Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art (Graphic Design)
Website: https://twu.edu/visual-arts/undergraduate-programs/graphic-design/
Our Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Art with a Graphic Design emphasis will prepare you for a career in visual communications. Our program fosters a community of learners, both in and outside of the classroom. We guide you to grow with your peers through critique and offer portfolio-building opportunities through collaboration with professionals. Through a rigorous investigation of design concepts, typography, image-making, critical thinking, process, client projects, and internships you will develop a wide range of marketable skills.
Marketable Skills
Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."
- Typography & Page Design: Master the aesthetics and function of typography and apply it to interactive, electronic, and printed page design.
- Updating and Using Relevant Computer Skills: Build proficiency in current industry-standard software for 2D, 3D, and 4D design and imaging. Use 2D and 3D hardware for photographing, scanning, and printing portfolio/exhibition quality pieces.
- Professional Experience: Through client projects, internships, and professional practices develop professional graphic design experience, a marketable portfolio, and job-search skills
- Ideation & Visualization: Develop a number of relevant ideas, expressed in verbal and visual language, about a topic for a client/intended audience.
- Networking: Make graphic design industry and community connections through client projects, field trips, and workshops.
- Develop Objectives and Strategies: Establish long-range objectives and specify strategies for graduate school application and/or success in the graphic design industry.
- Service Orientation: Through Design Studio and client projects, engage in socially responsible and community-focused design that contributes to the common good.
Admissions
All applicants must meet the general undergraduate admission requirements.
In addition, all students must submit a portfolio to SlideRoom consisting of a PDF that includes name, artist’s statement, and 10 high-quality images of the applicant’s strongest artwork, each on its own page and captioned with title, media, dimensions, and date completed.
Degree Requirements
Total Semester Credit Hours (SCH): 120
Major: 33 SCH
Program Code: ART.BFA.GRAPHDESGN; CIP Code: 50.0701.00
Texas Core Curriculum
Code | Title | SCHs |
---|---|---|
ENG 1013 | Composition I | 3 |
ENG 1023 | Composition II | 3 |
Mathematics | 3 | |
Life & Physical Sciences | 6 | |
Language, Philosophy, & Culture | 3 | |
Creative Arts | 3 | |
HIST 1013 | History of the United States, 1492-1865 | 3 |
HIST 1023 | History of the United States, 1865 to the Present | 3 |
POLS 2013 | U.S. National Government | 3 |
POLS 2023 | Texas Government | 3 |
Social & Behavioral Sciences | 3 | |
CAO: Women's Studies | 3 | |
CAO: First Year Seminar, Wellness or Mathematics | 3 | |
Total SCHs | 42 |
Courses Required for Major
Code | Title | SCHs |
---|---|---|
Students who have not taken a Global Perspectives course, will either need to take one in this section, or will need to add 3 SCH to the overall degree and take one in another department. | ||
Art History Foundation (12 SCH) | ||
ART 2423 | World Art History I | 3 |
ART 2433 | World Art History II | 3 |
ART 3053 | Global Perspectives in Art | 3 |
or ART 3343 | Women in the Visual Arts | |
ART 3173 | Contemporary Issues in Art | 3 |
Studio Art Foundation (12 SCH) | ||
ART 1203 | 2D Foundations | 3 |
ART 1213 | 3D Foundations | 3 |
ART 1303 | Drawing Foundations | 3 |
ART 2223 | Digital Art Foundations | 3 |
Introductory Electives - Choose 9 SCH | 9 | |
Introduction to Painting | ||
Introduction to Photography | ||
Introduction to Sculpture | ||
Introduction to Ceramics | ||
Principles of Art Education | ||
Animation | ||
Total SCHs | 33 |
Intermediate and Advanced Studies
Code | Title | SCHs |
---|---|---|
ART 2243 | Fundamentals of Type and Image | 3 |
ART 2293 | Visual Identity and Symbol | 3 |
ART 3253 | Motion Graphics | 3 |
ART 4363 | Community-Focused Design Studio | 3 |
ART 4953 | Internship | 3 |
Focus Area (9 SCH) | 9 | |
Visual Communication | ||
Publication Design | ||
Web and App Design | ||
Advertising and Social Media Design | ||
Illustration | ||
Character Design | ||
Digital Illustration | ||
Narrative Illustration | ||
Advanced Electives - Choose 12 SCH | 12 | |
3000 or 4000 level ART | ||
Entrepreneurship | ||
Small Business Management | ||
Total SCHs | 36 |
Capstone
Code | Title | SCHs |
---|---|---|
ART 3393 | Professional Practices for Visual Arts | 3 |
ART 3903 | Professional Writing for Visual Arts | 3 |
ART 4993 | BFA Exhibition | 3 |
Total SCHs | 9 |
Recommended Plan of Study
First Year | |||
---|---|---|---|
Fall | TCCN | SCHs | |
ART 1203 | 2D Foundations | ARTS 1311 | 3 |
ART 1303 | Drawing Foundations | ARTS 1316 | 3 |
UNIV 1231 | Learning Frameworks: The First Year Experience | EDUC 1100, EDUC 1200, EDUC 1300 | 1 |
ENG 1013 | Composition I | ENGL 1301 | 3 |
HIST 1013 | History of the United States, 1492-1865 | HIST 1301 | 3 |
Wellness CAO Core | 2 | ||
SCHs | 15 | ||
Spring | TCCN | ||
ART 1213 | 3D Foundations | ARTS 1312 | 3 |
ART 2223 | Digital Art Foundations | ARTS 2348 | 3 |
ENG 1023 | Composition II | ENGL 1302 | 3 |
HIST 1023 | History of the United States, 1865 to the Present | HIST 1302 | 3 |
Social/Behavioral Science Core | 3 | ||
SCHs | 15 | ||
Second Year | |||
Fall | TCCN | ||
ART 2293 | Visual Identity and Symbol | 3 | |
Art Introductory Elective | 3 | ||
ART 2423 | World Art History I | ART 1303 | 3 |
POLS 2013 | U.S. National Government | GOVT 2305 | 3 |
Mathematics Core | 3 | ||
SCHs | 15 | ||
Spring | TCCN | ||
ART 2243 | Fundamentals of Type and Image | 3 | |
ART Introductory Elective | 3 | ||
ART 2433 | World Art History II | ART 1304 | 3 |
POLS 2023 | Texas Government | GOVT 2306 | 3 |
Creative Arts Core | 3 | ||
SCHs | 15 | ||
Third Year | |||
Fall | TCCN | ||
ART 3253 | Motion Graphics | 3 | |
ART Introductory Elective | 3 | ||
ART 3903 | Professional Writing for Visual Arts | 3 | |
Language, Philosophy and Culture Core | 3 | ||
Life and Physical Science Core | 3 | ||
SCHs | 15 | ||
Spring | TCCN | ||
ART 3053 or 3343 | Global Perspectives in Art or Women in the Visual Arts | 3 | |
Focus Area Elective | 3 | ||
ART 4313 | Advertising and Social Media Design | 3 | |
Life and Physical Science Core | 3 | ||
ART Elective 3000 or 4000 level | 3 | ||
SCHs | 15 | ||
Fourth Year | |||
Fall | TCCN | ||
ART 3173 | Contemporary Issues in Art | 3 | |
ART 3393 | Professional Practices for Visual Arts | 3 | |
ART 4363 | Community-Focused Design Studio | 3 | |
Focus Area Elective | 3 | ||
Component Area Option (Multicultural Women's Studies) | 3 | ||
SCHs | 15 | ||
Spring | TCCN | ||
ART 4953 | Internship | 3 | |
ART 4993 | BFA Exhibition | 3 | |
Focus Area Elective | 3 | ||
ART Elective 3000 or 4000 level | 3 | ||
ART Elective 3000 or 4000 level | 3 | ||
SCHs | 15 | ||
Total SCHs: | 120 |