This is the preliminary (or launch) version of the 2025-2026 VCU Bulletin. Courses that expose students to cutting-edge content and transformative learning may be added and notification of additional program approvals may be received prior to finalization. General education program content is also subject to change. The final edition and full PDF version will include these updates and will be available in August prior to the beginning of the fall semester.

ARTF 115. Art History Survey. 3 Hours.

Continuous courses; 3 lecture hours. 3-3 credits. Prerequisite: completion of ARTF 115 to enroll in ARTF 116. A survey of the history and development of the visual arts within the contexts of history, geography, politics, religion, economics and the broad social and personal aspects of human culture. Offered at VCU Qatar.

ARTF 116. Art History Survey. 3 Hours.

Continuous courses; 3 lecture hours. 3-3 credits. Prerequisite: completion of ARTF 115 to enroll in ARTF 116. A survey of the history and development of the visual arts within the contexts of history, geography, politics, religion, economics and the broad social and personal aspects of human culture. Offered at VCU Qatar.

ARTF 121. Introduction to Drawing. 2 Hours.

Continuous courses; 1 lecture and 3 studio hours. 2-2 credits. Prerequisite: completion of ARTF 121 to enroll in ARTF 122. Not for art majors. An introduction to the fundamentals of freehand drawing with an emphasis on representational drawing skills, perception and traditional drawing materials. Does not fulfill Art Foundation Program requirements.

ARTF 131. Drawing Studio. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 6 studio hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to first-year fine arts and design majors in the School of the Arts. The studio-based course explores the historical principles of drawing and their relevance in contemporary practice. It covers topics such as line, perspective, the human figure, gesture, space, atmosphere and erasure in a detailed and immersive studio setting. Through the repeated physical activity of drawing, students will enhance their ability to observe, interpret and visualize artistic concepts.

ARTF 132. Surface Research. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 6 studio hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to first-year fine arts and design majors in the School of the Arts. The studio-based course is designed to cultivate a student's ability to create and comprehend two-dimensional imagery. It includes exploring the fundamental principles of design, color, and visual organization. Students will create two-dimensional work in traditional, digital and lens-based media. The course content will delve into the rich historical context of imagery in the larger culture, providing students with a deeper understanding and appreciation of art and design.

ARTF 133. Space Research. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 6 studio hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to first-year fine arts and design majors in the School of the Arts. The studio-based course comprehensively investigates three-dimensional phenomena in fine art and design. It cultivates a student's ability to think, perceive, visualize, design and build in three dimensions. Issues of understanding and envisioning space, objects, scale and the body's relationship to the built environment are subjects of the course. Students will acquire a versatile and adaptable skill set of fabrication techniques and material exploration, preparing them for various artistic and design challenges.

ARTF 134. Time Studio. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 6 studio hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to first-year fine arts and design majors in the School of the Arts. The studio-based course, focusing on time-based media such as film, video and sound, explores their historical roots in theatricality and performance. It brings together tenets of contemporary practice that have extended the fields of fine art and design. Students will master the use of durational media as a primary tool, gaining practical skills to address significant issues of impermanence, duration and the potential of the moving image.

ARTF 138. Project Seminar. 1-2 Hours.

Semester course; 1-2 seminar hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 1-2 credits. May be repeated up to a maximum of four credits. Enrollment is restricted to first-year fine arts and design majors in the School of the Arts. A seminar on a selected issue, topic or skill in the fields of fine art and design.

ARTF 139. Project Studio. 1-2 Hours.

Semester course; 2-4 studio hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 1-2 credits. May be repeated up to a maximum of four credits. Enrollment is restricted to first-year fine arts and design majors in the School of the Arts. A studio on a selected issue, topic or skill in the fields of fine art and design.

ARTF 150. Pre-Art Foundation Studio. 4 Hours.

Semester course; 6 studio and 2 lecture hours. 4 credits. For students in the Pre-Art Foundation Program in the School of the Arts. Offered to Pre-Art Foundation designees only. A beginning studio course emphasizing the fundamental issues of art and design, such as meaning, context, content and parameters, structure, materials, means of construction, form, space, and light. As the primary studio offering in the Pre-Art Foundation year, this course stresses the development of values that will become a basis for students' actions as professional artists and designers. Introduces students to the values, habits, traditions and expectations of studio culture. Addresses the processes and methods involved in the identification, development and realization of ideas and concepts. Does not fulfill Art Foundation Program requirements.

ARTF 160. Pre-Art Foundation Drawing. 4 Hours.

Semester course; 6 studio and 2 lecture hours. 4 credits. For students in the Pre-Art Foundation Program in the School of the Arts. Offered to Pre-Art Foundation designees only. A beginning drawing course offering intense exposure to the basic skills of figure and perspective drawing. Traditional drawing media, the fundamentals of anatomy and the fundamentals of linear perspective are covered. Does not fulfill Art Foundation Program requirements.

ARTF 191. Topics in Foundation Studies. 1-4 Hours.

Short course; variable hours. 5 weeks. 1-4 credits. May not be repeated. Prerequisites: permission of the program director and instructor. A seminar or studio on a selected issue, topic or skill in the field of foundation studies.