Design Degrees Online

Admission Requirements—Applicants must have adequate undergraduate education and experience in the area of emphasis and a B.A., B.S., or B.F.A. in graphic design or art. Individuals with undergraduate degrees in other disciplines who have completed a substantial number of design courses or who have extensive professional graphic design portfolios also may be considered for admission. A portfolio of 20 design works (Mac format CD or DVD); a letter of intent; a writing sample (written in or translated into English); and three letters of recommendation are also required as part of the application. Applicants must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.00.

M.F.A. Plan B Degree Requirements
The M.F.A. is offered under Plan B and requires 60 credits. The time frame for completing the coursework and research is usually 3 years for full-time students. The Graduate School requires completion of the degree in 7 years. For more information on degree requirements please see M.F.A. handbook .

Language Requirements—None.

Final Exam—An oral exam based on the project and a supporting thesis are required.

The Graphic Design & Digital Media bachelor’s degree program combines visual design foundation courses, practicum experience and specialized concentrations to prepare students for careers in professional graphic design and digital media.

Students in this degree program prepare for a wide range of career opportunities in the creative industries where graphic design and technology intersect. Sample job titles in this rapidly changing professional market include digital media designer, interactive graphic designer, digital artist, web designer and developer, information architect, print and digital publisher.

The academic and experiential focus of this program prepares students to solve various digital communication problems using visual design and digital tools. Learning is hands-on and performance-based using current digital software and hardware in university labs and studios. Students prepare many graphic design and digital media pieces to include in the sophomore portfolio class, which serves as a springboard to advanced concentrations. In addition to concentration study, junior and senior year is highlighted with practicum experience in the Feinstein Center for Technology & Design for Nonprofit Organizations. Through advanced coursework and experiential education, students develop competitive skills in project management by creating, managing and presenting graphic design and digital media projects.

Other opportunities such as study abroad, national competitions, school exhibitions, independent/team projects and external coops are also available to qualified students and complement the college experience.

Graphic design at CVA embraces traditional and new media practice, theory, and technology in the pursuit of crystal clear information management. Students express their conceptual talents within a rigorous curriculum that emphasizes typography, information architecture, and cutting edge interactivity.

Students begin by mastering the foundations that define all higher education and professional graphic design. These classes prepare students for a unique three-course immersion in the fine art and craft of typography and three courses in applied graphic design practice. Computer hardware and software proficiency training wraps around these classes and progresses through a separate five-course sequence of study and practice in new and emerging digital mediums including interactive usability.

A studio practicum, internship opportunities, and a course in professional practice augment the curriculum. Combined with liberal arts coursework in graphic design history, art history, aesthetics, math, humanities, and the natural and social sciences, these courses anticipate a final year capstone experience that includes a demanding studio and seminar thesis and professional portfolio development.

All graphic design course content is cumulative and successive. Each class builds on the strengths and skills developed in its predecessor. Early sequential courses are structured to stress advanced craft, theory, process, and technical skills designed to ensure refined success in a student’s advanced application-based project work. Advanced courses and the capstone experience may be customized to reflect individual interests, among others, in package design, publication design, advertising, signage and exhibition design, new media, web and interactivity, motion graphics, and corporate branding identity.

Achieving freedom of expression using text and graphics

Leading professionals provide instruction to students wishing to make careers in fields such as poster and advertising design, logotype design, bookbinding, editorial design, and Web design. The practical and specialized curriculum provides thorough grounding in professional graphic design. Students will also gain the capability to send messages to the world through establishing their own uniquely Japanese graphic design sense.

Graphic Design and Digital Media

The Graphic Design & Digital Media bachelor’s degree program combines visual design foundation courses, practicum experience and specialized concentrations to prepare students for careers in professional graphic design and digital media.

Students in this degree program prepare for a wide range of career opportunities in the creative industries where graphic design and technology intersect. Sample job titles in this rapidly changing professional market include digital media designer, interactive graphic designer, digital artist, web designer and developer, information architect, print and digital publisher.

The academic and experiential focus of this program prepares students to solve various digital communication problems using visual design and digital tools. Learning is hands-on and performance-based using current digital software and hardware in university labs and studios. Students prepare many graphic design and digital media pieces to include in the sophomore portfolio class, which serves as a springboard to advanced concentrations. In addition to concentration study, junior and senior year is highlighted with practicum experience in the Feinstein Center for Technology & Design for Nonprofit Organizations. Through advanced coursework and experiential education, students develop competitive skills in project management by creating, managing and presenting graphic design and digital media projects.

Other opportunities such as study abroad, national competitions, school exhibitions, independent/team projects and external coops are also available to qualified students and complement the college experience.