BS in Visual Communication Design

College

Kanbar College of Design, Engineering & Commerce

Degree

Bachelor of Science

Campus

East Falls

Format

On Campus

Credits

121

Duration

4 Years

Contact Information

Program

Name: Beth Shirrell
Position: Program Director & Associate Professor, Visual Communication Design
Contact Number(s):

Contact Admissions

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Curriculum

To provide a broad-based education and to foster life-long learning, approximately half the courses within the Bachelor of Science in VCD curriculum are in Liberal Arts, the other half are major specific coursework. Students are advised by VCD faculty all four years as they progress through a sequence of eight core VCD courses, with the ability to select a specialization in either Graphic Design Communication or Web Design & Development. In their final year, all VCD students complete a self-authored capstone project.

TOTAL: 121 credits

First Year (31 credits)

Major Courses

  • Design 1: Design Essentials (Fall)

  • Drawing Essentials (Fall)

  • Digital Imaging CAD (Fall)

  • Design 2: Intro to Graphic Design (Spring)

  • A Survey of the History of Art

Hallmarks Core

  • Pathways Seminar

  • Writing Seminar I: Written Communication

  • American Visions

  • Mathematics

  • General Science

DEC Core

  • Finding and Shaping Opportunities

Second Year (30 credits)

Major Courses

  • Design 3: Intro to Typography (Fall)

  • Design 4: Advanced Typography (Spring)

  • Fundamentals of Web Programming (Fall)

  • Foundation for Web Design and Strategy (Spring)

  • Art History Elective

Hallmarks Core

  • Ethics

  • Global Diversity

  • Writing Seminar II: Multimedia Communication

DEC Core

  • Systems Thinking & Sustainability (Science)

  • History of Graphic Design

Third Year (30 credits)

Students select a specialization prior to beginning their third year. 

Major Courses: Graphic Design Communication Specialization

  • Design 5: Branding (Fall)

  • Design 6: Advanced Branding (Spring)

  • Media Production

  • Principles of Marketing

Major Courses: Web Design & Development Specialization

  • Design 5: Advanced Web Design and Strategy (Fall)

  • Design 6: Web Development (Spring)

  • Javascript (Spring)

  • Media Production (Fall)

  • Principles of Marketing

Hallmarks Core

  • American Diversity

  • Global Citizenship

  • Contemporary Global Issues

DEC Methods

  • Ethnographic Research Methods

Fourth Year (30 credits)

Major Courses: Graphic Design Communication Specialization

  • Design 7: Systems Design Integration (Fall)

  • Capstone Prep and Professional Practice (Fall)

  • Design 8: Capstone for VCD (Spring)

  • Design Theory and Criticism (Spring)

  • Two [2] VCD Electives

Major Courses: Web Design & Development Specialization

  • Design 7 User Interface Design (Fall only)

  • Design 8: Capstone for VCD (Spring only)

  • Capstone Prep and Professional Practice (Fall)

  • Design Theory and Criticism (Spring)

  • [2] VCD Electives

Hallmarks Core

  • Philosophies of the Good Life

Business Core

  • [3] Free Electives

Electives

  • Package Design, Illustration, Issues in Information Design, Intro to Service Design, Experiential Graphic Design, Adv. Javascript, Photography, Advanced Publication Design, Design for Accessibility, Content Management Systems, Animation, Virtual Reality, etc.