The Ceramics area at Marshall is built upon a foundation of understanding traditional materials and processes. At the foundation level, there is a dual focus on both hand-building and wheel throwing, each allowing students to open up to different aspects of these traditional formation processes. Upper division courses are taught in an atmosphere that promotes material exploration and experimentation with process and materials other than clay and glaze. Students are encouraged to develop an understanding of craftsmanship while simultaneously developing a strong conceptual voice within their work. Critical inquiry of materials and methods is encouraged for the goal of a seamless interdisciplinary practice. Ceramics history and its relationship to contemporary technologies, such as 3-D printing, creates a foundation for creating in the ceramics studio. All students in the School of Art & Design are prepared for their upper division classes through a foundations program with a focus on experimenting and trying as many media as possible, and then integrating those media when possible. The ceramics area furthers this interdisciplinary approach through encouraging material explorations as they relate conceptually back to experimentation with clay. Specific courses guide students through learning the intricacies of the material such as in the hand-building class. Both the beginning and intermediate pottery or throwing on the wheel classes are designed as service learning classes where students get hands-on experience with the Empty Bowls event, which raises money for the local food bank. Upper division classes strengthen the conceptual rigor of student work with classes such as Combined Ceramic Processes, Advanced Ceramic Sculpture and classes which are more materially centered such as clay and glaze chemistry.