Communication Design, BFA

Program Description

The BFA in Communication Design is a comprehensive four-year sequenced program structured to prepare students for successful transition to professional practice designing communication products for a wide range of traditional and digital delivery. Graduates develop portfolios representing innovative and career-focused experiences that may include branding, packaging, interactive media, advertising, publication, environmental design, motion graphics, typographic design, and digital illustration. Program graduates pursue careers in design studios, advertising agencies, and directly with businesses and organizations, or continue their education in MFA programs.

The program provides a solid foundation of traditional art experiences and contemporary design practices to build students' abilities to create compelling and engaging solutions. The core communication design curriculum stresses essential competencies in conceptual problem solving, research, analysis and articulation, aesthetics, design theory, productivity, and the application of technology necessary for advanced creative exploration and entry into an ever-evolving profession.

All Communication Design students can expect a creative and collaborative environment built upon the experience of a faculty of practicing designers and design educators. Limited enrollment and small studio class sizes ensure an intense and individualized course of study, supporting the development of a competitive portfolio for entry into the profession. The program’s design studio spaces are built and equipped to facilitate instruction and invention with traditional and digital media. The program strongly encourages and supports critical interaction with the design community in the classroom and through internships, professional memberships, and participation in design competitions and conferences.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete the BFA degree in Communication Design will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of creative design processes, research methodologies, ideation, collaboration, development, and production as a means of conceptual problem-solving and enhancing visual communication.
• Develop communication design strategies that are effective, user-centric, and ethically and culturally informed, and contribute positively to the global community.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the principles, theories, and history of design, and the impact that historical analysis plays in contemporary practice.
• Skillfully employ the tools and technology in preparation for design practice and management in collaborative environments.

General Requirements

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Full-time, first time in college students are required to take university seminar.

• USSE 1201 University Seminar (2 sch)

Program Requirements

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Transfer students with 24 or more hours are exempt from University Seminar.

Required Program Reviews:
The BFA in Communication Design degree does not have a first year entrance portfolio review for admission. Students in the Communication Design program will undergo two formal portfolio and performance reviews, the Lower Level Review (LL Review) and the Upper Level Review (UL Review), which occur in the Spring of the 1st and 2nd year. Faculty use the portfolio reviews to measure each student's creative potential, motivation, academic achievement, design skill sets, and communication abilities and to determine the student's advancement in the Communication Design program. 

Students are eligible for the LL Review after successfully completing CDES 1300 and CDES 1301. Applicants must submit a portfolio and pass the LL Review to continue to the 2nd year of the Communication Design courses. Accepted students will be strongly encouraged to have a laptop capable of running the Adobe Creative Suite. Students who do not pass the LL Review cannot register for second-year CDES courses and may be advised to repeat prescribed first year CDES courses. Applicants who intend to reapply to the LL Review will be allowed only one additional attempt by resubmitting their revised portfolio the following Spring. Students eligible for the UL Review must submit a portfolio at the end of their 2nd year in the program. Students must pass the UL Review to advance to the 3rd and 4th year Communication Design courses. 

Transfer Credit:

Transfer students must demonstrate equivalent preparation at another institution to receive course credit. Faculty will review work produced in Communication Design or Graphic Design courses to determine the appropriate entry level into the program. Regardless of academic status, all students must be admitted into the Communication Design Program through either the Lower Level Review or Upper Level Review.

Grade Minimums:

Continuance in the Communication Design program requires a grade of C or higher in all CDES courses. If the student does not earn a “C” or higher in a CDES course, the student may be required to repeat the course or be removed from the Communication Design Program. A student who earns a “D” or lower in CDES courses for two consecutive semesters will be removed from the Communication Design Program.

Degree Matriculation Expedition or Exceptions:

The BFA in Communication Design degree is a 4-year, sequenced curriculum that cannot typically be expedited due to cohort capacities, program resources, and course prerequisites. Students who request to expedite will be considered but approval is not guaranteed. The Communication Design faculty will review requests and determine if students qualify for expedition. The CDES Matriculation Exception Policy and Criteria is available upon request from the Communication Design Program Coordinator.

The Communication Design curriculum is sequential; required Communication Design courses must be taken in order. Students seeking to complete their entire course of study in four years must follow the sequence of Communication Design courses listed below.

Course Sequencing

Courses