Course Descriptions

Unless otherwise indicated, all courses carry three semester hours of credit. Please note that not all courses are offered every semester or every year. Students should consult with their Academic Advisors to determine the frequency with which courses are offered and preplan their programs accordingly.

Courses numbered 100-299 are freshman, sophomore, or other introductory level courses. Courses numbered 300-399 are junior or senior level courses, requiring background in the material. Courses numbered 400-499 are senior level courses. Students should ensure that they have completed the prerequisites listed at the end of many course descriptions.

Graduate course descriptions

The University reserves the right to cancel courses with insufficient enrollment, and the curriculum is subject to change as a result of ongoing curricular revisions and program development.

Honors Courses

Students who achieve high levels of academic excellence (minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5) have the option of taking specially designated “Honors Courses.” Please see Course Schedules and Syllabi to see which Honors Courses are currently being offered. Click here to learn more about Honors Courses at John Cabot University

For-Credit Research Assistantships

Students undertaking a for-credit research assistantship have an opportunity to deepen their research skills, while sustaining a more advanced research project in a specific disciplinary area. Research assistants may earn one unit of academic credit (on a P/NP basis) for the completion of at least 45 hours of work. They must complete at least 90% of their work before the end of the semester in which they are registered in order to receive a passing grade. Learn more about For-Credit Research Assistantships

EXP One Credit Courses

These 1 credit courses are designed to provide students with opportunities to acquire useful technical or professional skills, or to engage in academic topics they may enjoy exploring. This particular set of courses aims at encouraging students to think out of the box and break intellectual boundaries. Read through our offerings – which will be updated regularly – and venture into unknown fields! EXP courses can be found in the drop down menu below, grouped under EXP One Credit Courses.

EXP 1 credit courses will normally be offered on four Fridays, designated for each semester. These courses cannot be used to fulfill general distribution requirements, or as Major Electives, or towards the fulfillment of Minor requirements; they can only be taken as general electives. Students can take a maximum of three 1 credit courses within the 120 credit graduation requirement.

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AS 101 Introduction to Graphic Design

The aim of this course is to give students a comprehensive introduction to visual communication and to demonstrate how Graphic Design can be an effective and powerful tool for business. It covers a broad spectrum of different design disciplines, ranging from corporate identity, branding, brochure design, poster design, to packaging and illustration, and provides precious insight into the world of Graphic Design. The course is open to all students, particularly those who do not have a background in design, and complements other courses including Business, Management, Marketing and Communication.

AS 105 Introduction to Photography

This course creates a foundation of knowledge of photographic history, theory, and practice, and is recommended as preparation for further study in photography. Students will encounter technical issues concerning both film and digital photography, including basic issues of camera functions and controls, darkroom procedures, and digital techniques and software. The course examines a broad range of subjects such as: the early history of photography, photographic genres, use of artificial and of natural light, and various modes of presentation and archival management. Shooting pictures is balanced with classroom work. The course will help students develop a formal and critical vocabulary, an understanding of the uses of photography, and inspiration for more advanced photo courses.

AS 109 Color Theory and Studio Practice (This class requires a materials fee of €75/$85 to cover all basic art supplies.)

The course is a practical study of one of the fundamental elements of visual art and design: color. Artists use color as a compositional tool in developing pictorial form and space. Color transmits meaning and emotion, and is everywhere in our daily lives. Focused exercises help students both to understand the perceptual aspects of color and to manipulate color using specific techniques. The course begins with the perception and control of gradations of light and dark, treats the practical issues of physically mixing pigments, explores the alteration of color caused by the placement of adjacent colors, and arrives at expressive, poetical uses of color in compositions. Students learn the correct terminology needed to analyze color effects both in their own creations and in historical masterworks, and demonstrate their growing confidence and mastery of color in a portfolio of creative work.

AS 110 Drawing - Rome Sketchbook

This course makes use of the unparalleled resource that is the city of Rome itself; each class meets at a different site around the city. Students work in sketchbook form, creating over the course of the term a diary of visual encounters. Instruction, apart from brief discussions of the sites themselves, focuses on efficient visual note taking: the quick description of form, awareness of light and the development of volume in space. With practice and growing experience, students become capable of producing drawings governed by conscious intention.

AS 120 Smartphone Photography

Smartphone photography can be considered the 21st-century equivalent of Polaroid-style photography, and like this has its own aesthetic. The course will present a disciplined methodology in order to develop a sophisticated photographic language making use of new technologies. It includes an overview of photographic traditions and the work of master photographers, and addresses the problem of taking pictures involving a variety of subjects and topics in various light conditions. It combines theory, technical and media training, and on-site shooting. Students need to be equipped with a smartphone, and may wish to invest in optional extra lenses and equipment.

AS 121 Pinhole Photography

Pinhole photography is lens-free photography, a method of capturing images using a simple light-tight box with a single pinhole in one end. This course is designed to introduce students to the photographic process through the use of the pinhole camera and the traditional darkroom (B&W film) with its chemical processes. Sessions will include lectures, demonstrations, projects, and exhibition. The course is suitable for students with a good understanding of manual camera control who want to improve the quality of their B&W photographs.

AS 141 Introduction to Printmaking (This class requires a materials fee of €75/$85 to cover all basic art supplies.)

This introductory studio course engages students in historical and contemporary techniques of printmaking and its theory. The course positions drawing and mark-making as fundamental ways to investigate visual culture. Exploring the basic intaglio and relief processes of mono-printing, linocut and collagraph, students will heighten their sensitivity to line, color, tone, texture, transparency, layout and overall composition. This will provide students with an introduction to the creative thinking and visual exploration involved in making a multiple edition print and understanding its relevance to art, design and today's image-based culture.

AS 204 Painting (This class requires a materials fee of €75/$85 to cover all basic art supplies.)

This course introduces the basic issues of painting and pictorial perception. Emphasis is on students' imaginative responses to a series of classic problems: the still life, figure study, portrait and others through the control of color and light and dark value, while building form in a coherent pictorial space. The course introduces connections between studio work and the history of painting, encouraging critical discussion.

AS 205 Painting with Water-based Media

This course introduces the use of inks, watercolor, and other transparent water-based paints on paper. Elementary drawing and painting principles will be reviewed, including basic color theory and the rendering of form through modulations of light and dark. Technical practice focuses on understanding the watery nature of these media, the interactions between pigments, water, and paper, and the expressive potential of spontaneous gestures. Emphasis is placed on planning, composition, and the use of preparatory pencil drawings. The subject matter is generally drawn from direct observation, and may include any of the traditional genres of still-life, portraiture, landscape, interiors, figure studies, etc. The spontaneous nature of water-based media assists in significant ways in the development of a personal vision with method and intention.

AS 211 Fresco Painting

This course will provide students with the material techniques and art-historical context to understand Italian fresco painting. The art of fresco is particularly varied, and includes drawing, painting, color theory and plaster preparation. Students will leave the course with knowledge of these techniques and become familiar with the history of fresco painting and in particular certain masters and their work in Rome. While the course aims to provide an introduction to the history of fresco painting in Italy from 1300 to 1600, we will also study the traditional techniques of fresco painting and engage in the production of fresco work. Students will learn all phases of fresco making, from mortar mixing and surface preparation, drawing studies and transfer, to dry pigment preparation and application. Student projects may vary according to background and interest, from research projects to actual paintings, and, due to the scope of the subject, collaborations and group projects are encouraged.

AS 212 Figure Drawing (This class requires a materials fee of €75/$85 to cover all basic art supplies.))

Figure drawing is the traditional basis for training the artist’s eye and hand. Through specific exercises, students learn to control line and gesture, to model form in light and dark, and to depict accurately the forms and proportions of the human body.

AS 215 Video Art

In the digital era, independent, experimental, self-produced video art has become a widespread, even dominant, phenomenon that is visible in art galleries, museums, and other venues throughout the world. This course in video and video art will greatly increase students' awareness of the possibilities offered by new inexpensive technologies not only to create simple clips to post on various social network sites, but also to make true, creative, artistic works. The course includes in-depth study of the basic aspects of both video shooting and subsequent elaboration at the computer using software such as Final Cut.

AS 220 Street Photography

Street photography is an informal genre of photography using natural light, usually outdoors, that takes advantage of spontaneous discoveries. Street photography is a branch of both fine art photography and journalistic photography. The work of significant photographers in this genre, like Henri Cartier-Bresson, Helen Levitt, and Robert Frank, will serve as examples. Since it often involves candid shots of people going about their business in the bustle of urban life, one aim of this course is to give students more confidence in photographing and approaching people with a camera.

AS 221 Historical Studio Materials and Techniques

This hands-on studio course surveys and revives historical materials, tools, and techniques of Italian painting and drawing. The course will create awareness of the origins of current artistic resources through an examination of studio procedures in use during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The course will utilize this knowledge in the creation of art in various media. Much emphasis will be given to the use and sourcing of natural and sustainable pigments and tools, some of which will be produced as part of the course.

AS 232 Introduction to Illustration

Illustration is a fundamental visual language that informs, interprets or enhances a text or concept on published media such as books, magazines, packaging or web applications.

This course provides an introduction to the field of illustration. It aims to foster students’ creativity and equip them with the artistic agency and professional skills to develop work within the broad spectrum of illustration. Students gain insight and practical experience in the creative process and will learn how to analyse complex issues and translate them into effective visual concepts. Didactic emphasis lies on the critical analysis of project related case studies throughout history, concept development, interpretation of style, application of basic design principles, composition, usage of colour, and refinement of digital drawing techniques. A basic understanding in visual communication and competence in Adobe Design programs is expected from students who wish to take this course.

AS 251 Introduction to Textiles and Fiber (This class requires a materials fee of €75/$85 to cover all basic art supplies)

Textiles and fiber are crucial to today’s conceptual and technical creative practices. This?studio-based?course introduces students to a diverse range of textile materials, processes, histories,?traditions and?applications?of fiber and to their relationships to contemporary art and design. Projects engage with the historical relevance of fibers, its relationship to issues such as labor, identity, decoration, and functionality. These are taken to be vehicles to explore the use of textiles and fiber within?the expanded field of contemporary art and design. Emphasis is placed on researching and developing creative ideas through material sampling and exploration of surface and structure. Students investigate dyeing, printing, weaving and manipulation of fabric to investigate imagery, color and form.

AS 260 Foundation in 3D Art and Design (This class requires a materials fee of €75/$85 to cover all basic art supplies.)

This foundational course provides students with the knowledge and skills to explore and demonstrate a range of fundamental Art and Design principles, production processes as well as materials and visualization skills appropriate to introductory study in 3D art and design. The course encompasses a diverse range of practices from designer-makers (such as fashion designers, jewelers and product designers) to conceptual sculptors and installation artists. Through practical projects, this course will engage with a variety of media and encourage students to think ‘spatially’. Principles such as balance, form, function, ergonomics, scale, and repetition and their relationship to 3D will be explored alongside strategies of making. Students will also explore the relationships between Artist / Audience and Designer / Consumer, allowing this course to be equally relevant to students from studio and non-studio arts backgrounds.

AS 262 Foundation in 4D Art and Design (Prerequisites: (This class requires a materials fee of €75/$85 to cover all basic art supplies.))

This course introduces the fundamental principles of four-dimensional art and design through a survey of concepts, techniques, and technological practices. It introduces students to formal, narrative and alternative concepts for creative practice in a time-based context. The course covers the fundamental principles of space, moving image, sound design and interactivity. Throughout the course, students will learn how to organize information effectively in the dimensions of time and space. They will engage in creating, manipulating, animating, choreographing, and distributing digital and analogue content across multiple platforms and outputs. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking and creative problem-solving, focusing on areas particularly relevant to four-dimensional art and design.

AS 270 Introduction to Animation

Introduction to Animation provides an overview of concepts, tools, and techniques for creative animation. The course will cover elements of digital and analog drawing, modeling in 2D and 3D, storytelling, perspective and layout, and historical development of traditional animation and technologies. Though open to students of any level, it provides a possible practical continuation of foundational skills from previous experience with drawing, painting, or photography. The course also provides a historical and theoretical foundation to underpin creative development and expression through animation. Students will be introduced to basic drawing and visualization skills specific to animation, including perspective and layout, techniques for character design, methods for creating a framework and structure, and understanding the natural flow and movement of objects. The course aims to cover both the considered use of various techniques while encouraging experimentation and overlap between methods.

AS 281/381 Independent Study

AS 285 Film Photography (This class requires a materials fee of €75/$85 to cover all basic art supplies.)

This course offers instruction in the traditional technique of black and white film photography as a means of communication and personal expression. The major components of the course are the use of the 35mm camera, introduction to darkroom technique, and an overview of historic analog photo processes. The course will treat technical, theoretical, formal and aesthetic issues; color photography will also be addressed. Students must provide their own traditional 35mm film cameras. The university provides a large format camera for use in class. Students will develop and print their work in JCU’s Dark Room.

AS 289 Digital Photography

This course is meant for students who wish to deepen their knowledge of digital photography. It will review basic camera functions, lighting, principles of composition and pictorial dynamics, color interactions, and introduce methods of the elaboration of photos on the computer. The course will consider the historical and formal knowledge of photography, as well as including picture-taking in a variety of genres and the preparation of a photo exhibition. Each student must be equipped with a digital camera with a wide lens or a 3x or greater optical zoom, and camera functions selector which includes M,A,S,P. A tripod and modern single-lens reflex (SLR) digital cameras with interchangeable lenses are highly recommended.

AS 299 Special Topics in Studio Art (This class requires a materials fee of €75/$85 to cover all basic art supplies.)

Specialized courses offered periodically on specific aspects of studio arts. Courses are normally topics on an area of current artistic or technical concern led by a specialist in the field.
May be taken more than once for credit with different topics.

AS 304 Advanced Painting and Drawing (Prerequisite: One previous course in Drawing / Painting. (This class requires a materials fee of €75/$85 to cover all basic art supplies.))

For students who are already familiar with basic painting procedures, this course is an opportunity to progress into self-directed painting and drawing projects involving their choice of media, genres, and approaches. They are guided by an instructor who helps them to articulate their intentions, to increase their awareness of contemporary and historical precedents, and to gain technical mastery of their materials. Visits to art exhibitions are scheduled, and group critiques help students to gain artistic self-awareness and verbal skill in discussing art. While the instructor may suggest projects or assignments, students are expected to be self-motivated and capable of experimentation.

AS 305 Experimental Drawing (This class requires a materials fee of €75/$85 to cover all basic art supplies.)

The course offers an opportunity for idea development, visual perception, and the organisation of experience into compositions. Primary emphasis is on developing visual expression, skill in using various materials, and growth of critical evaluative abilities through group discussions and critiques. The course offers a critical investigation of concepts such as abstraction, mark-making, mapping, spatial disruption, time, pace, coding and organising visual information. The class will be structured around a series of projects and workshops, both within the studio and onsite, and visits to exhibitions in order to both examine the role of drawing within Contemporary Art and to support an evolving personal approach to drawing amongst students.

AS 306 Rethinking Landscape Painting (Prerequisite: One previous course in Drawing /Painting. This class requires a materials fee of €75/$85 to cover all basic art supplies.)

This course introduces the historical and philosophical significances of landscape painting, enabling students to explore its possibilities as a field of experience and speculation in the present. Onsite painting sessions around Rome alternate with lectures and discussions that resort to perceptual, imaginative and theoretical approaches to natural and urban spaces. With its millenary history, Rome is a stratification of ecosystems that makes it an ideal resource for students to develop a critical awareness of a variety of material and intellectual perspectives.

AS 307 Portrait Painting (Prerequisite: One previous course in Drawing /Painting. This class requires a materials fee of €75/$85 to cover all basic art supplies. )

This advanced course enables students to investigate a variety of approaches and narratives that make portrait painting relevant today. Questioning traditional tropes and conventions, students are guided to expand on the formal processes behind the rendition of the human face as a means to develop a critical and poetic awareness of their own position as a practitioner.

AS 311 Advanced Graphic Design (Prerequisite: One Previous Course in Graphic Design)

The aim of this course is to provide the advanced theoretical knowledge, practical skills and individual coaching necessary to successfully manage a creative design project from start to finish. The course is meant for students who wish to continue to deepen their knowledge of Graphic Design, and assumes a basic competence in conceptual thinking, design principles, and the use of the major design softwares. Students will carry out comprehensive design projects in the fields of typography, advertising, branding & identity, packaging or illustration, in order to gain insight into the various phases of a design production. Instruction is both on an individual, tutorial level and in group lessons. This course will help students acquire the technical and artistic competency expected in the professional workplace.

AS 330 Graphic Design: Corporate Identity and Branding (Prerequisite: one previous course in Graphic Design, including AS 232)

This course is meant for students who wish to deepen their knowledge in the field of corporate identity and branding. It will address how to respond to technical and communication requirements of a design brief, develop visual concepts, create a system of graphical elements that form the basis of an identity, and define a strategy for a brand. The course will also consider the professional standards of preparing artwork for print. The course requires good competence in visual communication and expertise in the major Graphic Design programs.

AS 332 Poster Design (Prerequisite: one previous course in Graphic Design)

The course focuses both on the practical and the theoretical aspects of Poster Design. It will address how to develop graphical concepts in order to bring a coherent message across for didactic purposes, campaigns, exhibitions, or events, and it will examine poster design from an historical and aesthetic point-of view. Technical practice includes an in-depth study of typography, composition, color, photography, and illustration. A basic competence in visual communication, including the major Graphic Design programs, is expected from students who wish to take this course.

AS 341 Advanced Printmaking (Prerequisites: AS 141. This class requires a materials fee of €75/$85 to cover all basic art supplies))

Aimed at students with previous experience in printmaking, the course will explore a variety of contemporary printmaking processes, including woodcut, screen printing and mixed media. Emphasis will be placed on embedding theory and practice related to artisanal and digital production methods, expanded printmaking, and installation. As students develop a more personal approach to concept, subject, scale, material and process, they will be introduced to more advanced printmaking topics. Discussion and research will further engage students with the theoretical directions in the field and support their own development, culminating in a portfolio of their own research and related artistic output.

AS 342 Painterly Prints (Prerequisites: One previous course in Painting / Printmaking. This class requires a materials fee of €75/$85 to cover all basic art supplies.)

This course will investigate the material, operational, and conceptual overlaps between painting and printmaking, focusing primarily on the exploration of one-off mono-prints. In contrast to the tradition of printmaking as a medium for technical reproduction, students will deconstruct techniques for image making into principal elements such as pressure, tactility, materiality, and transfer, reconceptualizing them to foster expressive uncertainty and spontaneity associated with painterly prints. This course centers on the creative reinvention of images and the development of a personal portfolio derived from sketchbook exercises and visual research. Through active experimentation on the plate, students will create painterly prints utilizing various techniques for texture, pattern, and mark-making.

AS 345 The Photo-book (Prerequisite: One previous course in photography)

This course focuses both on the creation of photographs and on their presentation in book format. A photo-book is a book in which the primary message is carried by photographs; through its design and the choice of its images the book is itself an expressive artistic medium. The course examines the contemporary status of the photo-book as well as the rich history of the medium. It explores the processes of creating a personal photographic vision, and guides students in producing a final collaborative photo-book.

AS 349 Advanced Photography (Prerequisite:one previous course in Photography)

The aim of this course is to give advanced students the theoretical and practical skills necessary to invent and produce a creative photographic project. Projects may fall into traditional genres such as nature photography, architecture, portraiture, fashion, still life/objects/merchandise, photojournalism, landscape, etc., as well as more conceptual approaches. The course assumes the basic competence in black and white photography (including darkroom techniques), and/or expertise in digital photography. Instruction is both on an individual, tutorial level and in group visits, lessons and critiques. The course will help students acquire the technical and artistic competency expected in the professional workplace.

AS 399 Special Topics in Studio Art (One previous course in a relevant Studio Art field)

CW/AS 358 Creative Writing and Studio Art Workshop (Prerequisite: EN 103 or 105 with grade of C or above; Co-requisites: Recommended: previous coursein Creative Writing)

This is a workshop exploring the overlap of creative writing and art and design where students will engage with the materiality of words and the metaphorical nature of materials. Students will workshop their own writing and will experiment with different methods to construct small collections of writing. Students will acquire methods of DIY publishing and learn to disseminate their work in a novel way.

DJRN/AS 290 Introduction to Photojournalism: On Location in Rome

This is a course in basic photojournalism on location. There will be both classroom sessions and classes off campus, held on location in Rome and the surrounding area, as well as visits to photographic exhibitions. Students will gain an understanding of the basic concepts of photography and photojournalism; how cameras and lenses work; image composition; lighting conditions and techniques; shooting on location; techniques for working as a photographer; editing and producing photographs; and building a portfolio of images. Class sessions will cover learning use of a camera, lights, composition, color, documentary and candid photographic techniques, photographic software such as Adobe Photoshop, and critiques. Classes on location include practical fieldwork.

DMA/AS 323 Short-form Video: History and Practice (Prerequisites: COM 230 or AS 215)

Short-form videomaking commonly utilized in social media ties current mediamaking practices with the early history of film. It is now one of the predominant means of communication in social media. Historically, the short has taken on many forms, including animation, avant-garde art, propaganda, news reels, advertising, education, music videos, viral media, fan media, mash-ups, video essays, documentary and news. In this course, students will perform a number of practical production exercises that engage various short-form formats to allow for a deeper historical and aesthetic understanding of audiovisual media. By developing projects that involve planning and targeting audiences, this course will also develop strategic communication skills and expand the creative palate. Students are expected to have prior experience in basic video editing and camera work.

DMA/AS 323 Short-form Video: History and Practice (Prerequisite: COM 230 or AS 215)

DMA/AS 326 Creative Coding (Prerequisites: COM 311 or permission of the instructor)

This course will introduce students to the creative possibilities of computer coding as a media art practice. In this course, we will survey the world of code-based media art and learn the basic technical and aesthetic skills needed to begin to make our own works. Students will gain confidence using computer languages as aesthetic tools and will become familiar with key works and trends in code-based media practice.

M-AS 110 Drawing - Rome Sketchbook

M-AS 220 Street Photography

M-AS 251 Introduction to Textiles and Fiber (This class requires a materials fee of €75/$85 to cover all basic art supplies)

Textiles and fiber are crucial to today’s conceptual and technical creative practices. This?studio-based?course introduces students to a diverse range of textile materials, processes, histories,?traditions and?applications?of fiber and to their relationships to contemporary art?and design.?Projects?engage with?the historical relevance of fibers, its relationship to?issues?such as labor,?identity, decoration, and functionality. These are?taken to be vehicles to explore the use of textiles and fiber within?the expanded field of contemporary art?and design. Emphasis is placed on researching and developing creative ideas through material sampling and exploration of surface and structure. Students investigate dyeing, printing, weaving and manipulation of fabric to investigate imagery, color and form.