Bachelor of Arts: Media, Art and Design

University Requirements

General Education

UMKC Essentials is the university-wide curriculum that all undergraduate students will complete. The 30-credit hour program includes a First Year Experience course; three critical thinking courses in the areas of Arts & Humanities, Natural & Physical Sciences, and Social & Behavioral Sciences; a Culture and Diversity course; a Civic & Urban Engagement course; two courses in Written Composition and one course in Oral Communication; and a Math Pathway course. Transfer students entering UMKC will elect from the UMKC Essentials General Education Program or the Missouri Core 42 General Education Curriculum.  Academic advisors will meet with incoming transfer students to determine which option best serves the student’s educational needs. More information about General Education may be found here: https://catalog.umkc.edu/undergraduate-academic-regulations-information/general-education-requirements/

Constitution Course 

Every undergraduate student must take a course covering the United States Constitution and the Missouri State Constitution before graduation. Course options are included in the program requirements section below.

Exit Examinations

Information on exit examinations is available in the Undergraduate Academic Regulations and Information section of the catalog.

Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination

In accordance with Missouri Senate Bill 807 (section 170.013.1), 'any student entering a public institution of higher education for the first time after July 2019 who is pursuing an associate's or bachelor's degree from such institution shall successfully pass an examination on the provisions and principles of American civics with a score of seventy percent or greater as a condition of graduation from such institution'.  To satisfy this requirement at UMKC, students access the exam through the Canvas site. This requirement will be listed in the degree audit system as, 'Take State Mandated Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination', and listed on the transcript as 'Missouri Civics Examination'.   

Student Learning Outcomes

Students graduating from this program will:

  • Analyze the interconnections between what we see, how we see, and what we think.
  • Interpret visual culture using an interdisciplinary lens.
  • Use visual tools to communicate a concept or message.
  • Apply design thinking to creative work and problem solving.

University Requirements

General Education

UMKC Essentials is the university-wide curriculum that all undergraduate students will complete. The 30-credit hour program includes a First Year Experience course; three critical thinking courses in the areas of Arts & Humanities, Natural & Physical Sciences, and Social & Behavioral Sciences; a Culture and Diversity course; a Civic & Urban Engagement course; two courses in Written Composition and one course in Oral Communication; and a Math Pathway course. Transfer students entering UMKC will elect from the UMKC Essentials General Education Program or the Missouri Core 42 General Education Curriculum.  Academic advisors will meet with incoming transfer students to determine which option best serves the student’s educational needs. More information about General Education may be found here: https://catalog.umkc.edu/undergraduate-academic-regulations-information/general-education-requirements/

Constitution Course 

Every undergraduate student must take a course covering the United States Constitution and the Missouri State Constitution before graduation. Course options are included in the program requirements section below.

Exit Examinations

Information on exit examinations is available in the Undergraduate Academic Regulations and Information section of the catalog.

Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination

In accordance with Missouri Senate Bill 807 (section 170.013.1), 'any student entering a public institution of higher education for the first time after July 2019 who is pursuing an associate's or bachelor's degree from such institution shall successfully pass an examination on the provisions and principles of American civics with a score of seventy percent or greater as a condition of graduation from such institution'.  To satisfy this requirement at UMKC, students access the exam through the Canvas site. This requirement will be listed in the degree audit system as, 'Take State Mandated Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination', and listed on the transcript as 'Missouri Civics Examination'.   

UMKC Essentials

First Semester Experience Course (GEFSE)3
Written Communication:
ENGLISH 110Introduction to Academic Prose3
ENGLISH 225English II: Intermediate Academic Prose3
Oral Communication (choose one of the following):3
Fundamentals of Effective Speaking and Listening
Introduction to Communication
Argumentation And Debate (offered via dual credit only)
Interpersonal Communication
Math Pathway (choose one of the following):3
Mathematics For Liberal Arts
Statistical Reasoning
Precalculus Algebra
Precalculus (5 credit hours)
Any 200-level MATH or STAT course
ACT Math Subscore of 28 or higher; or SAT Math Subscore of 660 or higher
Critical Thinking in Arts & Humanities (GECRT-AH)3
Critical Thinking in Natural & Physical Sciences (GECRT-SC)3
Critical Thinking in Social & Behavioral Sciences (GECRT-SS)3
Culture & Diversity Course (GECDV)3
Civic & Urban Engagement Course (GECUE)3
Total Credits30

Constitution Course Requirement

Section 170.011.1 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, 2015, states that all candidates for a degree issued by a college or university in the state of Missouri must have “satisfactorily passed an examination on the provisions and principles of the Constitution of the United States and of the state of Missouri, and in American history and American institutions.” 

Courses at UMKC that satisfy this state requirement are:

Choose one of the following:3
The Supreme Court And The Criminal Process
U.S. History to 1877
U.S. History Since 1877
Honors American Government
American Government
Total Credits3

There are a few other ways this requirement can be satisfied for students transferring to UMKC:

  • Take an equivalent course from the list above at a regionally accredited institution.
  • Earn credit for one of the above courses through AP, IB, or CLEP.
  • Take a course that directly satisfies the Missouri Constitution Requirement at another Missouri institution.
  • Have a previous bachelors degree (or higher) from a regionally accredited institution.
  • Have an Associate of Arts degree from a regionally accredited institution.
  • Complete the 42 Hour Core at a Missouri institution and have it listed on the official transcript.

School of Humanities and Social Sciences Degree Requirements

Writing Intensive Course (300-level or above; satisfied in major requirements below):0
Total Credits0

Major Requirements

15 credit hours need to be at the 300-level or above.
ART 114Foundation Digital Design3
In the Design Thinking course, students will create a learning contract that addresses their goals for the degree. With the help of their advisor, they will create a plan that fits their specific career and artistic goals.
ART 266Design Thinking3
ART-HIST 320WIWays of Seeing3
Take 3 courses (9 credit hours) selected from the following:9
Foundation Drawing
Foundation 2D Design
Introduction to Photography
Photography I
Introduction to the History of Art: Pyramids to Picasso
Introduction to Film Studies
Introduction to Film and Video Production
Take one of the following upper-level courses:3
Interdisciplinary Studio Projects
Student Design Lab
Creative Project Development
World Currents of Contemporary Art
Arts Of African and New World Cultures
Introduction to Film Theory
Advanced Media Production
Elective Coursework 115
Any courses listed above taken beyond 9 hours can be used to fulfill this requirement.
Up to 3 credit hours may include a foreign language course.
Photography I
Intermediate Drawing
Painting I
Print Media I
Digital Video and Motion Design
Figure Drawing I
Interactive Media Design
Graphic Design and Typography I
Graphic Design and Typography II
3D Modeling and Animation
Interdisciplinary Studio Projects
Creative Project Development
Special Topics in Studio Art
Professional Practices
From Cave Paintings to Cathedrals
From Michelangelo to Modernism
Asian Art
Made in the USA: Latinx Art and Experience
Whose America: Modern Art and Philosophy in the Americas
Northern European Art: 15th and 16th Centuries
15th Century Italian Art and Architecture
Greek Art and Architecture
History of Photography
Participatory Forms of Spectatorship in Contemporary Art
Sensing, Feeling, Thinking: Contemporary Art and the Mind
Art Museums: History and Practice
Site-Specific Art: Within and Beyond the Museum Walls
Special Topics in Art History
Introduction to Journalism
Introduction To Web Communications
Broadcast and Digital Media Presenting
Persuasive Communication
Journalism and Visual Storytelling in the Age of Data
Organizational Communication
The Art of the Interview
The News Feature Writing
Writing, Broadcasting & Podcasting for Student Media
Podcast and Audio Production
Cross-Cultural Journalism & Mass Media
Strategic Communication Research
Media Ethics
Special Studies
Applications of Interpersonal Communication Theory
Intercultural Communication
Principles Of Advertising
Interactive and Social Media Advertising
Principles Of Public Relations
Intermediate Broadcast and Digital TV
Advanced Broadcast and Digital TV
Media Law
Advertising Campaigns
Ancient World in Cinema
Rhetorics of New Media
Composing Digital Environments
Publication Practicum
Publication Practicum
Studies in Digital Humanities
Nonfiction Workshop
History of the Designed Environment I
History of the Designed Environment II
History of the Designed Environment III
Ancient World in Cinema
Story Development
Editing with Adobe Premiere
Concepts of the Hero in Ancient Literature and World Cinema
Film Adaptation
Introduction to Film Theory
German Film
Art of the Short Film
Introduction to Screenwriting
Intermediate Media Production
History Of The Film Industry
African American Images in Film
Documentary Production
Animation
Topics in World Cinema
Topics in Sound & Cinema
Topics in Gender and Cinema
Advanced Screenwriting
Client-Based Media Production
Advanced Media Production
Directing Actors and Scenes
Oral History
Museums, Monuments, and American Life: An Introduction to Public History
An internship is not required, but highly recommended as part of the elective coursework:
Student Design Lab
Special Studies in Art: Internship
Special Problems in Art Internship
Internship
Internship
Total Credits36

General Electives

Students must take elective credit hours to meet the minimum credit hour requirement for their degree, including at least 36 credit hours of coursework at the 300-level or above. The minimum required by the university is 120 credit hours, of which at least 30 credit hours must be taken at UMKC, but some degree programs require more.

General Electives51

Total Hours: 120

Minimum GPA: 2.0

Tools for Planning and Fulfilling Academic Requirements

UMKC's Major Maps are detailed, semester by semester plans that lead a student to complete all degree requirements within four years.  Plans include benchmarks and critical courses by term that assist a student’s evaluation of progress and major “fit”.  In order to ensure that the appropriate courses are taken, students are encouraged to consult with the undergraduate advisor for this major. Please see the tab above to view the major map for this program.

UMKC’s Transfer Guides provide detailed guidance on recommended transfer coursework, plans of study, transfer timelines, and transfer contact information. To ensure a seamless transfer experience, students are encouraged to work with both their community college advisor and a UMKC advisor when planning their coursework.

UMKC’s PlanMyDegree ‘Audit’ degree audit system provides an individual evaluation of all degree requirements (General Education, Degree Specific, Major Specific, etc.) for students' officially recorded (Office of the Registrar) and “what if” exploratory plans of study.  This evaluation is used to certify all graduation requirements.

UMKC’s PlanMyDegree ‘Plans’ degree planning tool enables students to develop a personalized semester by semester plan of study towards completion of degree requirements for student’s officially recorded (Office of the Registrar) and “what if” exploratory plans of study. Update and edit your full plan to degree completion each term and confirm accuracy each semester with your Academic Advisor(s).