- Overview
- Learning Outcomes
- Requirements
- Curriculum Details
Program Purpose
The Graphic Design concentration of the BFA in Fine Arts & Design is dedicated to fostering the creative, technical, and critical thinking skills necessary for students to become proficient and innovative graphic designers. Our program is designed to provide a comprehensive education that equips students with the knowledge and skills required to excel in the dynamic and ever-evolving field of graphic design.
Educational Objectives
The program aims to educate students to:
- Demonstrate proficiency in graphic design software and tools.
- Create visually compelling and effective design solutions for a variety of media and platforms.
- Exhibit the ability to conceptualize and execute design projects from ideation to completion.
- Apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to design challenges.
- Understand the ethical and cultural dimensions of design and its impact on society.
- Communicate and collaborate effectively in professional design environments.
- Develop a professional-quality design portfolio showcasing a range of projects and creative development.
Faculty
Program Learning Outcomes
After completing this program, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate proficiency in graphic design software and tools.
- Create visually compelling and effective design solutions for a variety of media and platforms.
- Exhibit the ability to conceptualize and execute design projects from ideation to completion.
- Apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to design challenges.
- Understand the ethical and cultural dimensions of design and its impact on society.
- Communicate and collaborate effectively in professional design environments.
- Develop a professional-quality design portfolio showcasing a range of projects and creative development.
Admissions Requirement
Institutional-wide Admission Criteria
- Completion of high school or equivalent.
- Official Transcript: allow for evaluation of academic performance, relevant coursework, and overall readiness for college-level study.
- Personal Statement: helps reviewers understand the applicant’s motivations and aspirations to pursue the program of study.
- Letters of Recommendation: Letters of recommendation from teachers, mentors, or professionals familiar with the applicant’s abilities and potential, and additional insights into the applicant’s character, work ethic, and potential for success in the program.
Program-specific Criteria
- Portfolio Submission: A strong portfolio showcasing the applicant’s artistic and design skills is often crucial. This may include examples of illustrations, digital designs, and other relevant work.
- Academic Qualifications: Applicants are usually required to have a high school diploma or equivalent. Some programs may also consider academic performance in relevant subjects.
- Letters of Recommendation: Some programs may request letters of recommendation from teachers or professionals who can assess the applicant’s creativity, work ethic, and potential in graphic design.
- Personal Statement or Essay: Applicants may be required to submit a personal statement or essay explaining their interest in graphic design, their career goals, and how the program aligns with their aspirations.
- Interview or Portfolio Review: In some cases, applicants might be required to participate in an interview or portfolio review process to discuss their work, design philosophy, and future goals.
- Color Vision Test: Submission of non-colorblindness test results or take the test, ensuring applicants can effectively perceive and work with a full spectrum of colors.
Graduation Requirement
- The academic requirements for graduation are the successful completion of the curriculum with a grade point average of no less than 2.0.
- In addition, a graduate must have taken at least 50% of all courses from FTC Northern.
Curriculum Overview
BFA in Graphic Design is a 121-semester credit curriculum with three major components: major requirements, general education requirements, and free electives.
BFA in Graphic Design Curriculum
| Area | Credits |
|---|---|
| Major Requirements | 78 |
| Drawing Fundamental Skills and Training | 13 |
| Professionalism and Career Development | 9 |
| Major Core – Graphic Design | 56 |
| Fundamental Design Skills | 36 |
| Design History, Theory, Lectures | 14 |
| Design Elective | 6 |
| General Education Requirements | 40 |
| Personal Management | 3 |
| Humanities | 6 |
| Writing and Rhetoric | 9 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 3 |
| Natural Sciences | 4 |
| Social Sciences | 6 |
| Values and Ethics | 3 |
| World Languages | 6 |
| Art and Aesthetics (Fulfilled by major courses) | 0 |
| Free Electives | 3 |
| Total Required Credits for Graduation | 121 |
Major Requirements(78 credits)
The major requirements include drawing fundamentals (13 credits), professionalism and career development (9 credits) major core (56 credits) and a selection from major electives (6 credits) based on a student’s career goal.
| Code | Course Title | Credits | Prerequisite(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drawing Fundamental Skills and Training (13 cr) | |||
| ART101A | PerspectiveA | 2 | None |
| DRP102 | Beginner Painting | 4 | None |
| DRP101 | Drawing I | 4 | None |
| ART107 | Composition Theory | 3 | None |
| Professionalism and Career Development (9 cr) | |||
| BUS 121 | Fundamentals of art management | 3 | None |
| AMG211 | Brand Identity | 2 | None |
| Choose one of: | |||
| DSG451 | Senior Project | 4 | Dep prov |
| DSG461 | Senior Internship | 4 | Dep prov |
| Major Core – Graphic Design (56 cr) | |||
| Fundamental Design Skills (36 cr) | |||
| DSG101 | Design Studio I | 3 | Co-requisite with DSG102 |
| DSG102 | Computer Graphics | 3 | Co-requisite with DSG101 |
| DSG103 | Design Studio II | 3 | DSG101, DSG102 |
| DSG104 | Typography Design I | 3 | DSG102 |
| DSG204 | Typography Design II | 3 | DSG104 |
| DSG304 | Typography Design III | 3 | DSG204, ART213 |
| DSG111 | Photography | 3 | None |
| DSG212 | Video production | 3 | DSG111 |
| DSG302 | Web design | 3 | DSG204 |
| DSG303 | Brand Identity of Design | 3 | AMG211, DSG204 |
| DSG311 | Motion Graphics Studio I | 3 | ARH211, DSG103 |
| DSG321 | Motion Graphics Studio II | 3 | DSG311 |
| Design History, Theory, Lectures (14 cr) | |||
| ART 221 | Graphic Design Psychology | 3 | ART211 |
| ART213 | Theory of Graphic Print Production | 2 | DSG104 |
| ART211 | Visual Literacy II | 2 | ART111 |
| ARH131 | History of Graphic Design | 3 | None |
| ART111 | Visual Literacy I | 2 | None |
| ARH211 | History of Cinema and Video | 2 | ARH131 |
| Design Elective (6 cr) | |||
| DSG443 | Portfolio Design | 2 | DSG441 |
| DSG351 | Junior internship | 3 | Dep prov |
| DSG441 | Environmental Graphic Design | 3 | DSG321 |
| BUS331 | Arts and Entertainment Law | 3 | None |
| DRP121 | Traditional Handwriting Art | 1 | None |
| DSG442 | Packaging Design | 3 | DSG304 |
| Total Credits Required for Graduation | 78 | ||
General Education Core (40 credits)
Northern requires all undergraduate students, regardless of major, to complete core general education courses in nine distributions. Students majoring in graphic design must take one course from the Gen Ed curriculum: Introduction to Sociology (SOC101).
| Code | Course Title | Credits | Prerequisite(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humanities (6cr) | |||
| HUM101 | Introduction to Humanities | 3 | None1 |
| CIV111 | Western Civilization | 3 | None1 |
| CIV112 | Chinese Civilization | 3 | CLC112 or instructor approval |
| CIV113 | World Civilization | 3 | None1 |
| HIS231 | Topics in Chinese History | 3 | CIV112 |
| HUM231 | Western Religious Study | 3 | None1 |
| Writing and Rhetoric (9 cr) | |||
| ENG101 | English Composition I | 3 | None |
| Select one from the following (3 cr) | |||
| ENG102 | English Composition II | 3 | ENG101 |
| ENG205 | Writing for Media | 3 | ENG101 |
| ENG201 | Academic Writing1 | 3 | ENG101 |
| Select one from the following (3 cr) | |||
| ENG231 | Survey of Western Literature | 3 | ENG101 |
| ENG104 | Public Speaking | 3 | None |
| ENG221 | Debate and Argumentation | 3 | ENG101 |
| Quantitative Reasoning (3 cr), select one from the following | |||
| MAT101 | Mathematics in Applied Context | 3 | None |
| STA101 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 | None |
| MAT201 | Linear Algebra | 4 | None |
| MAT105 | Calculus I | 4 | None |
| MAT106 | Calculus II | 4 | MAT105 |
| CIS101 | Introduction to Computer Science | 3 | None |
| Natural Sciences (4 cr), select one sequence from the following | |||
| PHY101 | General Physics I | 3 | Co-requisite with PHY101L |
| PHY101L | General Physics I Lab | 1 | Co-requisite with PHY101 |
| CHM100 | Principles of Chemistry | 3 | Co-requisite with CHM101L |
| CHM101L | Principles of Chemistry Lab | 1 | Co-requisite with CHM100 |
| BSC100 | Principles of Biology | 3 | Co-requisite with BSC101L |
| BSC100L | Principles of Biology Lab | 1 | Co-requisite with BSC100 |
| Social Sciences (6 cr), select one from the following | |||
| ECO101 | Principles of Economics | 3 | None |
| PSY101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 | None |
| SOC101 | Introduction to Sociology2 | 3 | None |
| POL102 | US Society and Government | 3 | None |
| POL201 | US Constitution | 3 | None |
| POL101 | Introduction to Political Science | 3 | None |
| Art & Aesthetics (0 cr), fulfilled by major required courses | |||
| Values and Ethics(3 cr) | |||
| PHL130 | Philosophical Perspectives I | 1 | None |
| PHL131 | Philosophical Perspectives II | 1 | None |
| PHL231 | Philosophical Perspectives III | 1 | PHL130 & 131 |
| World Languages (6 cr), select one sequence from the following | |||
| CLC111 | Elementary Chinese I | 3 | Placement test |
| CLC112 | Elementary Chinese II | 3 | CLC111 |
| CLC211 | Intermediate Chinese I | 3 | Placement test |
| CLC212 | Intermediate Chinese II | 3 | CLC211 |
| CLC311 | Advanced Chinese I | 3 | Placement test |
| CLC312 | Advanced Chinese II | 3 | CLC311 |
| SPN101 | Elementary Spanish I | 3 | None |
| SPN102 | Elementary Spanish II | 3 | None |
| Personal Management (3cr) Select at least 3 credits from the following | |||
| LAS101 | College Success3 | 1 | None |
| LAS102 | Career Development4 | 1 | None |
| LAS103 | Cultivation Practice | 0 | None |
| PSY100 | Happiness – Positive Psychology | 1 | None |
| HSC130 | Nutrition, Health, and Wellness | 2 | None |
| PEW101 | Wellness through Dance | 1 | None |
| PEW102 | Wellness through Pilates | 1 | None |
| Total Credits Required for Graduation | 40 | ||
1. Theses courses require either the student’s Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section of SAT score is above 570 or the student passes FTC Northern’s English placement test unless the student receives consent from both his/her advisor and the course instructor.
2 Required for all BFA in Graphic Design Students.
3 Required for all freshmen students.
4. Required for all undergraduates.
* Overflow credits will be counted into Free Electives.
Free Electives (3 credits)
Students are free to choose 3 credits beyond major and Generation Education requirements from any university level courses offered by FTC Northern.
