TABLE OF CONTENTS General Information 3 5 Academic Departments and Missions 6 9 BFA Degree Requirements 10 18 Course Descriptions 19 39 Admissions 40 45 Transfer Students 43 International Students 44 Campus Services 46 47 Tuition + Fees 48 Financial Aid 48 - 52 Academic Policies 53 56 FERPA 56 Academic Calendar 57 Faculty 58 66 Administration + Staff 67 Board of Directors 68 GENERAL INFORMATION Contact Information: 800.888.ARTS or 303.753.6046 Website: www.rmcad.edu Mailing address: 1600 Pierce Street Lakewood CO 80214 History Of The College Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design was founded in 1963 by Philip J. Steele. Mr. Steele saw a need to provide students with a liberal arts education based on traditional art and design principles. The Steele family has maintained the College continuously since its founding, committed to Philip Steele’s vision of artistic expression rooted in academic excellence. The Rocky Mountain School of Art, Inc., doing business as Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, is a Colorado corporation approved as a private college by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education. Degree Programs RMCAD offers the following Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree programs: Animation/Two-Dimensional Animation/Three-Dimensional Art Education/Painting + Drawing Art Education/Sculpture Art Education/Illustration Graphic Design + Interactive Media Illustration Interior Design Fine Arts/Painting + Drawing Fine Arts/Sculpture Illustration majors may choose a Wildlife Illustration or Children’s Book Illustration area of specialization. Graphic Design + Interactive Media majors may choose a Digital Media specialization. Interior Design majors may choose a Green Design specialization. Fine Arts majors may choose a Photography/Video or Ceramics specialization. Location RMCAD is located on twenty-three wooded acres at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in Lakewood, Colorado, in the west-central part of metropolitan Denver. Looking east from our campus you can see downtown Denver’s skyline, and looking west you can see the Rocky Mountains. With a population of over two-million people, Denver offers a multitude of ways to spend your free time; from museums to concert halls to shopping centers and entertainment districts. College Facilities RMCAD’s distinctive campus includes eighteen historical buildings built in a variety of 20th century architectural styles. The fully wireless campus has three 16-seat Apple Macintosh labs and four 16-seat Windows Based computer labs as well as several “compact labs” which are department specific. All labs are connected to print centers, scanners and network storage. Most of RMCAD’s computer labs are designed for multi-use by all departments with specific labs designated for 3-D and 2-D animation, video and sound, multimedia, computer-aided drafting, and advanced special effects. Special learning facilities include a woodshop, ceramics studio, photography lab, professional sound studio, auditorium, galleries, audiovisual theater, large meeting rooms and a Library/Resource Center. The Philip J. Steele Gallery features a rotating schedule of exhibitions that includes a mix of student, faculty and alumni work as well as displays by community groups to exhibitions by well-known visiting artists. Students can relax or study in the Student Lounge, take a break between classes on the grassy lawns under 100-year old trees, shop in the college bookstore or grab an espresso and a bite to eat at the Underground Café. Accreditation Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association (NCA) 30 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 2400 Chicago, IL 60602-2504 Telephone: 800.621.7440 or 312.263.0456 Fax: 312.263.7462 Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) 11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21 Reston, VA 20190-5248 Telephone: 703.437.0700 Fax: 703.437.6312 E-mail: [email protected] The Interior Design Program is accredited by the Foundation of Interior Design Education Research (FIDER) as recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation 146 Monroe Center NW, #1318 Grand Rapids, MI 49503-2822 Telephone: 616.458.0400 Fax: 616.458.0460 E-mail: [email protected] Professional Affiliations All RMCAD students, faculty, and alumni are encouraged to join and actively participate in local and national professional organizations. Student, faculty, and alumni memberships include: American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Offices American Association of Higher Education American Association of University Women American Institute of Graphic Arts American School Counselors Association American Society of Interior Designers Arizona Art Education Association Art Directors Club of Denver Arts Link Lakewood Colorado Alliance for Art Education Colorado Alliance of Illustrators Colorado Art Education Association Colorado Artists Registry Colorado Council on High School/College Relations Colorado Educational Services & Development Association, Inc. Colorado School Counselor’s Association Colorado Women’s Chamber Denver Advertising Federation Graphic Artists Guild International Animated Film Association (ASIFA) International Council of Design Schools Iowa Art Education Association Kansas Art Education Association Michigan Art Education Association Minnesota Art Education Association Missouri Art Education Association Montana Post Secondary Educational Opportunities Council National Association of College Admissions Counselors National Association of International Education National Art Education Association Society of Environmental Graphic Designers Society of Illustrators Utah Art Education Association West Chamber of Commerce West Colfax Community Association Wisconsin Art Education Association Wyoming Art Symposium Continuing Education Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design offers short-term non-credit courses through the Continuing Education program. These courses are typically held during evenings and weekends. All non-credit course contact hours qualify as Continuing Education Units for teachers licensed in the State of Colorado. The Continuing Education program also includes travel abroad courses, certificate programs and the Art Academy for teens and children. A current listing of Continuing Education course offerings is available at www.rmcad.edu or by calling 800.888.ARTS. ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS AND MISSIONS Philosophy of Learning While traditional educational approaches of lecture, demonstration, teaching by example, and presentation of studio technique are used, RMCAD is responsive to the contemporary climate of the art and design disciplines. Classroom methods incorporate the newest equipment, processes, and ideas to further challenge students in an atmosphere that encourages experimentation with media not yet established as art materials. As a result, graduates are both versatile and qualified to produce complete, professional quality work. The strength of all of RMCAD’s art and design programs is realized in the development of each student’s perceptual, technical, and creative abilities. This rigor enables students to realize success in a challenging and competitive marketplace, and helps ensure professional opportunities for each student after graduation. Emphasis is placed on skills that include consolidating ideas into visual form, rendering artwork, sharpening communication skills, developing creative concepts, and improving career skills. Foundation Studies Each RMCAD student, regardless of major, is required to take foundation coursework. The Foundation Studies Department teaches courses to all RMCAD students based on the simple philosophy that any student, who is willing, can learn the skills and principles necessary to be successful in the visual arts. The Foundation Studies faculty strive to develop artists and designers as individuals. The departmental curriculum is designed to be progressive in nature, with ideas developed, integrated and incorporated by students from one class to the next. The course work is designed to help students develop an eye for creativity, self-expression and innovation. Studio projects and assignments challenge students to explore materials and techniques and encourage a wide range of results based on the same task. Foundation Studies courses are designed to provide a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of art and design through background, theory, and practice. The faculty is dedicated to preparing students for successful entry into all majors offered at RMCAD. Foundation Studies seeks to instill in students the development of technical, conceptual, problem-solving, verbal and intuitive skills necessary for future success in the visual arts. In the Freshman year, students develop the vocabulary to critique their own work and that of others in a professional manner. The program’s outcomes integrate principles of visual composition, observation, history, theory, practice, and critical thinking into students’ understanding of their role as professional artists and designers. Liberal Studies The Liberal Studies are an integral part of each student’s education at RMCAD. From the freshman-level Philosophy of Art + Design, through sequential courses in art history and the humanities, as well as special units in natural science, social science and math, RMCAD students spend four years immersed in the history, development and current state of human thought. The goal of the Liberal