Degree in general art studies to start next term

A new degree focusing on art studies, with programs that range from theater to music, will begin next term at Portland State.

The State Board of Higher Education approved the new bachelor’s of art degree in arts studies at a Nov. 2 meeting. According to meeting agenda, the degree was presented to the State Board of Higher Education due to increasing art student enrollment at PSU, up from 862 students in 1996 to just under 2,000 last year.

Judy Patton, associate dean in the school of fine and performing arts, said department faculty were attempting to create a new program for interdisciplinary art students not seeking professional degrees for a single discipline. The arts studies degree is named to reflect a wide array of art disciplines, meant to teach both art theory and practical application of art, she said.

Patton said the degree program mostly incorporates preexisting PSU art courses, rather than implementing costly new courses.

The arts studies degree is intended to be more comprehensive, according to chair of the art department Bill Lepore, who also said that a key interest for the new degree is art education.

“So few programs are left in elementary education of the arts, and people who earn a degree in arts studies are going to be much more comfortable with embedding art instruction or curriculum as a part of an overall program for, let’s say, a third grade class,” Lepore said.

Patton said she will serve as student advisor for the new degree and that she promotes interdisciplinary education, especially for students who wish to teach art at the elementary level. The new program will also benefit students who want to study various areas of art before deciding on a professional major, she said.

Since most of the core courses are already taught at PSU, Patton said she expects arts studies students to begin graduating as early as June 2009, considering transfer and current PSU art students. The number of students who will enroll this year will be between 10 and 15, with expected growth of up to 50 students within a few years, Patton said.

“My suspicion is that once students are made aware of the program and its capacity, I think it’s going to flourish,” Lepore said. “It’s a reflection of the real art world, which has become much more interdisciplinary.”

The degree comprises 52 credits over the four disciplines of art taught at the school: art, architecture, music and theater, including 24 upper-division credits in at least two of those areas. The requirement of two areas of study is what instigated the new degree, said Patton.

“It will fill a niche for student ability in a different way because of the interdisciplinary bent,” Patton said. “There aren’t many opportunities for crossing discipline yet and it will be very interesting to see what students make of it.”