Department of Art & Art History
A faculty of accomplished artists and scholars invigorates both an undergraduate curriculum in studio art and art history and graduate-level MA and MFA programs. In addition, the department sponsors a lively lecture series of visiting artists, critics and art historians. While the Fine Arts Building is the main facility for art history, photography, printmaking, painting and drawing areas, the Boor Sculpture Studio, opened in 2002, boasts state-of-the-art sculpture and digital facilities for both traditional and emerging media. Working closely with the University Art Museum as well as with other museums in the Capital Region, the Department of Art and Art History offers its students unique opportunities to gain hands-on experience in museum work through internships, classes held in museum exhibition spaces, and a special curatorial studies class in which students curate their own exhibitions.
Department of English
The Department of English is a community of scholars and writers interested in the power of language and the role of literature in culture. The Department offers an undergraduate degree, a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. The Department also offers a minor in Creative Writing, and an Internship Program, which provides English majors and minors with fieldwork opportunities both on and off campus in professions such as law, publishing, social services, journalism, government, and education, among others.
Journalism Program
The Journalism Program offers courses in nonfiction writing, media analysis and production, as well as the history and global context of journalism in the 21st Century. The Program's courses and internships prepare students for work as journalists, freelance writers, TV producers, broadcasters, webcasters, editors, magazine and book publishers, copy writers, and public advocates. It also provides excellent preparation for students looking for careers in law, government, history, educational policy, teaching, and research.
Department of Music & Theatre
The Music Program offers students a foundational General Major and Minor as well as Concentrations in Music Theory, History, Performance, and Composition. The Department supports an array of student–community performing groups, including Concert, Marching and Pep Bands, Orchestra, Chorale, the University Chamber Singers, and Percussion, Jazz, and Chamber ensembles.
Theatre Program majors can focus on acting, design/tech, musical theatre, playwriting, theatre history, and dramaturgy with world class faculty who are active theatre artists passionately writing, designing, performing, and directing in professional capacities on a regular basis. Departmental presentations encourage experimentation and creative risk, and develop audiences attuned to the diversity and power of the arts. The Program’s connections to theatre companies and proximity to multiple theatre meccas create internship and job opportunities for students.
Writing and Critical Inquiry Program
The Program of Writing and Critical Inquiry is a community of teachers and writers who offer UAlbany first-year students with a rigorous introduction to the practice of academic writing and critical thinking in college. It provides a foundation for students to develop their ability to communicate effectively in written and oral discourse, skills crucial not only to their college success, but for their lives outside the university.