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Visit the main Liberal Arts web page. 
Why Liberal Arts Courses?
Think about the thousands of examples of art and design you've encountered in your life. Some remain in your consciousness because they were meaningful to you. No matter how technically proficient a work of art is, it can be easily forgotten if it lacks a message that resonates. Great art is nourished by great ideas. The Liberal Arts component of your studies will add this thinking and feeling component to what you are learning in the studio.
Educating The Mind, The Heart, And The Hand
Just as studio courses will change the way you see and create, Liberal Arts courses expand the way you think and feel. Liberal Arts courses at Ringling are specially-designed classes that support and enrich what you are learning in the studio. Many of the instructors are artists themselves.
For example, instead of standardized classes in biology and chemistry, our Environmental Science courses will put you in touch with the living environment through field trips and artistically creative projects. Cultural Beliefs classes will help you to escape from a limited, America-only point of view by bringing the world to you. Art History classes will enrich your visual vocabulary and make you aware of rich possibilities for your own work. Writing and Literature courses will improve vital communication skills and help you work on specialized kinds of writing like graphic narratives, children’s literature, and digital storytelling. Comparative Arts classes will introduce you to film, theater, and other performing arts; many of these classes include tickets to performances. Humanities classes will help you wrestle with the challenge of doing your work in a socially responsible way as a global artist-citizen.
These exposures to different cultures, artistic styles, important events and movements, and unusual ways of thinking all contribute to the development of your own artistic signature. The innovative courses you take in Liberal Arts will challenge assumptions that limit your work. Far from distracting you from the studio, they will give you the intellectual toolset you need to join a versatile multicultural professional world.
Vital Skills
One of the things we recognize at Ringling is that for you to be successful, you need to have certain general skill-sets that complement what you learn in the studio. We call these “competencies” or “Student Learning Outcomes.” Your Liberal Arts courses are particularly focused upon developing and reinforcing the following skills:
- Communications Skills
- Thinking Skills
- Global Perspectives
- Artistic Discernment
- Self-Directed Learning
- Collaboration
- Social Responsibility
Liberal Arts General Education Requirements
(42 credit hours)
Your Liberal Arts requirement is divided into 3 components:
- Kernel classes (27 semester hours)
- Innovative and Collaborative Studies (ICS) classes
(9 semester hours) - Open electives (6 semester hours)
1. Kernel Courses:
Kernel courses combine general background knowledge with the development of essential professional skills. The goal is to help you be a well-rounded thinker who is aware of the world, who can communicate clearly, and who has developed a sense of personal values.
You are required to take kernel courses from each of the following areas:
Art History
These are courses that examine the work of artists and movements from many different countries and centuries. These courses are also ones that will develop your skills in artistic discernment and critical thinking.
4 courses required 12 credit hours
[All students must take AH 191-2, a two semester Art and Ideas overview]
Cross-Cultural Perspectives
These are courses that examines the values, practices, and beliefs of many different global cultures. You will learn valuable skills in thinking from global perspectives and in listening.
1 course required 3 credit hours
Literary Traditions
These courses will offer you the opportunity to select from a variety of forms of literature and poetry. Some courses are specifically designed to connect with studio emphases. You will also build up your skill level in reading, critical thinking, writing, and sense of social responsibility.
1 course required 3 credit hours
Scientific Practices
These are courses focused upon Environmental Studies and “sustainable design.” You will also learn skills in scientific/quantitative reasoning and social responsibility.
1 course required 3 credit hours
Arts and Humanities
These are courses that expose you to forms of art beside the visual arts and to intellectual and cultural currents. You will also pick up skills in critical thinking, having a sense of social responsibility, collaboration, and communications.
1 course required 3 credit hours
Writing
These are computer-based courses specifically designed to teach you the forms of writing you will need to communicate successfully as a professional artist.
1 course required 3 credit hours
2. Innovative and Collaborative Studies (ICS) Courses:
ICS-designated courses are designed to make connections to the studio programs and utilize innovative teaching methodologies. Each one does one or more of the following:
- Focuses on narrative structure and story-telling
- Involves collaboration with other faculty, staff, or local professional practitioners
- Crosses disciplines, art forms, or media
- Uses a student learning community methodology
- Teaches skills in collaboration and group project management
There is a wide variety of ICS courses you may choose from. You may wish to combine these into clusters oriented around your personal areas of interest and curiosity.
3 courses required 9 credit hours
3. Liberal Arts Open Electives
This is where you are free to choose any Liberal Arts class you haven’t yet taken. All Liberal Arts courses qualify or you may arrange an Independent Study with a faculty member. Complete Course Descriptions are accessible via IQ.Web.
2 courses required 6 credit hours
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