SIPs and Senior Year

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Senior Year

Studio Art Majors and any non-majors conducting Studio Art Senior Integrated Projects (SIPs) through the Art Department are required to enroll in Advanced Studio in the Fall Term, register for the SIP Unit in Winter Term, and enroll in Professional Practices for the Spring Term. Note: Studio Art Majors not conducting a Studio Art SIP will work on an advanced project for the duration of Advanced Studio and use that project for the exhibition and assignments in Professional Practices the following spring.  

Students are expected to complete preparatory coursework and seek out a SIP advisor in the department prior to the fall of their senior year. A Senior Individualized Project in art for a non-major is possible only if the student has taken the relevant courses in the department and secures approval for the proposed project.

Advanced Studio- Fall Term

Advanced Studio takes the form of a structured studio environment in order to start planning and executing the SIP. Students are encouraged to continue working on their creative work over winter break and will have access to the off-campus studio during that time. Access to on-campus studios is limited during break. 

Visit the Course Catalog to learn more about Advanced Studio.

Studio Art SIP- Winter Term

All Senior Integrated Projects are to be advanced-level work. Senior Integrated Projects in Studio Art are usually one unit; typically executed in the winter quarter of senior year. The bulk of a Studio Art SIP includes the creation of a significant body of artwork in an area of focus. Most students use one primary medium to explore a theme or narrow subject matter throughout the creation of their project. Midterm- and final-project reviews with a faculty panel take place in Week Three and during Finals of winter term, with all creative work completed by the last review. Exhibitions of SIPs take place as part of Professional Practices during the Spring Term.  

Students should have considerable experience, including at least one intermediate/advanced course, in the medium or area of the SIP. Sculpture and ceramics students should take at least three sculpture or ceramics courses, respectively.  

Students are expected to complete preparatory coursework and seek out a SIP advisor in the department prior to Fall term of their senior year. Proposals must meet departmental expectations for Studio Art and Art History SIPs. Approval is based on the quality of the proposal, the student’s preparation for the proposed topic, and the faculty advisor’s ability and availability to supervise the topic, approach, or technique.

Professional Practices- Spring Term

The writing of the SIP document (a reflective narrative description of the project with the addition of supporting research, materials and images), along with an exhibit and public presentation, will take place in the spring quarter, as part of the Professional Practices course. 

Most students have an exhibition of SIP work in the gallery of the Light Fine Arts Building during the spring quarter. The exhibition is to be hung in consultation with the instructor of the spring course, Professional Practices, and must meet their standards of professional conditions. 

Visit the Course Catalog to learn more about the Professional Practices course. 

Junior Year Spring Term- Checklist

  • Intermediate-level studio coursework completed by the end of the term 
  • At least two courses in the area of the intended SIP completed by the end of the term 
  • Attend Junior Majors meeting or meet with a studio faculty member 
  • Register for Advanced Studio for the following Fall term 

Senior Year Fall Term- Checklist

  • SIP Registration Form: Submit the SIP Registration form on the Registrar’s website. Your advisor will sign digitally. 
  • Institutional Review Board: Any proposal for research that involves human subjects must be approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) by Week 6. This includes documentary photography and video SIPs that use human subjects. Visit the Institutional Review Board page to learn more and find a proposal form. 
  • SIP Proposal: SIP Proposals are completed as part of Advanced Studio 

Grading

Grading of Studio Art SIPs is a collaborative effort of the Art and Art History faculty. Grades are based on:

  • technical, formal and conceptual strength of the work;  
  • the student’s organization, process and progress throughout the project; 
  • the scope of the completed project, and  
  • an understanding of the context for the work as it is addressed throughout the creation of the work 

Other Information

Tedrow Little Tyler Fund: Thanks to the generosity of the Tedrow Little Tyler family, we are able to provide grants of at least $200 to each student completing a SIP in Studio Art or Art History. Funding amounts vary from year to year, and are generally announced in the fall. Please see the SIP Grants page for more information.

SIP Form

Registrar’s official SIP Registration Form