Don Arday, Administrative Chair
(585) 475-4985, dkafaa@rit.edu
Program overview
As an internationally recognized school that merges art with craft, the School for American Crafts is a leader in crafts education. Our programs provide an educational experience that balances technical expertise with aesthetic expression in the creative and practical understanding of wood, metal, clay, and glass.
Our educational objectives seek to stimulate creative imagination and technical invention, develop knowledge of process and command of skills, and foster appreciation not only of the crafts but also the related arts. The programs strive to inspire the student to seek continual improvement through analysis and self-evaluation.
Curriculum
After the satisfactory completion of two years of study, the associate in occupational studies degree is awarded in woodworking and furniture design. After successful completion of the four-year program, the bachelor of fine arts degree is awarded. The credit requirements for the BFA are as follows:
| Course | Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| Required Craft Major Studio | 90 | |
| Required Electives | 9 | |
| Business Practices | 9 | |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| Liberal Arts* | 36 | |
| General Education | 9 | |
| Art History | 18 | |
| Freshman Electives | 6 | |
| Wellness Education† | 0 | |
| Total Quarter Credit Hours | 180 | |
* Please see Liberal Arts General Education Requirements for more information.
† Please see Wellness Education Requirements for more information.
AOS program: A two-year associate degree in occupational studies also is offered in woodworking and furniture design. The credit requirements for the AOS degree are as follows:
| Course | Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| Required Wood Major | 36 | |
| Drawing | 9 | |
| 2D Design | 9 | |
| 3D Design | 9 | |
| Advanced Drawing | 9 | |
| Art History Electives* | 9 | |
| Professional Business Practices | 9 | |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| Wellness Education† | 0 | |
| Total Quarter Credit Hours | 93 | |
* Please refer to the list of art history electives.
† Please see Wellness Education Requirements for more information.
Wood, BFA degree, typical course sequence (quarters)
| Course | Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| Freshman Elective | 6 | |
| 2013-211, 212, 213 | Drawing I, II, III | 9 |
| 2013-231, 232, 233 | 2D Design I, II, III | 9 |
| 2013-241, 242, 243 | 3D Design I, II, III | 9 |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| Liberal Arts* | 12 | |
| 1720-050, 052 | First-Year Enrichment | 2 |
| Wellness Education† | 0 | |
| Second Year‡ | ||
| 2039-225, 226, 227 | Survey of Western Art and Architecture I, II, III | 9 |
| 2044-301, 302, 303 | Materials and Processes Wood, Sophomore | 18 |
| 2045-311 | Concept Drawing | 3 |
| 2045-312 | Craft Technical Drawing | 3 |
| 2045-xxx | Design Processes | 3 |
| Wellness Education† | 0 | |
| Liberal Arts* | 12 | |
| Third Year | ||
| 2044-401, 402, 403 | Materials and Processes Wood, Junior | 18 |
| 2039-306, 307, 308 | Architecture, Interior Furniture Design History | 9 |
| Open Electives | 9 | |
| Liberal Arts* | 12 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| 2044-501, 502, 503 | Materials and Processes Wood, Senior | 18 |
| 2045-511 | Planning a Career in the Crafts | 3 |
| 2045-512 | Crafts Promotional Package | 3 |
| 2045-513 | Operating a Business in the Crafts | 3 |
| Open Electives | 9-12 | |
| Total Quarter Credit Hours | 182-185 | |
* Please see Liberal Arts General Education Requirements for more information.
† Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information.
‡ Upon completion of second year, the associate in applied science degree is awarded.
Woodworking and furniture design, BFA degree, typical course sequence (semesters), effective fall 2013
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| First Year Seminar (SMTL) | 3 | |
| CIAS Studio Elective* | 3 | |
| FDTN-111 | Drawing I | 3 |
| FDTN-121 | 2D Design I | 3 |
| FDTN-131 | 3D Design I | 3 |
| First Year Writing | 3 | |
| CIAS Studio Elective* | 3 | |
| FDTN-112 | Drawing II | 3 |
| FDTN-141 | 4D Design | 3 |
| FDTN-132 | 3D Design II | 3 |
| Second Year | ||
| LAS Perspective 1 | 3 | |
| ARTH-135 | Survey of Western Art & Arch I (LAS Perspective 2) | 3 |
| CWFD-201 | Furniture Design Sophomore I | 6 |
| CGEN-201 | Crafts Drawing Practice | 3 |
| LAS Perspective 4 | 3 | |
| ARTH-136 | Survey of Western Art & Arch I (LAS Perspective 3) | 3 |
| CWFD-202 | Furniture Design Sophomore II | 6 |
| CGEN-202 | Crafts CADD Drawing | 3 |
| Third Year | ||
| LAS Elective (SMTL) | 3 | |
| CWFD-301 | Furniture Design Junior I | 6 |
| Art History Elective** | 3 | |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| LAS Immersion 1 | 3 | |
| CWFD-302 | Furniture Design Junior II | 6 |
| Art History Elective** | 3 | |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| LAS Immersion 2 | 3 | |
| CWFD-501 | Furniture Design Senior I | 6 |
| CGEN-501 | Crafts Promotional Materials (WI) | 3 |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| LAS Immersion 3 | 3 | |
| CWFD-502 | Furniture Design Senior II | 6 |
| CGEN-502 | Crafts Business Practice‡ | 3 |
| CIAS Studio Elective* | 3 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 | |
‡ CGEN-501 Crafts Business Practices satisfies the upper-level writing requirement in the major program.
* CIAS Studio Electives are courses designated by lab or studio contact hours in the course description.
** Art History electives are non-studio courses offered in CIAS or the College of Liberal Arts that examine the historical aspects of art, design, crafts, photo, or film.
** Crafts Foundations includes: Drawing I (FDTN-111), Drawing II (FDTN-112), 2D Design I (FDTN-121), 4D Design (FDTN-141), 3D Design I (FDTN-131), 3D Design II (FDTN-132).
Art history electives (select three)
Students are required to select three art history electives to broaden their understanding of the historical development of the arts. Art history electives include:
2039-300 History of Design
2039-306 Architecture Interior and Furniture Design I †
2039-307 Architecture Interior and Furniture Design II †
2039-308 Architecture Interior and Furniture Design III †
2039-310 History of Crafts
2039-315 Pre-Columbian Art
2039-316 Florence and Rome 1400-1470
2039-317 Florence and Rome 1470-1520
2039-318 Florence and Rome 1520-1590
2039-320 History of Art Criticism
2039-330 Philosophy in Art
2039-340 Symbols and Symbol Making
2039-355 Latin American Art
2039-360 18th and 19th Century Art
2039-368 Scandinavian Modernism
2039-375 20th Century Art Since 1950
2039-376 Renaissance Painting in Flanders
2039-385 Installation Art
2039-390 Native American Art and Culture
2039-395 Theory and Criticism of 20th Century Art
2039-410 The Art of Art History
2039-415 Thinking About Making
2039-425 Public Art/Public Spaces
2039-430 Dada and Surrealism
2039-433 What Is Post Modernism?
2039-435 Art of the Last Decade
2039-438 Body in Art
2039-440 Conceptual Art
2039-443 Art and Technology: From the Machine Aesthetic to the Cyborg Age
2039-452 Art and Activism
2039-459 Art Central Italy 1250-1400
2039-469 Baroque Rome
† Required for interior design majors and School for American Crafts wood majors.
Additional information
Crafts residency program
The School for American Crafts offers a crafts residence program for participants accepted in the ceramics and ceramic sculpture, glass, metalcrafts and jewelry, and woodworking and furnature desgin disciplines. Residence positions are limited and will be awarded based on the review of an application, which consists of a portfolio, transcripts, and references. An interview also is required. Accepted studio residents are required to register for at least two credits of independent study during every quarter of residence. These two credits can be taken as an audit, thus reducing the tuition cost to the resident.
Accepted residents are expected to attend their major studio courses during class hours and to contribute up to 10 hours of work per week in the major studio. These work hours will be coordinated and overseen by the faculty in the program area. In exchange, the school will provide workspace, access to facilities, and supportive instruction. The residents are invited to participate in the full range of studio activities.
Residence program participants may be individuals seeking additional studio experience prior to undergraduate or graduate study, early career professionals, or teachers on leave who wish to work in an academic studio environment. The faculty in each program area will make decisions concerning appropriate candidates.