Cal State San Marcos School of Arts

Home
United States
San Marcos, CA
Cal State San Marcos School of Arts

Art, Media, and Design - Dance Studies - Music - Theatre Arts The curriculum encourages interdisciplinary work, collaboration, and student self-direction.

The School of Arts at Cal State San Marcos provides an exciting multidisciplinary approach to the arts which embraces the cultural richness of southern California. A degree in Visual and Performing Arts consists of a sequence of courses that illuminates and emphasizes the benefits of our cross-cultural heritage, presented in the framework of a dynamic experiential, theoretical and technological environment.

08/31/2026

🎒✨ A new semester is here, and there’s a lot to look forward to! As you get back into the swing of things, remember to check your schedule, find your classrooms, arrive early, and come prepared. Take some time to explore the Arts building, meet new people, get involved in SoFA events and activities, and don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. Whether you’re creating, performing, designing, or discovering something new, make this semester one to remember. Welcome back, SoFA! 🎨🎭🎶💃

08/28/2026

🎹It’s Faculty Friday, meet Dr. Ching-Ming Cheng

Full Professor and Chair of Music at CSUSM. A dedicated pianist, performer, and educator, she has performed throughout the U.S. and internationally in Taiwan, Japan, and China.

At CSUSM, she helped establish the Music Major and the region’s first All-Steinway School. She was inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame in 2023 and has received the Steinway Top Music Teacher Award every year since 2016.

🎶 UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
🌊Nov. 8, 2026 — Music by the Sea
🎼Jan.–Feb. 2027 — Villa-Lobos International Chamber Music Festival
🎶Mar. 28, 2027 — Beethoven 200th Anniversary Program
🎵May 30, 2027 — Performance with Eugene Drucker

Follow along for more from CSUSM School of Arts! 🎨🎭🎶💃

08/26/2026

Tell us what YOU want to see! 👇

What do you want to see from SoFA this semester? 🎨🎭🎶💃

More behind-the-scenes content? Faculty spotlights? Events? Opportunities to get involved?

Drop your ideas in the comments and help us shape what’s next! ✨

08/14/2026

Meet Judit Hersko!!

Judit Hersko is the Chair of Arts, Media & Design at CSUSM, and her work brings together art and science in some pretty unexpected ways.

For more than 20 years, she’s worked alongside scientists to turn climate research into visual art, installations and stories that make complex ideas feel more personal.

Her work has taken her from the Venice Biennale to Antarctica, and most recently, on a 2025 sailing expedition through the Arctic Circle.

Hersko is also known for her “performance lectures,” where she combines storytelling, sculpture, fact and fiction while bringing attention to women in science whose stories have often been overlooked.

From the studio to some of the coldest places on Earth, Hersko’s work shows just how much art and science can have to say to each other💙

08/13/2026

Curious who we are? 👀 Meet the creative side of CSUSM

Four departments. Incredible professors. One creative home. 🎨🎭🎶🩰

At the School of Arts, creativity doesn’t fit into one box:
🎨 Art, Media & Design — find your voice and make it visual.
🎶 Music — perform it, produce it, teach it, create it. Your path, your sound.
🎭 Theatre Arts — turn your stories, ideas and experiences into something that moves people.
🩰 Dance Studies — move with purpose, explore today’s world and build community along the way.

Different mediums. Different perspectives. Same drive to create.
So… where do you fit? 👀 Tell us in the comments below!!!

Swipe through and meet the departments. 👉

08/12/2026

SEATS STILL AVAILABLE FOR FALL 2026:
AMD 122: SURVEY OF WORLD CINEMA
Instructor: Award-Winning Filmmaker RAJEE SAMARASINGHE
Tuesdays: 5:30 - 8:20 PM
In-Person

08/10/2026

Welcome to the CSUSM School of Arts!

This page is your place to stay connected with everything happening in SOFA. Here, you’ll find upcoming event dates and important updates, opportunities to get to know our professors, information about SOFA and its programs, a closer look at the people and work that make up our community, and more!!!

Whether you’re a current student, future student, or just interested in what’s happening in the arts at CSUSM, there’s plenty to look forward to.

Follow along and stay connected with the CSUSM School of Arts! 🐾💙

08/07/2026

AMD Students: We still have some seats saved especially for you in AMD 380-9 (Design Activism) and AMD 380-10 (Graphic Design 2) for the Fall 2026 semester.

We will override the prerequisites for these Upper Division Graphic Design Courses this fall. If you are interested in taking these courses, please reach out to Professor Ghazal Foroutan ([email protected]) to request a permission number. Once you have obtained the permission number from Professor Foroutan, please contact Academic Advising (Lizbeth Carrillo Urquiza, [email protected] or Siria Flores, [email protected]) and they will help you get enrolled in the course.

We also have a few seats left in AMD 409 (Advanced Graphic Design). It is helpful to have some experience with computer software and basic graphic design concepts, but you can sign up for this course without any prerequisites.

05/14/2026

🎨✨ You’re invited to an afternoon + evening full of art, music, and celebration!

Join us for our 2026 Arts Showcase featuring student exhibitions, live performances, interactive activities, and our main event honoring David Avalos

🕑 Starts at 2 PM
🎶 Live music, dance, and performances throughout
🚶‍♀️ Don’t miss “Let’s Walk” + gallery experiences
💚 5–6:15 PM: Main Event + Plaque Dedication
🌙 Ends at 8 PM
Bring your friends, explore the Arts Building, and celebrate creativity in all its forms 💫
LiveArt CampusEvents

05/11/2026

Senior Spotlight!!!

Zane Jillo

Double major in Economics & Music

1. My favorite college memory is meeting my lifelong friends and spending time in the studio, jamming, rehearsing, and recording.

2. Something I will miss is the direct support from my professors and the tight community of students.

3. I am headed to SDSU this fall to pursue a masters in Jazz Studies, thanks CSUSM!

Address

San Marcos, CA

Website

http://www.csusm.edu/sofa

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Cal State San Marcos School of Arts posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The University

Send a message to Cal State San Marcos School of Arts:

Want your university to be the top-listed University in San Marcos?