BA/BS in Design and Applied Arts

Graphic Design, a B.F.A. program, is an applied arts degree concerned with devising visual answers to communication problems. Students receive guided, practical experience making visual messages for both print and electronic media, and they are also asked to research and evaluate the part that current design practice plays in society. Study begins with the principles of design, brings in digital technologies and then advances to more specialized courses. Typography receives particular emphasis. Studio and special topics classes introduce branding and identity, packaging, systems design and environmental design. Web design, mobile apps and interaction design are taught next to publication design, along with historic printing processes that inform design work today. An internship requirement is part of the degree plan and gives students direct experience in the field. The program points to its affordability and to the varied backgrounds and research interests of its faculty. Graduates are prepared for professional careers, for entrepreneurship and for graduate study.