Course Syllabus
Contact Information
About Your Professor
My name is Alison Fields and I received my PhD in American Studies from the University of New Mexico. I’ve been teaching at the University of Oklahoma for the past thirteen years and currently serve as the Associate Director of the School of Visual Arts. I have taught a range of courses on Art of the American West, visual culture, and museum studies. I’ve published works on topics including atomic memory, Native American art, memorials and monuments, and environmental studies.
Course Details
This course is the culmination of the Art and Technology degree program. Each student develops and implements an individual project relevant to their interests. This course is taught as an independent study with students checking in regularly with the instructor as they conceptualize and execute their final thesis project for completion of the program.
The aim of this course is to equip students with a professional project that will serve them well in their portfolio as they continue to develop their careers in art and design. The course is also intended to serve as a degree capstone, providing a time for students to bring their knowledge and skills to a point of culmination.
For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Course Prerequisites
Students in this course should have completed all required and elected techniques, seminar, and production courses in the Art and Technology degree program and be able to demonstrate the skills acquired in those courses. Students must also be concurrently enrolled in the AT 5923 Professional Forum course.
Course Materials
There are no required textbooks for this course. However, in consultation with your instructor, you will select readings to serve as a bibliography for your self-directed capstone project. These may include materials used in previous courses in this program and other materials that you identify.
Grades
Breakdown
| Activity | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Participation | Bi-weekly individual Live Session meetings with your instructor. | 20% |
| Professional Creative Project (also called Creative Project) | The Professional Creative Project (also called Creative Project) is one piece of the capstone project. It is a self-directed, creative work that is relevant to your professional goals and interests. | 60% |
| Professional Project Description |
The Professional Project Description is the second piece of the capstone project. It is a 2500-word paper describing your Professional Creative Project. |
20% |
| Total | 100% |
Scale
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 90–100% | A |
| 80–89% | B |
| 70–79% | C |
| 60–69% | D |
| Below 60% | F |
Course Components
Participation
You will meet with your instructor in an individual Live Session for approximately 15 minutes every other week. Individual Live Session times will take place on Monday or Tuesday. Specific times will be determined using a sign-up sheet and kept consistent throughout the semester. In these Live Sessions, you will discuss the timeline for your work, ideas, themes, and influences on your capstone project, and problem-solve potential barriers and challenges to your work.
Professional Creative Project
In consultation with your instructor, you will develop and implement a self-directed Professional Creative Project (also called Creative Project), which is a media project that is relevant to your professional goals and interests, while demonstrating mastery of the skills and concepts introduced in the program. The Creative Project is one piece of the capstone project, and will be completed and submitted in increments throughout the course, including the following assignments:
- Creative Project Prototype
- Draft Creative Project
- Final Creative Project
More information about each assignment can be found on the Assignments pages and the associated rubrics.
This course is the culmination of the Art and Technology degree program. To facilitate the application of technical skills acquired in courses in this program, you will have access to courses that you have taken previously in this program in Canvas, including Instructor Demo videos, Discussion Board posts, etc. You and your instructor will decide which of the techniques and software covered in the Art and Technology program you will use to create your capstone project. Refer to the Resources section(s) for the corresponding Art and Technology course(s) for the software and equipment requirements of your chosen medium.
Professional Project Description
The Professional Project Description is the second piece of the capstone project. Your Professional Project Description will be a 2500-word paper describing the following:
- An artist or project statement
- The media format you have chosen to work in and why
- The subject, theme, and/or concepts embedded in your work
- How format and subject relate
- Influences on your work and any creative research that has impacted your project
- An annotated bibliography of readings and artworks that have influenced your project
Your Professional Project Description will be completed in increments throughout the course, including the following assignments:
- Project Proposal
- Draft Project Description
- Final Project Description
More information about each assignment can be found on the Assignments pages and the associated rubrics.
Course Policies
Communication
If you have questions or concerns, please contact me via Canvas message or email. You can expect a reply within 24 hours Monday through Friday. Feel free to address me by my first name in communications and in class.
Plan to come to our individual meetings prepared to show work, discuss ideas, and present progress since the last meeting.
Feedback
You should expect feedback on most assignments within one week of submission.
Attendance/Participation
Attendance, active participation, and advance preparation for individual Live Session meetings with your instructor is required. If you will be unable to attend an individual Live Session meeting for a legitimate reason, please let me know in advance. Do not be late for Live Session meetings; continued lateness will have a negative impact on your final grade.
Respect and Courtesy
You will be asked to participate in activities that involve interaction and discussion with your instructor. In doing so, I ask that you be respectful, even if you disagree.
Late Policy
All assignments should be completed and turned in on time. Failure to do so will result in a loss of one full letter grade per day for that assignment.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism.
For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Access the University Academic Policies Document.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|