Integrative Arts, B.A. (Abington)

Program Description

Integrative Arts is an interdisciplinary major available to students who desire a curriculum that crosses over traditional single discipline lines. The Integrative Arts student initially establishes an academic plan with the assistance of an approved adviser. The plan must contain a core component of 42 credits and an elective component of 15 credits. The two components combined must clearly illustrate that the plan has clarity, purpose, and cohesion. All Integrative Arts students must complete 6 credits of history of the arts. These credits may be counted as a part of the major or, if outside the major, may be counted under General Education and/or Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. Consult with adviser for course selection.

What is Integrative Arts?

The Integrative Arts major provides opportunities for students to unite their creative and vocational interests in the arts and design with other areas such as science, technology, business, and more. It’s a hands-on, self-directed approach to creative and career development. Creative interests and professional aspirations come together to explore unique and unexpected creative, intellectual, and professional pathways. Combine painting and sculpture with biology; merge a passion for illustration with writing children’s literature; enhance digital media with UX design—the possibilities are endless!

You Might Like This Program If...

You’re passionate about the arts and design, but can’t find a degree program that addresses all of your interests. Or, you want a unique program that lets you cross disciplinary boundaries. Perhaps you want to merge your creative practice with study outside of the arts and design. If so, Integrative Arts might be the place for you. Successful Integrative Arts students are highly motivated individuals who are excited by opportunities for self-directed research. If this sounds like you, then this might be the program for you!

Entrance to Major

In order to be eligible for entrance to this major, a student must:

1. attain at least a C (2.00) cumulative grade-point average for all courses taken at the University; and
2. have at least third-semester classification.

READ SENATE POLICY 37-30: ENTRANCE TO AND CHANGES IN MAJOR PROGRAMS OF STUDY

Degree Requirements

For the Bachelor of Arts degree in Integrative Arts, a minimum of 120 credits is required:

6-15 of the 45 credits for General Education are included in the Requirements for the Major. This includes: 0-3 credits of GHW, 6 credits of GA, and 0-6 credits of GN.

3 of the 24 credits for Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements are included in the Requirements for the Major, General Education, or Electives and 0-12 credits are included in Electives if world language proficiency is demonstrated by examination.

Requirements for the Major

Must include at least 15 credits at the 400 or equivalent level.

Must include 6 credits in History of the Arts.

A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the major. To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn at least a C grade in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.

General Education

Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.

The keystone symbol appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.

Foundations (grade of C or better is required and Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
• Writing and Speaking (GWS): 9 credits

Breadth in the Knowledge Domains (Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Arts (GA): 3 credits
• Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
• Humanities (GH): 3 credits
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 3 credits
• Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits

Integrative Studies

• Inter-Domain Courses (Inter-Domain): 6 credits

Exploration

• GN, may be completed with Inter-Domain courses: 3 credits
• GA, GH, GN, GS, Inter-Domain courses. This may include 3 credits of World Language course work beyond the 12th credit level or the requirements for the student’s degree program, whichever is higher: 6 credits

University Degree Requirements

First Year Engagement

All students enrolled in a college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies at University Park, and the World Campus are required to take 1 to 3 credits of the First-Year Seminar, as specified by their college First-Year Engagement Plan.

Other Penn State colleges and campuses may require the First-Year Seminar; colleges and campuses that do not require a First-Year Seminar provide students with a first-year engagement experience.

First-year baccalaureate students entering Penn State should consult their academic adviser for these requirements.

Cultures Requirement

6 credits are required and may satisfy other requirements

• United States Cultures: 3 credits
• International Cultures: 3 credits

Writing Across the Curriculum

3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.

Total Minimum Credits

A minimum of 120 degree credits must be earned for a baccalaureate degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.

Quality of Work

Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.

Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition

The college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

B.A. Degree Requirements

World Language (0-12 credits): Student must attain 12th credit level of proficiency in one world language in addition to English. This proficiency must be demonstrated by either examination or course work. See the Placement Policy for Penn State World Language Courses.

B.A. Fields (9 credits): Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arts, World Languages, Natural Sciences, Quantification (may not be taken in the area of the student's primary major; world language credits in this category must be in a second world language in addition to English or beyond the 12th credit level of proficiency in the first language). Credits must be selected from the list of approved courses.

World Cultures (0-3 credits): Select 3 credits from approved list. Students may count courses in this category in order to meet other major, minor, elective, or General Education requirements, except for the University Cultural Diversity (US/IL) requirement.​

Program Learning Objectives

• Curriculum Proposal: Students will prepare, with appropriate faculty input, a proposal that will outline their post-graduation aspirations and how these targets will be achieved through a concomitant course of study in the arts or an arts-related field.
• Original Artwork: Students will present evidence—by means of an original work of art or an analysis of a work of art—that they have an understanding of the art form/forms studied in their academic programs.
• Academics: Students will produce oral and written reports/essays that explore and analyze the arts/arts-related subject matter presented in the academic course of study.
• Independent and Interdisciplinary Work: Faculty members will be surveyed about graduating students' oral or written work in advanced classes, to evaluate their independent and interdisciplinary nature.

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

Abington

Pierce Salguero
Program Chair, Integrative Arts
1600 Woodland Road
Abington, PA 19001
215-881-7826
salguero@psu.edu

University Park

Gary Chinn, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean of Digital Learning
University Park, PA 16802
gmc14@psu.edu

Suggested Academic Plan

The suggested academic plan(s) listed on this page are the plan(s) that are in effect during the 2024-25 academic year. To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition.

Integrative Arts, B.A. at Abington Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

*

Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

‡

Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

#

Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

†

Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ), Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) and Integrative Studies (Inter-domain) requirements. N or Q (Honors) is the suffix at the end of a course number used to help identify an Inter-domain course, but the inter-domain attribute is used to fill audit requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

Bachelor of Arts Requirements:

Bachelor of Arts students must take 9 credits in Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Fields (Humanities; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Arts; World Languages [2nd language or beyond the 12th credit level of proficiency in the 1st]; Natural Sciences; Quantification). The B.A. Fields courses may not be taken in the area of the student’s primary major. See your adviser and the Degree Requirements section of this Bulletin.

Bachelor of Arts students must take 3 credits in World Cultures.
See your adviser and the full list of courses approved as World Cultures courses.

¹

 ENGL 202A, B, or D is recommended for IARAB majors.

²

 Students must take at least 15 credits of major courses at the 400 level or its equivalent.

Program Notes

Under their adviser's supervision, new IARAB students must write a proposal outlining the courses they plan to take in the major, demonstrating how those courses work together to achieve their educational goals and/or prepare them for their intended career. The proposal must be approved by the Head of Division of Arts and Humanities. Failure to have an approved proposal on file with the Registrar by the deadline set for the student by the Division of Arts and Humanities incurs a registration hold on the student's account.

Students may use arts courses to fulfill 9 credits of General Education and Bachelor of Arts requirements if: a. All 9 credits are OUTSIDE the students's art area. b. No more than 6 credits are in any one subject area. c. 6 of these credits may double count with College Requirements (History of the Arts).

Career Paths

The Integrative Arts program is unique in the way students can tailor their educational experience to prepare them for multiple career paths and opportunities for graduate study.

Careers

Graduates in Integrative Arts follow diverse career and post-graduate paths, including completion of graduate studies, finding employment in arts and design-related industries, or becoming independent entrepreneurs in the arts and design fields. The Integrative Arts program also encourages students to engage in career-related internships and self-directed research projects, as well as independent study courses, in order to enhance their creative portfolios and to develop meaningful contacts in the professional world.

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

The individualized nature of the Integrative Arts degree allows students interested in pursuing graduate study to prepare for many different kinds of graduate programs. Recent graduates have entered programs in fields as diverse as design for sustainability, visual arts therapies, theatrical screenwriting, and information technology.

Contact

Abington

DIVISION OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES
1600 Woodland Road
Abington, PA 19001
215-881-7826
salguero@psu.edu

https://www.abington.psu.edu/academics/majors-at-abington/integrative-arts

University Park

INTEGRATIVE ARTS PROGRAM
University Park, PA 16802
gmc14@psu.edu

https://arts.psu.edu/degrees/bachelor-of-arts-in-integrative-arts/