Design Degrees Online

The BFA program in Graphic Design approaches the profession as an interdisciplinary, cross-media field that is rooted in the fine arts. Students learn to give form and expression to the content of our culture and become creators and interpreters of the environment in which we live. They must be able to perceive and adapt to changing cultural demands and to the changing design field. As the design field continues to expand into new media and new environments, designers are confronted with exciting intellectual and technological challenges. Students must be prepared to meet these new challenges, possess the educational background to develop original ideas and solve a wide range of design problems. After completing the Graphic Design major, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills in the following areas: creative problem solving, use of technology and relevant traditional graphic design skills, understanding of history and contemporary issues in design, visual and critical research, writing and communication skills, and design practice. During the students’ capstone experience, Senior Research and Seminar, students will focus on advancing their personal vision through design research, writing, and innovative design projects. They will develop an original body of work that will culminate in a portfolio and portfolio review, a presentation of students’ portfolios to the public and the graphic design community.

Design; and Art-Photography minor
The BFA program in Graphic Design approaches the profession as an interdisciplinary, cross-media field that is rooted in the fine arts. Students learn to give form and expression to the content of our culture and become creators and interpreters of the environment in which we live. They must be able to perceive and adapt to changing cultural demands and to the changing design field. As the design field continues to expand into new media and new environments, designers are confronted with exciting intellectual and technological challenges. Students must be prepared to meet these new challenges, possess the educational background to develop original ideas and solve a wide range of design problems.
After completing the Graphic Design major, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills in the following areas: creative problem solving, use of technology and relevant traditional graphic design skills, understanding of history and contemporary issues in design, visual and critical research, writing and communication skills, and design practice. During the students’ capstone experience, Senior Research and Seminar, students will focus on advancing their personal vision through design research, writing, and innovative design projects. They will develop an original body of work that will culminate in a portfolio and portfolio review, a presentation of students’ portfolios to the public and the graphic design community.
Enrollment in Department of Art Courses
All Art History courses (AAH) are open to all students. Art courses which have specific liberal learning approval are open to all students. A non-major who wishes to enroll in major courses that are not liberal learning courses must obtain permission from the chair of the department or advisement coordinator.
Art minors must report to the advising coordinator or academic advisor for advisement and registration for art courses

Core Curriculum

At the heart of a Mount education is the Core Curriculum, designed as an interdisciplinary Liberal Arts and Sciences foundation. Graduates possess not only the professional skills necessary for success in the workplace, but also qualities associated with a liberally educated person able to thrive in a complicated and diverse world. Some of those skills are thinking critically and creatively, communicating effectively, appreciating the complexity of human behavior, knowing the relation among various ethical systems, and appreciating the relationship of Roman Catholicism to other belief systems.

As part of the required 52 credit hours in the Core Curriculum, freshmen begin with a three-credit Foundations Seminar (interdisciplinary studies) course. Later, students take another three credits with an advanced-level interdisciplinary course. A majority of the credits of the Core Curriculum are distributed among discipline-specific courses that expand concepts introduced in Foundations Seminar. Students choose from courses in humanities, social sciences, history, natural sciences, mathematics, religious studies, philosophy, and ethics.

Product-Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts

Due to the rapidly changing profession and the variety of demands made on practical product design, instruction cannot be based on a fixed job outline. Instead, the Faculty of Art and Design strongly emphasizes training elements which correspond to its image and capacities.

This programme focuses on the conceptual reflection on design, and the coursework often results in the design of a commodity. However, according to our understanding of product design, we also appreciate other results, such as services, the design of technical systems, studies or historic and theoretical discourses. In this respect, project work (i.e., dealing with a particular subject for a whole semester) is a key element of the degree programme and is connected with interdisciplinary and theoretical tasks.
Programme content and structure

The degree programme is divided up into the following disciplines: industrial design, interaction design, exhibition design, designmanagement and design of materials. In the course of the studies, the amount of independent work is expected to steadily increase.

Due to the variety of tasks and in view of digital technologies, the boundaries between objects and media are gradually disappearing. Therefore, it is crucial that students supplement their studies with interdisciplinary coursework. To meet this need, projects and subjects from the other Bachelor degree programme at the Faculty of Art and Design (Visual Communication) has been integrated into this programme. The students’ design work within the projects (investigation, concept, design and presentation) is discussed at a scientific seminar. Students gain practical knowledge in a wide range of workshops and specialist courses which focus on both traditional techniques using wood, metal or plaster, and digital work in the computer pool.

In addition to practical design training, students have the opportunity to attend a variety of scientific lectures and seminars at the Faculty of Art and Design (e.g., the history and theory of design, art and architecture, aesthetics, etc.). This provides students with supplementary scientific training, aimed at theoretical reflection and the promotion of design work. These requirements correspond to a conceptual and reflection-oriented practice.