Design Degrees Online

In addition to state and federal aid programs, students of SUNY College at Old Westbury can take advantage of an array of scholarship opportunities. Whether to cover tuition, housing, or travel, the College itself and the Old Westbury College Foundation, Inc. work together to help you explore every option for getting the money you need to attend Old Westbury. Use the links below to see what options are available for you from the College and other sources:
Scholarships Offered by the College and the Old Westbury College Foundation
Other on-line grant and scholarship information

Prospective graduate students interested in applying for federal, state and/or local student financial assistance (grants, loans and scholarships) must contact the Office of Financial Aid by calling (516) 876-3222/3223 or finaid@oldwestbury.edu for a “specific year” Financial Aid Packet and complete all of the required applications by the deadlines suggested below:Fall 2009 Entry
Submit all Documents May 11, 2009

SUNY College at Old Westbury currently offers its graduate program via three semesters annually.

The Office of Financial Aid is dedicated to providing quality, personable services to all applicants to assist them in funding their college education. An extensive network of services and resources are offered to help applicants with the financial aid process.

Individuals who have expressed an interest in attending SUNY College at Old Westbury and applying for financial aid are assigned a Financial Aid Advisor. Financial Aid Advisors help students apply for financial aid and develop financial aid awards tailored to meet four years of college expenses. We participate in federal, state and local aid programs that help make education affordable for all students.

If you are interested in attending but worried about costs, we encourage you to apply for financial aid. More than half of Old Westbury students and their families receive financial assistance in the form of grants, loans, scholarships and student employment.

Even if you do not qualify for federal or state grants, there are additional financing options available that can help you meet our costs. The staff of the Office of Financial Aid is available to answer your questions and to assist you in making Old Westbury an affordable choice.

The Visual Arts minor consists of a core of four required courses (16 credits) and three elective options: art history; fine art; or applied art. The minor is intended to serve two different groups of students. Students pursuing a liberal arts major would take the minor to explore non-linear modes of creative thinking and to become familiar with the ways in which art intersects with history, philosophy, psychology, literature and politics. Students majoring in professional programs such as teacher education, marketing, journalism and computer science can use the visual arts minor to develop some supplementary practical skills that will prove useful in their chosen career.

The Media Design minor brings together the disciplines of communications and visual arts in a reflection of the increasingly media savvy - and media saturated - 21st century world. Through a curriculum derived jointly by the faculties of the American Studies and Visual Arts Departments, the minor offers students the ability to combine theory courses related to such concepts as mass media, American film genres, and popular culture with such skills based courses as drawing, desktop publishing, and applied photo imaging.

The goal of the B.S. in Visual Arts: Electronic Media is to give students the creative and technical skills needed to succeed as computer artists and designers. Students learn to use the most relevant graphic software for print, multimedia and 3-D design, as well as animation and video production. Computer software skills are taught as a means to explore new technology as a medium for art.

This degree program produces self-motivated artists with strengths in creative vision, concept development, and critical thinking as well as a commitment to communicating visual messages through innovative artistic expression.

Students will obtain an understanding of the principles of visual communication and a proficiency in digital production techniques. Intensive study in artistic expression, design principles, the use of graphics software and professional design practices create students who are well-prepared for a wide variety of career opportunities in the design profession. This degree program also enables students to pursue a career as an exhibiting electronic media artist.

The program of study for Visual Arts majors includes the study of art history and an introduction to the practical problems associated with the pursuit of careers in art. The objective of the curriculum is to cultivate students’ understanding of the creative processes as well as provide them with a context from which to view the association between society and art.

Curriculum
The department’s course of study is divided into three levels. First, the foundation level allows students to differentiate between authentic personal decisions and those dictated by social and cultural conditions. Second, a tutorial level allows students to focus on creative problems connected with the personal decisions and to understand their relation to the decisions of others. Third, a critical level enables students to develop a quality control for the formal solutions of the projects and to relate them to the contemporary art context.

Recognizing that not all students are interested in becoming professional artists, the program addresses two tracks. The difference is reflected in the type of internships required for each student and the preparation of a written thesis for those students in a peripheral situation in relation to art-making. For art practitioners the Senior Project consists of an exhibit in the Amelie A. Wallace Gallery.

Alumni Successes
Professionally, alumni having earned the B.S. in Visual Arts have chosen either to continue their education by pursuing a Master of Arts degree, or to enter directly into the work world. A sampling of careers that graduates have entered includes advertising, graphic and corporate design, interior design, typography, photography, gallery management, art therapy, publishing, television and teaching.