Meadows School of the Arts
(2010 Undergraduate Catalog)
Degree Requirements
Students who are candidates for a degree in Meadows School of the Arts must submit a formal application for graduation to the Undergraduate Academic Services Office by the end of the first week of class for December and May graduation, and by the second day of summer school for August graduation. In addition to the requirements for general education and the major, candidates for graduation must also fulfill the following requirements:
- Credits:
- A minimum total of 122 term credit hours (125 for art majors, 123 for dance and theatre majors, and 124 or 125 for music majors seeking the Bachelor of Music).
- Each student with a major in Meadows School of the Arts will complete, as a cocurricular requirement, three term credit hours of coursework within Meadows but outside the division in which he or she is a major.
- Grades:
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 on all attempted SMU work and a minimum 2.0 GPA in the major area of study.
- A maximum of 12 term credit hours at the student’s election with a grade of P.
- Credit Requirements:
- A minimum total of 60 term credit hours through enrollment at SMU.
- A maximum of 30 term credit hours of transfer work after matriculation.
A degree from Meadows School of the Arts is awarded by the faculty only in recognition of developed abilities, demonstrated knowledge of the student’s particular field of study and the capacity to express an understanding of the art medium. Merely passing all courses is not necessarily sufficient.
Requirements for the Major
Candidates for undergraduate degrees must complete the requirements for an academic major in one of the divisions in Meadows. Students usually declare a major at the end of the first year. Students may major in more than one program within Meadows or combine a major in Meadows with one in a different school. All coursework counting toward a major must be taken for a letter grade, except for those courses that are routinely designated as pass/fail. To change majors or to declare a second major, students must process appropriate forms in the Undergraduate Academic Services Office.
General Education Requirements
The general education requirements of the University must be met by all undergraduate students, regardless of degree program or major. All courses used to meet general education requirements must be taken for a letter grade. Questions concerning general education requirements may be directed to the Undergraduate Academic Services Office.
Double Majors
A student who wishes to double major (majors in two departmental areas or in two schools) must satisfy the requirements of each department or school.
Graduation Honors
There are three classes of graduation Latin honors: summa cum laude, magna cum laude and cum laude. Eligibility for graduation honors will be based upon a student’s total academic program. All academic work attempted at other colleges or universities that is equivalent to SMU work will be included in the calculation of the GPA. For students who have transferred to SMU or who have transferred coursework following matriculation at SMU, two grade-point averages will be calculated: that for all work attempted and that for work completed through enrollment at SMU. Latin honors will be based on the lower of the two averages.
Commencement Activities Prior to Completion of Degree Requirements
Participation in May graduation activities is allowed to students who are within six hours of completing graduation requirements and are enrolled to complete the required work during the summer following graduation activities. Students who meet the above requirements may petition to participate in commencement activities.
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1010, 1110. Undergraduate Teaching Practicum. Development of teaching and leadership skills through preparing lesson plans, leading discussion groups, assessing course presentations and coordinating/developing supplemental learning experiences. The corresponding course by the same professor is required as either a prerequisite or corequisite. Students will spend a minimum of one hour per week preparing a lesson plan, one hour in discussion planning with the professor and one hour leading a discussion/listening group.
1315. Mass Media and Technology. An overview of technology as it applies to mass media in America, emphasizing the access of information via the Internet and World Wide Web. Topics include the expanding nature of technology, legal aspects and the effects of technology on society.
1350. The Arts in Their Cultural Context: The City of the Imagination. Introduces students to how the performing and visual arts are situated in their temporal, historiographic, geographic and social contexts. The aim of the course is to examine issues of both theory and practice in the individual disciplines (art, art history, cinema, dance, music and theatre) through readings that engage varied methodologies and through hands-on experiences with practitioners and scholars in Dallas.
2051, 2151, 3351 and 2052, 2152, 3352. Artists in the World: The Teaching Artist as Catalyst. Introduces artists-in-training to the basic principles, practices and priorities of the artist as teacher in the community. Provides a foundation in any artistic discipline and for the most common kinds of education work that artists undertake, such as working with young people (in schools and other settings); teaching one’s art form; integrating curriculum and in-depth residencies; creating artistically authentic programs with an education thrust; working in challenging situations; and working with adults in performance, educational and professional settings. This is a two-term sequence. Students must take MSA 2051 or 3351 to enroll in either MSA 2052 or 3352. Completion of MSA 2052 or 3352 will make students eligible to apply for a competitive paid fellowship in the following year. Prerequisites: Minimum 3.0 GPA and instructor consent.
2301. Media Literacy. An exploration of the critical-thinking skills necessary to understand and interpret modern media, both news and entertainment. Social networking and the Internet, the complexities of the 24-hour news cycle, celebrity news and infotainment, violence, media framing, and bias are among the topics examined.
2305. Meadows Video Production. Basic video production skills useful for any artistic or media field. Students will learn field production skills and nonlinear editing skills that will enable them to create video projects for multiple platforms, including the Internet and television.
3101, 3201, 3301, 5105, 5205, 5305. Directed Study. Independent study in an interdisciplinary arts topic under the direction and close supervision of a faculty member of the Meadows School. Prerequisite: Instructor approval.
3310. Fundamentals of Audio and Sound. Provides a solid grounding in the concepts, techniques and terms associated with audio across disciplines. Individual and/or group projects acquaint students with the basics of recording, editing, mixing/processing, and distributing audio projects. Lectures and discussions on these and other areas (listening practices, rights and fair use, etc.) supplement this hands-on work with a broader perspective on sound.
3321. Video Dance Workshop. Provides an opportunity for Meadows Dance and Cinema-Television Division students to collaborate on the creation of a “dance for camera” video piece. Students will collectively conceive a concept, designate production roles, and create a production plan and schedule, then choreograph/direct, shoot and edit a short video dance. The workshop will conclude with a campus screening. Students will be encouraged to submit the piece into student dance film festivals. Prerequisite: Instructor approval required.
3330. Special Topics. Various topics determined by the instructor regarding studies in the arts.
3390. Interdisciplinary Studies in the Arts – Study Abroad. Interdisciplinary topics in the performing, visual and communication arts.
3391. International Studies in the Arts – Study Abroad. International topics in the performing, visual and communication arts.
5005, 5101, 5102, 5103, 5104. Workshop: Microcomputers in the Arts.
5301. Microcomputer Applications in the Arts. An in-depth survey of available courseware and utilities programs in the arts, including sound and graphics application. Introduction to structured BASIC computer language programming for arts application.
5302. Developing Computer-Based Instructional Materials for the Arts. Provides students with skill in hierarchical, structure program design in BASIC computer language, including sound and graphics routines. Explores pedagogical approaches, using the computer, appropriate to the student’s arts discipline.
5326. Cultural Policy. Provides an overview of policy analysis and practice of the cultural sector in its different areas (heritage, visual and performing arts, etc.) and perspectives. Specifically, the following issues will be analyzed: historical and theoretical backgrounds of cultural policy; cultural policies in practice (stylized facts and geographical and political divergence at the local, national and international level); evaluation of cultural policies and their socio-economic impact; culture, diversity and development; and cultural access and arts education.
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