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GRAPHIC AND WEB DESIGN

Graphic Design (B.A.)
Minor in Graphic Design
Minor in Web Design
Web Design (Undergraduate Certificate)

Graphic Design (B.A.)

This 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. Students in this major may choose an emphasis in Visual Communications (a Graphic Design major combined with a Communications minor) or Web Design (a Graphic Design major with a Web Design certificate).

The School also offers minors in Graphic Design and in Web Design.

Those majoring in Graphic Design will participate in 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 in another field.

Minimum Grade Requirements: 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.

Program Requirement: 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 an advisor or by visiting the Communications and Graphic Design Department Web site.

Suggested degree plan

Year One

Fall

  • FA 103 Design I§
  • GD 101 Software Lab I: Photoshop§
  • GD 102 Software Lab II: Illustrator§
  • GD 103 Software Lab III: Flash§
  • EN 101 Composition I*
  • Health elective*
  • Mathematics elective*
  • SEM 101 Freshman Seminar

Spring

  • FA 105 Drawing I§
  • GD 104: Software Lab IV: Dreamweaver§
  • GD 200 Desktop Publishing§
  • EN 102 Composition II*
  • Science elective*
  • Elective*

Year Two

Fall

  • GD 308 Web Design§
  • GD 202 Illustration I§
  • FA 201 History of Art I*
  • COM 300 Report Writing*
  • Elective (Visual Communications students: COM 100 Media Communications§)

Spring

  • GD 203 Photography: Digital Imaging§
  • GD 255 Typography I§
  • FA 202 History of Art II*
  • Elective (Visual Communications students: COM 101 Public Speaking§; Web Design students: CS 106 Programming on the Web§)
  • ECO/POL/PSY/SOC 100 Introduction to the Social Sciences*

Year Three

Fall

  • GD 265 Typography II§
  • Elective (Visual Communications students: COM 303 Video Production or COM 209 Journalism I§; Web Design students: CS 110 Programming I in Java§ or GD 303 Video Production§)
  • Humanities (English Literature) elective*
  • Humanities elective*
  • Elective*

Spring

  • GD 360 Graphic Design Studio§
  • MKT 301 Principles of Marketing§
  • Humanities elective*
  • Social Sciences 300/400-level elective*
  • Elective (Visual Communications students: COM 305 Journalism II§; Web Design students: GD 309 Web Multimedia Design§)

Year Four

Fall

  • GD 405 Senior Portfolio§
  • Humanities (History) elective*
  • Social Sciences elective*
  • Elective (Visual Communications students: COM 316 Broadcast Journalism§ or COM 317 Editing and the Editorial Process§; Web Design students: CS 111 Programming II in Java§)

Spring

  • GD 400 Internship§
  • MKT 319 Advertising and Integrated Marketing Communications§
  • Social Sciences elective*
  • Elective (Visual Communications students: COM 315 Writing for the New Media§; Web Design students: see an advisor for CS course options§)

§ Requirement for the major
*See Liberal Arts Core requirements for details.

Graphic Design (Minor)

Minor Requirements

Web Design (Minor)

Minor Requirements

** See electives noted under Undergraduate Certificate below.

Web Design (Undergraduate Certificate)

This certificate prepares students to create and maintain Web sites. Students study relevant computer programming and software applications.

Certificate Requirements

22 credits

**Students can place out of these courses and substitute other CS and GD courses. The following 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, CS 360 Artificial Intelligence, CS 501G ASP or CS 501H Cold Fusion, GD 102 Software Lab II: Illustration, GD 202 Illustration I, GD 203 Digital Imaging, GD 303 Video Production, GD 433 Research