ACADEMIC
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ARTS
PROGRAMME
BIBLICAL ART
ACCREDITATION
DOCUMENTS
Latvian Christian Academy
Table of Contents
Application to Programme Accreditation 1
Decision of the Council of Higher Education on the implementation of the academic Bachelor programme in Biblical Art at Latvian Christian Academy 2
Evaluation of the programme
1. The programme and plans
1.1. Goals, tasks and the expected outcome of the programme 3
1.2. Contents 4
1.3. Balance of mandatory (A), mandatory-elective (B) and elective (C) courses 5
1.4. Compliance with the Regulations on State academic education standard 5
1.5. Courses and credits, their distribution in academic years / semesters 6
1.5.1. Calendar plan: full-time studies 6
1.5.2. Calendar plan: part-time studies 7
1.6. Practice Sessions 8, 69-70
1.7. Thesis 8, 57
1.8. Course descriptions 8
1.9. Study plan 8
2. Comparison of the programme to:
2.1. Bachelor of Arts programme at Latvian Academy of Arts 9-10
2.2. Analogical programmes at foreign (including European Union) universities:
2.2.1. Bachelor of Arts programme at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Estonian Academy of Arts 10-12
2.2.2. Programme at the Faculty of Church Art, St. Tikhon Orthodox Theological Institute in Moscow 13-14
2.2.3. European universities and institutes with similar concepts 14-15
3. Prospective evaluation of the programme from the perspective of the interests of Latvia 15
4. Study management and grading
4.1. Study management 16
4.2. Implementation of the programme
4.2.1. Forms of study 16
4.2.2. Methods of study 16
4.2.3. Forms of testing 17
4.2.4. Grading system 17
5. Students
5.1 Number of students in the programme 18
5.2 Participation of the students in the development of the study processes 18
6. Academic staff
6.1. Academic titles 19
6.2. Raising quality of the academic staff 20
6.3. Policy of staff selection, renewal, training and development 20
7. Creative work and research
7.1. Curriculum Vitae of the academic staff 79-115
7.2. Research, publications and creative work within the last 5 years 116-138
7.3. Staff and students’ research / creative work 21-22
7.4. Participation in international research projects 22
8. Study provision and management
8.1 Material-technical and methodological provision 23
8.2 Development plan of the material-technical and information base for the implementation of the programme 23
8.3 Programme management 24
9. Quality appraisal system 25
10. Strategy for the development of the programme 25
11. Conclusion (strengths and weaknesses of the programme implementation) 26
12. Advertising and information on educational opportunities 27
13. Supplements and comments 28-137
September 29, 2004
To the Department of Higher Education and Science
at the Ministry of Education and Science of Republic of Latvia
Application to Programme Accreditation
Latvian Christian Academy applies for accreditation of:
The academic programme
1. Programme title: Biblical Art
2. Programme code: 4321101[(]
3. Duration of the programme: four years of full-time studies and five years in part-time studies
4. Credits awarded upon completion of the programme: 160 credits
5. Admission requirements: general secondary or secondary professional education
6. Degree awarded: Bachelor of Arts in Arts
7. Name of the higher education institution: Latvian Christian Academy
8. Place for implementation of the programme: Jurmala
9. Form of implementation of the programme: full-time and part-time studies
10. Responsible for accreditation: Laura Ozola, Rector’s Assistant (Personal ID number 161080-10515)
Rector of Latvian Christian Academy Skaidrīte Gūtmane
March 27, 2003
No.30
To the Minister of Education and Science of Republic of Latvia
Karlis Sadurskis
To the Rector of Latvian Christian Academy
Skaidrite Gutmane
Regarding the implementation of the academic Bachelor of Arts in Arts programme in Biblical Art at Latvian Christian Academy (LCA), based on the decision No. 12 by the Council of Higher Education from May 10, 2001, “Criteria for Decisions of the Council of Higher Education on Academic Programmes with less than 250 full-time Students”
State of Affairs
· Programmes
Academic Bachelor and Master’s programmes in Theology, as well as a professional programme in Theology are implemented at LCA. (Their accreditation has expired on December 31, 2003.)
A 4-year academic programme in Biblical Art is being developed successfully in cooperation with Israel State History and Culture Foundation.
· Students
The small number of students – 40, is determined by the specific nature of the programme.
· Academic staff
In the implementation of the mandatory and mandatory-elective parts of the programme 6 professors and associate professors are involved on a full-time basis. Another 4 academic personnel are involved on a contract basis.
Compliance with the decision No. 12 by the Council of Higher Education from May 10, 2001, “Criteria for Decisions of the Council of Higher Education on Academic Programmes with less than 250 Full-time Students”
1. A sufficient number of professors and associate professors are involved in the implementation of the programme.
2. The programme is significant to the development of both the state and region.
3. Similar programme is not implemented in the Baltic countries.
4. Integration of the programme into similar programmes at LCA is not possible due to the lack of such programmes.
5. Experts of icons and Sacral Art are on high demand in the traditional churches and in arts criticism.
6. Tuition fee is LVL 700 per academic year, and are lower than those in the EU countries where they reach up to LVL 3000 per academic year.
Decision: Council of Higher Education grants Latvian Christian Academy permission to implement the academic programme in Biblical Art.
Board Chairman /signed/ B. Rivza
Rector of Latvian Christian Academy /signed/ S. Gutmane
1. The programme and plans
Academic Bachelor of Arts in Arts programme in Biblical Art is the first and only programme of its kind in Latvia. Since 1994 a group of researchers and artists of Sacral Art from both Latvian and abroad have been developing the programme.
The programme has an academic module and an applied module. The academic module provides students with the theoretical foundations of the applied module. The applied module trains students for research and professional activity in two directions – Icon Painting and Sacral Graphic Art. The two modules are in proper proportion, which is defined by the specific nature of the programme. The programme requires provision of a wide range of both theoretical and practical skills in the process of learning theory and praxis of Biblical Art. Biblical Art include comprehensive research of the sources of Christian arts, early Christian arts, various church traditions, the aesthetical understandings in the Bible, etc.
Academic Bachelor of Arts in Arts programme in Biblical Art provides basic academic education, which is the foundation for further studies in Master’s programme both in Latvia and abroad.
1.1. Goals, tasks and the expected outcome of the programme
The goals of the programme are:
· To provide a high quality education in Biblical Art;
· To foster the development of research into a conceptually new direction – the research in Biblical and Sacral Art;
· To develop a school of icon painting in Latvia, founded on the tradition and canon of iconography;
· To maintain the Latvian heritage in painting and graphic art, which has always been closely linked with Christianity and the Bible;
· To implement a dialogue between Christianity and society and to meet the need for harmonious arts in the society;
· To help an artist become an intellectually and spiritually strong personality.
The tasks of the programme are:
· To provide for acquiring of knowledge and research skills in Biblical theology and arts;
· To provide for acquiring of professional skills in icon painting and graphic art;
· To provide knowledge, basic skills and professional competency in order that students could create art works based on the Christian worldview, of high technical performance and quality;
· To base the studies on a firm system of academic education to prepare students for further studies in Master’s programme.
The expected outcome of the programme is:
· Good interdisciplinary knowledge of academic theology, of ecclesiology in particular, and of Sacral Art and its praxis;
· Basic skills – ability to think critically and independently, to work independently, to have a good command of a modern foreign language and of modern information gathering and processing technologies;
· Specific skills – a high competency in the selected specialization.
1.2. Contents
The programme consists of three parts:
· Mandatory A part (75 credits) includes:
Courses, which includes basic understanding, principles, structure and interdisciplinary methodology of arts and theology / Courses, which include history and topical issues of arts and theology / Courses, which discuss issues from an interdisciplinary perspectiveContents of the Old Testament, 2 credits / History of Theology,
4 credits / Iconography in the Context of Modern Theology, 2 credits
Theology of the New Testament, Christology, 4 credits / Latvian Church History,
2 credits / Semantics of the Arts of the Old Testament Times, 2 credits
Critical Thinking, 2 credits / History of World Art, 6 credits / Biblical Foundations of Aesthetics, 2 credits
Biblical Art: Theory and Methodology, 2 credits / History of Latvian Art, 2 credits / Basics of Computer Science and Visual Graphics, 2 credits
Introduction to Iconography, 4 credits / History of Latvian Church Art, 2 credits / Educational Theory, 2 credits
Theology of Icons, 4 credits / History of Culture, 2 credits / Thesis, 15 credits
Symbolism of Christian Art, 2 credits / Topical Processes in Contemporary Art, 2 credits
Universal Communication, 2 credits
Painting Technologies, 2 credits
Techniques, Technology and Preservation of Sacral Art, 2 credits
Plastical Anatomy, 4 credits
Total: 30 credits / Total: 20 credits / Total: 25 credits
· Mandatory –elective B part (71 credits) includes courses, which provide professional practical skills in Icon Painting and Sacral Graphic Art, as well as the necessary skills in the basic disciplines of art – composition, drawing and painting.
· Elective C part (14 credits); these courses (except Practice Sessions) may be replaced with any courses of other Bachelor’s programmes at LCA, which award the same amount of credits
1.3. Balance of mandatory (A), mandatory-elective (B) and elective (C) courses
Part of the programme / CREDITS / Percentage%
A part – mandatory courses / 60 / 37
Thesis / 15 / 9
B part – mandatory-elective courses / 71 / 45
C part – elective courses / 14 / 9
Total credits of the programme
/ 160 / 1001.4. Compliance with the Regulations on State academic education standard
The programme complies with the requirements the “Regulations on State academic education standard” No.2 of the Cabinet of Ministers from January 3, 2002
Academic Bachelor’s programme / According to the regulations / Programme at the Latvian Christian AcademyDuration of full-time studies / 6 – 8 semesters / 8 semesters
Total credits of the programme / 120 – 160 credits / 160 credits
Mandatory (A) part:
- Basic understanding, principles, structure and interdisciplinary methodology of arts and theology
- History and topical issues of arts and theology
- Description of the discipline and its issues from an interdisciplinary perspective
- Thesis / No less than 50 credits
No less than 25 credits
No less than 10 credits
No less than 15 credits
No less than 10 credits / 75 credits
30 credits
20 credits
25 credits
15 credits
Mandatory-elective (B) part / No less than 20 credits / 71 credits
Elective (C) part / - / 14 credits
1.5. Courses and credits, their distribution in academic years / semesters
1.5.1. Calendar plan: Full-time studies (4 academic years / 8 semesters)
No. / Courses / SemestersTotal / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8
1. / Mandatory A Part
1.1. / Contents of the Old Testament / 2 / 2
1.2. / Critical Thinking (Introduction to Philosophy) / 2 / 2
1.3. / Biblical Art: Theory and Methodology (Sacral Art and Biblical Art) / 2 / 2
1.4. / Introduction to Iconography / 4 / 2 / 2
1.5. / History of World Art / 6 / 2 / 2 / 2
1.6. / Latvian Church History / 2 / 2
1.7. / Universal Communication / 2 / 2
1.8. / Basics of Computer Science and Visual Graphics / 2 / 2
1.9. / Semantics of the Arts of the Old Testament Times / 2 / 2
1.10. / Theology of the New Testament, Christology / 4 / 2 / 2
1.11. / History of Theology / 4 / 2 / 2
1.12. / Plastical Anatomy / 4 / 2 / 2
1.13. / Symbolism of Christian Art / 2 / 2
1.14. / History of Latvian Church Art / 2 / 2
1.15. / History of Latvian Art / 2 / 2
1.16. / History of Culture / 2 / 2
1.17. / Painting Technologies / 2 / 2
1.18. / Theology of Icons / 4 / 2 / 2
1.19. / Biblical Foundations of Aesthetics / 2 / 2
1.20. / Educational Theory / 2 / 2
1.21. / Techniques, Technology and Preservation of Sacral Art / 2 / 2
1.22. / Iconography in the Context of Modern Theology / 2 / 2
1.23. / Topical Processes in Contemporary Art / 2 / 2
1.24. / Thesis / 15 / 15
Total credits in A part
/ 75 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 8 / 8 / 4 / 152. / Mandatory-elective B part
2.1. / Drawing / 12 / 2 / 2 / 2 / 2 / 2 / 2
2.2. / Painting / 16 / 2 / 3 / 2 / 3 / 3 / 3
2.3. / Composition / 10 / 2 / 1 / 2 / 1 / 2 / 1 / 1
2.4. / Graphic Art / 21 / 2 / 2 / 2 / 2 / 3 / 5 / 5
2.5. / Iconography / 22 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 5 / 5
Total credits in B part
/ 71 / 6 / 8 / 11 / 11 / 12 / 12 / 6 / 53. / Elective C part
3.1. / Modern Foreign Language (English/German) / 4 / 2 / 2
3.2. / Summer Practice Sessions / 6 / 2 / 2 / 2
3.3. / Semantics of the Greek *** / 2 / 2
3.4. / Liturgy *** / 1 / 1
3.5. / Biblical Archaeology *** / 1 / 1
Total credits in C part
/ 14 / 2 / 4 / 2 / 2 / 4Total amount of credits in the programme: 160 credits
* For students, specializing in Icon Painting
** For students, specializing in Graphic Art
*** These courses may be replaced with any courses of other Bachelor’s programmes at LCA, which award the same amount of credit
Students must earn an average of 20 credits per semester or 40 credits per year, according to the mandatory (A), mandatory-elective (B) and elective (C) part of the programme
1.5.2. Calendar plan: Part-time studies (5 academic years / 10 semesters)