The foundation department is committed to preparing first-year students for the practice of art and design with a broad-based curriculum that includes gaining skills, acquiring knowledge and developing attitudes and approaches that will inform their advanced studies.

After completing the foundation curriculum, students are prepared to enter a major area of study with introductory studio skills and a broad knowledge of art history and theory, enabling them to better understand the specific information presented in a major area within a broad context of understanding. They will have begun to learn the discipline needed to work independently and sustain long periods of research and development, as well as understanding that solutions to problems are many. They will have developed skills enabling them to begin assess their work and the work of others and to understand it within the broader contexts of art history and theory.

Please note: The foundation program is a prerequisite for all B.F.A. programs and the B.I.D. programs in the School of Art and Design. Students in the B.F.A. degree programs in fashion design and textile design have specific foundation requirements and should consult each major's curricula for further information. Students who enter the B.S. program in environmental design (interiors) are immersed in their major in their freshman year, taking classes in the foundation of writing, natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.