Academic and 艺术 Electives are offered to students of all arts departments. 它们提供了一个学习不同学科或通过学术视角看待特定艺术的机会. Students are encouraged to explore these disciplines outside of their chosen department.
Academic and 艺术 Elective Courses
在城市设计课程中，学生探索城市的创造性和持续的过程，作为我们日常生活和导航的跨学科艺术形式. Daniel Burnham’s 1909 Plan of Chicago, the foundation and text of this class, illustrates the historical context of modern city planning. Non-European models of city design are explored along with master-planned, 乌托邦式的, and sustainable city models. 图文并茂的讲座和阅读产生课堂讨论和艺术项目，最终形成展览. 学生研究当前城市规划的设计方法和策略，并分析这些做法如何限制或培养自发性, 创新, and functionality in urban design. 学生们在项目和演讲上进行单独和合作的工作，分析城市和城市更新和可持续性面临的关键问题和问题. Design professionals are brought in to work through questions with students. 学生了解艺术对城市和城市设计的美学和经济影响.
工作室艺术 is an elective course offered to students who are not Visual Art majors. 本课程设计为两个学期的工作室体验，适合各种能力水平的学生. Beginning drawing and design exercises are complimented by an art history component. 通过使用石墨等传统材料，学生可以获得更好的观察和技术艺术创作技能, 木炭, 和墨水, and are introduced to other two- and three-dimensional art forms such as painting, 版画, sculpture as well as digital mediums. Students practice the sequential steps in the process of making art. Through individual instruction and frequent group critiques, students gain experience analyzing and interpreting works of art. 课程的高潮是学生创造和展示他们自己的个人方向的项目.
学习技巧侧重于发展和提高组织能力和学习习惯，这是学业成功所必需的. 学生需要将个性化的策略应用到当前的学术课程中，并培养新的习惯，以培养更好的学习体验. Time may also be devoted to specific tasks such as homework, test preparation, and writing.
修辞学、语篇、演讲和辩论课程的学生将探索和发展演讲技巧 their passions using their unique voice. 课程的一部分专门用于使用ted演讲和时事作为讨论这些激情的工具. 通过这些片段，我们将遇到各种各样的声音，他们的故事与广泛的不同听众有交集. 除了, 这门课认识到，深思熟虑的话语对一个人未来生活的几乎每一个方面都是极其重要的工具. Whether tasked with a group project in college or at work, 在人际关系中, or in the political sphere, 以理性的方式表达自己的想法和观点的能力会对一个人的生活产生深远的影响. Artists rely heavily on articulating their points of view with confidence. 我们可以想象，在每个艺术学科中，有效的沟通技巧都是至关重要的. 学生还将探索各种有效沟通的技巧，并花大量时间讨论修辞, 逻辑, 话语与辩论.
商业与艺术 focuses on several areas such as contracts, 个人理财, 商业计划, 版权, marketing and more as it applies to the arts world. Student’s learning is supplemented by analyzing case studies, 阅读文章, and taking part in robust classroom discussion. 商业和艺术让学生有机会学习如何作为一名艺术家忙碌而精明，同时也创造机会与与他们所选择的艺术学科相一致的领域的强大和鼓舞人心的专业人士联系. Business in the 艺术 is an academic elective intended for upperclassmen.
椅子-舞蹈
兰迪·邓肯, 土生土长的芝加哥人, 有幸三次获得芝加哥著名的鲁思·佩奇年度杰出编舞奖. He teaches worldwide and for the past twenty-two years has been on the Academy faculty.
主席-媒体艺术
莎拉Hiatt is an artist and 教育家 born and raised in the Ozarks. She uses photography to explore the ideas of grief, innocence, and growing up. Her work has been shown in various locations throughout the United States and internationally. Hiatt currently resides in Chicago, IL.
椅子-音乐
雷切尔布朗 is a Chicago-based chamber musician, 独奏者, 管弦乐表现, 教育家, 艺术管理员. After three years as a regular member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, 她现在是南本德交响乐团的副首席第二小提琴手，并与伊利诺伊州交响乐团合作演出, Rockford Symphony Orchestra, American Music Festivals Orchestra, and Fort Wayne Philharmonic.
Rachel also serves as the Classical Violin and Viola Instructor and Musicianship Instructor.
椅子-音乐剧
安德鲁•罗宾逊 earned his Bachelor of 艺术 in 英语 and Religion from Rhodes College, his Master of Divinity from Union Theo逻辑al Seminary at Columbia University, and his Master of 艺术 in Educational Theatre from New York University. 十年来，他一直是马车轮剧院的创意合作伙伴，在那里他演出并执导了数十场演出.
布伦达摩尔 is a Chicago based visual artist represented by Linda Warren Projects. She has taught at The Academy since 2003.
New Music Ensemble Director, Pop/Rock Ensemble Director, Classical Guitar Instructor
杰西Langen is a guitarist who specializes in new music. He works with living composers regularly and premieres dozens of pieces every season. Equally comfortable on classical and electric guitar, he seeks to push both the technical boundaries and the conceptual functions of the instrument. He has taught at The Academy since 2002.
Assistant Chair of the Dance Department
Patrick simonello于1993年在纽约市的Joffrey II Dancers开始了他的职业舞蹈生涯. He was soon promoted to the main company of The Joffrey in 1994.
From package design to parking garages to public housing to Peapod, 本课程将从我们离不开的产品和设备中探索和批判设计, 我们在日常生活中所依赖和驾驭的无形网络和建筑环境. Design is everywhere, however we only seem to notice it when it is “bad.通过工作室项目，本课程将探讨什么是“好”和成功的设计.
什么是设计过程? What are the strategies designers use today? What are the cross-disciplinary methods from psychology to sociology, from marketing to architecture, 它们将设计的概念和设计过程的应用扩展到不同的领域，为简单的日常琐事和复杂的全球问题提供创新的解决方案? How are artists’ contributions invaluable to the creation of new products, services and technologies that result from this expanded interdisciplinary design field? Throughout this course students will practice an inquiry-based, 关心社会, and human-centered design process that combines fieldwork, 观察, and working through a “problem” through research, 模型建立, 和批判. This course will involve discussion, studio work, and presentations. Design professionals will be brought in to work through issues and projects with students.