B.F.A. (Applied Art) Typography and Calligraphy Syllabus - Mumbai University
This is the University of Mumbai syllabus for the B.F.A. (Applied Art), the Revised Course approved under Item No. 4.30 and in force from the academic year 2004-2005. It is old, and it is current: the University still examines this scheme, and the subjects below are the ones set in its Summer 2026 examinations. It is the only B.F.A. (Applied Art) syllabus the University has published.
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Syllabus for Typography and Calligraphy
What the University sets
- Studio Practicals per Academic Year: 120 Hours
- Paper: 80. Marks. Duration: 10 Hours. (Typography: 5 Hours, Calligraphy: 5 Hours)
- Assignments per Academic Year: 08 Term Work: 20 Marks
The focus
Exploring the design possibilities of a letterform in various contexts disciplines and envir . This is an essential module for each admitted student. The module should be conducted before the commencement of the actual teaching programme of Typography and Calligraphy. The outcome of this module may be linked with 2D design to make a student understand the concept of layout During the module handling possibilities of various calligraphic tools such pencil, Rotring - Aerograph pen, cut-nib, pens, brush etc. and materials (Mediums) inks, poster colours, water colours, on various surfaces, may explored S = History of writing. Various writing cultures 3 | — Designing and constructing a Letterform as a sign
To understand letterform ds a sign for its spontaneity, grace, design and impact and to train an eye for traditional as well as contemporary typographic aesthetics
The calligraphic skill is valuable 4 in quite a few areas on: Hence student should be able to appreciate and understand a calligraphic letterform sign for its spontaneity, grace and vitality. The study of traditional, contemporary and experimental calligraphy will help to train an eye for calligraphic aesthetics
What is taught
- LETTER STUDY
- Letterform - positive and negative space, in and around it
- Letterform as a picture - as a decorative element
- Letterform as a picture - as a primitive for design
- TYPOGRAPHY
- Understanding construction of a Letterform with the help of Roman Alphabets Physical characteristics of a Letterform serifs, x-height, ascenders, descenders upper and lower case, thick/thin/italics etc
- Optical and mechanical spacing in between the letters of a word. Word space
- Alignments
- Drop letters
- Expressive Typography. Designing a Logo
- Type family, font CALLIGRAPHY
- Calligraphic experiments with the help of tool, material (medium) and surface
- Basic strokes
- Creating Calligraphic patterns
- Calligrams
- Decorative aspect/s of Calligraphy
- Study of One Classical Roman Calligraphy Style 'Humanistic'
- Study of Devanagari Calligraphy
Term work
Term Work shall consist of at least 08 assignments covering the given syllabus, duly performed, completed and graded, carrying a weightage of 20 marks. Student must gain at least 40% of the total marks allotted for the Term Work of the academic year, in order to make him/her eligible to appear for the examination.
The University published this syllabus as scanned pages, with no machine-readable text. The wording below is transcribed from those pages and checked against a second, independent reading of the same scan. The PDF above is the University's own page, unaltered, and is the authority wherever the two differ.
The complete syllabus
This subject is cut from the University of Mumbai's own B.F.A. (Applied Art) syllabus document. The whole document is here:
The document ends with a Bibliography for the whole degree rather than a reading list per subject. Its last page — the list of books, after the periodicals and annuals — is missing from every copy that can be reached while the University's own site is down, so it is not reproduced here.