Apr 19, 2025

DRAFT 2025-2026 Academic Catalog

Creative Arts, BA

Advisor: Shannon Rose Riley. M.F.A., Ph.D.

Founded in 1956, the innovative Creative Arts Program is the oldest interdisciplinary arts and creativity studies program in the CSU. The program offers a flexible, interdisciplinary curriculum that examines creativity across the domains and emphasizes both creative and critical thinking. Offered by the Department of Humanities , students take core courses in creative arts in combination with art, English, comparative literature, music, dance, radio, film, and theatre courses, individualizing their program of study. Key to the Program is an emphasis on creative thinking and the creative process. As a result, our students become effective thinkers and problem-solvers. Our graduates become successful visual and performing artists, teachers, arts administrators, activists, software developers, software engineers, physicians, writers, sound recording engineers, costume designers, arts therapists, librarians, lawyers, and entrepreneurs.

Program Learning Outcomes

Program Roadmaps

The 4-Year Roadmap is available online. Roadmaps should be used in consultation with the catalog and your advisor to identify additional requirements for completing the major (for example, course grade minimums). Associate Degrees (ADT) Pathways are also available online.

Major-Specific Graduation Requirements

The following Required Major courses must be completed with a grade of “C- or better”: CA 172 , CA 173 , CA 175 , CA 176 , CA 178 , and CA 194 .

1. Complete the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Students must satisfy the specific degree requirements for their undergraduate major and fulfill the following University degree requirements:

Academic (program total units with an average 2.0 GPA - “C” or better)
General Education (GE) (34 Lower Division + 9 Upper Division)
American Institutions (AI) (0-6 units) (may be satisfied in GE Areas 3A, 3B, 4, UD 3, or UD 4)
Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) 3 units (see Writing in the Disciplines)
Physical Education (PE) (0-2 units)
Units in Residence (30 units, including 24 upper division and 12 in major)
Upper Division Units (40 units, including 12 upper div in major for BA, 18 upper div in major for BS)
Undergraduate Policies & Procedures

Apply for Graduation
Information about the Commencement Ceremony and Conferral of the Degree

Summary of Degree Units

Core Lower Division General Education: 22 (6 units may be satisfied by major coursework)

American Institutions/ US123 Requirements: 6 (Note: may be satisfied by GE coursework)

Upper Division General Education: 0 (9 units may be satisfied by major coursework)

Physical Education: 0 (2 units may be satisfied by major coursework)

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR): 0 (3 units may be satisfied by HUM 100W)

Lower Division Humanities & the Arts College Requirement: 3

Upper Division Humanities & the Arts College Requirement: 2-4

Major Preparation: 3

Major Requirements: 45

University Electives: 35-37

Total: 120

2. Lower Division College of Humanities & the Arts Requirement (3 units):

3. Upper Division College of Humanities & the Arts Requirement (2-4 units):

Complete a course offered by the College of Humanities & the Arts in a discipline other than your major.

4. Major Preparation (3 units)

HUM 100W - Writing in the Humanities & Interdisciplinary Arts 3 unit(s) (WID)

5. Major Requirements (45 units)

To qualify for a baccalaureate in Creative Arts, a grade of “C-” (1.7) or better is required in each of the following courses:

CA 172 - The Arts in U.S. Society 3 unit(s)
CA 173 - Thinking About Contemporary World Arts 3 unit(s)
CA 175 - Seminar in Creative Process 3 unit(s)
CA 176 - Creativity and Creative Leadership 3 unit(s)
CA 178 - Senior Seminar in Creative Arts 3 unit(s)

Lower Division Courses (9 units)

CA 60 - Creativity Matters 3 unit(s)
HUM 95 - Introduction to Digital Humanities 3 unit(s)

Arts History/Theory Course (3 units)

Three units of lower division non-studio, non-activity courses in history or theory selected from the following: Art; Art History; Comparative Literature; Dance; Design; English; Music; Radio, Television, Film; Theatre Arts; and others approved by the CAP Advisor.

CA 95 - Introduction to Queer Arts 3 unit(s) (GE Area 3A / Formerly Area C1)
DANC 10 - Dance Appreciation 3 unit(s) (GE Area 3A / Formerly Area C1)
ENGL 10 - Great Works of Literature 3 unit(s) (GE Area 3B / Formerly Area C2)
ENGL 22 - Fantasy and Science Fiction 3 unit(s) (GE Area 3B / Formerly Area C2)
MUSC 10A - Music Appreciation 3 unit(s) (GE Area 3A / Formerly Area C1)
MUSC 19 - Music in World Cultures 3 unit(s) (GE Area 3A / Formerly Area C1)
RTVF 82 - Introduction to Film History 3 unit(s)
RTVF 31 - Film and Television Aesthetics 3 unit(s)
TA 10 - Theatre Appreciation 3 unit(s) (GE Area 3A / Formerly Area C1)

Activity or Studio Courses (6 units)

Six units of activity or studio courses in visual or performing arts or creative writing listed below or approved by the CAP Advisor

ART 12 - Two-Dimensional Design and Color Concepts 3 unit(s)
ART 13 - Three-Dimensional Design Concepts 3 unit(s)
ART 24 - Drawing I 3 unit(s)
ART 26 - Drawing II 3 unit(s)
DANC 40A - Topics in Modern Dance I 2 unit(s) (PE)
DANC 42A - Topics in Jazz Dance I 2 unit(s) (PE)
DANC 43 - Dance Improvisation 1 unit(s)
DANC 53 - World Dance 1 unit(s)
ENGL 71 - Creative Writing 3 unit(s) (GE Area 3A / Formerly Area C1)
TA 5 - Beginning Acting 3 unit(s) (GE Area 3A / Formerly Area C1)
TA 17 - Intermediate Acting 3 unit(s)
TA 48 - Voice & Movement for the Actor 3 unit(s)

Upper Division Courses (9 units)

Nine unit program of study of upper division courses in two or more arts disciplines selected primarily from the following: Art; Art History; Comparative Literature; Dance; Design; English; Music; Radio, Television, Film; Theatre Arts; World Languages and Literatures (literature only); or for a complete list of electives, see the Creative Arts Advisor

AMS 179 - Issues in US Popular Culture 3 unit(s)
ART 110 - History and Theory of New Media 3 unit(s)
ARTH 126 - History of Photography 3 unit(s)
CA 134 - Religion Film & Media 3 unit(s)
DANC 102 - Dance in World Cultures 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
DANC 148 - Children’s Dance 3 unit(s)
ENGL 176 - The Short Story 4 unit(s)
RTVF 111 - Global Screen Cultures 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
RTVF 181 - Modern Film History 3 unit(s)
SPAN 120A - Spanish Literature I 4 unit(s)
TA 120 - World Theatre I 3 unit(s)
TA 121 - World Theatre II 3 unit(s)
TA 131 - Storytelling 3 unit(s)

Creative Arts Courses (21 units)

CA 172 - The Arts in U.S. Society 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
CA 173 - Thinking About Contemporary World Arts 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
CA 175 - Seminar in Creative Process 3 unit(s)
CA 176 - Creativity and Creative Leadership 3 unit(s)
CA 178 - Senior Seminar in Creative Arts 3 unit(s)
CA 194 - Community Building through Arts Orgs 3 unit(s)

Complete Three Units From:

CA 180 - Individual Studies 1-4 unit(s)
CA 190 - Field Work/Internship 1-3 unit(s)
HUM 160 - Special Topics in Humanities 3 unit(s)
For prospective teachers only with advisor permission: CA 177 .

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