College of Santa Fe

Overview
College of Santa Fe is a 151-year-old private college. This accredited New Mexico institution fulfills its educational mission by operating as an independent, comprehensive school grounded in a strong liberal arts curriculum and distinguished by its programs in the creative arts. Committed to educating the \"whole student,\" College of Santa Fe's core curriculum includes interdisciplinary team-taught courses that explore complex subjects in the humanities, creative expression, social and natural sciences, with emphasis on thoughtful academic advising and ethical values.

Student Appeal
CSF's distinctive curriculum is taught by a dedicated faculty of scholars, artists and professionals from around the world. Whether it's art, filmmaking, creative writing, graphic design, photography, performing art, or some other artistic endeavor, students will find an exhilarating place to learn. CSF prides itself on its faculty-student interaction. The class sizes allow for a tight-knit community.

Financial
Financial assistance is available and most of CSF students receive financial assistance, including scholarships, loans, grants or work-study.

Programs Offered:

Bachelor Degree Programs

• Creative Writing & Literature (BA)Creative Writing & Literature (BA)
  The creative writing program is a rigorous bachelor's program built on a Master of Fine Arts model. Students choose two genre tracks to study–from poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or screenwriting–and take at least seven workshop courses in their chosen areas, where they give and receive critique on their original work. Ample requirements in literature and other specialized writing courses provide a foundation in historical context and critical thinking. Seniors take two courses to round out their creative writing degree: The Writer and the Universe, an interdisciplinary special topics course that examines the role of the writer in the world, and Senior Reading, where students put together a book-length portfolio of original work as well as present a public reading.
• Graphic Design (BFA)Graphic Design (BFA)
  CSF's BFA program introduces graphic design as both contemplative art and professional practice. Primary courses focus on design principles, concept and content, creative methodologies, and the development of a personal visual style. During their third year, graphic design majors will have the opportunity to complement traditional print media with a new-media concentration in Web/interactive design or motion graphics. All students will learn the digital tools, craftsmanship, history, and theory needed for a successful professional path, but they will also be introduced to new ways of seeing, interpreting, and connecting our everyday visual landscape.
• Moving Image Arts (BA)Moving Image Arts (BA)
  CSF's moving image arts department offers a comprehensive program that integrates film and digital production with critical studies and writing. The program looks toward traditional and alternative modes of expression as a means of creative storytelling, and students are always encouraged to think critically about artistic work. The moving image arts department is housed in one of the finest student production facilities in the country. Garson Studios, which houses two professional sound stages, a back lot, and production offices, is connected to the department and offers students a unique opportunity to work on A-list movies. Recent productions include "No Country for Old Men," "North Country," and "Brothers."
• Photography (BA)Photography (BA)
  The Bachelor of Arts program is less comprehensive than the BFA but still contains the essential core photography courses in both studio and history. This degree permits students who have a strong interest in other subject areas to pursue multiple minors without extending their four-year college residency. Upon completing the BA program, students will possess a basic vocabulary and technical proficiency in using both analog and digital technologies. This program includes the study of a variety of processes and genres of photography. Students who earn this degree will be conversant in the history of photography, its major artists and movements, and contemporary issues and ethics.
• Photography (BFA)Photography (BFA)
  The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is the initial professional degree in art. The primary objective is the development of skills, concepts, and historical awareness essential to the professional artist. Students in the BFA program concentrate on in-depth study through studio instruction, practicum experiences, and internships with artists, museums, galleries, and arts organizations. The curriculum also includes extensive study of the history of photography, theory, and ethics as related to past and contemporary issues. The development of each student's expressive abilities, ethical judgment, and professional standards is central to our BFA degree.
• Studio Arts (BA)Studio Arts (BA)
  The bachelor of arts program in studio art provides a foundation in liberal arts as an essential ingredient to serious study in the visual arts. The curriculum emphasizes breadth of experience among various media offered in the Art Department. The primary objective of this degree program is to offer the student general background and skills in a broad range of art history and studio disciplines in the context of a liberal arts education.
• Studio Arts (BFA)Studio Arts (BFA)
  The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Arts is the initial professional degree in art. In this program, the art department challenges young artists to develop a rigorous, inquisitive, and sustainable art practice. We support this philosophically by recognizing each practice as both unique to the individual and connected to the world. We support this pedagogically through clearly organized and relevant coursework, including drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, and time-based media. Each practice is anchored in specific material/process-based skills, located in the vibrant context of the discipline's histories and contemporary practice, expanded by an interdisciplinary conversation of intersecting ideas, individualized through the mentorship of each student's passions and capacities, and launched into "life after college" through a professional sequence of courses (Internship, Professional Practice, and Thesis Exhibition).
• Theater, Acting (BFA)Theater, Acting (BFA)
  This degree helps prepare students for graduate study and careers as actors. The major focuses on acting methods, techniques, and styles, and includes courses in voice, movement, auditioning, scene study, text analysis, theater history, and acting for film and television. This is an intensive, performance-oriented major. In-depth work is accomplished in all areas both in the classroom and in mainstage and studio productions. Students intern with professional theater companies and are eligible for a semester in London or New York City.
• Theater, Design/Technical Theater (BFA)Theater, Design/Technical Theater (BFA)
  This degree helps prepare students for careers as theater designers and technicians, and offers specializations in scene design, lighting design, costume design, and stage management. Design and technology majors take a foundation core of courses in a variety of production areas, then select an area of concentration. In-depth work in the area of concentration is both in the classroom and in mainstage and studio productions. Students intern with professional theater companies and are eligible for a semester in London or New York City.
• Theater, Musical Theater (BFA)Theater, Musical Theater (BFA)
  This is a multidisciplinary degree in performance, requiring proficiencies in acting, singing, and dance. The major is closely linked to the acting paradigm during the first two years and then moves into intensive courses in music, musical theater acting, singing, and dance. This is an intensive, performance-oriented major including private voice lessons, voice and movement for the stage, audition training, scene study, and dance (tap, jazz, modern, and ballet). In-depth work is accomplished in all areas both in the classroom and in mainstage and studio productions. Students intern with professional theater companies and are eligible for a semester in London or New York City.
• Theatre (BA)Theatre (BA)
  In CSF's performing arts department, students learn all facets of stage production. This strong foundation makes CSF theater graduates well respected around the country for their knowledge and professionalism. CSF has no waiting period for first-year students. All performing arts students audition for mainstage productions upon arrival freshman year. In addition to mainstage plays, students also perform in studio shows, recitals, workshops, music forums, and student films. National and international theater professionals are brought in regularly to act as guest directors and actors and to lead classes and special seminars.
• Self-Designed/Fusion Majors (BA)Self-Designed/Fusion Majors (BA)
  This program, available to all degree-seeking students, allows students to design their own major program outside existing departmental majors according to their particular needs and goals. The self-designed major will include the college's core requirements and no more than 72 hours in the specified major area.
  The student selects a faculty advisor or advisors, and develops a proposed plan of study. This plan must indicate all courses to be included in the program of study, including all courses accepted in transfer from other institutions, all courses currently in progress, and all courses planned for the remainder of the student's time at the college.
  In addition, the student develops a written statement of purpose, indicating why this plan of study has been developed and how/why it assists the student in meeting educational goals in ways unavailable through existing majors. The student also prepares an abstract of this statement of purpose. Once the program is approved, this abstract is appended to the student's transcript. Once the self-designed major proposal is in a draft form acceptable to the student and advisor(s), it is submitted to the Self-Designed Major Committee. The student is invited to meet with the committee to discuss the plan. Once the committee has approved the proposed plan of study, it becomes the student's official major and is placed in the student's permanent file in the registrar's office. The student's eligibility for graduation is determined by whether all the requirements of this program have been satisfactorily completed.
  The self-designed major must be approved by the end of the student's junior year, at the latest. Earlier approval is highly desirable. For more specific guidelines about developing a self-designed major, please contact the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The College of Santa Fe is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.ncahlc.org; 1-312-263-0456.