Graphic Design Major (BA)
College: College of Arts & Humanities
Program Level Outcomes
- Creativity: Using various art-making techniques, students create works that reveal and communicate their personal style and conceptual ideas. (Communication and Personal/Social Responsibility)
- Visual Analysis: Students analyze and evaluate the historical, formal, and conceptual components of artwork, including their own. (Reasoned Judgment)
- Communication: Students communicate competently in formats expected in the profession. (Communication)
- Personal and Social Responsibility: Students are responsible and thoughtful as contributors to visual culture and as members of UW-P studio/lab/lecture areas. (Personal and Social Responsibility)
Special Policies
Graphic Design majors must have at least a 2.75 GPA in the major in order to graduate with the major in graphic design. All students earning a graphic design major must complete a minimum of 21 credits within the major at UW-Parkside.
Requirements for the Graphic Design Major
The graphic design major includes the art core curriculum as well as courses in specialized areas pertinent to the commercial graphic design industry. In all, the major provides a holistic curriculum that offers diverse approaches to visual language. The emphasis of this curriculum is one that focuses on the designer as artist and not simply a technician. In addition, students in the major have opportunities to work with regionally-based clients within the classroom setting. This provides a sample of real-world experiences similar to those in the career field while still maintaining the mentorship of professional instructors.
All graphic design majors must maintain a minimum 2.75 grade point average in the major to remain in the program. If a student cannot maintain the required GPA, he/she may consider completing the 48-credit “general” art major and design certificate instead.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Curriculum | ||
| Foundation Studio and Graphic Design Courses | ||
| These courses serve as prerequisites for most of the curriculum | ||
| ART 102 | Introduction to Two Dimensional Design | 3 |
| ART 103 | Introduction to 3-D Design | 3 |
| ART 104 | Introduction to Digital Art | 3 |
| ART 105 | Introduction to Graphic Design | 3 |
| ART 122 | Introduction to Drawing | 3 |
| Foundation Art History Courses | ||
| ART 100 | Foundations of Art and Visual Culture | 3 |
| or ART 125 | Survey of World Art | |
| ART 226 | Modern Art and Graphic Design | 3 |
| Developmental Drawing | ||
| Each course can only count toward one requirement area | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Intermediate Drawing | ||
| Life Drawing | ||
| Two Dimensional Experience | ||
| Each course can only count toward one requirement area. Prerequisites apply | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Beginning Printmaking | ||
| Beginning Painting | ||
| Intermediate Drawing | ||
| Life Drawing | ||
| Intermediate Printmaking | ||
| Intermediate Painting | ||
| Advanced Drawing | ||
| Figure Studio | ||
| Three Dimensional Experience | ||
| Each course can only count toward one requirement area. Prerequisites apply | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Beginning Ceramics | ||
| Beginning Sculpture | ||
| Beginning Woodworking and Furniture Design | ||
| Topics in Three-Dimensional Studio Art: | ||
| Intermediate Ceramics | ||
| Intermediate sculpture | ||
| Intermediate Woodworking and Furniture Design | ||
| Graphic Design Experience | ||
| ART 274 | Typography I | 3 |
| Additional Art History or related coursework 1 | ||
| Each course can only count toward one requirement area. Prerequisites apply. | ||
| ART 391 | Selected Topics in Art History | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Selected Topics in Art History | ||
| Introduction to Film | ||
| Literary Analysis | ||
| Aesthetics | ||
| Professional Practice | ||
| Prerequisite: Junior-level standing | ||
| ART 392 | Professional Practice | 2 |
| Upper Division Elective | ||
| Each course can only count toward one requirement area. Prerequisites apply | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Two Dimensional Studio | ||
| Intermediate Drawing | ||
| Life Drawing | ||
| Intermediate Printmaking | ||
| Intermediate Painting | ||
| Advanced Drawing | ||
| Figure Studio | ||
| Advanced Printmaking | ||
| Advanced Painting | ||
| Three Dimensional Studio | ||
| Intermediate Ceramics | ||
| Intermediate sculpture | ||
| Intermediate Woodworking and Furniture Design | ||
| Advanced Ceramics | ||
| Advanced Sculpture | ||
| Advanced Woodworking and Furniture Design | ||
| Graphic Design | ||
| Digital Photography | ||
| Topics in Graphic Design | ||
| Art Internship | ||
| Core Curriculum Subtotal | 50-51 | |
| Graphic Design Course Work | ||
| Required Graphic Design Foundations | ||
| ART 372 | Graphic Design I | 3 |
| ART 374 | Typography II | 3 |
| Advanced Graphic and Web Design Course Work | ||
| Each course can only count toward one requirement area. Prerequisites apply | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Interactive Design I | ||
| Topics in Graphic Design | ||
| Graphic Design II | ||
| Interactive Design II | ||
| Professional Seminar Capstone | ||
| Each course can only count toward one requirement area. Prerequisites apply | ||
| ART 487 | Design Portfolio | 3 |
| Graphic Design Course Work Subtotal | 18 | |
| Total Credits | 68-69 | |
- 1
Other relevant, upper division courses that address the history of art or visual culture may be approved on a case-by-case basis by the art history advisor.
General University Degree Requirements (Bachelor's Degree)
In addition to individual program requirements, students must also fulfill the following requirements:
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Skills | 7-8 |
| General Education | 36 |
| Foreign Language** | 6-8 |
| Ethnic Diversity | 3 |
| Total | 52-55 |
** Transfer students in sustainable management, and health information management and technology collaborative, online degree-completion programs, the business management online degree-completion program, and the flexible option degree-completion program will be exempt from the university’s foreign language requirement. See appropriate academic section for further information.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | ||
| ENGL 101 | Composition and Reading | 3 |
| Computational Skills | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4-5 | |
| Survey of Mathematics | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| College Algebra I | ||
| Total Credits | 7-8 | |
Degree Requirements
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Minimum Total Credits | 120 |
| Upper Level Credits (300 level or above) | 36 |
| Residency | 30 of final 60 |
Cumulative Degree GPA: 2.0 minimum