Graphic Design (GDSB) < 闪播福利库 of Arkansas

Graphic Design (GDSB)

Overview

Rachel Debuque
Director of the School of Art
Studio and Design Center
479-575-5202

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design 鈥� often also referred to as visual design, visual communication design or visual communication 鈥� will prepare students to be proficient makers and thoughtful problem seekers and solvers in a four-year professional degree program. Students will work seamlessly across a range of media, working to identify appropriate solutions for audience and context. Students will be exposed to a rigorous curriculum covering research, theory, critical thinking, professional practices, conceptual idea-making, all while asking them to formally experiment and refine. The Graphic Design degree focuses on: typography, interactivity, branding and design research, each identified as strongly connected to the design industry, while incorporating the university research initiatives of the School of Art at the 闪播福利库 of Arkansas.

Requirements for Admission to the Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Graphic Design

For admission to the B.F.A. in Graphic Design, students must be a declared Art major in the School of Art and successfully complete the art foundation course sequence of 础搁罢厂听19139 Studio Foundation I and 础搁罢厂听19239 Studio Foundation II. Students must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA plus submit an application and portfolio for review.

Requirements for a听Bachelor听of Fine Arts听in Graphic Design

In addition听to the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences Graduation Requirements听(see under听), the听following course听requirements must be met.

State Minimum Core (The Humanities requirement is satisfied by 笔贬滨尝听20003 listed below. The Fine Arts requirement is satisfied by completing both 础搁贬厂听20003 and 础搁贬厂听21003 listed below.)		29
笔贬滨尝听20003	Introduction to Philosophy (ACTS Equivalency = PHIL 1103)	3
础搁罢厂听19139	Studio Foundation I	9
础搁罢厂听19239	Studio Foundation II	9
骋顿贰厂听23103	Design Tools and Concepts	3
骋顿贰厂听33103	Typographic Systems 1	3
骋顿贰厂听33203	Typographic Systems 2	3
骋顿贰厂听33803	User Experience	3
骋顿贰厂听33903	Identity Systems 1	3
骋顿贰厂听43003	Professional Development and Seminar	3
骋顿贰厂听43103	Interactive Language	3
骋顿贰厂听43203	Technology in Context	3
骋顿贰厂听43403	Identity Systems 2	3
骋顿贰厂听43503	Human-Centered Design	3
骋顿贰厂听43603	Design for Complexity	3
骋顿贰厂听43703	Typographic Systems 3	3
骋顿贰厂听43803	Degree Project	3
Nine credit hours in studio art (ARTS) courses numbered at the 20000-level or higher		9
Three credit hours in any School of Art course numbered at the 20000-level or higher (ARED, ARHS, ARTS, or GDES)		3
15 credit hours in art history, to include:		15
础搁贬厂听20003	Art History Survey I (ACTS Equivalency = ARTA 2003)
础搁贬厂听21003	Art History Survey II (ACTS Equivalency = ARTA 2103)
础搁贬厂听48203	History of Graphic Design
Six credit hours in art history (ARHS) courses numbered at the 30000-level or higher
Students are required to take one interdisciplinary elective for three credit hours numbered at the 30000-level or higher in a program outside the School of Art. It must have a clear connection to design and/or to the student鈥檚 chosen topic for their Degree Project. The course can be taken at any time, but it is recommended during the final year. Interdisciplinary electives require approval by the program director.		3
General Electives		1
Total Hours		120

Graphic Design B.F.A.
Eight-Semester Degree Plan

Because this program requires admission to progress, it does not qualify for the university's Eight-Semester Degree Program; however, students who qualify to finish a degree in four years can follow the suggested order of classes below.

First Year	Units
	Fall	Spring
贰狈骋尝听10103 Composition I (ACTS Equivalency = ENGL 1013) (Satisfies General Education Outcome 1.1)¹	3	听
MATH听11103 Quantitative Reasoning (ACTS Equivalency = MATH 1113) (Satisfies General Education Outcome 2.1)¹	3	听
or MATH 11003 College Algebra (Satisfies General Education Outcome 2.1)¹
or any MATH course numbered higher than MATH 11003 (Satisfies General Education Outcome 2.1)¹
础搁罢厂听19139 Studio Foundation I	9	听
ENGL听10203 Composition II (ACTS Equivalency = ENGL 1023) (Satisfies General Education Outcome 1.1)¹	听	3
础搁贬厂听20003 Art History Survey I (ACTS Equivalency = ARTA 2003) (Satisfies General Education Outcome 3.1)¹ or 础搁贬厂听21003 Art History Survey II (ACTS Equivalency = ARTA 2103)	听	3
础搁罢厂听19239 Studio Foundation II	听	9
Year Total:	15	15
听
Second Year	Units
	Fall	Spring
State Minimum Core鈥擲cience with corequisite lab (Satisfies General Education Outcome 3.4)¹	4	听
础搁贬厂听20003 Art History Survey I (ACTS Equivalency = ARTA 2003) or 础搁贬厂听21003 Art History Survey II (ACTS Equivalency = ARTA 2103)	3	听
骋顿贰厂听23103 Design Tools and Concepts	3	听
骋顿贰厂听33103 Typographic Systems 1	3	听
Studio Art (ARTS) course	3	听
State Minimum Core鈥擲cience with corequisite lab (Satisfies General Education Outcome 3.4)¹	听	4
笔贬滨尝听20003 Introduction to Philosophy (ACTS Equivalency = PHIL 1103) (Satisfies General Education Outcomes 3.2 and 5.1)¹	听	3
础搁贬厂听48203 History of Graphic Design	听	3
骋顿贰厂听33203 Typographic Systems 2	听	3
骋顿贰厂听33803 User Experience	听	3
Year Total:	16	16
听
Third Year	Units
	Fall	Spring
State Minimum Core鈥擴.S. History or Government (Satisfies General Education Outcome 4.2)¹	3	听
骋顿贰厂听33903 Identity Systems 1	3	听
骋顿贰厂听43103 Interactive Language	3	听
Art History (ARHS) course numbered at the 30000-level or higher	3	听
Studio Art (ARTS) course	3	听
State Minimum Core鈥擲ocial Sciences (Satisfies General Education Outcome 3.3 and 4.1)¹	听	3
State Minimum Core鈥擲ocial Sciences (Satisfies General Education Outcome 3.3 and 4.1)¹	听	3
骋顿贰厂听43003 Professional Development and Seminar	听	3
骋顿贰厂听43403 Identity Systems 2	听	3
Studio Art (ARTS) course	听	3
Year Total:	15	15
听
Fourth Year	Units
	Fall	Spring
State Minimum Core鈥擲ocial Sciences (Satisfies General Education Outcome 3.3)¹	3	听
骋顿贰厂听43203 Technology in Context	3	听
骋顿贰厂听43503 Human-Centered Design (Satisfies General Education Outcome 1.2)¹	3	听
骋顿贰厂听43703 Typographic Systems 3	3	听
Art History (ARHS) course numbered at the 30000-level or higher	3	听
骋顿贰厂听43603 Design for Complexity	听	3
骋顿贰厂听43803 Degree Project (Satisfies General Education Outcome 6.1)¹	听	3
Any School of Art course (ARED, ARHS, ARTS, or GDES)	听	3
Interdisciplinary Elective (to be approved by the program director)	听	3
General Electives	听	1
Year Total:	15	13
听
Total Units in Sequence:	听	120

Internship credit considered in lieu of required studios upon approval of professors, based on content and merit of internship.

¹: Students must complete the听听and the requirements of their major(s) as outlined in the Catalog of Studies. These courses also fulfill many, if not all, of the听. Please visit these pages in the links provided and consult with your academic advisor when making course selections to fulfill these requirements.

Courses

GDES 23103. Design Tools and Concepts. 3 Hours.

Introduces students to design concepts, with a concentration on professional industry tools. The course emphasizes development of visual problem solving while creating well-crafted solutions and will focus on the manual, digital, and creative thinking skills necessary to produce clear, thoughtful, and communicative designs with the mainstream graphic design software. It will also introduce design and its processes and methodologies, semiotics, and reinforce composition and its relationship to content. Prerequisite: ARTS 19139 and ARTS 19239. (Typically offered: Fall)

GDES 33103. Typographic Systems 1. 3 Hours.

Examination of letterform construction, including anatomy and architecture. Analysis will take place through a historical lens, exploring technological and cultural contexts. Students will begin to understand typographic nuance and connotation. The grid will be introduced as a means to understand layout and organize typography. Prerequisite: ARTS 19139 and ARTS 19239 and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design majors only. (Typically offered: Fall)

GDES 33203. Typographic Systems 2. 3 Hours.

Introduces the complexity of adding imagery, both photographic and illustrative, into typographic layout. Students will learn to manage hierarchy in a more advanced way through the use of the grid. Artifacts will span print to web, exploring how typography must always adapt to new contexts and audiences. Prerequisite: GDES 23103 and GDES 33103 and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design majors only. (Typically offered: Spring)

GDES 33803. User Experience. 3 Hours.

Introduces students to the research methods, process, and framework of creating a successful user experience (UX). The course covers ethical and appropriate user research, user scenarios, information architecture, accessibility, usability, mobile interactivity and user interface design techniques. Prerequisite: GDES 23103, GDES 33103 and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design majors only. (Typically offered: Spring)

GDES 33903. Identity Systems 1. 3 Hours.

Learn and apply theory of semiotics, through the creation of icon sets and small scale applications. Emphasis will be placed on connotation, creating messaging and formal development. Prerequisite: GDES 33203 and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design majors only. (Typically offered: Fall)

GDES 43003. Professional Development and Seminar. 3 Hours.

Continues to prepare students for professional life after graduation. The course exposes students to a variety of career pathways available to designers today and equips them for job seeking. Students will explore contemporary design practices through discussions, readings, guest speakers, and studio visits. They will also develop job materials spanning print and digital formats. Emphasis is placed on assisting each student in preparing for their unique future. Prerequisite: GDES 33803 and GDES 33903 and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design majors only. (Typically offered: Spring)

GDES 43103. Interactive Language. 3 Hours.

Builds on the User Experience course by focusing on screen design, prototyping and web coding. Special attention is paid to accessibility and basic search engine preparation through demonstrating traditional hand-coding techniques. Prerequisite: GDES 33203 and GDES 33803 and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design majors only. (Typically offered: Fall)

GDES 43203. Technology in Context. 3 Hours.

Advanced course focusing on speculative explorations in the world of interaction design. Much of the work will be touch and gesture based and dealing with the built environment. Application of knowledge about proper workflow and execution in an advanced way. Prerequisite: GDES 43003 and GDES 43103 and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design majors only. (Typically offered: Fall)

GDES 43303. Special Topics in Graphic Design. 3 Hours.

Topics dealing with trends, movements, and new elements within the design field, such as entrepreneurship, diversity, sustainability, critical issues, and data. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring) May be repeated for up to 12 hours of degree credit.

GDES 43403. Identity Systems 2. 3 Hours.

Advanced identity design course emphasizing creating cohesive messaging systems that cover a wide range of media. Creation of identity systems that are based on research and appropriate to content, context and audience. Media may span environmental, motion, print, web and packaging. Prerequisite: GDES 33903 and GDES 43103 and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design majors only. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)

GDES 43503. Human-Centered Design. 3 Hours.

Research-based studio introducing design methods that focus on an audience centric process. Exposure to communication theory, modes of persuasion, sustainability, how to design for niche audiences. Prerequisite: GDES 43003 and GDES 43103 and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design majors only. (Typically offered: Fall)

GDES 43603. Design for Complexity. 3 Hours.

Providing opportunity to address problems existing outside of the classroom with the focus shifting between design for good initiatives. Collaboration, research, problem seeking and solving will be addressed. Prerequisite: GDES 43203, GDES 43403, GDES 43503, and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design majors only. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)

GDES 43703. Typographic Systems 3. 3 Hours.

Culminating typography course, exploration of typography at an advanced level through a variety of projects. Projects may range from type design to type in motion to complex publication design. Exhibition of the utmost professional ideation, process, execution and craft expected. Prerequisite: GDES 43003, GDES 43403, and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design majors only. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)

GDES 43803. Degree Project. 3 Hours.

Capstone course requiring completion of a self-directed project through in-depth research, writing and making, offering an opportunity to specialize prior to entering the job market. Prerequisite: GDES 43203, GDES 43403, GDES 43503, and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design majors only. (Typically offered: Spring)

GDES 438H3. Honors Degree Project. 3 Hours.

Capstone course requiring completion of a self-directed project through in-depth research, writing and making, offering an opportunity to specialize prior to entering the job market. Prerequisite: Honors standing, GDES 43203, GDES 43403, GDES 43503, and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design majors only. (Typically offered: Spring)
This course is equivalent to GDES 43803.

GDES 4390V. Special Problems in Graphic Design. 1-6 Hour.

Advanced individual projects in graphic design. Prerequisite: Any 4000 level GDES visual design course except GDES 43403. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring) May be repeated for up to 6 hours of degree credit.

GDES 490HV. Honors Thesis in Graphic Design. 1-6 Hour.

Thesis hours for honors students completing an honors thesis. Prerequisite: Honors standing. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)

GDES 4940V. Graphic Design Internship. 1-6 Hour.

Credit for practical experience gained through internship in graphic design. Report required form intern and field supervisor on progress and significant accomplishments. 3 credit hours per semester. Prerequisite: Any 4000 level GDES visual design course except GDES 43403. (Typically offered: Fall, Spring and Summer) May be repeated for up to 6 hours of degree credit.