art history, and 29 percent (36 credits) liberal arts. Of these 124 credits, a minimum of 45 must be completed at Suffolk University in order for the degree to be granted.

The BFA may also be completed on a part-time basis. Students registered for fewer than 12 credits per semester are considered part-time. While course loads will vary widely, we recommend that the BFA program be completed in no more than eight years. Course requirements for full- and part-time students are identical and part-time students will be held to the same academic standards and requirements as full-time students.

Completion of the Foundation Program or its equivalent is required for entry into any of the major programs, whether on a full- or part-time basis. Please see individual program outlines within this catalog for a list of required courses for your chosen major program.

Master of Arts & Master of Fine Arts Degree Programs
We offer a Master of Arts in Interior Design (MAID) and Master of Arts in Graphic Design (MAGD). Both are appropriate for those who have an undergraduate bachelor’s degree and are interested in exploring the issues confronting the professional designer, as well as acquiring the design and research skills required of the successful practitioner. Opportunities for study abroad in Italy and Spain provide exposure to international design trends and the European tradition of art, architecture, and culture.

Both the master’s in interior design and the master’s in graphic design require a minimum of 30 credits of graduate study (level 700 or higher). The MAID is designed primarily for those who have an undergraduate degree in a field other than interior design. Undergraduate equivalent/foundation coursework will be required of these students in order to provide them with a background substantially equivalent to a BFA in interior design. The MAID is accredited as a professional-level program by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (formerly FIDER).

The MAGD is designed primarily for students with an undergraduate degree in graphic design and is intended as a one-year (3-semester), practice-oriented, initial graduate program. Applicants who have not completed an undergraduate program substantially equivalent to the BFA in Graphic Design will be required to complete additional undergraduate equivalent coursework as determined by the graphic design program director. Because of the diversity of backgrounds of graduate students and the fact that both graduate programs may be completed on either a full- or part-time basis, the length of time required to complete a graduate program will vary widely, from one to three-and-a-half years (of full-time study; a part-time program will, of course, require additional time).

As of September 2011, NESADSU will offer a Master of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture. Designed for those with a baccalaureate degree in Architecture, Interior Design or a closely related field, the MFA program will provide an opportunity for advanced intellectual pursuit and the development of leadership skills in the field of interior architecture. The 60-credit program, which will take from 2 to 4 years to complete, will allow for exploration and in-depth research in one of the following fields: Sustainability, Advanced Lighting, Environmental Graphic Design or Design Studies, and will include an Educational or Professional Practicum.

For complete information on the graduate programs in interior design, interior architecture and graphic design, please see the College of Arts and Sciences Graduate Programs catalog, or contact the Office of Graduate Admission at 617.573.8302 or grad.admission@suffolk.edu for a graduate prospectus.

Certificate Program
The Graphic Design Certificate is a shorter-term, part-time, flexible program with a narrower focus than the BFA in Graphic Design. For curriculum specifics and admission requirements, see the Graphic Design Certificate Program section in this catalog.

Educator Licensure in Visual Arts
Suffolk University’s Department of Education and Human Services offers graduate and undergraduate programs leading to Initial Licensure in Visual Art. Taken in conjunction with studio art courses at NESADSU, these programs enable graduates to teach visual art in public secondary schools in Massachusetts (and other states belonging to the NASDTEC Certification Compact). For information, please contact Dr. Donna Qualters, at dqualters@suffolk.edu.

Performing and Visual Arts
Suffolk University offers an interdisciplinary major in Performing and Visual Arts, offered jointly by the Theatre Department, the Humanities Department, and NESADSU. For information, please see Performing and Visual Arts elsewhere in this catalog or contact Dr. Marilyn Plotkins, Coordinator, at 617.572.8282 mplotkin@suffolk.edu.

Continuing Education & Preparatory Programs
The Continuing Education Division offers programs for high school students as well as courses and programs for adult learners. In addition, the Continuing Education Division offers three summer programs: the Pre-College Program for high school students, the Pre-Graduate Program for Master of Arts in Interior Design and Graphic Design applicants, who need to build their admissions portfolio and the Accelerated Graduate Program for admitted Master of Arts in Interior Design and Graphic Design students, who will begin their coursework in the fall.

Continuing Education status students are ineligible to earn a degree or certificate until they apply and are accepted into a formal program of study (degree or certificate). Applicable credits earned as a Continuing Education student may be transferred toward program requirements (a maximum of 30 credits for the BFA and a maximum of 9 credits for the Certificate). A tuition differential will be assessed for any courses transferred from the Continuing Education Division toward an undergraduate degree or certificate program.

Courses taken as a continuing education student earn undergraduate credit only and are therefore not directly applicable to graduate programs. However, undergraduate credits earned as a continuing education student can later be used to waive the undergraduate-equivalent preparatory coursework required in the MA programs. Under no circumstances may credits taken by Continuing Education students be applied toward the course requirements (30 credits at the 700-level or above) of our MA programs.