Overview
The BFA in Studio, with a concentration in Graphic Design (76 credits), is a professional degree accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). This degree prepares graduates for careers in graphic design and related creative industries. Our curriculum emphasizes high standards and competitive rigor, reflecting the quality expected of professional designers.
Graduates acquire thoughtful proficiencies based around four primary learning outcomes: Process, Thinking, Making, and Connecting. By synthesizing processes and techniques, students create competitive projects through practical, expressive, and experimental methods. Study includes courses in graphic design, typography, brand identity, illustration, web design, digital imaging, motion design, and portfolio development. Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite will be acquired through our Apple Macintosh computer environment with large scale printers, Anderson Creative Innovation Lab, Tech Lab, lighting studio, and other tools for digital design.
The professional undergraduate program culminates in a distinctive senior capstone course, where each Bachelor of Fine Arts degree candidate produces a professional portfolio and a series of original works that cultivates each student’s unique artistic voice.
Admission Requirements
Students wishing to pursue a BA in Design Studies or a BFA in Studio with a concentration in Graphic Design will submit a portfolio after completion of the freshman level foundation courses. Both groups will require content from Design Fundamentals (ART 1050) and Drawing (ART 1060). Students in the BFA program will also submit content from Digital Art and Design (ART 1150) and 3D Design (ART 2350). Upon successful completion of both courses and faculty review of the portfolio, students will be officially accepted into the major.
For Portfolio Review, students submit a portfolio of work that consists of selected projects from the freshman-level foundation courses. Faculty will evaluate the quality of the portfolio of work along with the student’s professional behavior (attendance, work ethic, ability to accept constructive criticism) and overall GPA. The program does not have a quota and can accept all students that meet the department’s standards. It is, however, unlikely that students will pass Portfolio Review if the student has below a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or a grade of C- or below is received in either of the two foundational courses. Students must pass both courses to be eligible to apply for admission into the major. Students may retake the course and reapply at the end of that semester; however, students may not apply to the program more than twice.
To graduate with a BA in Design Studies or a BFA in Studio with a concentration in Graphic Design, students must have an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher per the University’s requirements.
Students who are enrolled in the Studio with a concentration in Graphic Design are required to have a laptop by the fall semester of their sophomore year. The laptop must follow the hardware and software requirements (updated annually) on the department website.
