Faculty of Design and Decorative-Applied Arts

The Faculty of Design and Decorative-Applied Arts is an educational, scientific, and cultural-educational structural unit of the Transcarpathian Academy of Arts (established by the decision of the Academic Council of the Transcarpathian Art Institute, Protocol No. 2, March 20, 2013; Rector’s order of April 15, 2013, No. 27).

The work of the Faculty of Design and Decorative-Applied Arts is organized in accordance with the legal acts of Ukraine (the Laws of Ukraine On Higher Education, On Languages in Ukraine, the State Program Education — Ukraine XXI Century, Resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, regulatory documents of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, relevant educational standards, and Regulations).

The faculty consists of three departments:

• Department of Design (Head — Associate Professor, Candidate of Art Studies O. I. Sopko),

• Department of Modern Information Technologies and Web Design (Head — Honored Artist of Ukraine, Associate Professor N. S. Ponomarenko),

• Department of Decorative-Applied Arts (Head — Candidate of Art Studies R. I. Pylyp).

The main task of the faculty is to train highly qualified specialists in the fields of graphic design, environmental design, interior design, decorative-applied arts, and restoration, according to educational programs of the first (Bachelor’s) and second (Master’s) levels of higher education. The faculty focuses on preserving regional artistic traditions, developing folk and professional decorative-applied arts, and ensuring a high level of professional training. Students are prepared to combine Ukrainian design traditions with innovative approaches, creating unique solutions that meet the needs of society.

Graduates acquire skills in:

• critical thinking, project activity, solving complex tasks, independent learning management;

• analytical thinking, innovation, creativity, originality, initiative, and technology monitoring;

• resilience, stress management, and adaptability;

• conceptual knowledge adapted to modern labor market requirements;

• conducting research and engaging in innovative activity in their professional field.

The faculty’s educational, scientific, and cultural work aims to provide students with up-to-date management technologies, a wide choice of professional paths, and the ability to independently and competently solve complex tasks within their professional duties. Students gain theoretical knowledge and practical skills through a balanced curriculum that includes courses such as Fundamentals of Computer Graphics, Computer Graphics, Fundamentals of Scientific Research, Art Management, Video Editing and Presentation, 3D Modeling and Project Visualization, CAD Design, Fundamentals of Media Design, Game Design, Animation, Illustration, Startup Project Management, Branding, Public Relations, Design and Professional Mastery, History of Ornament and Crafts, Art History of Transcarpathia, History of Ukrainian Art, Sculpture, Technological Practice, Industrial Practice, Pre-Diploma Practice, Diploma Projecting, and others.

Student projects are closely aligned with departmental research and include practical assignments in creating pictograms, logos, corporate identity, posters, illustrations, book design, residential and public interior design, landscaping and greening of parks, squares, and recreational zones. Students and faculty actively participate in national and international competitions, workshops, and plein-air sessions (in Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania).

Faculty staff regularly organize masterclasses, open lectures, and discussions on art, design, art management, and branding. They support the artistic association of young Transcarpathian artists Focus Group and prepare students for diverse cultural and presentation events.

The faculty’s teaching staff includes Honored Artists of Ukraine, Honored Cultural and Educational Workers of Ukraine, Candidates of Sciences, Associate Professors, and members of the Transcarpathian Regional Branch of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, the Union of Designers of Ukraine, and the National Union of Architects of Ukraine.

The Faculty of Design and Decorative-Applied Arts cooperates with educational institutions in Ukraine and abroad. The departments maintain broad scientific and creative ties, formalized by agreements with leading research institutions, museums, and art academies, including the Lviv National Academy of Arts, Ukrainian Academy of Printing, National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts, and the Faculty of Design and Arts of the Technical University of Košice. Cooperation extends to institutions in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania. The Department of Design actively develops relationships within the framework of the European League of Institutes of the Arts (ELIA).