Nov 21, 2024  
ARCHIVED 2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
ARCHIVED 2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Art, BFA with an Emphasis in Graphic Design


The Bachelor of Fine Art degree with Emphasis in Graphic Design focuses on design thinking, interactive and experience design, research and social practices, and developing professional production skills.

The program combines strategic interdisciplinary relationships with research, cultural investigations and design in a broad range of media. The 4-year program requires a summer internship, and prepares students for the collaborative, interactive, and participatory nature of careers in design fields and graduate study in related disciplines.

Graphic Design is uniquely defined by the diversity of studio and academic courses available within the program. Interwoven with challenging content in literature, history, technology, business and science, are courses that support print and screen-based communication, interactive and motion design, and in-depth work developing a range of technical, conceptual, and design process skills.

Our graphic design graduates work within diverse fields of interdisciplinary applications of professional design including: healthcare and marketing, motion design, animation, web design, interactive design, and design studio practices.

Total number of hours for the Program: 120.

Liberal Studies Hours (42 hours)


Liberal Studies Program Requirements  

Entrance Requirements


Students interested in Graphic Design must submit an entrance portfolio.

The entrance portfolio for the BFA with Emphasis in Graphic Design must be submitted prior to enrolling in Graphic Design emphasis studio classes.

Current first year students are encouraged to submit after completing the freshman level Foundation classes. Transfer students must submit their entrance portfolio prior to enrolling in the Graphic Design program. Incoming students considering the BFA with Emphasis in Graphic Design can submit their portfolio prior to enrolling in classes at WCU.

Detailed guidelines for entrance portfolio preparation and submission are available at the School of Art & Design, Graphic Design Emphasis webpage: https://www.wcu.edu/learn/departments-schools-colleges/fpa/artdesign/undergraduate-programs/graphic.aspx.

Digital Portfolio:


The Graphic Design BFA portfolio must include a total of 12 works: 4 examples of two-dimensional design, 2 examples of perspective drawing, 3 examples of drawings from direct observation, and 3 examples of three-dimensional work. The examples should provide evidence of competency with tool usage, measuring, material handling, color and presentation. Details are available at the School of Art & Design, Graphic Design Emphasis webpage:  https://www.wcu.edu/learn/departments-schools-colleges/fpa/artdesign/undergraduate-programs/graphic.aspx

Major Requirements


Students must earn a grade of C or better in each course in the major. If this benchmark is not met for the studio classes required for the graphic design emphasis, the class must be retaken before moving forward in the program sequence.

Upper Level Art History (6 hours)


Students should choose one course from the 300-400 level Art History courses listed below, and ART 419.

General Electives (3 hours)


To complete the program, students should select three hours of general electives. To satisfy the university requirement, 30 total hours must be at the 300-400 level.