This professional program, combined with a strong academic curriculum, provides students with the skills and knowledge they will need to enter diverse areas of visual communication such as publication design, animation, packaging, corporate identity design, illustration, UX/UI design, or to pursue graduate study. The program contains components of studio work, design theory, criticism, and history. Student designers learn not only about the traditional and digital tools and techniques necessary to make their ideas come to life, but also the ways in which their work relates to their culture and society. The program’s curriculum gives students a valuable perspective on where their chosen discipline has been, where it is going, and how technology impacts the way we communicate. Through professional memberships, internships, study abroad experiences, and exposure to visiting artists, students gain insight into personal areas of interest in the vast and changing field of graphic design.
Requirements for Graduation
To be eligible for graduation, students majoring in Graphic Design must complete a minimum of 125 credits, achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher, satisfy the college’s residency requirements, and complete the General Education Requirements of the college. A minimum grade of 2.0 is required for First Year Seminar and all courses taken as part of Foundations. Courses used to complete General Education Requirements may not be taken on a pass/fail basis.
The General Education Requirements of the college require students to successfully complete First Year Seminar, Foundations (FCO 103 will be a required co-requisite with FCO 105 for students who have a high school GPA below 3.20), Disciplinary Perspectives, and a Constellation. Students who enter the college with 30 credit hours completed will not take a First Year Seminar course and therefore must take an additional 3 credits for graduation. Transfer students that are awarded 60 or more credits upon acceptance to York College will not be required to complete a Constellation.
In addition, students majoring in Graphic Design are required to complete a series of foundation courses, which offer a common studio experience for all Graphic Design majors. Foundation courses must be successfully completed by the end of the first semester of sophomore year. Foundation courses teach basic skills, provide a technical foundation on which to build, develop creative and problem-solving skills, and help identify professional and studio interests. Students are also required to participate in the Sophomore Portfolio Review in which the student must receive a passing grade to continue in the major. Students are also required to participate in the Senior Portfolio Review and Exhibition, which provides an opportunity for self-evaluation and professional evaluation. During junior year, students participate in the Professional Development Seminar and then in their senior year, students will participate in the Senior Art Major’s Exhibition the semester of graduation. The student is required to earn a grade of 2.0 or higher in all major courses.
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