The Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design seeks to provide students a level of competency in various areas of visual communications, including Advertising Art Direction and Illustration, while encouraging students to experience other creative fields. Students should be able to develop and create visual responses to communication problems, including an understanding of hierarchy, typography, aesthetics, composition and construction of meaningful images. The program seeks to provide students with the basis to develop the ability to identify communications problems, research and analyze, generate multiple solutions, and evaluate potential outcomes. Students will be challenged to demonstrate a broad understanding of issues relation to cognitive, social, cultural, technological and economic contexts for design.

Students may choose to focus on Publication Design or Web Design, generating visual solutions to web-based design problems. This degree is currently the initial path for all BFA candidates in Illustration.

Upon successful completion of this program, students should be able to:

• describe, analyze, and interpret visual communications within the social, historical and theoretical contexts;
• understand software for print, web, and new media and gain the ability to seek out new uses for emerging technologies;
• use advanced skills in typography, layout, information design, and other applications to create clear and dynamic visual communication; and
• use primary and secondary research methods in the conceptualization and solution of design problems.

A grade of “C” or better is required in all major coursework.

Program Requirements  

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