Transfer Agreements Between CalArts and Santa Monica College (SMC)

In order to facilitate transfer of qualified art and photography students from Santa Monica College into School of Art Program in Art and Program in Photography & Media Program at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), Santa Monica College and CalArts agree to enter into the following transfer agreement. Under the terms of this agreement, CalArts will give priority consideration to applicants who have successfully completed the General Education/Critical Studies requirements and the equivalent admissible portfolio.  CalArts will waive the application fee for Santa Monica College students wishing to transfer to CalArts.

This agreement does not guarantee admission to CalArts.  However, faculty from Santa Monica College and CalArts will review the portfolios of students pursuing the AA or ADT in Art or Photography and arrange campus visits and information sessions in order to guide those students to successfully transfer into CalArts. There will be ongoing cooperation between the CalArts and Santa Monica College faculty to ensure students are on track to transfer to CalArts. The goal is to prepare students to transfer at the BFA3 (junior standing) level. Year level placement is at the discretion of the CalArts faculty upon admission.

Applicants from Santa Monica College will need 60 units of baccalaureate level work to transfer into CalArts as a BFA3-1 student (aka: junior standing), including 22 units of Critical Studies (aka: general education) units. Santa Monica College students are advised to consult the following general education transfer map to determine how specific general education courses may apply to the CalArts Critical Studies requirements. Also included is a métier (aka: major) course transfer map which students may refer to for information regarding courses in art and photography. The courses listed in that guide are recommended but not required for Santa Monica students preparing to transfer to CalArts.

These transfer guidelines are subject to change at the discretion of CalArts. CalArts reserves the right to make changes or updates to this agreement at any time. Degree requirements will be determined by the catalog requirements in place at the time students are admitted to and matriculated into CalArts.  

Program In Art (School Of Art) Transfer Map

Program In Photography & Media (School Of Art) Transfer Map

Santa Monica College Transfer Map

Applicants from SMC need 60 units of undergraduate level work to transfer into CalArts at a BFA3-1 (i.e., junior year) level, including 22 units of General Education /Critical Studies courses.

CRITICAL STUDIES REQUIREMENTS AT CALARTS: A total of 46 Critical Studies units are required for a BFA from CalArts. Students must complete a minimum of 8 units in residence at CalArts from among the following CalArts categories: COM, CRW, CST, HMN, SCM or SOC.

Critical Studies Recommended Courses

Students from Santa Monica College will need the equivalent of 22 General Education/Critical Studies units –including one course from each Breadth Requirement Area *** plus Optional Breadth Courses**, and electives *

CalArts Critical Studies Category

Units

Suggested Santa Monica Course courses

 

Cultural Studies ***

(CST)

3 Units

Cultural Anthropology: ANTHRO 2, Cultural Anthropology

Gender Studies: WGS 8, 10, 30, 40, MEDIA 10, Media, Gender, and Race, SOCIOL 31, Latinas/os in Contemporary Society Intercultural Communications­, COM ST 16, 35, 36, 37, FILM 7, American Cinema: Crossing Cultures

Ethnic Studies- AHIS 71, African American Art History, AHIS 72 American Art/American Cultures, HIST 10, Ethnicity and American Culture, POL SC 21, Race, Ethnicity, and the Politics of Difference (3)
SOCIOL 34, Racial and Ethnic Relations in American Society (3)

 

Humanities ***

(HMN)

 

3 Units

AHIS 71, African American Art History AHIS 72 American Art/American Cultures

English Literature: ENG 32, 40, 45, 56

English Critical Thinking: ENGL 1or 1D, ENGL 2, 31

ENVRN 20 (Environmental Ethics)

Humanities (intro, humanities through the arts): ENGL 26 (same as HUM 26), 55 (formerly same as TH ART 7)

HUM 9A, 26

PHILOS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 20, 22, 23, 24, 48, 51, 52

 

Science and Math ***

(SCM)

3 Units

Analytic Geometry and Calculus, Algebra, Statistics: MATH 2, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 21, 26, 28, 29, 54

Environmental & Physical Science:

ANATMY 1, 2, ANTHRO 1,3, 4, 5, 9, ASTRON 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10

BIOL 3, 9, 10, 15, 15 N, 21, 22, 23, BOTANY 1, 3,

CHEM 9, 10, 11, 12, 19, 21, 22, 24, 31, GEOG 1, 3, 5, GEOL 1, 3, 4, 5, 10. MCRBIO 1, NUTR 1, PHYS 3, PHYSC 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 21, 22, 23, 24, ZOOL 5

Social Science ***

(SOC)

3 Units

Any course from the following subjects, not used in another area:

ANTHRO 1,3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 14, 19, 20, 21, 22

ARCHAEOLOGY

GEOG 2, 3, 5, 7

U.S. HISTORY, HIST 10,11, 12, 13, 14, 20, 21, 41, 42, 43, 47, 62

EUROPEAN HISTORY, HIST 1, 2, 3, 4

WORLD HISTORY, HIST 16, 19, 22, 25,33, 34, 39

POL SC 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 14, 21, 22, 23, 24, 31, 47, 51, 52, PSYCH 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, 19, 25, 40, SOCIOL 1, 1s, 2, 2s, 4, 12, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34

Arts in Context**

 (AIC)

 

3 Units

ART 10A, 10B, 13, 20A, 20B, 40A, 40B

AHIS 1, Western Art History I, AHIS 2, Western Art History II, AHIS 3, Western Art History III (3), AHIS 3, 5, 6, 11, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, 52 (same as PHOTO 52), 71, AHIS 72 American Art/American Cultures

 

Creative Writing **

 (CRW)

 

3 Units

ENGL 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 26, 34, 41, 53, 54

 

Computing and Research **

(COM)

3 Units

 

CS Elective *

3 Units

Speech & Communications:

 COM ST 11, 12, 14, 16, 21

Economics ECON 1, 2, 4, 6, 815

ASL 1, 2,

Any Foreign Language courses: ARABIC 1, CHNESE 1, 2, 3, 4,9 FRENCH 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, GERMAN 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 •HEBREW 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, ITAL 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, JAPAN 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, KOREAN 1, 2, 3, 4, PERSIN 1, 2, PORTGS 1, SPAN 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 11, 12, 20, RUSS 1,2, 8, TURKISH 1,

and any Breadth***/Optional Breadth** courses not already used to complete Breadth requirement can also be applied

***Breadth requirement: one course from each area

** Optional Critical Studies Breadth courses

Critical Studies Electives

*** Breadth - Courses from any of the Breadth areas can also be applied to the elective area.

*CalArts delivers a two semester Level-100 sequence that serves as our “College Writing” requirement. Transfer students with 15 Critical Studies approved transfer units are exempt from this requirement. English 101 or its equivalent will likely be a prerequisite for most Santa Monica courses that receive Critical Studies credit.

 

CSU and/or UC Transferable courses from a California Community College are eligible for transfer upon review by the Office of the Registrar. 

 

 

 

PROGRAM IN ART (SCHOOL OF ART)

The following matrix indicates equivalencies for School of Art Program in Art requirements only. Transfer credit against School of Art program requirements must be assessed separately by transcript review at matriculation.

CalArts Program in Art

Units

Recommended Santa Monica Art Courses to Transfer - courses below can count towards the 8 units studio series requirement(SMC units in parentheses)

One class each semester from the Studio Series (below) - required 8 units of studio courses:

AART 211 Drawing

AART 212 Painting

AART 213 Sculpture

AART 214 Print & Digital Media

AART 215 Video

AART 216 Social Practice

AART 217 Ceramics

AART 218 Open Studio

AART 219 Performance

AART220 Writing

AART 222 Sound in Art

ACOM 218 Digital Skills for Artists

  

ART 10A, Design I (3)
ART 13, 3-D Design (3)
ART 20A, Drawing 1 (3)

ART 10B, Design 2 (3)
ART 10C, Computer Design (3)
ART 15, Lettering (3)
ART 20B, Drawing 2 (3)
ART 20C, Digital Drawing (3)
ART 21A, Drawing 3 (3)
ART 21B, Drawing 4 (3)
ART 30A, Beginning Water Color Painting I (3)

ART 30B, Watercolor Painting II (3)
ART 30C, Acrylic Painting Techniques (3)
ART 31, Beginning Painting (3)
ART 32, Intermediate Painting (3)
ART 33, Advanced Painting (3)
ART 35, Airbrush Techniques (3)
ART 40A, Sculpture 1 (3)
ART 40B, Sculpture 2 (3)
ART 40C, Sculpture 3 (3)
ART 41A, Figure Sculpture I (3)
ART 41B, Figure Modeling Sculpture II (3)

ART 43A, Glass Sculpture 1 (3)
ART 52A, Ceramics I (3)

ART 52B, Ceramics II (3)
ART 60, Introduction to Printmaking (3)

ART 61A, Etching I (3)
ART 61B, Advanced Etching (3)
ART 62, Seriography (Silkscreen) (3)

ART 63, Lithography (3)

AART201 Post Foundation Seminar/Critique: What's Goin' On? (Fall)

3

ART 34 Contemporary Theory and Practice

Mentor Program

We also expect students to look beyond their chosen art discipline. All students must take at least two units outside of the School of Art

3

Any two classes in another art form such as:

ANIM 5 (formerly ET 61)

DANCE 2GC, 6, 5,

MUSIC 1, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, (34), (35), 36, 37, 39, 60A, 60B

PHOTO 52 (same as AHIS 52)

TH ART 2, 4,5,

FILM 1, 2, 5, 6,7, 8,

PROGRAM IN PHOTOGRAPHY & MEDIA (SCHOOL OF ART)

CalArts Program in Photography & Media

Core Curriculum)

Units

Recommended SMC Courses to Transfer

 

3 or 2

ART 10A, Design I (3)
ART 10C, Computer Design (3)
ART 20A, Drawing 1 (3)
GR DES 31, Graphic Design Studio 1 (2)

New Lab (2)

3 or 2

PHOTO 1, Introduction to Photography (3)
PHOTO 2, Basic Photography Lab Techniques (2)

Introduction to Analog (2)

3

PHOTO 37, Advanced Black and White Printing (3)

PHOTO 21, Alternative Photographic Printing Processes (3)

PHOTO 50, Basic Color Printing (3)

BFA2 //Critique Class/Advanced Seminar

vary

PHOTO 64, Community Documentary Photography

PHOTO 88A, Independent Studies in Photography (1)
PHOTO 88B, Independent Studies in Photography (2)
PHOTO 88C, Independent Studies in Photography (3)
PHOTO 90A, Internship in Photography (1)

PHOTO 90B, Internship in Photography (2)
PHOTO 90C, Internship in Photography (3)
PHOTO 90D, Internship in Photography (4)
(4)

ART 34 Contemporary Theory and Practice

Mentor Program

Technical Workshops (Studio)

  

PHOTO 30, Techniques of Lighting: Introduction (4)

PHOTO 32, Lighting for People 2 (4)

PHOTO 33, Techniques of Lighting: Production (4)

PHOTO 37, Advanced Black and White Printing Techniques (3)

PHOTO 31, Introduction: Photographing People (4)

PHOTO 32, Photographing People: Advanced (4)

Technical Workshops (Digital Imaging)

3 or 4

PHOTO 39, Beginning Photoshop (3)

PHOTO 42, Advanced Photoshop

PHOTO 5, Digital Asset Management, Modification, and Output (3)

PHOTO 40, Digital Capture (3) 

PHOTO 29, Video Production for Still Photographers (3)

PHOTO 34, Capture to Composite (4)

PHOTO 44, Building Web Sites for Photographers (2)

Topics in Photographic History

3

PHOTO 52, History of Photography (3) (same as AHIS 52)

PHOTO 13, News Photography (3) (same as JOURN 21)

PHOTO 14, Photography for Publication (same as JOURN 22)

Elective (Highly recommended)

3

PHOTO 43, Portfolio Development (3)

PHOTO 7, Advanced Portfolio Development (3)

PHOTO 60, Business Practices in Photography (3)

Other electives:

BUS 22, Introduction to Advertising (3)
BUS 34, Introduction to Social Media Marketing (3) BUS 63, Principles of Entrepreneurship (3)

2 classes in another artistic discipline (music, dance, film/video, theater, creative writing)

  

Any two classes in another art form such as:

ANIM 5 (formerly ET 61)

DANCE 2GC, 6, 5,

MUSIC 1, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, (34), (35), 36, 37, 39, 60A, 60B

PHOTO 52 (same as AHIS 52)

TH ART 2, 4,5,

FILM 1, 2, 5, 6,7, 8,

 

CSU and/or UC Transferable courses from a California Community College are eligible for transfer upon review by the Office of the Registrar.  Some other liberal arts courses may also transfer to CalArts as Critical Studies. Please see the general transfer credit guide on the website here: https://calarts.edu/admissions/apply/transfer-applicants/transfer-credit