What are Pratt Integrative Courses?
Pratt Integrative Courses (PICs) are designed as interdisciplinary explorations of a wide range of possible content, putting into practice multiple ways of thinking and ways of making. Students will acquire and integrate skills and competencies from both studio and general education classes, recombining them in novel and unexpected ways that test, challenge, and expand their creative/critical capacities. The PICs constitute an integrative opportunity in students’ overall Pratt learning experience, an engagement in a cross-disciplinary and collaborative environment that can also nourish their future work in their majors and the capstone projects related to their disciplines.
How many credits does a PIC fulfill?
3 credits.
Who can teach PICs?
Faculty teaching PICs come from various departments and different schools at Pratt. In the early phases of development, information sessions were held where Pratt faculty were invited to make proposals to teach PICs. The PICs launched in Fall 2018, and most classes are taught by Pratt faculty with a “home” department at Pratt. There are full-time faculty and part-time faculty currently teaching PICs, at different status and rank levels. A few former Pratt alumni are also teaching PICs. They were part of the first cohort of PIC instructors.
Can non-Pratt faculty teach PICs?
At this juncture, the PICs provide an opportunity for Pratt faculty to engage in this interdisciplinary realm and share their expertise through the PIC prism. There can always be exceptions, but in general, we prefer that PICs be taught by current Pratt faculty.
Can a Pratt faculty member propose to teach with a non-Pratt faculty?
Yes, they can—but again, at this juncture, we prefer that faculty already at Pratt teach Pratt Integrative Courses.
How does one propose a PIC?
Interested faculty must:
- Go to a PIC information session;
- Provide a full and complete PIC syllabus with as much detail as possible, using the PIC syllabus template;
- Provide a Statement of Intent;
- Provide a current updated academic CV.
The PIC syllabus template, and the Statement of Intent can be found on the PIC site.
The template, the Statement of Intent and the CV must be sent together in one email to aparsa@pratt.edu.
What if I can’t go to an information session?
You should really go. The information sessions cover a lot of ground and go into considerable detail in the most important facets of the PICs. In addition, you will also glean much about the program through other participants’ queries and through group conversation.
How should I think about my PIC proposal?
The most important thing is to design the course through the prism of integrative learning and to target the PIC outcomes. Assignments, readings and exercises, along with the final project, should all be geared towards having students become proficient in the PIC outcomes. Again, major assignments should be aligned with the PIC outcomes. You can find the PIC outcomes and more resources on integrative learning on the PIC site.
What is required of faculty who are interested in teaching PICs? What are the qualifications?
PIC instructors should have expertise in their subject/content area and experience in interdisciplinary practice and teaching. A master’s is a minimum degree requirement. The actual course proposal, along with the candidate’s statement of intent, their experience in interdisciplinary practice, their teaching experience in higher education, and their qualifications as shown on the CV, all factor in the review and the possible approval of the proposed PIC.
What is the deadline to send a proposal to teach a PIC?
The deadline for proposals is usually at the beginning of a given semester. In Fall 2018, it was September 11, 2018. In the spring semester, the deadline to submit all material is January 22, 2019. There are no extensions.
When do I get to teach my PIC if it gets approved?
There are currently over 30 approved PICs. In the first two semesters (AY 18-19), we have planned to run 16 or 17 different classes, with 3 or 4 having two sections. There are thus many more PICs in the books than there are PICs running in any given semester. So even if a PIC is approved, we cannot guarantee that it will run at a particular time. This is not to discourage anyone from proposing PICs. We are always interested in reviewing excellent PIC proposals.
Which students get to take PICs?
PICs are required for all undergraduates in the School of Art and the School of Design, and BFA students in the department of History of Art and Design (School of Liberal Arts and Sciences).
Can graduate students take a PIC?
No. Currently only undergraduates can enroll in PICs.
If students are not required to take a PIC, can they take one anyway?
Yes! PICs can be taken by all undergraduate students across the institute as an all-Institute elective (although students in SoD, SoA, and HAD will have enrollment priority). For example, students majoring in Architecture or Critical & Visual Studies or Writing can choose to take a Pratt Integrative Course with their all-institute electives.
When do students take a PIC?
Semester 5 or 6 (and at times in senior year). Students who are not required to take a PIC can take one as an elective in their junior and senior years. Exceptionally, students in their sophomore year may be able to take a PIC as an elective.
Which PIC do students have to take?
Students do not have to take any particular PIC. Every semester, over 20 PICs are offered. Students can choose which PIC they take. They just have to take one from the menu of PIC offerings.
Can they take more than one PIC?
Yes! Students can use their all-institute electives to take more PICs.
If we still have questions after attending an information session, whom can we contact?
For any questions or need for clarification, you can contact Amir Parsa in the Office of the Provost. His email is aparsa@pratt.edu.