Summer Session Courses

Make A&A a part of your summer plans! Where do you plan to be this summer? At home with family? On campus with friends? Somewhere with palm trees and crystal blue water? Wherever you plan to be, Penn State will meet you there.

Plan for Summer

The College of Arts and Architecture offers a great selection of courses in a variety of delivery modes, so you can get back to the classroom or learn remotely. We have Integrative Studies offerings available. You can catch up on a standard University Park campus course over the summer, or you could explore numerous online options. This provides flexibility to learn where you are and find the right courses to fit your academic interests.

A&A Courses

General Education Courses

All A&A summer session courses qualify as General Education (Gen Ed) classes. Specific Gen Ed designations, as detailed below, are indicated in the description for each course.

GA – General Arts (All courses)
US – US Cultures component
IL – International Cultures component
GS – Integrative Studies: GA with Gen Social Science
GN – Integrative Studies: GA with Gen Science
GH – Integrative Studies: GA with Gen Humanities
GHW – Integrative Studies: GA with Gen Health & Wellness

Six photographs of two females, the prints pinned to a cream-colored wall.

Integrative Studies Courses

The following courses have a distinctive intellectual dimension, and can fulfill Integrative Studies requirements. These courses ask you to consider a topic from the perspective of multiple knowledge domains; they aim to advance your ability to comprehend things from multiple perspectives, to see connections, and to grasp the concept that one must employ different modes of thinking, different epistemologies, to understand more adequately the nature of things.

: Introduction to Art Therapy is designed to introduce undergraduates to the philosophical, pragmatic and historical bases of the human service field of art therapy, with emphasis on current applications in the field of art therapy. This course provides a brief introduction to art therapy globally, with emphasis on art therapy within the United States, and other expressive therapies and their application to the overall mental health and human service professions. Art experiences, class discussions, case studies and study of artistic productions will be utilized to explore the relationship between art and healing. Students will relate material learned in class to their community by producing a community art project that will address their local community social or cultural needs.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Mina Rahimian
Gen Ed: GA/GS/Integrative
: Creative Arts Therapies are intermodal professions that combine the visual arts, movement, drama, music, writing and other creative processes to foster deep personal growth and community development. While AA 120N provides cursory knowledge with a brief introduction to expressive arts therapies, Creative Arts Therapy Applications is designed to introduce undergraduates to the depth and practical application of the creative arts therapies, using a variety of approaches to wellness and healing with diverse populations.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Erin Carter
Gen Ed: GA/GHW/Integrative
: US buildings account for almost 40% of national CO2 emissions, 39% of the US total energy consumption, and 60% of US electricity alone. Worldwide, buildings consume nearly 40% of the world’s energy, 25% of its wood, and 15% of its water. Building construction and use contribute significantly to global climate change. The way we design our built environment has a significant impact on consumption statistics, which is why we must consider the global environmental and health effects of buildings during the planning, design, and construction process. This course provides a broad exploration of the art and science of sustainable architecture.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Rebecca Henn
Gen Ed: GA/GN/Integrative
: The world is awash with complex, dynamic information. With the development of powerful technologies capturing vast amounts of data, the art of visually representing information in ways that increase understanding of complex data and models will become a critical skill. Effective representations can communicate information in ways that maximize comprehension, analysis, exploration, and understanding of the underlying data. Knowing how to read and interpret visual data is essential to navigating this ocean of information. Those who know how to present data visually employ a powerful communication tool. In this class, you will become an effective reader and creator of visual representations of data.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Julie Ann Romualdez
Gen Ed: GA/GH/Integrative
: The history and evolution of jazz is a significant cultural manifestation of the African American experience. The music and its artists provide a lens through which to examine questions surrounding the African American experience and what it means to be Black in America, engaging with questions about identity, authenticity, freedom, activism, gender, and sexuality, as well as the role of music in African American life.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Stephen Hopkins, Eric Mckee
Gen Ed: GA/GS/Integrative
: The Beatles are the most significant musical group in the history of popular music. Their songs are derived from diverse sources, such as rhythm ‘n’ blues, rock ‘n’ roll, country ‘n’ western, Motown, soul, folk music, folk rock, the British Music Hall, and European and Indian classical music traditions. Two ideas define their work: an emphasis on freedom, and how song texts can be interpreted in different ways.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Vincent Benitez
Gen Ed: GA/GH/Integrative
: Inspired by the evolving field of performance studies, THEA 101N: Performance & Society introduces theatre and performance as artistic practice, creative action, a way of knowing, and a record and unfolding of culture. Combining the disciplinary domains of social science and the arts, the performances and performance practices we study range from the scared, to the artistic, to the commercial (and often more than one of these at once).

This course positions the study of performance as interdisciplinary-drawing from foundational texts in sociology, anthropology, and literature, just as it draws from such other art forms as visual art, architecture, dance, and music. We work from the following three interrelated premises: art and culture shape each other; performance happens everywhere-in many geographies, and in spaces real and virtual; and theatre and dance are human endeavors that tell us about the past, rehearse the present, and point to possible futures. To test these ideas, students will participate in projects that explore the limits and extremities of performance through the lenses of theatre studies and social science, fields that view performance as human endeavor, and everyday life as performance, respectively.

As the preceding suggests, this class is an integrative domains course that fulfills GA (arts) and GS (social science), positioning Theatre and Sociology as disciplinary partners. Thus, we take a “dramaturgical approach” to analyzing performance, as sociologist Erving Goffman terms it in the foundational work, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1956). It is this correspondence between social science and theatre that Introduction to Performance and Society will explore. Students will: Learn their major theories, ways of thinking, and methodologies used in sociology; understand “performance” as an agile term used in sociology, theatre, performance studies, and other fields; experience a variety of performance spaces and places-from theatres, studios, and public places, to ad hoc and virtual spaces such as the Internet, social media platforms, and the mind; complete creative projects such as scripts, designs, dances, and collaborative performances that allow them to experience what performing artists do and how they do it; and attend and write about theatrical productions as art and social event THEA 101 asks students to study, share, and live the course’s premises through collaborative activities, creative projects, and writing. Class activities ask students to interrogate the meanings of “liveness,” “community,” and “performance,” as well as articulate theatre’s role as an art and social practice in the past, present, and future.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Wesley Drummond
Gen Ed: GA/GS/Integrative

Complete Course List

Grouped by subject area, this is the complete list of A&A courses available for Summer 2022.

: AA 100: Introduction to International Arts

The arts of the world can be simultaneously universal and unique. By conveying qualities of the human condition (mortality, love, lust, virtues, vices, etc.) the arts can be universal. However, the arts communicating these qualities can be as unique as the cultures that produced them. Consequently, the arts are representative of the commonality and diversity of the peoples of the world. AA 100 will use the arts to consider similarities and differences among cultures. The primary objective of this course is to develop an appreciation of the arts from a variety of cultures. The scope of this course will be open to all arts from all cultures excluding the United States of America. Given how large a field of study this represents, the course will concentrate on but will not be limited to visual arts, architecture, designed environments, theatre, and music.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Valerie Flamini, Brendan Berthold
Gen Ed: GA/IL

AA 103: Introduction to Interior Design

We spend most of our time in interior space where we live, work, learn, and play, and the interior design of these spaces impacts human health and wellbeing. Individual interior spaces and the sequences of interior spaces enable us to make sense of the physical surroundings, enrich our experiences, and express particular personalities and identities. This course introduces the spectrum of interior design necessary to meet physical, psychological, and social human needs for the quality of life. The elements and principles of design in interior space and Gestalt psychology will be explored, while space planning and environmental human behavior theory will be discussed.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Miyhun Kang
Gen Ed: GA

AA 120N: Introduction to Art Therapy

Introduction to Art Therapy is designed to introduce undergraduates to the philosophical, pragmatic and historical bases of the human service field of art therapy, with emphasis on current applications in the field of art therapy. This course provides a brief introduction to art therapy globally, with emphasis on art therapy within the United States, and other expressive therapies and their application to the overall mental health and human service professions. Art experiences, class discussions, case studies and study of artistic productions will be utilized to explore the relationship between art and healing. Students will relate material learned in class to their community by producing a community art project that will address their local community social or cultural needs.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Erin Carter
Gen Ed: GA/GS/Integrative

AA 121: Design Thinking and Creativity

This course is an introductory, general education level course based on the premise that design is a fundamental human activity that everyone engages in one way or another. Design encompasses both the ability to imagine that which does not yet exist and to make it appear in concrete form. Design is a form of deliberate, considered action that seeks solutions to problems and creates useful and purposeful artifacts. Design is simultaneously used as a noun and a verb, and to describe a discipline and many fields of practice. Yet design remains essentially a black box to most people – its methods, processes, and components are mysterious, magical, and opaque. This course will turn the “black box” of design into a glass box. The course focuses on the relationship between ideas, tools, and artifacts in order to connect theory, practice, and outcomes.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Peter Aeschbacher
Gen Ed: GA

AA 130N: Creative Arts Therapy Applications

Creative Arts Therapies are intermodal professions that combine the visual arts, movement, drama, music, writing and other creative processes to foster deep personal growth and community development. While AA 120N provides cursory knowledge with a brief introduction to expressive arts therapies, Creative Arts Therapy Applications is designed to introduce undergraduates to the depth and practical application of the creative arts therapies, using a variety of approaches to wellness and healing with diverse populations.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Erin Carter
Gen Ed: GA/GHW/Integrative
: ARCH 100: Architecture and Ideas

This course introduces architecture and urbanism for a general audience. It presents key concepts that have shaped the built environment, and provides an ongoing framework for evaluations of what makes a good building or city. The material discussed is taken from prehistory to the present, and encompasses both major works of architecture and consideration of common building types and contexts.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Katrina Endresen
Gen Ed: GA

ARCH 170N: Introduction to Sustainable Architecture

US buildings account for almost 40% of national CO2 emissions, 39% of the US total energy consumption, and 60% of US electricity alone. Worldwide, buildings consume nearly 40% of the world’s energy, 25% of its wood, and 15% of its water. Building construction and use contribute significantly to global climate change. The way we design our built environment has a significant impact on consumption statistics, which is why we must consider the global environmental and health effects of buildings during the planning, design, and construction process. This course provides a broad exploration of the art and science of sustainable architecture.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Mina Rahimian
Gen Ed: GA/GS/Integrative
: ART 1: Introduction to the Visual Arts

Art 1 is a course on understanding and interpreting art and serves as an introduction to the visual arts. The material follows an interdisciplinary approach to the practice of the visual arts, examining the social, cultural, historical, and aesthetic implications of studio activity.This course is organized around six central topics: Art as Expression, Art as Cultural Narratives, Form and Content, Two-Dimensional Art, Three-Dimensional Art, and Writing About Art.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Zena Tredinnick-Kirby
Gen Ed: GA

ART 10: Introduction to Visual Studies

ART 10 is an introductory art appreciation course created for students without any artistic background. This course introduces students to various art movements, cultural influences, artistic genres, artists, and their artwork. The main emphasis of the course is to teach students hands-on studio arts techniques as they conduct personal research and explore their own creativity.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Anna Divinsky, Natalia Kravchenko, Melissa Leaym-Fernandez
Gen Ed: GA

ART 20: Introduction to Drawing

ART 20 is intended as a general survey of the art of drawing for non-majors. As a studio offering, emphasis is placed on hands-on studio activities, which promote visual literacy and on the various conventions used in drawing. Students will be given the opportunity to briefly explore many of the traditional materials of drawing, including pencil, charcoal, conte, ink and ink wash, pastel, as well as experimental tools.

Delivery: In Person, Hybrid, Web
Instructor: Courtney Redding, Melissa Lesher, Gulia Huber, Megan Gottfried
Gen Ed: GA

ART 30: Introduction to Sculpture

This 3-credit course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. ART 30 is intended as a general survey of the art of sculpture for non-majors. As a studio offering, emphasis is placed on hands-on studio activities, which promote visual literacy and sensitivity to the various sculptural conventions. Students are given the opportunity to briefly explore many of the traditional materials of sculpture including those that are used in modeling and replication, subtractive processes, and fabrication. As well, slide presentations, studio visits and museum critiques will augment studio exercises to facilitate a greater awareness of the cultural context in which the art of sculpture functions.

Students enrolled in this course will be required to participate in the following active learning components:1. Studio Assignments: a) Modeling and Replication b) Subtractive Processes c) Fabrication Assignment2. Creating a social and historical context for sculpture making through slide presentations, studio visits and museum critiques: a) Slide presentations: students will be asked to consider the concepts of their creative projects in relationship to the sculptural works of historical and contemporary artists in order to understand the ways in which the three dimensional aspects of sculpture convey meaning. b) Studio visits: Students will visit the personal studios of local artists to learn how professional artists develop best practices as related to the three basic approaches to rendering sculptural form outlined above. Additionally, they will explore and discuss with these artists the concepts expressed in their sculptural works. c) Museum critiques: Museum visits will enable students to learn how to engage and respond to actual works of art as compared with those that they experience as slide and printed representations. The role of museums and galleries in contemporary art practice will also be discussed. Grading and evaluation: Students’ sculptural projects will be evaluated according to the following criteria: 1) the uniqueness of the visual concepts developed in their studio assignments; 2) the strength of their visual compositions-their ability to communicate concepts clearly; 3) the quality of their craftsmanship-an effective use of materials and procedures and commitment to the studio assignments-the effort expended on each project; 4) Their willingness to participate in critique sessions-a thoughtful and informed interpretation of visual ideas in sculptural works produced by them in class as well as those discussed during slide presentations, studio visits, and museum critiques.

Delivery: In Person
Instructor: Mengqi Xu
Gen Ed: GA

ART 40: Introduction to Printmaking

ART 40 is intended as a general survey of the art of printmaking for non-majors. As a studio offering, emphasis is placed on hands-on studio activities, which promote visual literacy and sensitivity to the various printmaking conventions. Students are given the opportunity to briefly explore the various approaches to printmaking, which may utilize some or all of the following: screenprinting, relief, intaglio, lithography, and others.

Delivery: In Person
Instructor: Jean Sanders
Gen Ed: GA

ART 50: Introduction to Painting

ART 50 is intended as a general survey of the art of painting for non-majors. As a studio offering, emphasis is placed on hands-on studio activities, which promote visual literacy and sensitivity to the various conventions used in the discipline of painting. Students are given the opportunity to briefly explore the various approaches to creating visual images by applying various painting materials, techniques, and concepts.

Delivery: In Person
Instructor: Melissa Lesher
Gen Ed: GA

ART 80: Introduction to Ceramics

Delivery: In Person
Instructor: Emily Wright, Laura Dirksen

ART 100: Concepts and Creation in the Visual Arts

ART 100 is intended as an introduction to the concepts underpinning artistic creation. Through lectures and studio work, students will explore relationships between artistic processes and in daily life. The objective of the course is to develop in the student both an appreciation and understanding of contemporary art through an examination of art and contemporary social, cultural, and political issues surrounding artistic practice.

Delivery: By Appointment
Instructor: William Wellman
Gen Ed: GA

ART 211Y: Introduction to Digital Art and Design Criticism

An introduction to the language, aesthetics, and cultural impacts of digital art and design in contemporary society.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Eduardo Navas
Gen Ed:
: ARTH 111: Ancient to Medieval Art

This course is an introduction to Western art before the Renaissance, to CE 1423. The topics covered in this course include prehistoric art in Europe; art of the Near East and Egypt; Aegean art; Greek and Roman art; Early Christian, Jewish, Islamic and Byzantine art; and Medieval art including Romanesque and Gothic developments. The course is designed to meet two principal goals. The first is to increase students’ powers of visual analysis and to help them build a critical vocabulary for discussing an art object’s medium, composition, style, and iconography. The second is to foster an understanding of the deep implication of the visual arts in their social and cultural contexts.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Heather McCune Brune
Gen Ed: GA, IL

ARTH 112: Renaissance to Modern Art

This course is a broad survey of the most important artists and developments in Western art from the early 14th century to the present, including architecture, sculpture and painting. In addition to being a survey of major monuments in art, the course is also intended as an introduction to the field of art history: to its studies of artistic style, iconography (the study of subject matter and its meaning), patronage and contextual history.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Heather McCune Brune
Gen Ed: GA, IL
: GD 100: Introduction to Graphic Design

A beginning level graphic design course. Instruction touches on the practice, theories, history and processes of the graphic design industry. This course places emphasis on problem solving and observing design, while developing intuition and creativity.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Julie Ann Romualdez
Gen Ed: GA

GD 110: Experience Design – Concepts and Principles

Students in this introductory course will study foundational concepts and methodologies in User Experience (UX) design and thinking. User experience (UX) design is the process designers use to create products that provide meaningful and relevant experiences to users and is rooted in the research and discovery of digital audiences, inclusive of enhancing user engagement and loyalty through usability, accessibility and product satisfaction. GD110 offers practical instruction focused on visual communications perspective, rather than one focused on programming alone. The process of designing user experiences within digital systems and applications will be explored and analyzed, as well as introductory knowledge in constructing design systems for various based on the needs of users. The course will feature iterative design processes to employ basic management techniques in working with product stakeholders for digital planning practices. GD 110 will provide foundation level instruction for concepts and principles that will be applied more broadly in GD 210.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Julie Ann Romualdez
Gen Ed:

GD 115N: Visualizing Information

The world is awash with complex, dynamic information. With the development of powerful technologies capturing vast amounts of data, the art of visually representing information in ways that increase understanding of complex data and models will become a critical skill. Effective representations can communicate information in ways that maximize comprehension, analysis, exploration, and understanding of the underlying data. Knowing how to read and interpret visual data is essential to navigating this ocean of information. Those who know how to present data visually employ a powerful communication tool. In this class, you will become an effective reader and creator of visual representations of data.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Julie Ann Romualdez
Gen Ed: GA/GH/Integrative

GD 210: User Interface Design and Prototyping

Students in this course will apply knowledge in User Interface (UI) design and practice designing and prototyping compelling visual interfaces for multiple platforms – from websites to physical spaces to the nuanced interactions in mobile and wearable environments. The relationship of context to concept will be evaluated and applied, with emphasis placed upon designing for desktop and mobile environments through project-based learning and critique. Knowledge acquired in GD 110: Experience Design – Concepts and Principles will allow students to understand user behavior while applying technical knowledge in learning design systems and standards for desktop and mobile devices. Students will learn user interface design software to increase design capabilities, as well as prototyping software to further interaction design skill sets.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Julie Ann Romualdez
Gen Ed:
: LARCH 60: Cultural History of Designed Places

LARCH 60 is an introduction to the development of designed outdoor places from the ancient past to present day. Designed landscapes and urban spaces are expressions of cultural values and environmental influences. Underlying all of the designs is the fundamental human connection to, and manipulation of nature as people create spaces that reflect political views, religion, are entertaining or provide personal inspiration and, most recently, show concerns for the health of the earth.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Joshua Beblo
Gen Ed: GA, IL, US
: MUSIC 4: Film Music

An introductory examination of music’s role in Hollywood narrative film from the classic era (1930s and 1940s) to the present. MUSIC 4 Film Music (3) (GA)The course examines the role of music in narrative film, the premier art form of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The popularity, significance, and value of film art would not be what it is today if music had not become an integral – indeed, indispensable – part of motion pictures from the outset.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Sarah Schouten, Charles Youmans, Emily McKee, Stephen Hopkins
Gen Ed: GA

MUSIC 7: Evolution of Jazz

Evolution of Jazz is a course designed to examine the historical and sociological aspects of the American art form¿jazz. This general education course is for non-music majors. The material covered in this course begins with the precursors of jazz and then emphasizes the African American musical traditions and white American (initially European) influences that have shaped jazz as an American art form.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Mackinlay Himes, Stephen Hopkins
Gen Ed: GA

MUSIC 8: Rudiments of Music

Learning the rudiments of music can be compared to the learning of a language. Students must learn to hear melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic patterns (audiation) before they sing, play or write in notation. In this introductory class, students are introduced to melodic, harmonic and rhythmic patterns by imitating the instructor who establishes these patterns at the piano, or by singing or as in the case of rhythm by striking a drum head.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Stephen Hopkins, Eric Mckee
Gen Ed: GA

MUSIC 9: Introduction to World Musics

This course introduces students to the study of world music as a cultural phenomenon through an examination of the music of Asia, Africa, West Asia, the Americas, and European folk. The course begins with an introduction to methods of examining world music and reframes the study of music as a cultural phenomenon, comprised not only of the music itself but also behavior and conception. This approach helps students move beyond their preconceived understanding of music in order to open their ears and minds to a wide variety of music and cultural concepts, forming the basis for the case studies that follow. The remainder of the course focuses on cultural conceptions of music, examined through the lens of a selection of case studies, including, but not limited to, the music of the Celtic nations, the African continent, Central and West Asia, India, Indonesia, Japan, and the Native American culture groups.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Lisa Jenkins, Stephen Hopkins
Gen Ed: GA, IL

MUSIC 109: The Music of the Beatles

The Beatles are the most significant musical group in the history of popular music. Their songs are derived from diverse sources, such as rhythm and blues, country and western, rockabilly, rock and roll, Motown, soul, folk rock, the British music hall, and the classical music traditions of Europe and India.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Esther Benitez
Gen Ed: GA

MUSIC 207N: Jazz and the African American Experience

The history and evolution of jazz is a significant cultural manifestation of the African American experience. The music and its artists provide a lens through which to examine questions surrounding the African American experience and what it means to be Black in America, engaging with questions about identity, authenticity, freedom, activism, gender, and sexuality, as well as the role of music in African American life.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Stephen Hopkins, Eric Mckee
Gen Ed: GA/GS/Integrative

MUSIC 209N: The Music of the Beatles and American Popular Culture

The Beatles are the most significant musical group in the history of popular music. Their songs are derived from diverse sources, such as rhythm ‘n’ blues, rock ‘n’ roll, country ‘n’ western, Motown, soul, folk music, folk rock, the British Music Hall, and European and Indian classical music traditions. Two ideas define their work: an emphasis on freedom, and how song texts can be interpreted in different ways.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Vincent Benitez
Gen Ed: GA/GH/Integrative
: FRNAR 100: Introduction to Forensic Photography

This course will explore the principles of forensic photography and photographic methods, and discuss the procedures and standards that differentiate forensic photography from “artistic” photography and other methods of documentary photography. Through readings, analysis and photographic practice, this course will explore the fundamentals of photography, including lighting, image quality, composition, and more. Students will then apply and implement these fundamentals in forensic settings, for evidence documentation such as accidents, injuries, fingerprints, footprints, and bloodstains.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: William Kenyon
Gen Ed: GA

PHOTO 101: Culture of Photography

This is a non-technical introductory photography course where students photographically and intellectually examine the role of photography in modern culture. PHOTO 101 expands students’ depth of appreciation, knowledge, and understanding of the medium by providing them with a creative and intellectual background to realize its broad cultural scope. The course accomplishes this through photographic and written explorations of social, political and ethical issues relevant to photography.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Keith Shapiro
Gen Ed: GA
: THEA 101N: Performance and Society

Inspired by the evolving field of performance studies, THEA 101N: Performance & Society introduces theatre and performance as artistic practice, creative action, a way of knowing, and a record and unfolding of culture. Combining the disciplinary domains of social science and the arts, the performances and performance practices we study range from the scared, to the artistic, to the commercial (and often more than one of these at once).

This course positions the study of performance as interdisciplinary-drawing from foundational texts in sociology, anthropology, and literature, just as it draws from such other art forms as visual art, architecture, dance, and music. We work from the following three interrelated premises: art and culture shape each other; performance happens everywhere-in many geographies, and in spaces real and virtual; and theatre and dance are human endeavors that tell us about the past, rehearse the present, and point to possible futures. To test these ideas, students will participate in projects that explore the limits and extremities of performance through the lenses of theatre studies and social science, fields that view performance as human endeavor, and everyday life as performance, respectively.

As the preceding suggests, this class is an integrative domains course that fulfills GA (arts) and GS (social science), positioning Theatre and Sociology as disciplinary partners. Thus, we take a “dramaturgical approach” to analyzing performance, as sociologist Erving Goffman terms it in the foundational work, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1956). It is this correspondence between social science and theatre that Introduction to Performance and Society will explore. Students will: Learn their major theories, ways of thinking, and methodologies used in sociology; understand “performance” as an agile term used in sociology, theatre, performance studies, and other fields; experience a variety of performance spaces and places-from theatres, studios, and public places, to ad hoc and virtual spaces such as the Internet, social media platforms, and the mind; complete creative projects such as scripts, designs, dances, and collaborative performances that allow them to experience what performing artists do and how they do it; and attend and write about theatrical productions as art and social event THEA 101 asks students to study, share, and live the course’s premises through collaborative activities, creative projects, and writing. Class activities ask students to interrogate the meanings of “liveness,” “community,” and “performance,” as well as articulate theatre’s role as an art and social practice in the past, present, and future.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Wesley Drummond
Gen Ed: GA/GS/Integrative

THEA 102: Fundamentals of Acting

THEA 102 teaches the basic principles of Acting and Performance. THEA 102 aims to introduce the student to basic principles of the art and craft of acting, focusing on HOW and WHY actors do what they do in preparation of and for a performance less than on the attainment of performance skills themselves. Students will become acquainted with acting processes, theatre terminology, script analysis, improvisation, and other fundamentals to give them a more inclusive sense of the totality of the actor’s work as craftsperson and artist. In so doing, the student actors must tap their own powers of concentration, observation, creativity, and imagination. A major focus in the course is the development of the ability to analyze one’s own work and the work of peers in the class. Problem-solving in solo, paired, and/or large group contexts is a daily requirement in class.

Delivery: In Person
Instructor: Maria Ramirez
Gen Ed: GA

THEA 105: Introduction to Theatre

Introduction to Theatre is a fully online general education course intended to introduce the performing arts in all their global complexity. The course will contain elements of world theatre history; however, the focus of the course will be on the functions and practices of the art. Beginning with the shared basics of any theatrical event, the course will explore both the exotic and the familiar.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Rob Schnieder
Gen Ed: GA

THEA 111: The Fundamentals of Singing and Vocal Production

The origin of singing predates the development of spoken language. Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the human voice and provides a medium for communication universally across cultures. This course explores the fundamentals of voice production and offers tools to help singers at any level develop their singing voices. Preliminary objectives will include a basic understanding of musical information associated with singing.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Raymond Sage
Gen Ed: GA

THEA 112: Introduction to Musical Theatre

Beginning with developing an understanding of basic musical theatre terminology, Introduction to Musical Theatre will proceed to examine musical theatre development as it parallels the quixotic historical landscape. The course is designed to allow the general student to experience and understand the art of the musical theatre.

Delivery: Web
Instructor: Rob Schnieder
Gen Ed: GA

Blue-wax-drip-coverd figure on a pedestal in the foreground, with brightly colored, but focus-blurred paintings and framed artworks hung on a wall in the background.

Financial concerns?

If you need a summer course to graduate on time, you may be eligible for the Summer Success Scholarship.

Learn More