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Minors Offered by the College of Fine Arts


The College of Fine Arts offers minors in Architecture, Art, Design, Drama, and Music to students from other colleges at Carnegie Mellon University. These minors allow students at Carnegie Mellon to take courses and develop a direction for electives in any of the five schools in CFA. Students in the College of Fine Arts may also earn minors outside of their major within other schools in the College. They may also study any of the minors offered by the other colleges to the University at large, thus taking advantage of the broad educational opportunities available at Carnegie Mellon University.

Minors Offered by the College of Fine Arts:
  • Architecture
  • Architectural History (available also to B. Arch candidates)
  • Architectural Representation and Visualization (available also to B. Arch candidates)
  • Architectural Technology
  • Art
  • Building Science (available only to B. Arch candidates)
  • Communication Design
  • Drama
  • History of the Arts
  • Industrial Design
  • Music
  • Music Technology
  • Music Theory
  • Photography

Guidelines for students are: 1) except where so designated, CFA students are not eligible to earn a minor in their own school; students from outside CFA may earn a minor in any school in CFA; 2) faculty advisors in the student's home school (in consultation with the academic officer of the other unit involved) will advise students as to the structuring of the courses in each minor; 3) a minor is not to be considered an overload; rather, through the assistance of faculty advisors it should be integrated into a student's overall units required for graduation; 4) the advisors will also monitor the student's development in these minors and keep records in their files which indicate the fulfillment of the course requirements in the minors, as well as in the majors in the student's own school. Courses listed as possible for the minors may be available, but not all courses are offered every semester. Students should consult with their advisors.

Students interested in earning a minor in any of the CFA schools should contact: Architecture: Heather Workinger; Art: Keni Jefferson; Design: Melissa Cicozi; Drama: Ari Blackford; Music: Sharon Johnston.

 

Minors under Architecture

 

Minor in Architecture

This sequence is for candidates who intend to develop intellectual links to the architectural profession. The scope of courses offered includes a full spectrum of professional issues in architecture.

9 unitsPrerequisite Courses
79-104 Global Histories 9
or62-100 Critical Histories of the Arts (9 units)
18-21 unitsRequired Courses
48-100 Architecture Design Studio: Foundation I 12
or48-095 Spatial Concepts for Non-Architects I (9 units)
48-240 Historical Survey of World Architecture and Urbanism I 9
27 unitsElective Courses*
48-130 Architectural Drawing I: A Tactile Foundation 9
48-135 Architectural Drawing II: Appearance 9
48-210 Statics 9
48-215 Materials and Assembly 9
48-217 Structures 9
48-351 Human Factors in Architecture 9
48-452 Real Estate Design and Development 6
48-453 Urban Design Methods 6
48-551 Ethics and Decision Making in Architecture 9
48-xxx Architecture History (Pre-Approval of coursework required) 9
48-xxx Architecture Elective (Pre-Approval of coursework required) 9

Minimum Units: 54

*Students should consult the Architecture advisor regarding elective choices.

 

Minor in Architectural History

(available also to B. Arch Candidates)

This sequence is intended for candidates interested in the history of architecture in its many manifestations, including high style and vernacular buildings, western and non-western traditions, built and theoretical works, and rural to urban contexts.  Non-architecture majors are required to take 54 units of architectural history.  Architecture majors wishing to minor in Architectural History must fulfill the three core required courses in architectural history, plus four additional architectural history electives, for a total of 63 units.  Students wishing to pursue the minor should meet with the Architecture advisor to determine if a course is eligible.   

18 unitsPrerequisite Courses
48-240 Historical Survey of World Architecture and Urbanism I 9
62-100 Critical Histories of the Arts 9
36 units/45 unitsElective Courses
48-338 European Cities in the XIX Century: Planning, Architecture, Preservation 9
48-340 Modern Architecture and Theory 1900-1945 9
48-341 History of Architectural Theory 9
48-343 American Built Environment Since 1860 9
48-344 Architecture of Henry Hornbostel 9
48-345 The Cultural Landscape of Northern Italy: Land, City, Architecture 9
48-348 Architectural History of Mexico & Guatemala 9
48-350 Postwar Modern Architecture and Theory 9
48-352 A History of Preservation: Debate, Theories and Practices 9
48-368 Rediscovering Antiquity:Travelers, Archeologists & Architects in Mediterranean 9
48-371 American House and Housing 9
48-440 American Regionalism 9
48-441 Frank Lloyd Wright 9
48-447 History and Preservation 9
48-448 History of Sustainable Architecture 9
48-xxx Architectural History (Pre-Approval of coursework required) 9

Minimum Units: 54 (non architecture majors)
Minimum Units: 63 (architecture majors)
 

Minor in Architectural Representation and Visualization

This sequence is for candidates who intend to develop particular skills in architectural representation.  Architecture majors wishing to pursue a Minor in Architectural Representation and Visualization must complete the required 33 units and at least an additional 30 units to fulfill the minor for a total of 63 units.

33 unitsRequired Courses
48-120 Introduction to Digital Media I 6
48-130 Architectural Drawing I: A Tactile Foundation 9
48-135 Architectural Drawing II: Appearance 9
48-3xx Architectural Drawing Elective (Pre-Approval of coursework required) 9
21 units/30 unitsElective Courses
48-125 Introduction to Digital Media II *Architecture majors cannot use 48-125 as an elective requirement 6
48-477 Undergraduate Making things Interactive 9
48-568 Advanced CAD, BIM, and 3D Visualization 9
48-576 Mapping Urbanism 9
48-724 Parametric Design 6
48-xxx Architectural Representation/Visualization Elective: (Pre-Approval of coursework required) 9
48-xxx Architectural Representation/Visualization Elective: (Pre-Approval of coursework required) 9

Minimum Units: 54 (non-architecture majors)

Minimum Units: 63 (architecture majors)
 

Minor in Architectural Technology

This sequence is for candidates who intend to develop intellectual links to the technical aspects of the profession.  It is not available to B. Arch Candidates.

22 unitsPrerequisite Courses
33-106 Physics I for Engineering Students 12
21-120 Differential and Integral Calculus 10
32-40 unitsElective Courses
48-116 Building Physics 9
48-210 Statics 9
48-215 Materials and Assembly 9
48-217 Structures 9
48-315 Environment I: Climate & Energy 9
48-412 Environment II: Mechanical Systems 9
48-415 Advanced Building Systems 6
48-xxx Architecture Elective 9

Minimum Units: 54
 

Minor in Building Science

(Available only to B. Arch Candidates)

This sequence is intended for candidates seeking in depth knowledge in the area of architectural science and for those interested in gaining advanced placement in the M.S. Program offered by the School of Architecture in Building Performance and Sustainable Design.

9 unitsRequired Courses
48-711 Paradigms of Research in Architecture 9
45 unitsElective Courses
48-596 LEED Buildings and Green Design 6
48-721 Building Controls and Diagnostics 12
48-722 Building Performance Modeling 12
48-723 Performance of Advanced Building Systems 9
48-728 Special Topics in BPD: POE Environmental Assessment Tools and Analysis 6
48-729 Productivity, Health and the Quality of Buildings 9-12
48-749 Special Topics in CD: Parametric Modeling with BIM Var.
48-752 Zero Energy Housing 9

Minimum Units: 54


Minors under Art

 

Minor in Art

10 unitsConcept Studio (choose one)
60-101 Concept Studio I 10
60-201 Concept Studio II 10
60-202 Concept Studio III 10
Media Studios (choose two)
60-110 Electronic Media Studio I 10
60-210 Electronic Media Studio II 10
60-130 & 60-130 3-D Media Studio I-I
Mini 1 and Mini 2 must be in different media.		 10
60-131 & 60-131 3D Media Studio II-II
Mini 3 and Mini 4 must be in different media.		 10
60-150 2D Media Studio: Drawing 10
60-160 2D Media Studio: Imaging 10
60-250 2D Media Studio: Painting 10
20 unitsAdvanced Media (choose two)
60-4xx Advanced ETB: Electives 10
60-4xx Advanced SIS: Electives 10
60-4xx Advanced PDP: Electives 10
60-4xx Advanced CP: Electives 10
9 unitsArt History/Theory (choose one)
60-1xx Art History Elective 9
60-2xx Art History Elective 9
60-3xx Art History Elective 9

Minimum units: 59
 

Minor in the History of Arts

This minor of six or more courses as designated below, will offer students a grouping of Arts History courses that can provide a broad survey in the arts or a highly specialized field.  For College of Fine Arts  students, all courses meeting the requirements  of the Minor in the History of the Arts must be taken outside of their major School, with the exception of the School of Architecture.  Interested students should contact Patty Doane in the College of Fine Arts, Room 100.

27 unitsIntroductory Level Courses:

(choose at least three, CFA students pick 3 outside of major)

48-240 Historical Survey of World Architecture and Urbanism I (pre-requisite for all advanced architecture classes below) 9
51-271 Design History I 9
54-239 History of Architecture and Decor Var.
54-245 History of Clothing Var.
54-246 History of Clothing Var.
57-173 Survey of Western Music History 9
60-205 Modern Visual Culture 1789-1945 9
60-206 Contemporary Visual Culture from 1945 to the Present 9
27 unitsAdvanced Courses:

(choose at least three, CFA students pick 3 outside of major)*

48-340 Modern Architecture and Theory 1900-1945 9
48-341 History of Architectural Theory 9
48-343 American Built Environment Since 1860 9
48-344 Architecture of Henry Hornbostel 9
48-345 The Cultural Landscape of Northern Italy: Land, City, Architecture 9
48-348 Architectural History of Mexico & Guatemala 9
48-440 American Regionalism 9
48-441 Frank Lloyd Wright 9
48-447 History and Preservation 9
51-272 Design History II 9
51-378 History of the Book and Printing 6
54-381 History of Drama 6
54-382 History of Drama 3
57-209 The Beatles 9
57-477 Music of the Spirit 6
57-478 Survey of Historical Recording 6
Art History/Theory Special Topics 60-350 to 60-398 (instructor permission only) 9
62-360 /79-360 Photographers and Photography Since World War II 9
62-371 /79-372 Photography, The First 100 Years 9
79-395 The Arts in Pittsburgh 9
79-396 Music and Society in 19th and 20th Century Europe and the U.S. 9

minimum units required: 54

* Other courses not on this list may qualify as approved by CFA Dean's Office (College of Fine Arts, Room 100).

 


Minors under Design

 

Minor in Communication Design

This program gives an overview of basic visual communication skills and the concerns of the communication design professions.  Entry into the program and course registration is contingent upon your ability to demonstrate an acceptable level of design skills and aptitude through a portfolio review.  Students must receive approval and course counseling for a Minor in Communication Design from the Communication Design Faculty Advisor before beginning the sequence of required courses.  Through this advising system, a curriculum sequence will be chosen to meet your specific needs and fit within Design’s current course capacities.  Applications are reviewed each February.

18 unitsRequired Courses
51-261 Communication Design Fundamentals
(fall or spring)		 9
51-271 Design History I
(fall)		 9
36 unitsElectives Courses

Elective courses are to be chosen from those listed in the current course catalog.  This program description is based on the latest information at the time of publication.  Interested students should contact the School of Design regarding any changes in the program and the availability of courses.

minimum units required: 54
 

Minor in Industrial Design

This program gives an overview of basic design skills and concerns of the product design profession.  It is intended to enable students from Engineering, Humanities and Social Science, Management and other colleges to interact effectively with professional Product Designers. Entry into the program and course registration is contingent upon your ability to demonstrate an acceptable level of design skills and aptitude through a portfolio review. Students must receive approval and course counseling for a Minor in Industrial Design from the Industrial Design Faculty Advisor before beginning the sequence of required courses. Through this advising system, a curriculum sequence will be chosen to meet your specific needs and fit within Design’s current course capacities.  Applications are reviewed each February.

18 unitsRequired Courses
51-263 Industrial Design Fundamentals
(fall or spring)		 9
51-271 Design History I
(fall)		 9
36 unitsElective Courses

Elective courses are to be chosen from those listed in the current course catalog.  This program description is based on the latest information at the time of publication.  Interested students should contact the School of Design regarding any changes in the program and the availability of the courses.

minimum units required: 54

 


Minor in Drama

The Drama minor provides students with a well-rounded opportunity to obtain preliminary professional exposure to the theatre arts. Courses may involve acting, directing, playwriting, design, production technology and management, and dramatic literature courses. Students also become involved with Drama productions by signing up for Production for Non-Majors, which involves evening crew work on various Drama productions.

Admission Requirements
  1. Students must apply to enter the program in the office of the Drama Sr. Academic Advisor, PCA 223.
  2. The student must successfully pass one Drama course prior to being considered for minor status.
25 unitsRequired Courses
54-163 Production for Non Majors 6
54-164 Production for Non Majors 6
54-175 /176 Conservatory Hour 1
54-177 Foundations of Drama I 6
or54-178 Foundations of Drama I (6 units)
54-281 Foundations of Drama II 6
or54-282 Foundations of Drama II (6 units)

Students must meet with the School of Drama Production Manager (PCA 224) for assignments related to Production for Non-Majors.

30 unitsElective Courses

The remainder of the minor is fulfilled with Drama courses of the student’s choosing, with approval from the Sr. Academic Advisor in the School of Drama. For certain courses, students may need instructor permission to register.

Elective Courses not requiring instruction permission:
54-187 /188 Introduction to Playwriting 9
54-189 /190 Advanced Playwriting 9
54-191 /192 Acting for Non-Majors 9
54-193 /194 Introduction to Screenwriting 9
54-195 /196 Advanced Screenwriting 9
Selected Elective Courses requiring instructor permission:
54-109 Dramaturgy 1:Approaches to Text 9
54-121 Directing I: Sources 9
54-157 Basic PTM 6
54-169 Studiocraft 13
54-171 Basic Design 6

Additional Drama Courses are available by instructor agreement and may require an audition, interview, or portfolio review. Students should contact the Drama Sr. Academic Advisor to inquire about permission for specific courses in which they are interested.

minimum units required: 55


Minors in Music

 

Minor in Music

This sequence is for candidates who are majors from any discipline in the university other than music who have some background in music and would like to know more about music.

Admission Requirements:

1. The student must apply to enter the program in the office of the Director of Student Services (CFA 108).

0-3 unitsPrerequisite Course

Beginning Piano is required of students who do not pass a piano proficiency test.

57-294 Beginning Piano Test 0
57-329 Beginning Piano for Minors 3
25 units Required Music Courses

Basic Harmony I and/or Basic Solfege I are required of students who do not qualify for entrance into Harmony I and/or Solfege I, based on their scores on the theory and solfege placement tests.

57-152 Harmony I 9
57-161 Eurhythmics I 3
57-181 Solfege I 3
57-173 Survey of Western Music History 9
57-188 Repertoire and Listening for Musicians 1
24 unitsRequired Studio Courses (studio fee is charged)
57-1xx Elective Studio 6
57-1xx Elective Studio 6
57-1xx Elective Studio 6
57-1xx Elective Studio 6
18 unitsElective Courses

Elective courses are to be chosen from those courses listed for the School of Music in the current course catalog. Performance electives are encouraged. (An audition is required for all School of Music performance ensembles.)

Minimum units required: 67

 

Minor in Music Technology

This sequence is for candidates who majors from any discipline in the university who have some background in music and would like to know more about music technology.

Note: Students in the School of Music have slightly different requirements for the Minor in Music Technology. See School of Music.

Admission Requirements

The student must apply to enter the program in the office of the Director of Student Services (CFA 108).

0-3 unitsPrerequisite Course

Beginning Piano is required of students who do not pass a piano proficiency test.

57-294 Beginning Piano Test 0
57-329 Beginning Piano for Minors 3
25 units Required Music Courses

Basic Harmony I and/or Basic Solfege I are required of students who do not qualify for entrance into Harmony I and/or Solfege I, based on their scores on the theory and solfege placement tests.

57-152 Harmony I 9
57-161 Eurhythmics I 3
57-173 Survey of Western Music History 9
57-181 Solfege I 3
57-188 Repertoire and Listening for Musicians 1
21 unitsSound Recording Courses
57-337 Sound Recording 6
57-338 Sound Editing and Mastering 6
57-438 Multitrack Recording 9
21 units Music Technology/Sound Courses (choose 3)

Choose three courses. One of the three courses must be either Introduction to Computer Music or Electronic and Computer Music.  (Note that 15-110 is a prerequisite for 15-322 ; 57-101 or 57-171 is a prerequisite for 57-347 .)

15-322 Introduction to Computer Music 9
15-323 Computer Music Systems and Information Processing 9
33-114 Physics of Musical Sound 9
54-509 Advanced System Design 9
54-666 Production Audio 6
57-347 Electronic and Computer Music 6

Minimum units required: 67
 

Minor in Music Theory

This sequence is for candidates who are majors from any discipline in the university other than music who have some background in music and would like to know more about music theory.

Admission Requirements

The student must apply to enter the program in the office of the Directory of Student Services (CFA 108).

0-3 unitsPrerequisite Course

Beginning Piano is required of students who do not pass a piano proficiency test.

57-294 Beginning Piano Test 0
57-329 Beginning Piano for Minors 3
25 units Required Music Courses
57-152 Harmony I 9
57-161 Eurhythmics I 3
57-173 Survey of Western Music History 9
57-181 Solfege I 3
57-188 Repertoire and Listening for Musicians 1
27 unitsRequired Theory Courses
57-151 Concept and Practice of Counterpoint 6
57-153 Harmony II 9
57-257 Orchestration I 6
57-408 Form and Analysis 6
6 units Advanced Theory Course (choose 1)

See theory courses on the Music Support Courses Two-Year Rotation list.  It is available on the insideMusic website http://music.cfa.cmu.edu/. ; Click on Music Support Course Two-Year Rotation. A graduate course may be taken with the permission of the instructor.

9 unitsElective Courses

Elective courses are to be chosen from those courses listed for the School of Music in the current course catalog.

Minimum units required: 67

 

Minors under CFA Dean's Office

 

Minor in Photography

The Photography Minor exposes students to the breadth of photography offering experiences in traditional photography (i.e. film exposure and silver printing) to digital shooting and output.  The student who takes the Photography Minor will become familiar with photography’s craft, its history and significant practitioners, and develop his/her own distinct engagement with the medium.

Students may apply for the Photography Minor after they have taken a CFA or Pittsburgh Filmmakers’ beginning photography course. Freshmen should not apply for the minor. Students in four-year undergraduate programs may apply in their sophomore or junior year. Students in five-year undergraduate programs, such as Architecture, may apply in their second, third, or fourth year. Applications are accepted in both the fall and spring semesters. Students will be admitted to the minor based on their aptitude, appropriate level of photography skills, and space availability within the program. Once admitted, students will be assigned a faculty advisor who will help them determine a sequence of courses that best fits their needs and interests. 

Application Requirements

The application process for the Photography Minor requires submission of: a completed application form signed by the home department advisor, a personal statement, and a portfolio of photographs.  Contact the CFA Photography Administrator, Jamie Gruzska, MM B18, for further information and an application form.

minimum 27 unitsPhotography Required Courses (3)
62-141 /60-141/51-265 Black and White Photography I * ** 10
62-241 Black and White Photography II 10
62-381 Color Photography and Digital Output 10
 minimum 9 unitsPhotography Elective (1)

Choose one (1) additional photography course from the list below in consultation with the photo advisor, or consult Jamie Gruzska for current offerings. Also, photo courses may be taken at Pittsburgh Filmmakers. Please refer to their course catalog that is available in the CFA Dean’s Office, CFA 100, or online:  pghfilmmakers.org

62-165 Mutable Landscape: Drawing and the Digital Photographic Image 10
62-205 Documentary Photography 9
62-245 Portrait Photography 10
62-265 Alternative Photo Processes 10
62-325 View Camera 10
62-326 Photographic Narrative 9
62-329 Modern Ruin 10
62-337 Studio Lighting 10
62-375 Large Format Photography: The Antiquarian Avant-Garde 10
9 unitsPhoto History Required Course (1)
62-371 Photography, The First 100 Years ** 9
or62-360 Photographers and Photography Since World War II (9 units)
9 unitsHistory, Theory, or Criticism of the Visual Arts Elective (1)

Choose one (1) additional History, Theory or Criticism of the Arts course in consultation with the photo advisor.  A second Photo History course (62-360 or 62-371) can be used for this requirement.

* prerequisite for photo courses other than history, theory, and/or criticism course

** or course approved by the photography advisor

Minimum units required: 54
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Updated August 2011