The Graphic Design major prepares students for entry-level positions in design organizations. Graphic Design graduates find employment in a variety of settings including the publication and printing industries, advertising and marketing organizations, and graphic design departments of corporations, government agencies, and retailers. The major focus is on skill development in basic design techniques and technology and their graphic application. The School also offers minors in Graphic Design and in Web Design.
Freshman students are required to complete 6 credits of basic design, 3 credits of drawing, and a series of 1-credit software labs. Senior students complete an internship with a cooperating firm and may qualify for supervised individual projects. The program requires a professional portfolio review during the senior year. The requirements of the major are deliberately flexible to accommodate a variety of options within the discipline. Graphic Design majors are urged to consider a minor concentration in another field.
A minimum grade of C is required in any course within the Graphic Design major that serves as a prerequisite for a higher-numbered course.
Each student entering the sophomore-level Graphic Design curriculum will be required to have a personal computer and the software supported by the Graphic Design program. Recommended computer specifications are available from your advisor or by visiting the Communications and Graphic Design Department Web site.
Liberal Arts Core requirements: All Liberal Arts Core requirements must be fulfilled. It is recommended that students work with an advisor to ensure compliance.
Major requirements (49 credits): FA 103 Design I; FA 105 Drawing I or FA 209 Figure Drawing; GD 101-104 Software Labs I-IV; GD 200 Desktop Publishing; GD 203 Photography: Digital Imaging; GD 255-256 Typography I & II; GD 202 Illustration I; GD 308 Web Design; GD 360 Graphic Design Studio; GD 400 Internship; GD 405 Senior Portfolio; and 9 additional credits from the following: COM 101 Public Speaking, COM 315 Writing for the New Media, COM 322 Principles of Communication Law, GD 303-304 Video Production I & II, GD 302 Illustration II, GD 309 Web Multimedia Design, GD 421 Project, GD 433 Research, MKT 301 Principles of Marketing, MKT 319 Advertising and Integrated Marketing Communications.
Electives: to total 120 credits.
Minor requirements: GD 101-103 Software Labs I-III, GD 203 Photography: Digital Imaging, GD 202 Illustration I, GD 200 Desktop Publishing or GD 256 Typography II, and 9 additional credits in Graphic Design courses.
Minor requirements (22 credits): CS 106 Programming on the Web, CS 110-111 Programming I & II, GD 101 Software Lab: Photoshop, GD 104 Software Lab IV: Dreamweaver, GD 308 Web Design, GD 309 Web Multimedia Design, and 3 more credits in Computer Science or Graphic Design to complete 22 credits. Students can place out of GD 101 and 104 and substitute other CS and GD courses. The following Computer Science courses are also relevant to Web design and can be used as electives: CS 150 The UNIX Operating System, CS 170 Local Area Networks, CS 220 Data Structures and Algorithms, CS 310 Software Engineering, CS 320 Database Systems, and CS 360 Artificial Intelligence. The following Graphic Design courses are also relevant to Web design and can be used as electives: GD 102 Software Lab II: FreeHand, GD 202 Illustration, GD 203 Digital Imaging, GD 303 Video Production, and GD 433 Research.