Department of Visual & Performing Arts

The Department of Visual and Performing Arts at Loyola University Maryland offers a major in visual arts with concentrations in art history, photography, studio arts, and InterArts; and a major in performing arts with concentrations in music, theatre, and a comprehensive concentration (combining coursework in music and theatre). Minors are offered in art history, photography, studio arts, InterArts, music, and theatre.

Department Chair: Jon Malis (he/him/his), jdmalis@loyola.edu, 410-617-2566

Curated Curriculum

Each one of the programs in the department provides its students with a rigorous and comprehensive curriculum designed to first introduce students to the discipline and then develop increasing levels of mastery of the knowledge, skills, and habits of the field. Introductory level courses present the basic foundation in each discipline with no previous experience necessary. Upper division courses offer more specialized studies, building upon the experiences of the introductory classes. Advanced students may apply for an internship or undertake an independent study in their specific discipline. Additionally, all Loyola undergraduates choose one visual or performing arts course as an integral part of the core curriculum.

Facilities for Flourishing

All Visual and Performing Arts programs are located in the west wing of the DeChiaro College Center, which houses not only McManus Theatre and Julio Fine Arts Gallery, but also rehearsal spaces for the performing arts, specialized classrooms for art history, and fully-equipped studios for clay, drawing, and photography. The department's facilities also include specialized spaces such as black-and-white and alternative-process darkrooms, digital laboratories, sound-proof practice rooms, a piano lab, a recording studio, and a black box theatre. Other on-campus spaces include painting and printmaking studios.

Extracurriculars Abound

Department-sponsored field trips to museums, galleries, and professional performances in Baltimore and other cities expose Visual and Performing Arts students to creative works by practicing artists, performers, critics, and curators. Each semester, students will find performance opportunities in a number of performing ensembles including: the Evergreen Players, Poisoned Cup Players, Spotlight Players, Concert Choir, Cantorei, Chamber Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo, and Steel Pan Ensemble. Students in the visual arts can avail themselves of on- and off-campus exhibition venues, while art history students benefit from internship opportunities in Baltimore's museums. The Sehn Fund—made possible by a generous gift from the Sehn family—supports a wide range of artistic and intellectually enriching experiences for students in art history, photography, and studio arts. This gift has enabled the department to support a series of guest lecturers and visiting artists and has also financed student attendance at the College Art Association annual conference in Washington, D.C.

Interdisciplinary Majors

Interdisciplinary majors allow students to combine interests in two different disciplines, enabling students to individualize their curriculum and help prepare them for our interdisciplinary world.

Visual Arts

Disciplines recently combined with visual art in this way include biology, classics, Communication and Media, English, history, and writing. It is possible, however, to combine the visual arts with any other discipline participating in Loyola’s interdisciplinary studies program. The visual arts requirements for an interdisciplinary major are as follows:

1. PT 270 or SA 224 or SA 227
2. AH 109 or AH 110 or AH 111 
3. AH 350 or PT 350 or SA 350 
4. SA 225 or 300-level course in AH, PT, or SA
5. 300-level or 400-level course in AH, PT, or SA
6. 300-level or 400-level course in AH, PT, or SA
7. 300-level or 400-level course in AH, PT, or SA
8. AH 400-level or PT 400/SA 400 Senior Capstone for Artists (in consultation with program advisor)

Double Major Possibilities

In addition to the major, the following are a few double major options for students interested in visual and performing arts.

• Any Visual and Performing Arts Department major with any Humanities major
• Any Visual and Performing Arts Department major with writing, modern languages, or Communication and Media
• Any Visual and Performing Arts Department major with any social science major

The above can generally be completed with no additional courses above the required 40 for graduation. This, of course, takes planning, but it is possible to fit a double major in without taking a sixth course in any given semester.

• Any Visual and Performing Arts Department major with a Secondary Education minor - leading to certification to teach in middle and high schools. There may be a need for an extra course or two depending on math and foreign language placement; planning is critical, but it is very doable.
• Any Visual and Performing Arts Department major with biology, chemistry, or physics - necessitates somewhere between 4 and 6 extra courses over the 8 semesters. This is a variable number, as it does not take into account AP credit, math placement, and foreign language placement—all of which may reduce the number of courses needed to fulfill any particular major.
• Any Visual and Performing Arts Department major with business – students would have from 4 to 6 available free slots for the Visual and Performing Arts major, meaning that for approximately 6 semesters, a sixth course would be necessary; again, this is not taking into account placements.