Many students have expressed an interest in a degree that combines both art and computer science courses. These students imagine a career developing websites, working on video games, or other artistic work in digital media. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, you might consider a double major in Computer Science and Art, or a major in one and a minor in the other. As yet a third alternative, you could consider the interdisciplinary major described on this page.

Interdisciplinary Major in Art and Computer Science

Any student at Calvin College has the option of designing their own interdisciplinary major; this major must be approved by the departments from which you draw your courses. Since different people have different interests, the Computer Science and Art Departments worked together to create two possible ways to construct an interdisciplinary major in Art and Computer Science. Other colleges might call this major program “Digital Art”, “Digital Imaging”, or “Digital Media”.

Both tracks have a common kernel of courses that you must take:

• Art 153 (Visual Culture, core)
• Art Studio 250 (Intro to Drawing)
• Art Studio 255 (Communication Design I)
• Art Studio 305 (Communication Design II)
• Art Studio 355 (Communication Design III)
• Art History 240 (Contemporary Art, core)
• Computer Science 108 (Intro to Computing)
• Computer Science 384 (Perspectives on Computing, core)
• Information Systems 141 (Computing with Databases)
• Information Systems 151 (Computing Presentations)
• Information Systems 153 (Computing with the Internet)
• Information Systems 337 (Website Administration)
• Information Systems 341 (Database Administration)

Then pick your emphasis:

In addition to the courses in your particular emphasis, you are encouraged to take courses from the other emphasis. You are free to swap alternative courses for those listed above; however, student programs that deviate from the course sequences above require advisor and departmental approval.

By contrast, the course sequences described above have already been approved by both the CS and Art departments, so a student program consisting of those sequences requires no special action beyond the approval of your advisor.