College of

F i n e A r t s a n dC o m m u n i C A t i o n

The fine arts and communication disciplines provide a constant source of dialogue, inspiration, passion and beauty in our lives. The College of Fine Arts and Communication at Towson University helps foster those attributes through both a broad liberal education and specialized professional training. Our approach to education enables students to develop creative and analytical abilities that can be tailored to their aspirations. Our six departments—Art + Design, Dance, Electronic Media and Film, Mass Communication and Communication Studies, Music, and Theatre Arts—offer a wide range of majors and concentrations. If you aspire to be a digital designer, a communication director, a journalist, a dancer, a musician, a choreographer, a director or an educator, the College of Fine Arts and Communication will provide a stimulating environment for your work.

CoFACC o l l e g e o F F i n e A r t s A n d C o m m u n i C A t i o n

a constant source of dialogue, inspiration, passion and beauty

C o l l e g e o F F i n e A r t s A n d C o m m u n i C A t i o n

Recognized as a thriving visual arts center for Maryland, the college continues to pursue its mission to enhance communication and the fine and performing arts, and contribute to the cultural life of the Greater Baltimore region through an annual program of events that includes more than 90 music performances; at least 25 student films; four film festivals, 17 dance concerts; numerous speeches, debates, lectures and workshops; no fewer than four mainstage productions; a daily campus television show; and eight to 10 art exhibitions annually.

a constant source of dialogue, inspiration, passion and beauty

A t A g l A n C eArt + Design Major/Minor

Tracks

• Ceramics

• Digital Art and Design *

• Graphic Design *

• Illustration: Traditional Media

• Illustration: Digital

• Interdisciplinary Crafts

• Metalsmithing and Jewelry

• Painting and Drawing

• Photography: Fine and Applied Arts

• Photography: Photographic Imaging

• Printmaking

• Sculpture

Art Education (K-12 Certification) Major *+

Art History Major/Minor

Communication Studies Major/Minor

Dance *#

Dance with K-12 Certification *+#

Electronic Media and Film Major/Minor

Tracks

• Film and Media Studies

• Film/Video/Digital Media

• Radio/Audio

Mass Communication Major/Minor

Tracks

• Advertising

• Journalism and New Media

• Strategic Public Relations and Integrated Communication

• Mass Communication–Marketing

Music Major *+#

Concentrations

• Bachelor of Science in Music Major

• Composition

• Guitar Performance

• Jazz/Commercial Composition

• Jazz/Commercial Performance

• Keyboard Performance

• Voice Performance

• Winds/Strings/Percussion Performance

Music Minor

Tracks

• Literature

• Performance

Music Education (K-12 Certification) Major *#

Concentrations

• Instrumental

• Vocal/General

Theatre Major/Minor

Tracks

• Acting *

• Design and Production

• Theatre Studies

m A J o r s

* Screened or competitive major. Admission to the university does not guarantee admis-sion to this major program. Consult the current Under-graduate Catalog.

+ This program is accredited by a national association.

# Audition required

The Classes

The College of Fine Arts and Communication offers courses designed to provide a broad liberal arts education and a specialized career-focused preparation. We believe that education and creative processes require teacher-to-student and student-to-teacher dialogue. Besides devoting individual attention to you as a student, our faculty members will also involve you in group discussions and focused explorations. You will be actively engaged in the learning process through a hands-on curriculum.

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BroAdl i B e r A l A r t s

Innovative Courses

• The Department of Art + Design’s motion graphics and digital media courses are extremely popular. Students learn in our Macintosh 2-D and 3-D design and photo digital labs.

• Students study the social, cultural, technical and behavioral effects and implications of new media and online communication in courses such as Cyberspace and Communication.

• The Department of Mass Communication and Communication Studies program in journalism and new media is one of the most advanced in the nation. Students learn journalism and communication across a wide spectrum of media through classes like: Persuasion, Cyberspace and Communication, Photojournalism and Writing for New Media.

• In Jazz History, students embark on a musical and historical journey starting with the earliest forms of jazz through the modern jazz-inspired genres of today. Students create and perform works in class and learn from guest performers and lecturers.

• Dance and Electronic Media and Film students work collaboratively to create original movement pieces for film or video in Dance for the Camera. This course combines advanced media production skills with choreography.

• Students in Meg Algren’s public relations courses tackle real-life projects, acting as a public relations agency for real-life clients. Past clients have included the Towson Business Association, Towson University’s football program and Highlandtown, a Baltimore city neighborhood.

“I came to Towson from high school knowing I wanted to be a theatre major. I love the theatre program here. It’s incredibly intense, but it feels like a family, and that can be relaxing. The professors are very accessible and look out for us. I do a lot of performance and design work for the school and in the Baltimore area. The faculty understands and supports the outside work that I do or that any other student does.” Alex Kliner, Senior, Theatre Arts with a concentration in performance

Hometown: Frederick, Md.

College Highlights

• Electronic Media and Film is the only program of its kind in Maryland and one of the leading programs in the mid-Atlantic region.

• The dance education program has a nearly 100 percent placement rate since 2000. Several students are members of the student chapter of the National Dance Education Organization.

• The Department of Music is the leading grantor of music education degrees in Maryland.

• The art education program places 100 percent of it’s graduates. It is active nationally through the student chapter of NAEA.

• The art history major prepares students for careers in exhibition design, curating and museum work, as well as preparing a foundation for advanced scholarship at the graduate level.

• The Department of Theatre Arts will translate and perform new plays from the contemporary Russian theatre as part of its 2010 season while integrating these works into the classroom curriculum.

industrY-sPeCiFiCl i B e r A l A r t s

PrePArAtion

Our Faculty

Faculty members in the College of Fine Arts and Communication are leaders in their areas of expertise and in their communities. They are committed to their own professional growth and are performing internationally, publishing books and papers, leading students in research projects and interdisciplinary programs, and working with their colleagues at Towson University and at other higher education institutions to conduct theoretical research in their fields. Our performance faculty are often commissioned for new works which are then performed at national and international conferences and events. Above all, our faculty members are committed to the artistic and professional development of our students. That commitment is nurtured through an ongoing mentoring relationship among faculty and students.

Committedto

“ Professor Haig Janian is the best mentor and professor that

anyone could ask for. When I first enrolled as a student, he told

me it would be hard, and it has been. But he has been there

each step of the way to help me grow and succeed. He pushes

his students to go out into the community and meet people in

the field. He is always keeping us informed of opportunities in

photography and encouraging us to make our mark.” Tracey Hall, Senior, Major in Fine Art Photography

Hometown: Shelbyville, Ill.

What inspires you to teach voice at Towson University?

“I get the most enjoyment out of watching students grow, seeing

them begin to see themselves as artists, perceive themselves as

artists, and begin to get a sense of pride in their ability to create

and recreate great works of art.”

Dr. Gerald Phillips, Professor, Voice

ProFessionAlg r o W t H

Committedto

Faculty Highlights

• Peter Lev has written numerous books on the history of cinema including American Films of the 70s: Conflicting Visions and The Fifties: Transforming the Screen, 1950-1959 (History of the American Cinema). He also recently received the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Scholar Award.

• Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell recently joined the dance faculty after performing with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for 20 years.

• Cristina Magaldi’s book Music in Imperial Rio de Janeiro was the winner of the American Musicological Society’s 2005 Robert Stevenson Award, which recognizes outstanding scholarship in Iberian music.

• Naoko Maeshiba has created interdisciplinary works in theatre nationally and inter- nationally since 1996. He explores the boundary between body and environment, examines the relation- ship between various performance elements and furthers the potential interaction between different disciplines and cultures.

C r e A t i n g

Students intern at:• MTV • Warner Brothers • Julliard School of Dance• Late Show with David

Letterman• The Today Show• The White House• The Baltimore Sun• The Baltimore Ravens• WMAR-TV• The Cannes Film Festival• Walters Art Museum• Baltimore Museum of Art• Professional dance companies• Broadway shows• The National Aquarium

in Baltimore

Internships and Post-Graduation Opportunities

Students in the College of Fine Arts and Communication are encouraged to pursue internships. These learning experiences help students prepare for a real-world environment. TU’s proximity to Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York affords many opportunities. Students often find that internships lead to job offers or careers in television, museums and galleries. Interning is one of the best ways to help secure a job after graduation.

COFAC students are successful alumni!

Our graduates perform in prestigious dance companies, work as reporters and producers in television and radio, are account executives in public relations and communication firms, pursue master’s and doctoral programs, and teach in both public and private schools.

eXPerienCes

Where Are COFAC Students Now?

• Performing in The Lion King, Aida, Chicago, The Color Purple, Fosse, A Chorus Line, Funny Girl and other shows both on- and off-Broadway

• Studying and teaching at schools in China, Germany, Korea, Russia, Italy and the United Kingdom through international exchange programs

• Working at the Corcoran Museum of Art in Washington, D.C.

• Performing with Opera Vivente in Baltimore

• Dancing with the Rockettes

• Performing with the Houston Grand Opera and Opera in the Heights

• Reporting for The New York Times

• Collaborating with architects to develop artwork for public spaces in the mid-Atlantic region

• Working with the Paul Taylor Dance Company

• New York, LA and Chicago are the migratory habits of a theatre major. They are performing in regional theatres, creating their own companies and assisting the designers on Broadway

W o r l dr e A l

Learning doesn’t just happen in a classroom or the library. COFAC students are involved in more than 400 performances, art exhibitions, film and video screenings, debates, lectures and workshops offered each year through the college. The university as a whole offers over 200 student clubs and organizations for you to choose from. Interested in the Tiger Marching Band? All members receive a $500 stipend for participating. You can get involved with an organization related to your academic interests and goals, or try something new and outside of your comfort zone—it’s your choice.

Here is a sample of what you can do outside the classroom:

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• AIGA, a professional association for design

• American Advertising Foundation

• American Choral Directors Foundation

• Association of Towson Composers

• COFAC Student Leadership Council

• Collegiate Music Educators National Conference

• Dance Team

• Film and Video Society

• Instrumental and vocal performance ensembles

• Kapa Kappa Psi, an honorary band fraternity

• Lambda Pi Eta (national honor society in communication)

• National Art Educators Association (NAEA), student chapter

• National Broadcasting Society

• National Dance Educational Organization (NDEO)

• Pi Kappa Delta (national honorary forensic society)

• Public Relations Student Group

• Sigma Rho Delta (national honor society in dance)

• Society for Professional Journalists

• Speech and Debate Team

• Towson Audio Production Society

• Visual Media Laboratory

• WMJF-TV

• XTSR-AM

WMJF and XTSR are student-run media outlets. Learn what a boom mic does, test out your sales talents with the advertising departments, or fine-tune your on-air personality. It’s real-world experience during your collegiate career.

Want to be a part of a legacy? Consider auditioning for TU’s Dance Team. Under the direction of Tom Cascella, professor of theatre arts, the team has won the National Dance Alliance Collegiate National Championship for 11 years in a row.

The Electronic Media and Film Department produces an Annual Student Media Arts Festival. The festival features open screenings of the best student film and video projects from the past year. Awards are presented for the best student projects in documentary, narrative, experimental, corporate and other categories.

Students in the nationally recognized and award-winning Towson University Speech and Debate Team mentor secondary school students in coordination with the Baltimore Urban Debate League (BUDL).

Art students collaborate with internationally known artists at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts and create artwork to enhance community environments at institutions such as Sheppard Pratt Health System and other medical centers.

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College of Fine Arts and Communication Facilities

An important component of education in the College of Fine Arts and Communication are our facilities. The Center for the Arts houses the departments of Music, Theatre Arts, Art and Dance, and was designed with an emphasis on the teaching and learning environment. A multiyear expansion and renovation completed in 2005 provided significant improvements including a new black-box theatre, new theatre director’s labs and lecture classrooms, a renovated band room, a new recording studio, new percussion and jazz labs, a new 140-seat recital hall, an expanded Asian Arts Gallery, a new Main Art Gallery, new dance studios including a dance performance hall, and new Master of Fine Arts art studios and gallery.

Other Facilities The Stephens Hall Theatre offers space for dance, opera, music, theatre and Asian Arts performances.

Van Bokkelen Hall offers classrooms for the Department of Mass Communication and Communication Studies, including journalism, photojournalism, radio, television and film laboratories.

The Media Center houses the Department of Mass Communication and Communication Studies; WTSR-AM; and the television station WMJF-TV.

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About Towson University

Founded in 1866, Towson University is the second-largest school in the University System of Maryland, enrolling more than 21,000 students in more than 100 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in the liberal arts and sciences, and applied professional fields. Towson is known for its excellent academic programs in business, computer science, health professions, education, fine arts, communications, and the arts and sciences. As a metropolitan university, Towson combines research-based learning with practical application. Our many interdisciplinary partnerships with public and private organizations throughout Maryland provide opportunities for research, internships and jobs. The university is located in suburban Towson, eight miles north of Baltimore. Our beautifully landscaped, 328-acre setting offers a pleasant environment for study and a diverse campus life, as well as easy access to a wealth of university and community resources.

Visiting Towson University

The best way to experience Towson University is to visit campus. Towson hosts several Open Houses for high school juniors and seniors that allow you to meet students and faculty, tour the campus, and learn more about campus life and academic programs. For the dates and times of Open Houses, as well as to schedule a campus tour, visit www.towson.edu/visitus.

Applying to Towson University

Applying to Towson University is easy. Visit www.towson.edu/discover and click on “Apply Now.” The admissions online application takes less than 30 minutes to complete. You’ll need to have your standardized test scores send directly to the Office of Admissions by the testing service and have your high school send official transcripts. For more information about the application process, visit www.towson.edu/discover.

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