Does Penn State Have a Good Graphic Design Program

Studying Graphic Design

Please also click here to view the Rankings of Graphic Design Schools in USA (with summary of schools in alphabetical order)

Graphic design is one of the most powerful art forms of our time. Design is commercial, social, public, and political. It shapes the meaning and impact of books, magazines, websites, leaflets, posters, advertisements, logos, film titles, and countless other media. Everywhere you look, designers are using words and images to penetrate people's hearts and minds.

Why Graphic Design Degree

As we enter the golden age of design in startups, highly talented user-interface and product designers are becoming ever more important. Some companies leading the charge are Apple, Path, Pinterest, Square, and Airbnb. What those companies have in common is that design is at the core of their businesses.

Graphic design shapes all forms of media and products in the political, public and commercial spheres. Undergraduate study in graphic design often leads to a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA).

What is Graphic Design?

Graphic design, or communication design, is the use of image, text, and media to convey information or ideas.

The Profession

Graphic designers are creative professionals who use art and technical skills in a variety of industries, including publishing, business, fashion and advertising, they are also strategic communicators who design advertisements, book jackets, posters, websites, app interfaces, publishing layouts, album art, logos, and so on and so forth.

Graphic designers are involved in nearly everything we look at, watch, or read, from the designs on books, to the way websites navigate, to halftime commercials, to the logos on business cards, they are the visual wizards who make sure their products have an impact and communicates a desired message.

How to be a Graphic Designer

If you're creative and innovative, particularly if you're also interested in technology, graphic design may be a good option for you. To get work as a graphic designer, you'll need a strong portfolio of work to show potential employers. You could theoretically do this on your own, or get an Associate's degree, but for a fully fleshed-out college experience, a guaranteed strong portfolio, and ready-made industry connections, consider getting a BA or BFA in graphic design or communications design (the name and specific degree type depends on the school).

Ranking of Graphic Design Schools

To become a graphic designer it takes expertise, experience, skill, and a good education.Graphic design programs can be found both at art schools and as departments within larger universities.  Finding the right graphic design degree program can sometimes be a challenge which is why Litz USA has compiled a couple of related rankings for our readers, we also put alongside the Fine Art ranking to give you a broader view of the school.

Below are the Program Descriptions of some of the Top Graphic Design Schools (prefixed with an *). Readers can find out the differences between the programs offered by Arts Schools and traditional Universties.

*Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)

http://www.risd.edu/academics/graphic-design/undergraduate/

BFA | 4-year program

The undergraduate program in Graphic Design allows students to fully absorb an informed design process that provides lifelong support as they go on to engage in real-world design opportunities. Students gain a thorough understanding of the principles of design, theories of communication and strategies for problem solving.

Learning Outcomes

The program educates students to become resourceful designers engaged in reflexive, responsible and sustainable practices. Graduates are prepared to:   evaluate and critique the effectiveness of visual communication work | respond to a communication need by determining an appropriate perspective and  following through by form-making using various means: editing, aesthetics and/or appropriation | develop and refine personal methods that culminate in a cohesive body of work targeting professional practice, an independent studio practice and/or entrepreneurship  | work with contemporary and historical tools and software

Inspiring Community

Despite being one of the largest departments at RISD, Graphic Design offers approximately 165 undergraduate majors countless opportunities to collaborate within and beyond the discipline. MFA candidates in the department work in a separate facility but interact with undergraduates as TAs and informal mentors who appreciate all opportunities to engage in meaningful exchange about graphic communication.

Learning Environment

Graphic Design majors work in dedicated studios in the Design Center, where they have access to a wide array of digital and traditional printing and photographic resources, as well as specialized facilities for bookbinding, papermaking and screenprinting. Faculty members assign challenging projects covering everything from designing books, magazines and posters to UX and websites, film graphics, identities, packaging and exhibits. Each year dozens of visiting designers and critics spend time at RISD complementing the talents of resident faculty and offering alternative design perspectives from around the world.

*Yale University, School of Art

http://art.yale.edu/undergraduate

Yale College, the undergraduate division of Yale University, offers a Bachelor of Arts degree program with a major in art.

The program in art offers courses that, through work in a variety of media, provide an experience in the visual arts as part of a liberal education as well as preparation for graduate study and professional work. Courses at the 100 level stress the fundamental aspects of visual formulation and articulation. Courses numbered 200 through 499 offer increasingly intensive study leading to greater specialization in one or more of the visual disciplines such as graphic design, painting/printmaking, photography, and sculpture.

The prerequisites for acceptance into the major are a Sophomore Review, which is an evaluation of work from studio courses taken at Yale School of Art, and five terms of introductory (100-level) courses. Four must be completed at the time of the Sophomore Review. Visual Thinking (Art 111a or b) and Basic Drawing (Art 114a or b) are mandatory. In exceptional cases, arrangements for a special review during the junior year may be made with the director of undergraduate studies in art.

Graphic Design (MFA)

http://art.yale.edu/GraphicDesign

The graphic design program focuses on the development of a cohesive, investigative body of work, also known as the student's thesis. At Yale, the graphic design thesis is conceived as a loose framework within which each student's visual method is deployed across many diverse projects during his or her two-year course of study. While every thesis project is unique, there are several common features: a focus on methodology, the application of a visual method to studio work, and the organization of the work in a thoughtfully argued written document and catalogue raisonné, also known as the "Thesis Book."

The individual collection of graphic design work by each student is supported on several levels simultaneously: studio work led by faculty meeting weekly; small five- or six-person thesis groups meeting biweekly; individual sessions with writing and editing tutors; and lectures, presentations, and workshops.

Although the School of Art provides digital lab facilities, all graphic design students are expected to have their own personal computer for use in their studio work space. Each student has a designated work space in the design studio loft and has access to bookbinding materials and workshops, and to printing and digital work spaces in the School of Art and the Digital Media Center for the Arts. In addition, students draw on the extraordinary resources of Yale University courses, conferences, films, lectures, and museums, and especially the extensive reasearch and rare book collections of Sterling and Beinecke libraries.

Each year, up to ten students are admitted into the two-year graphic design program, and up to seven students are admitted into the preliminary-year program. Two-year program students are expected to have substantial and distinguished experience in visual studies and related professional experience. Students applying to the preliminary-year program typically have relevant experience in a field of study outside design and demonstrate evidence of visual acuity. After successful completion of the preliminary year, these students automatically continue on in the two-year M.F.A. program.

*Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)

https://www.mica.edu/Programs_of_Study/Undergraduate_Programs/Graphic_Design.html

https://www.mica.edu/Programs_of_Study/Undergraduate_Programs/Graphic_Design/Curriculum.html

MICA's major in graphic design offers students the creative, technological, and intellectual skills to become design visionaries. Students learn to shape the form and content of media across the spectrum of publishing, from the printed page to the Internet, and emerge from the program with a personal voice as a designer and artist.

The graphic design curriculum at MICA is built around a three-year sequence of core design courses. Students should declare a major in graphic design during the spring of the foundation year. The core courses begin in the sophomore year, when students are required to take two sets of paired courses in typography and graphic design. Juniors and seniors continue the core sequences and also have the opportunity to take advanced electives in graphic design and other studio subjects. The department encourages majors to take electives in the fine arts departments. Students who declare a graphic design major after the sophomore year or change their major from another department may need an additional semester or two in order to complete the core requirements, especially since certain elements of the core sequence are offered in either the fall or spring semesters only. Consult with department chairs or advisers about transferring into the graphic design department after the sophomore year.

Note: General fine arts majors may take sophomore-level design studios, advanced design electives, and digital design courses, and may apply those credits toward the GFA core requirements.

*Carnegie Mellon University, School of Design, Pittsburgh PA

http://design.cmu.edu/content/communications

The School of Design has changed its undergraduate degree distinction from a BFA to a Bachelor of Design degree (BDes). The new degree is equivalent in rank to a BFA, but acknowledges the growing importance of the design disciplines as separate and distinct from Fine Art. Our undergraduate program prepares students for entry-level employment across a diverse array of design professions.

Students can choose between an undergraduate degree with specialist focus – "products/communications/environments" or a broad liberal arts emphasis.

Undergraduate Degree in Design (BDes):  Students are introduced to three areas of specialty; Product (Industrial) Design,Communication (Graphic) Design and design of physical and digital Environments. They may choose to specialize in one of the three areas, or pursue a more interdisciplinary focus that combines two of the three.

Communications (Graphic) Design

Through project work, students learn to design effective communications across a variety of media within complex webs of interactions between people, products, and environments. Areas of study include narrative and storytelling, information design, and a variety of analog and digital visualization techniques. Students develop the ability to identify specific audiences and communicate to them through effective visual, verbal and aural communications that educate, inform and delight.

The ability to communicate and shape meaning is one of the most powerful and ubiquitous forms of design in today's world. Students learn to design effective communications across a wide variety of media that always exist within complex webs of interactions between people, products, and environments. Areas of study include narrative and storytelling, information design, and a variety of analog and digital visualization techniques. Students develop the ability to identify specific audiences and communicate to them through effective visual, verbal and aural communications that educate, inform and delight.

They study the dynamic and 'emergent' characteristics of communications in a globally networked society where technologies and modes of individual and mass communication are constantly changing. Students learn systems thinking and engage in an iterative, multi-disciplinary and collaborative design process that involves research, observation, prototyping and rigorous evaluation. Students develop the ability to identify and communicate to specific audiences through effective visual and verbal communications that educate, inform, delight and invite participation.

Communication design finds expression in the commercial, social, public and political arenas and influences the impact of: posters, corporate identity systems, books, exhibitions, signage and wayfinding and all manner of print communications. It also includes the design of websites, computer interfaces and apps for mobile devices, the concept and design of social networking communications and the design of multi-media communications. Our alumni have been associated with the design of many well known communication design projects including: the Starbucks logo, the Pinterest interface design, the title sequence of the movie Spiderman, and custom typefaces for The Guardian newspaper.

*Virginia Commonwealth University, School of the Arts

http://arts.vcu.edu/graphicdesign/bfa/

BFA

The Graphic Design Program offers a 122-credit Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design. After completing the Art Foundation Program, students take courses in Publication and Print Design, Sequential and Motion Design, and Interaction Design along with a series of related Studio and Seminar courses. The primary goal of the curriculum is to educate students to be capable of integrating form and information for the purposes of effective visual communication.

The Department of Graphic Design encourages the exploration of diverse problem-solving methodologies, innovative investigations and creative research in all forms of communication. It is dedicated to excellence in teaching, scholarship, research and professional practice. The Department provides both an undergraduate and graduate education stressing critical creative and intellectual thinking; awareness of individual, social and cultural issues; the integration of a range of technologies; and a concern for ethical development.

The program actively contributes to the school, university, local, state, national and international communities through its scholarly and creative activities, educational programs and service efforts.

*Cranbrook Academy of Art (Graduate program only)

2D Design Department (Graphic Design)

The 2D Department is the graduate graphic design department of Cranbrook Academy of Art. The department is actively pursuing work at the intersection of design and art. Traditional forms of design, activities where the designer acts as a conduit for the communication of a third-party message, and non-traditional forms of design, activities where the designer's agency is foregrounded, are explored in the program. In both of these approaches to design, the emphasis in the department is placed on the experimental. Work being produced in the department falls on a continuum from book, poster and letterform design, through installation, social practices and contemporary art. The results of these investigations often exist at the threshold between design and art. In our conception, the designer is a powerful cultural agent able to seamlessly engage in many forms of cultural production.

The Academic Focus of the Department

Nearly all departmental activities are designed to support the act of making. Whether it is in critique, reading group, critical studies or individual desk critiques, our departmental focus is on the notion that design is idea objectified and meaning embodied. Theory, writing and criticism all play critically important roles in the department; however, they are in place primarily to support the process of objectification and making. This focus is articulated in our weekly structure, where the lion's share of our time is dedicated to studio practice. Simply put, this means we make work (together), discuss this work and consider its cultural implications.

The Designer-In-Residence, His Work and Your Relationship to Both

Cranbrook Academy of Art as an institution is based on a model unique in American education. Each of the ten departments at the Academy is led by an Artist-in-Residence. The Artist-in-Residence is charged with mentoring each of the members in his or her studio. In the 2D department, Elliott Earls works intimately with each student to craft a course of study unique to the individual. In addition to the larger Cranbrook studio each student is deeply involved in Elliott's professional practice. An important and programmed part of the curriculum involves a sustained dialog between student and mentor concerning both parties' work. The mentoring process in the 2D department is developed further through biweekly mentoring dinners held at Elliott Earls's home.

*Art Center College of Design (ArtCenter), Pasadena

http://www.artcenter.edu/academics/undergraduate-degrees/graphic-design/overview.html

Graphic design has evolved to become much more than ink on paper; it has left the page to conquer space, motion and interaction.

At ArtCenter, Graphic Design students learn to infuse words and images with life and meaning—whether by creating motion graphics, an interface on the latest mobile device, setting type by hand in our letterpress shop or attending a workshop in our new typography center.

Graphic Design has transcended its role as a commercial art practice to become an essential and universal tool for communicating the multi-dimensional experience of a place, product, service or personality in every imaginable context. Our students are challenged to develop design solutions to all of the above by experimenting with a wide range of media—including books and digital magazines, packaging, 3D motion graphics, apps—to create compelling graphic identities and branded experiences.

Graphic Design at ArtCenter cultivates innovative designers with leadership skills.

Students develop sophisticated typographic and image-making skill sets working across both emerging and traditional media—everything from letterpress to data visualization and packaging to spatial experiences—to create emotionally resonant messages.

TERM 1 - Critical Practice 1, Writing Studio OR Writing Studio: Intensive, Communication Design 1: Primer, Type 1: Letterforms, Digital Basics: Lynda.com, Design 1, Narrative Sketching,

TERM 2 - Art of Research, Motion Design, Communication Design 2: Information & Context, Typography 2: Structure, Design 2: Structure & Color , Narrative Imaging

TERM 3 - Intro to Modernism, Package Design 1: Design Principles, Communication Design 3: Narrative & Scale, Type 3: Context, Visual Interaction Design 1: Generative Design

TERM 4 - 4th Term Review, Graphic Design History 1, Package Design 2: Branding Systems, Communication Design 4: Identity Systems, Type 4: Editorial Print OR Type 4: Editorial Print for iPad, Visual Interaction Design 2: Web OR Motion Design 2

TERM 5 - Graphic Design History 2, Communication Design 5: Transmedia, Information Design, Visual Interaction Design 3: Advanced Interaction OR Advanced 3D Motion Graphics OR Package Design 3: Interactive Systems, Type 5: Transmedia OR Type 5: Motion

TERM 6 – Mediatecture, Studio Elective, Transdisciplinary Studio, TERM 7, 7th Term Review, Business 101, Advanced Transmedia Studio 7 OR Advanced Print Studio 7 OR Sequential Design OR Advanced Package Studio 7 ORAdvanced VxD Studio 7, Studio Elective.

TERM 8 - Portfolio & Career Preparation, Advanced Transmedia Studio 8 OR Advanced Print Studio 8 OR Advanced Motion Studio 8 ORAdvanced VxD Studio 8, Studio Elective,

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Studio Electives - Humanities & Sciences electives: Humanities, Social Sciences, Science & Technology, Business & Professional Practice.

California Institute of the Arts (CALARTS), Valencia

https://art.calarts.edu/programs/graphic-design/bfa

School of Art – BFA, 4-Year Program

Over the course of the Program, BFA Graphic Design students create a body of work that is not simply a string of assignments—but which is uniquely theirs—and prepares them to carve an independent path into graphic design practice with a compelling portfolio marked by strong ideas expressed through form.

The BFA track is centered around core courses supported by a number of required and elective classes, allowing both structure and flexibility within the curriculum, covering all aspects of graphic design practice. Each year in residence builds on the experience of the previous as a sequence of additional classes explore image-making, typography and design history. Baseline coursework is followed by more specialized classes in areas such as web design, motion graphics and type design.

In addition to core studio classes, all candidates in the Program are required to pass a Graduation Portfolio Review in order to complete the program and obtain the BFA degree.

Detailed curriculum and academic requirements can be found in the online course catalog.

The Undergraduate Experience

CalArts is committed to providing a broad program of general education designed to enable students to consider aesthetic questions within larger socio-cultural, ethical and political contexts.

Interdisciplinary Opportunities

In addition to CalArts' rich and diverse community and naturally collaborative atmosphere, the Institute provides several programs of study that can be pursued concurrently with a student's chosen metier.

MFA - 2 or 3 Years

The Graphic Design Program emphasizes both practical and conceptual skills, and enables each designer to integrate a command of visual language with imagination, theory and technology.

Students are trained in print and publication design; web and interface design; motion graphics for broadcast and film; branding, identity and type design; as well as for careers in design history and education.

Classes in Graphic Design are small, intimate and critique-based, fostering debate and discussion as well as imparting formal and practical knowledge. All students work in residence in communal studios (grouped by year level) that are open 24 hours, and have access to Art School facilities and labs.

*Pratt  (ComD), New York

https://www.pratt.edu/academics/school-of-design/undergraduate-school-of-design/ug-communications-design/

The Communications Design (ComD) major at Pratt is the only program in the country that recognizes and embodies the convergence and integration of Illustration, Advertising, and Graphic Design as the primary forces for the visual expression of ideas. Words, images, strategies, motion, and sound—whether on a page, wall, television, laptop, or phone—are the tools you need to communicate a message across all platforms. In ComD we teach our students how to craft the strongest and most impactful communications possible by being creative problem solvers and elegant image-makers. Take a moment to view our current curriculum for these programs.

Communications Design students in the classroom Thanks to our industry-leading faculty—some seasoned, and some exciting new talents—our students present their work to the designers and art directors that will be hiring them when they graduate, and have access to even greater opportunities through internships within the diverse networks those faculty represent. Students from our program are able to chart their own path with choices from over 40 electives, representing courses that focus on creating content, business, entrepreneurial projects, information design, social media, design thinking, and audio branding. They acquire the skills needed to realize their visions, whether it be within a corporate structure or starting their own practice.

The undergraduate ComD department is a multi-disciplinary studio where students from each area of concentration engage and challenge each other, developing their own approaches to a variety of solutions. Their career paths are many and varied with success and fulfillment as the common denominator. If your goal is to develop your own creative voice rather than to be a part of a chorus, Communications Design at Pratt is the major for you. Visit our degree page for our department mission and goals, and see below for more our areas of concentration.

ILLUSTRATION

With a concentration in Illustration, your education will differ from programs at other schools specifically because it is part of a larger major and not a standalone discipline. The advantage of this to our graduates is that they enter the field not only with an excellent grounding in all media, including painting and drawing, but having mastered—in required classes—conceptual thinking, problem solving, typography, and photography, as well as 2- and 3-D design and current computer software. Recommended electives include sequential art, motion graphics, independent publishing, web design, and business classes. Our alumni can—and do—succeed in widely varied careers from advertising and graphic design to film to display to fashion merchandising and children's books. Our students who choose to concentrate in Illustration are successful, in short, because they are prepared for everything.

ADVERTISING ART DIRECTION - Communications Design students in the classroom

With a concentration in Advertising you will be charged with conceiving and executing brilliant ideas and strategies that both engage and move consumers to action. You'll learn what it takes to be an art director in a top advertising agency, and you'll explore every detail that impacts an ad visually and verbally, from typography to photography to copywriting to digital and video applications. A faculty of award-winning and seasoned industry professionals will help you develop your own unique creative process and teach you how to communicate clearly and conceptually. They'll work with you on the branding process, utilizing the potential of new media, and developing strategic insights that will make your portfolio stand out from the crowd. If you're an artistically-inclined dreamer who sees no limit to the power and potential of an idea, Advertising may be the course of study and the career for you.

GRAPHIC DESIGN

With a concentration in Graphic Design, you will learn to balance the conceptual problem-solving and technical skills required to craft effective and impactful messages, design systems, artifacts, and experiences and express ideas and solutions across all media platforms. From the design of an app, an identity or a website to package and signage systems, graphic designers integrate all elements into meaningful and effective communication. As our major Communications Design embodies convergent disciplines, students are educated to translate form to content and develop, filter and strengthen that content through required advertising, illustration and imaging courses. Pratt graphic designers are nimble; alumni of the program are successful design practitioners as well as authors and authorities in their chosen disciplines.

*School of the Art Institute of Chicago  (SAIC)

http://www.saic.edu/academics/areasofstudy/graphicdesign/

By encouraging students to define their role as designers, those interested in the field of Graphic Design at SAIC actualize an observed aesthetic lexicon across multiple mediums and departments throughout their course of study. Students within the Visual Communications department have access to both physical and virtual design areas, including courses on packaging, interaction, identity, typography and web design.

SAIC is committed to experimentation and to interdisciplinary thinking. The Areas of Study reveal arenas of curricular overlap among multiple departments. The goal of the Areas of Study course listing is to make SAIC's interdisciplinary curriculum more accessible to both current and prospective students.

*Minneapolis College of Art and Design  (MCAD), Minnesota

http://mcad.edu/academic-programs/graphic-design

Blend type, image, and form to create visual information that captivates.

As a Graphic Design Major You Will : Develop your own voice and produce original work, Research, engage with, and create innovative concepts, content, and form, Learn to communicate ideas visually

Hone your technical and conceptual design skills, Prepare for a professional career in graphic design

MCAD's graphic design major produces designers who creatively investigate and engage with innovative problems, concepts, content, and form.

We promote curiosity, process, and making, and encourage you to develop your voice to produce original work. We produce graduates that are active practitioners and leaders within local, national, and international design communities.

From your first compositions and critiques to real-world work experiences, the BFA curriculum is a systematic process that transforms you from an MCAD student into a creative professional.

Year One: MCAD Community - Develop your place in the MCAD community through classes, critiques, student activities, and more | Explore your major options | Take foundation classes | Studio: technical skills and work ethic | Liberal arts: art history and vocabulary

Year Two: Focusing Interests - Declare graphic design as your major | Build concentrated design skills, both conceptual and technical

Year Three: The Community of Practice - Take electives outside of graphic design courses | Prepare for your transition from student to working professional | Successfully complete your Junior Review |Gain practical, real-world experience through a required internship | Choose to study abroad or elsewhere in the U.S.

Year Four: The Professional World - Deepen your investigation of and commitment to your body of work | Participate in the Emerging Talent Showcase and share your work with potential employers | Develop and complete a semester-long project to culminate in the Commencement Exhibition

*Academy of Art University, San Francisco

https://www.academyart.edu/academics/graphic-design/undergraduate-degrees

Located at the intersection of art and commerce, our Graphic Design program integrates practice, theory, and inquiry, while refining and encouraging innovation, critical thinking, visual literacy and conceptual problem solving. Students learn to influence marketing strategies, raise awareness of critical issues, and facilitate cultural change.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Degree

The School of Graphic Design's BFA program guides students through the nuanced skill-development process required to achieve excellence in typography, print, packaging, branding, user experience, and motion graphics. The faculty is comprised of nationally recognized professionals who challenge their students to reach their personal creative potential.

*Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles

http://www.otis.edu/graphic-design

http://www.otis.edu/advertising-design-minor

As one of two programs of study offered in the Communication Arts Department, Graphic Design challenges students to research, develop, and refine projects that combine meaning with image-making and typographic form. Our other program of study is Illustration. Communication Arts also offers an Advertising Design Minor.

Typical formats include branding and logo development, posters, books, package design, apps, websites, and interactive design. Students learn to articulate a critical and theoretical perspective and develop graphic design skills, such as type design and traditional letterpress. Strong craft and presentation skills are emphasized throughout. Students achieve the highest level of design excellence through critiques, reviews, and workshops. Recent employers include Apple, Anthropologie, LACMA, Guess, Metro, and Capitol Records

TheGraphic Design Minor immerses students in the indispensable and expansive field of Graphic Design. Students participate in critically engaged studio classes to develop their own viewpoint and practice, while creating books, posters, websites, campaigns, identities, and conceptual propositions using the considered interplay of text and image. A dynamic curriculum empowers students to creatively solve problems, propose alternatives, and work collaboratively to address the communication challenges of today. This minor includes courses designed to familiarize students with graphic design principles, skills, and professional practices, as well as an Art History course intended to provide a historical and theoretical understanding of the field. Graphic Design minors may participate in the Communication Arts Department's senior show on a case-by-case basis with approval from Department Chair.

ELIGIBILITY

The Graphic Design minor is open toDigital Media andFine Arts majors.Architecture/Landscape/Interiors,Fashion Design,Product Design andToy Design majors are eligible on a case-by-case basis, with approval from their respective Department Chairs, and may require course approvals and/or additional credits over 130 to complete.

REQUIRED COURSES - History of Graphic Design, Illus. & Advt. Design | Communication Studio II | Communication Studio III* | Typography II | Type and Alternative Media* | Publication | Graphic Design Electives | Graphic Design Electives**Comunication Arts majors only.

The Advertising Design Minor provides students with the opportunity to explore the world of advertising, focusing on how ideas, people, places, and products are branded, packaged, marketed and sold to specific demographics. Students critically engage the intersections between graphic design and advertising, investigating campaign development, art direction, the role of ad agencies, as well as critical issues of ideation, interaction, and social responsibility. This minor includes studio courses in Advertising, Design, and Typography intended to connect students with the skills and process of creating successful campaigns. An Art History course and further electives contribute to an understanding of Advertising's place within a larger historical and cultural continuum. Advertising Design minors may participate in the Communication Art Department's senior show on a case-by-case basis with approval from the Department Chair.

The Advertising Design minor is offered through theCommunication Arts Department

ELIGIBILITY

The Advertising Design minor is open toCommunication Arts,Digital Media andFine Arts majors.Architecture/Landscape/Interiors,Fashion Design,Product Design andToy Design majors are eligible on a case-by-case basis, with approval from their respective Department Chairs, and may require course approvals and/or additional credits over 130 to complete.

REQUIRED COURSES - Advertising Design LAS Elective* | Typography II | Advertising Electives** | Advertising and Art Direction I | Advertising and Art Direction II | Copywriting | Interactive Advertising | Social Media

*A limited choice of LAS electives will count towards the Advertising Design minor, as determined each semester by the Interdisciplinary Studies Director, Communication Arts Chair and LAS Chair.
**Advertising electives are for Communication Arts majors ONLY.

SeeCommunication Arts Department for course descriptions.

Download one of the following PDFs to see how the Advertising Design minor fits into your chosen major

For students who entered Otis asFoundation Studentsin 2013-14 (class of 2017):
Advertising Design Minor Academic Plan  13-14
For students who entered Otis as Foundation Students in 2014-15 (class of 2018):
Advertising Design Minor Academic Plan 14-15
For students who entered Otis as Foundation Students in 2015-16 (class of 2019):
Advertising Design Minor Academic Plan 15-16
For students who entered Otis as Foundation Students in 2016-17 (class of 2020):
Advertising Design Minor Academic Plan 16-17

Learn more about Interdisciplinary Studies, eligibility requirements, and the application process.

*Savannah College of Art and Design,  Atlanta, Hong Kong, Savannah

https://www.scad.edu/academics/programs/graphic-design

Designed for the future

As a graphic design student at SCAD, you'll become fluent in the visual language that defines today's powerhouse brands and top-flight organizations. Our holistic graphic design degree program doesn't just cover the fundamentals of design, it delves into product packaging, entrepreneurship, mobile technology, interface design and user experience. The result? An award-winning professional portfolio, real experience working for industry giants, and the opportunity to make a lasting mark on the ever-changing global visual landscape — all before you graduate.

Related majors and minors

Graphic design is an ever-evolving field, as multifaceted as it is in demand. In order to thrive in such an interdisciplinary industry, many students choose to pursue a double major or related minor while they are here. You can explore new perspectives, harness diverse creative approaches, and develop a unique, well-rounded style — all while earning multiple degrees.

*Columbus College of Art and Design  (CCAD), Ohio

https://www.ccad.edu/academics/advertising-graphic-design

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES

Columbus College of Art & Design offers Bachelors of Fine Arts in photography, advertising & graphic design, animation, cinematic arts, illustration, fashion design, fine arts, studio art, industrial design and interior design.

Students who pursue degrees are preparing to shape culture and business at the highest level in the midst of a thriving artistic community in Columbus, Ohio. CCAD caters to the enterprising creative with a selection that matches its rich history as one of the oldest colleges of its kind in the United States

ADVERTISING & GRAPHIC DESIGN MAJOR

In our Advertising & Graphic Design program, you'll learn how to mix verbal, visual and interactive media to create and convey resilient, tailor-made messages, using the latest techniques and tools. We want to engage our audience in a way that propels lives, families, communities and cultures forward with a positive momentum. In addition to advertising and design coursework taught by some of the most talented people in the creative industries, your curriculum will include photography, illustration, animation, marketing, copywriting, research, strategy, positioning, target audiences, packing, motion and more — everything you'll need to make your mark on the world.

ADVERTISING & GRAPHIC DESIGN FACILITIES

You'll have access to: Collaboration areas | Apple computer workstations with dual monitors and industry-standard software | Professional scanners and WiFi-enabled printers for free black-and-white test prints | Video and photography studio with dedicated Canon 5D cameras and lighting equipment | Shared resources around campus such as the Tad Jeffrey FabLab, MindMarket workspaces, print labs and computer labs.

*University of Cincinnati - (UC - DAAP), Ohio

https://daap.uc.edu/academics/design/bs_graphic_communication.html

Bachelor of Science in Design-Communication Design

Communication designers give visual form to information, ideas, and feelings. They inform, persuade, educate and entertain using typography, photography, drawing, video/animation, audio, storytelling, interaction, and space. Communication designers increasingly collaborate with other fields to help meet human needs.

At the University of Cincinnati, communication design students receive a foundation in visual problem solving. The core of the curriculum is a series of sequential design studios. These courses help students develop critical and visual thinking along with essential design processes. Students also have opportunities to further develop in specific areas of interest (including graphic design, interaction design and motion design). Students reinforce their skills in the field through several co-ops.

Professional communication designers build careers wherever communication is important. Designers often work for design firms, internal design teams, or as independent freelancers. They have career opportunities in advertising, branding and corporate identity, digital product design, exhibit design, interface design, motion graphics and post-production design, package design, service design, user experience design, and web design. Today's designers may be found working in the healthcare system improving health, or for governments and NGOs impacting society. Established designers may create their own firms or pursue entrepreneurial activities. Regardless of their career, almost every designer works on behalf of an interested party (or client) and an audience, identifying specific problems and helping fulfill the needs of both groups.

Communication design can lead to a wide variety of experiences, as you can see from the student Capstone work below:

http://grcd2015.com

Communication Design Curriculum

The first three years of studio work for Communication Design students at DAAP is comprised of a broad range of courses, including foundational drawing and design, typography, design ideation, photodesign, and kinetic communication. These courses are supplemented with general education requirements, directed electives, design history, and interdisciplinary courses in design thinking and user-centered design. Students may also take relevant courses outside of the college. The spring semester of third year will be dedicated to presenting overviews of selected areas of concentration in visual communication: print-based design, time-based design, and interaction design. Following this sequence, students may decide to focus on one of these three critical areas. Subsequent studios will refine and develop specific or general skills and be enhanced with further study in design history, methodology, research methods, and global studies.

*Pennsylvania State U - University Park, (Stuckman School) College of Art & Architecture

https://stuckeman.psu.edu/gd

Graphic design is a creative, exciting discipline that gives form to innovative concepts and products, and that visualizes solutions for today's complex and pressing problems. Designers no longer simply create pleasing visual communications; they develop strategies and tactical approaches to serve the needs of business and industry, on time and within the budget.

As a major research university, Penn State is uniquely suited to fulfill the shifting educational needs of the contemporary graphic designer and the graphic design program here is geared toward ensuring students' success once they are in the field. The curriculum delivers an amalgam of training and experience focused on the development of students' skills and abilities in problem solving, and on expanding their expertise and proficiency in the use and application of digital technologies and electronic media. Our approach is to offer a solid 4-year design curriculum, and take full advantage of our university and its vast resources by blending design studies with courses in philosophy, psychology, sociology, writing, economics, business, communications, and literature, all of which are critical to the graphic designer's education.

Although the university is large, the design program is small by comparison, and therefore capable of creating a closely-knit community. Students receive individualized attention in classes that have 20 or fewer students. Instruction is provided by a dedicated group of faculty with a broad range of backgrounds and experience in the profession. Our newly renovated facilities in the Borland Building are state-of-the-art and are designed to facilitate the design education process. All of these elements together create a rich education experience in which students establish connections with each other, with their professors, and within Penn State's immense network of alumni.

Penn State graphic design majors ultimately graduate with an understanding of the social and historical context of their future profession and of their roles as practitioners in it. They are broadly educated and are fluent in the visual and verbal languages and technical skills of the profession. They also leave with portfolios that demonstrate proficiency in concept development, that exhibit their technical skill, and that articulate individual styles. All of these characteristics and accomplishments make our graduates eminently employable; in fact, our graduates currently hold positions of leadership and importance in design studios, advertising agencies, and corporate in-house design offices throughout the United States and abroad, where they are producing a full range of graphic design: branding, packaging, print, motion graphics, and web design.

Degree Programs

The department of Graphic Design offers a Bachelor of Design and also supports a Master of Fine Arts in conjunction with the School of Visual Arts.

Bachelor of Design

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Design degree in Graphic Design is a four-year course of study exclusively offered at the University Park campus. The program provides students the technical and creative skills essential to the practices of graphic design and is intended to prepare students for employment in design studios, advertising agencies, packaging, publication and corporate design, film and television, and Web and interactive design.

Students interested in pursuing the Bachelor of Design Degree in Graphic Design must first gain admission to the pre-design program of the College of Arts and Architecture (AADes). Admission to the pre-design program is based upon a review of the application for admission with complete academic credentials.

Acceptance into the Graphic Design major (BDes) is determined by a portfolio review after the completion of GD 001S(1), GD 100 GA(3), GD 101(2), GD 102(3), and PHOTO 100 GA(3) with grades of C or better in all of these courses. Faculty conduct this review at the end of second semester. Applicants who are not accepted into the major may re-apply the following year but must realize that this course of action could delay their graduation by at least one year.

Students who apply to transfer/change into the program will need to submit for review a creative portfolio that includes solution to a design problem, three examples of existing visual work, and a written statement. Note that transfering from another location or major will require a longer stay of study. The program does not accept transfer credits for core required classwork.

For the B. Des. degree in Graphic Design, a minimum of 120 credits is required.

Resources

• Typical Academic Plan - Bachelor of Design
• PSU Bulletin listing all Graphic Design Courses
• University Advising
• Penn State Elion System

Study Abroad

Because of the highly structured curriculum of the Graphic Design program, graphic design majors who wish to study abroad during the Fall or Spring semester without delaying graduation are limited to one study abroad program, Studio Art Centers International (SACI) in Florence, Italy. SACI offers graphic design courses in the fall and spring that can be substituted for required first or second year courses at University Park. Consequently, Graphic Design majors must study abroad during either their first or second year.

SACI's "Beginning Graphic Design" course can be substituted for Penn State's GD 102. SACI's "Intermediate Graphic Design" course can be substituted for Penn State's GD 200, and, SACI's "Typography" course can be substituted for Penn State's GD 201. These courses are also beneficial to Graphic Design minors.

SACI is a four-year art school in the heart of historic Florence. In addition to a full compliment of studio art courses, SACI offers a selection supporting humanities courses (art history, Italian language, creative writing, and opera history) which can be used for General Education or General Education Arts requirements. For more information, go to:bit.ly/PennState-GD-SACI

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Does Penn State Have a Good Graphic Design Program

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