Liberal Arts

We strive to nurture the entire artist and our Liberal Arts program is an integral part of this process. Understand the history of art and design, and apply it to create the future.

Liberal Arts Program Learning Outcomes

The Liberal Arts Program provides students with a holistic education covering the arts, humanities, and sciences. The program introduces and builds upon critical thinking and analysis, problem solving, written communication, art historical awareness, historical awareness, cultural awareness, research and information gathering, employment communications, and quantitative literacy. Courses highlight connections between the subject of study and the major fields of art and design, providing context to the larger world of art and design.

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.

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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

Meeting Liberal Arts Requirements

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.

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.

Undergraduate Liberal Arts Placement

Academy of Art University recognizes the scores listed below for Liberal Arts course placement.

Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)

Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE)

Practical Mathematics and Quantitative Literacy

American College Test (ACT)

Advanced Placement (AP) Exam

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

International Baccalaureates (IB) Exam

Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)

Academy of Art University Practical Mathematics Placement Exam (ARH, GAP, LAN, FSH-Marketing, FSH-Merchandising, and FSH-Product Development majors only)

• ARH, GAP, LAN, FSH Marketing, FSH Merchandising, & FSH Product Development students: place into the Fundamental Math Requirement (LA255 College Math)

• ARH, GAP & LAN students: place out of the Fundamental Math Requirement (LA255 College Math) and into the Applied Math Requirement (LA271 College Algebra with Geometry)
• FSH Marketing, FSH Merchandising, & FSH Product Development students: Math Requirement satisfied

• ARH students: place out of both the Fundamental Math Requirement (LA255 College Math) and the Applied Math Requirement (LA271 College Algebra with Geometry) and into the Advanced Math Requirement (LA293 Precalculus)
• GAP students: place out of both the Fundamental Math Requirement (LA255 College Math) and the Applied Math Requirement (LA271 College Algebra with Geometry) and into the Advanced Math Requirement (LA286 Discrete Mathematics)
• LAN students: place out of all math requirements. (LA255, LA271)

• ARH students: place out of all math requirements. (LA255, LA271, LA293) GAP students: place out of the Fundamental Math Requirement (LA255 College Math), the Applied Math Requirement (LA271 College Algebra with Geometry), the Advanced Math Requirement (LA286 Discrete Mathematics), and into the 3D Math Requirement (LA288 Vector, Matrices, and Transformations)

• GAP students: place out of all math requirements. (LA255, LA271, LA286, LA288)

Students with a score of 300 or more have satisfied the prerequisite for LA286 Discrete Mathematic and LA293 Precalculus

Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE)

How to Schedule an Academy of Art University Placement Exam: Exams are offered several times a semester on the Academy of Art University Campus. Call the Liberal Arts Department 1-415-618-3664 to schedule an appointment.

Exams are by appointment (No drop-ins). View the Exam Schedule.

Online Students: call or e-mail liberalarts@academyart.edu for information on how to take the exam in your area.

Art History, Historical Awareness and Cultural Ideas and Influences

Employment Communications and Practices

Employment Communications and Practices

Students with Career Planning coursework should submit transcripts to The Office of The Registrar. Submit Official Transcript(s) by mail or by email: Transcripts@academyart.edu. Students with professional experience wishing to be considered for waiver from LA 291 Designing Careers should submit supporting documentation documents with a waiver request using the Student Submissions Portal. The Student Submissions Portal link and login information can be obtained from an advisor.

Transfer Options
Transfer in a comparable Career Planning course that covered all of the following areas:

• Career research
• Research methods for employment opportunities
• Employment correspondence documents
• Employment interview techniques

Waiver/Substitution Options
Request consideration for a waiver from LA 291 Designing Careers by submitting transcripts and/or supporting documentation that demonstrates one of the following:

• Completion of an Associate’s Degree in which the degree included at least one career preparation, business practices, or a major-specific professional practices course
• Completion of more than 60 college credits in which the coursework included at least one career preparation, business practices, business law, senior thesis, or a major-specific professional practices course
• Completion of a Bachelor’s Degree

Industry experience with a project proposal demonstrating the criteria below.

Industry Experience Criteria

Students with less than 5 years of management and/or industry experience submit:

1. Professional resume
2. Cover or Query letter addressed to a specific party
3. Unsolicited business proposal with the following components:
   • Statement of Purpose
   • Background
   • Procedures
   • Qualification
   • Request for Approval

Students with 5 years or more of industry experience may submit:

1. Professional resume (clearly indicating 5 years or more of industry experience)
2. Cover or Query letter addressed to a specific party
3. Project proposal* with the following components:
   • Background/Problem Description
   • Proposed Solution
   • Approach
   • Deliverables
   • Outcome

*May be for a project completed as part of industry experience. If citing a past project, include your role in the project.

Waiver/Substitutions
NOTE: A waived course must be substituted with another course. Students who place out of LA 291 will have the Employment Communications requirement waived but must make up the units with either a substitute Academy of Art University Liberal Arts course, or a general education transfer course as determined by the Registrar.