School of Performing and Visual Arts

Stacy Reischman Fletcher, M.F.A., Director
118 College Drive, Box 5056
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
601.266.4994

Aronson, Bush, Chen, Cotton, Courts, Dettman, Douglas, Gorzengo, Hayes, Judd, Lawler, Lester, Meade, Michels, Reischman Fletcher, Rackoff, Rigsby, Torres, White

The University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Performing and Visual Arts is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, the National Association of Schools of Dance, and the National Association of Schools of Theatre. Requirements are in accordance with the published regulations of these associations. The school offers majors in general art; art with an emphasis in drawing & painting, graphic design, or sculpture; dance performance & choreography; dance education; general theatre; and theatre with an emphasis in acting or design & technology. The school also offers minors in art, art history, dance, and theatre.

Visual Art Programs

Two distinctly different degree plans are offered in the area of visual arts:

Bachelor of Arts in Art
The student seeking general study in the field of art should choose the broadly oriented BA degree.
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art
The student seeking to pursue a career as a practicing artist/designer should choose a plan of study in one of the following three professionally oriented emphasis areas of the visual arts, which lead to the professionally oriented BFA degree in art:
Drawing and Painting
Graphic Design
Sculpture

Minor programs are also available in art, art history, and graphic design.

Foundations Coursework (Art)

Upon entering any of the visual arts degree programs within the School of Performing and Visual Arts, students will have to successfully complete a series of foundations art courses, which are prerequisites for more advanced classes. The foundations series is composed of ART 101 , ART 102 , ART 111 , ART 112 and ART 113 , for a total of 15 credit hours.

BA in Art

The Bachelor of Arts degree in art requires completion of 124 hours, including the general curriculum of the University and 12 hours in a foreign language. In additions, students pursuing the BA in Art must also complete:

ART 101 , ART 102 , ART 111 , ART 112 and ART 113
ART 332 or ART 334
Two nine-hour sequences of approved art classes in a particular area, such as drawing, painting, or graphic design (see degree plan for details)
Three art history courses, at least one of which must be designated as Writing Intenstive (WI).
One three-credit 300/400-level Humanities course (see degree plan for details)
One three-credit 300- or 400-level Social Science course (see degree plan for details)

Minor in Art

Students pursuing a minor in art must complete 21 hours of art courses, including ART 101 , ART 102 , ART 111 , ART 332 , ART 334 and nine hours of elective 200- and 300-level art studio courses. ART 112 is strongly recommended, and ART 130 cannot count towards the minor.

Minor in Art History

Students who wish to obtain a minor in art history must complete 21 hours of coursework including ART 332 , ART 334 , and 15 hours of art history at the 400-level.

BFA in Art (Drawing and Painting)

IStudents who major in the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art with the drawing and painting emphasis must successfully complete the art foundation course sequence and required coursework in drawing and painting area, including art history courses. Additional requirements include a 2.5 GPA in the drawing and painting emphasis area. With the successful completion of all required foundation courses, drawing and painting students should possess a portfolio consisting of examples and performance in ART 101 , ART 102 , ART 111 , ART 112 and ART 113 or their course equivalents for transfer students. For transfer students, a portfolio review is used to assist faculty in the drawing and painting area to advise students into courses appropriate to their level of skill and preparation.

BFA in Art (Graphic Design)

Students who wish to major in the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art with graphic design emphasis must successfully complete the foundation series, additional coursework within the graphic design sequences, and a portfolio review to be allowed entrance into the graphic design emphasis. The graphic design area coordinator, along with the area faculty Review Committee, will review each student’s course performance near the conclusion of the sophomore year, or after completing the foundational courses. Additional requirements include a 2.5 GPA in the emphasis area. Those students not meeting the above course requirements will not be allowed in the graphic design emphasis area.

Minor in Graphic Design

Students seeking a minor in graphic design must complete 21 hours of coursework, including: ART 101 , ART 102 , ART 111 , ART 312 , ART 342 , ART 343 , and ART 415 .

BFA in Art (Sculpture)

The Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in sculpture requires completion of 124 hours, including the general education curriculum of the University. In addition, students pursuing the BFA with a sculpture emphasis must also complete:

ART 101 , ART 102 , ART 111 , ART 112 and ART 113
53 hours of courses in history, ceramics, sculpture, and art studio (see degree plan for details)
One nine-hour sequences of approved art classes in ceramics or sculpture (see degree plan for details)
Two art history courses, at least one of which must be designated as Writing Intensive (WI).

Dance Program

The School of Performing and Visual Arts offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in dance in two emphasis areas: Performance & Choreography and Dance Licensure, K-12. The BFA degree ensures a comprehensive study of dance with an emphasis on studio work. Admission to the Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance in both emphasis areas requires an audition. Auditions are held in the fall and spring semesters in the year prior to a student’s enrollment at USM. Please contact the dance program at 601.266.4161 or visit www.usm.edu/dance for audition dates.

The School of Performing and Visual Arts also houses the USM Repertory Dance Company, which produces at least four concerts per year.

BFA in Dance (Performance and Choreography)

The BFA in dance performance and choreography prepares students to enter the profession as practitioners. This degree requires completion of 136 semester hours, including the general education core of the University as well as 91-99 hours in the area of dance. Please see degree plan for details of these requirements.

BFA in Dance (Dance Education Licensure)

The 136-hour curriculum leading to the degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in dance education will prepare dancers to teach in public or private schools. The program is designed to provide a well-rounded education that balances dance performance, choreography and pedagogy with the core curriculum (please see degree plan for specific course requirements). Students desiring to become licensed public elementary or secondary school dance educators must adhere to all teacher education requirements, including an overall grade point average of 2.75 in the general education curriculum and the successful completion of student teaching. In addition, students must earn a grade of C or higher in all courses required for certification. Criteria for admission to teacher education programs and completion of teacher education programs, forms, deadlines and procedures can be found in this Bulletin under the heading College of Education and Human Sciences. Students must consult an advisor in dance and the current Bulletin for prerequisites and proper sequences of courses.

Dance majors applying for admission to teacher education must be in good academic standing at The University of Southern Mississippi. To satisfy the state of Mississippi, students seeking a degree in dance education must earn a grade of C or better in all required courses.

Out-of-state students should consult with their respective state agencies regarding licensure requirements.

Retention Policy for Dance Majors

To remain in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program, a student must maintain a 2.75 GPA in all dance courses, regardless of emphasis. A student must retake any dance course in which the grade earned is a D or lower. Students must maintain a 2.5 GPA in dance courses to be eligible for The University of Southern Mississippi Repertory Dance Company.

A student who fails to maintain the required GPA will have one probationary semester to bring up grades to an acceptable GPA. A student whose grades do not improve after probation will not be allowed to enroll in additional dance courses above the 100-level.

Minor in Dance

Students from any major may elect to pursue a minor in dance, which requires completion of 22 hours. Please see degree plan for details.

Theatre Program

The School of Visual and Performing Arts offers three degrees in theatre: The Bachelor of Arts; the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) with an emphasis in acting; and the BFA with an emphasis in design and technology. The program also offers a minor in theatre.

Students who have been admitted by the University and who wish to major in theatre will be enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre degree plan. Within the first three semesters of the degree, the student must:

complete 18 hours of general education requirements, including three hours in English, three hours in history and three hours in mathematics
complete 10 hours of theatre classes, including THE 103 , THE 120 , and at least one from the following: THE 107 , THE 107L , THE 200 /THE 200L , THE 201 /THE 201L or THE 212 /THE 212L
have no more than one D in any theatre class; and
have a minimum 2.5 overall grade point average in all theater coursework

When a student is in at least the third semester of postsecondary education and has met these requirements, the student may make an application for entry into the Bachelor of Fine Arts in design and technology or Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting degree plan, if they so choose. A letter of intention, interview and a review of the student’s work are required as part of the application procedure. Contact the School of Performing and Visual Arts at least one semester prior to the desired admission for further information.

Transfer students are likewise admitted into the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre degree plan until their coursework has been evaluated to determine eligibility for admission according to the same guidelines as for freshmen.

BA in Theatre

The Bachelor of Arts in theatre degree requires completion of 124 hours, including the general education curriculum of the University and 64 hours of program requirements. Please see degree plan for specific classes required.

BFA in Theatre (Acting)

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting requires completion of 128 hours, including the general education curriculum of the University and 78 hours of study in the major. Please see degree plan for specific classes required.

BFA in Theatre (Design and Technology)

Retention Policy for Theatre Majors

To remain in the Bachelor of Arts degree plan, a student must maintain a 2.5 GPA in all theatre coursework. To remain in a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree plan, a student must maintain a 3.0 GPA in the emphasis area and a 2.5 GPA in all theatre coursework.

A student who drops below the GPA requirement for the student’s emphasis area will have one probationary semester (not including summer) to bring up grades to an acceptable GPA. A student whose grades do not improve after probation will be barred from taking any additional theatre courses, 300-level or higher, unless he or she again meets the requirements for admission to a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts program. However, a student may seek written permission from the school director to retake theatre courses in which he or she earned a D or F, for the purpose of attaining a better GPA, within the university’s regulations regarding the substitution of one grade for another.

Minor in Theatre

Students from any major may elect to pursue a minor in theatre. The minor requires completion of 21 hours, including THE 100 , THE 110 , and three theatre practicum courses in three different areas. Students must also complete one sequence from theatre technology coursework (THE 107 /THE 107L , THE 200 /THE 200L , THE 201 /THE 201L or THE 212 /THE 212L ). Remaining minor requirements should be designed in conjunction with an advisor in the theatre program.

Programs

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Fine Art

Non-degree