Graphic Design

This program is available at the Springfield - Leffel Lane location.

Graphic designers develop a variety of visual communication solutions for clients including advertisements, product packaging, brochures, brand identities, editorial and digital graphics, motion graphics, book covers, and posters. The average salary of graphic designers in Ohio is $50,210 (from CareerOneStop).

The goal is integration of the conceptual and technical with a dedication to craftsmanship. Students will develop critical and conceptual thinking skills so that they can communicate any idea clearly and powerfully. Students will be prepared for the practice of design as a profession and provided the basis for their continued creative, personal and professional growth.

With a problem-solving, project-based format, students will develop essential graphic design and illustration skills, create a portfolio, explore the integration of type and images, and creatively deliver messages responsive to the needs of the client and their target audience.100% of our graphic design students work with real clients before graduation.

The Graphic Design program is a two-year computer intensive learning experience focusing on industry-standard practices. Dedicated to keeping up with technological advances affecting the visual arts, the program integrates technology with fine arts sensibility. Students with little experience with computers should take special note of the "Academic Preparation" section.

The program course schedule is designed for full-time students who have completed all prerequisites and who have no college preparatory recommendations. Many individuals, especially part-time students and those taking college preparatory courses, will require additional semesters of study. Students should consult their academic advisor for help in planning their schedules.

Graduating graphic design students wishing to further build their digital multimedia and web design skills could also receive an Associate of Applied Business in New Media by completing an additional 10 courses in the New Media curriculum. Students wishing to obtain a bachelor’s degree in graphic design can take MTH 1070 Quantitative Reasoning and ART 1121 Drawing II and transfer to the Wright State University Lake Campus to complete the two additional years needed for a Bachelor of Technical and Applied Studies with a Graphic Design Concentration.

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Outcomes and Curriculum

Upon completion of an Associate of Applied Business in Graphic Design, a graduate will be able to:

Utilize industry standard software effectively for design.
Professionally communicate ideas, concepts and design knowledge.
Manage a design problem from conceptualization to a finished project.
Design and present a professional portfolio.

Course	Title	Credits
Fall
GPH 1001	Introduction to Graphic Design	3
ART 1111	Drawing I	3
ENG 1111	English I	3
FYE 1101	College Success	1
MTH 1060	Business Mathematics *
or MTH 1070	Quantitative Reasoning *	3
PSY 1111	Introduction to Psychology	3

Spring
GPH 1110	Digital Illustration I	3
GPH 1112	Typography	3
GPH 1201	Electronic Imagery I	3
ART 1121	Drawing II *
or NWM 2010	Digital Multimedia II *	3
COM 1120	Public Speaking I	3

Fall
GPH 2011	Computer Layout I	3
GPH 2111	Digital Illustration II	3
GPH 2120	Logo, Symbol, Corporate I.D.	3
GPH 2202	Electronic Imagery II	3
ENG 1112	English II	3
ITS 1500	HTML and CSS	3

Spring
GPH 2012	Computer Layout II	3
GPH 2051	Professional Development	3
GPH 2085	Service Learning Capstone	3
ART 1002	Art History II	3
NWM 1610	Web Design	3

	Total credit hours	64

*Students wishing to transfer to complete the Bachelor of Technical and Applied Studies with a Graphic Design Concentration will need to take MTH 1070 Quantitative Reasoning and ART 1121 Drawing II.

Note: It is extremely important that students save all artwork from the first term forward to enable them to build a portfolio in GPH 2051.

Academic Preparation

Graphic Design students with little or no computer background should enroll in ITS 0700, Computer Fundamentals, as a preparatory course before taking other computer courses. Students without adequate keyboarding skills should enroll in ITS 0710, Beginning Keyboarding.

Transfer Information

Students enrolled in Associate of Applied Business degree programs are preparing for employment upon graduation from the program. However, at some point many of these students are also interested in completing a bachelor's degree. Some colleges or universities have designed bachelor's completion programs designed for students completing applied degrees. See the Transfer section of the catalog for more information.