Urban Arts

Degree Type

Bachelor of Science

About

Revitalize and enrich urban communities with art you create and art you inspire.  

Introduction

Where we choose to live, or where we must live, can say a lot about the resources we have access to. The pace of development in cities and urban areas can lead to destruction of green spaces, neglect of buildings from bygone eras, or even overcrowding due to lack of resources. In contrast, suburban areas promote plentiful clean air spaces, cultural amenities and activities that may not be available to urbanized populations.  

Politics and policies have taught us that all neighborhoods and communities are not created equal. We know this discrepancy exists, but what can we do? Urban arts is the study of how to use art, as well as other humanities and social science disciplines to transform urban communities, neighborhoods, and the lives of people who live there. Urban artists use research, policy, and the creative process to affect economic and community change by reshaping and rebuilding the physical spaces around us. 

Choose one of 3 urban arts concentrations: 

  • Arts administration 

  • Theater 

  • Visual arts 

Regardless of your chosen concentration, our urban arts degree empowers students to use the creative process in building and improving communities through the arts.   

Create, Inspire, and Engage Communities

With exposure to an interdisciplinary curriculum, you’ll learn how to create, present, respond, and connect your ideas to communities across visual and performing arts mediums. You’ll learn how to: 

  • Research, organize, and develop artistic ideas and work 

  • Create and refine artistic works with relevance to audience and/or location 

  • Analyze, interpret, and curate artistic selections for public presentation and community engagement 

  • Develop and refine artistic presentations to align with relevant urban issues 

  • Perceive, analyze, and interpret meaning of artistic work 

  • Identify and use environmental resources to create masterworks 

  • Inform the creative process with personal knowledge and experience 

  • Make meaningful connections between ideas and works with other contexts 

In addition to those learning outcomes listed above, students pursuing the arts administration concentration, also learn how to: 

  • Communicate and engage in groups, as team member and manager 

  • Connect and communicate value of artistic ideas and works to other industries, like business  

This interdisciplinary program pulls from visual and performing arts, communication, economics, and urban sociology to prepare students to meaningfully engage in planning and redevelopment of urban areas. We lay the foundation for students to join community organizations that sponsor, create, exhibit, perform, and share visual and performing arts programming to improve urban environments, as well as inspire their residents. 

Students studying

750+ Course Options

The Coppin State University Academic Catalog has a wide variety of skill-building courses designed to inspire and prepare you to be in-demand professionals and transformational leaders.

Program Requirements

To graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Urban Arts, students must complete 120 credit hours. These credit hours split among: 

  • General Education Requirements (GERs)  

  • General electives  

  • Major courses 

  • Concentration requirements 

 

Core Courses (6 credits)

Urban arts majors must take 6 core courses. The remaining requirements may vary by concentration. 

Course credits Name
IDIS 103 3 Visual Art and Theatre
SPCH 205 3 Intercultural Communication
IDIS 270 3 Introduction to Urban Arts
IDIS 300 3 Fundraising for the Arts
IDIS 470 3 Senior Seminar in Urban Arts*
SOCI 406 3 Sociology of the City

*Capstone course for all Urban Arts majors

Remember! You must complete all major and prerequisite courses with a grade of C or higher.

How to Choose a Concentration

All Urban Arts majors are welcome to choose a concentration. We recommend you tell the department as soon as possible, so we can assign an advisor to help you design your course schedule based on your different concentration requirements. 

Remember, you must earn a grade of C or higher in any courses required for the Urban Arts major—that includes your concentration courses as well. 

Each section below details the specific concentration requirements. 

Arts Administration Concentration Courses

This concentration requires 33 credits.

Course credits Name
  3 Any Studio Course in Visual Arts
  3 Any Studio Course in Dance, Music, and Theatre
  3 Any Studio Course in Discipline Not Yet Taken

ART 312

or

THEA 380

3

 

3

Museum/Collections Management

or

Theatre Management

ENGL 305 3 Advanced Expository Writing
THEA 302 3 Stagecraft I
ECON 212 3 Microeconomics
ENMGT 355 3 Entertainment Law
MGMT 320 3 Principles of Management
MKTG 310 3 Marketing for Managers
Internship  3 DANCE or MUSC or ART or THEA 420

Theatre Concentration Courses

This 33-credit concentration prepares students for careers in the theater arts and related performing arts spaces.  

Learn more about the Theatre concentration

Course credits Name
THEA 215 3 Acting I for Majors
THEA 301 3 History of the Black Performer
THEA 302 3 Stagecraft I

THEA 303

3

Stagecraft II

THEA 315 3 Acting II: Scene Study
THEA 320 3 Principles of Play Direction
THEA 351 3 Theatre History I
THEA 352 3 Theatre History II
THEA 370 3 Playwriting I
THEA 380 3 Theatre Management
THEA 415 3 Acting III: Periods and Styles

Required Concentration Courses

This concentration requires 27 credits.  

Course credits Name
ART 103 3 Basic Design
ART 105 3 Introduction to Ceramic Sculpture
ART 208 3 Basic Drawing

ART 210

3

Life Drawing

ART 312 3 Museum and Collection Management
ART 401 3 Survey of Art History 
ART 40x 3 African American Art or Arts of Africa 
ART 3xx 3 Painting I or Ceramics II or Photojournalism or Special Project Design or Digital Photography or Ceramics Workshop
ART 3xx 3 Painting I or Ceramics II or Photojournalism or Special Project Design or Digital Photography or Ceramics Workshop

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