2026-2027 Academic Catalog

Tag: All Courses

  • IAD-310 IAD RESEARCH & PORTFOLIO

    Taken in the semester prior to Interdisciplinary,Thesis I, students utilize this course to,research, identify, and develop potential thesis,projects in consideration of their specific skill,sets. Research methods will be reinforced and new,strategies for discovery will be developed, where,possible. The course will also include career,research, relevant to the individual student’s,particular path of study, with an eye toward,potential internship opportunities. Students end,the semester with a persuasive presentation,focused on their thesis concept, and are prepared,to apply for internships.

    Credits: 3

    Prerequisites: IAD 305

  • IAD-407 INTERDISCIPLINARY THESIS I

    The Interdisciplinary Thesis is a two-semester,studio course affording students the time and,space to undertake major independent,interdisciplinary art and design projects.,Students may propose a body of related works, a,series of individual pieces, or major stand-alone,projects with the goal of producing them over the,course of two semesters alongside their peers,,capitalizing on their diverse skill sets,,professional goals, and regular critiques.

    Credits: 3

    Prerequisites: IAD 310

  • IAD-408 INTERDISCIPLINARY THESIS II

    This second semester thesis course completes the,work begun in Interdisciplinary Thesis I. The,course includes regular critiques as students work,towards their individual and collective project,goals, including relevant publications and public,exhibition by the end of the semester.

    Credits: 3

    Prerequisites: IAD 407

  • IAD-475 INTERDISCIPLINARY DESIGN INTERNSHIP

    Participation in an internship experience allows,junior or senior status students to use,classroom-learned skills in a related employment,experience. Students must work a minimum of 135,hours over the course of the entire semester.,Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of,2.8. Seniors may not be eligible to participate,in an internship during their final semester.,Transfer students must have attended one semester,at CCS in addition to meeting the other,eligibility criteria.

    Credits: 6

    Prerequisites:

  • IAD-485 PERFORMANCE: HOME/HOUSE/CITY

    The Special Project class is offered on an,occasional basis, with course content specific to,the area being explored.,

    ,FALL 2026,

    ,PERFORMANCE: HOME/HOUSE/CITY ,,

    ,PERFORMANCE STUDIO (or, at Home in the House & the,City) is a studio-based investigation of,performance, broadly considered alongside,contemporary practices in performance art,,time-based art, and performing arts. Theoretically,grounded in performance studies, including,theories of performativity and performance of,everyday life, students will research and create,performance-solo, collaborative, and ensemble,work-that culminates in a public-facing event at,the Jam Handy in Detroit. The course follows a,critical framework for performance-as-research led,by a progression based on context: the home,(personal, private, phantasmagoric, domestic) to,”house” (denoting disciplinary specificity of the,black box/white cube and its trappings), to the,city (public, site-specific, participatory,,social). Part physical practice, part personal,research, part choreographic experimentation, part,collective experience, the rhythms, archetypes,,worldings, and non-sequiturs of everyday life will,provide the fodder for this performance studio.,Open to all majors

    Credits: 3

    Prerequisites:

  • IAD-490 INDEPENDENT STUDY

    Independent Study is available to students who are,at Junior or Senior level standing with a,cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or above.,The student may receive approval to work in an,area or on a project that is not otherwise offered,or addressed in the regular curriculum. An,Independent Study should include opportunities for,individual student voice and provide a space for,diverse perspectives. Students may receive credit,toward graduation for no more than 6 credit hours.,The student must submit to the chairperson of the,department in which they wish to study, an,Independent Study Proposal of 150 words (no less),of the student’s plan for study and her/his reason,for choosing to study independently. Once the,department chairperson provides approval and the,instructor for the Independent Study is,determined, the faculty member must write an,Independent Study Syllabus with education goals,,learning outcomes, meeting dates, course,expectations, timelines, and due dates. Art,Education candidates must pass DAE 490 with a,grade of ‘C’ (2.00) or higher to qualify for,certification.

    Credits: 3

    Prerequisites:

  • IXD-601 UX DESIGN STUDIO I,PROTOTYPING

    Based on a foundation of web technologies, this,class teaches students the concepts and use of,programming languages to complement and extend,their capabilities as designers. Students learn,how to think like a computer and to structure code,(functions and algorithms, not markup) to perform,data manipulation tasks, to enable user,interaction that incorporates devices and,services, and to gain facility across multiple,programming languages. As a result, students will,better understand the strengths and limitations of,digital systems and, therefore, how programming,may enhance (or limit) their user experience,design goals. With this foundation, students will,gain a solid stepping stone towards entering the,realms of mobile and web applications development,,physical computing, and the exciting world of the,Internet of Things, or the Internet of Everything.

    Credits: 3

    Prerequisites:

  • IXD-602 UX DESIGN STUDIO II

    ,,In preparation for the impending era of Extended,Reality (XR), the exciting realm of emerging,technologies, and rising artificial intelligence,,user experience designers must fully understand,the contemporary technology landscape and,environment and face the challenges in the UX,design field further development. In this,immersive studio environment, students are,involved in a dynamic triad of activities:,prototyping, coding, and design. By engaging in,these modes of creative endeavor, they acquire the,skills to envision and resolve profound design,challenges. The synthesis of these activities,empowers them to harness the potential of mixed,reality (XR) and related emerging technologies,,shaping the future of user experience design.,Students gain tech skills while seeing beyond,today’s technology to formulate and solve,essential design problems and understand the,creative processes and practical challenges of,making a better world through design.

    Credits: 3

    Prerequisites: IXD 601

  • IXD-605 USER INTERFACE DESIGN I

    This course introduces the fundamental concepts,,methods, and practices of UI design, emphasizing,the crucial interconnection between User,Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design.,The course covers the step-by-step process of,creating a user interface, including ideation,,prototyping, iteration, and implementation. It,will familiarize its students with technical,aspects, design tools, methodologies, and,techniques commonly used in the industry. Students,delve into the UI development process through a,blend of individual exploration and collaborative,teamwork. They gain hands-on experience and refine,their abilities to express and communicate their,ideas through narrative media and deliver visual,mockups and prototypes. The User Interface Design,course adopts an in-studio format that cultivates,an environment supportive of group discussions,,constructive critiques, and compelling,presentations. This structure ensures that,students understand the complexities within UX and,UI Design and prepares them to thrive in this,dynamic and constantly evolving field.

    Credits: 3

    Prerequisites:

  • IXD-606 UX RESEARCH

    Students learn the principles of UX (user,experience) design, enabling them to conduct,comprehensive research, analyze user behavior, and,apply their findings to create user-centric,designs in various digital contexts. Students,learn how to map user journeys and prototype,meaningful scenarios informed by research and,iterative modeling and testing. Students utilize,and apply user-centered research and co-design,methods. They learn various research methods, such,as user interviews, surveys, usability testing,,and data analysis. They also explore techniques,for collecting and interpreting user data.,Furthermore, the course will cover prototyping,techniques to translate research findings into,tangible designs, allowing students to work on,projects where they can apply their acquired,skills in real-world scenarios. By the end of this,course, students will have a solid grasp of UX,research principles, be able to conduct research,independently, and make design decisions based on,user insights.

    Credits: 3

    Prerequisites: