Graphic Design, Bachelor of Science

Program Purpose

Graphic Design is a universal mode of communication where designers transform concepts into informative and innovative visual compositions. The art of graphic design involves the comprehensive skill of projecting visual content to capture attention and to solve problems for professionals in branding, packaging, spatial design, publication design, typeface design, and more.

Students who pursue a Bachelor of Science Degree in Graphic Design, offered by the College of Technology at Wilmington University, will discover how to use industry-leading tools to create innovative user experiences. Students will be able to deliver in both physical and virtual forms, including images, typography, and other graphic representations. Students will develop the necessary skills to become an in-demand visual thinker and communicator for any purpose, whether commercial, educational, cultural, or political.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2016), the projected growth for careers related to graphic design, from 2016 to 2026, is about as fast as the average for all occupations. "Projected growth will be due to increased demand for animation and visual effects in video games, movies, and television" (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016).

The Bachelor of Science Degree program in Graphic Design at Wilmington University shapes designers to think conceptually and apply technical skills in all forms of design practice. After completing this program, students will be prepared to pursue a variety of job opportunities such as Multimedia Designer, Logo Designer, Brand Identity Designer, Creative/Art Director, Photo Editing/Photoshop Artist, Layout Artist.

Students seeking a career in graphic design should be prepared to familiarize themselves with both Mac and Windows platforms.

Program Competencies

Students completing the Graphic Design B.S. program will be able to:

• Appraise the needs of the audience and then speak in a clear and succinct manner. Research, construct, and deliver professional presentations using a variety of communication tools and techniques.
• Write with clarity and precision using correct English grammar:  mechanics and usage.  Correctly and ethically exhibit competence in writing for specific purposes, diverse audiences, and genres.
• Employ critical thinking strategies such as quantitative, qualitative, and scientific reasoning to analyze consequences and outcomes and then determine logical solutions.
• Employ legitimate and valid informational resources.
• Apply the ethical principles required of computer or designer professionals.
• Employ creative problem solving from project inception to completion.
• Develop a professional body of work and appropriate artifacts to provide evidence of personal vision and skills.
• Develop innovative design solutions to effectively communicate to a given audience.

Experiential Learning

The Office of Experiential Learning takes a 360^◦ approach to experiential learning. Whether you come to Wilmington University with a vast amount of professional experience and are awarded Credit for Prior Learning (CPL), or you participate in a Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunity (Internships or Cooperative Education) embedded in your curriculum for credit, we provide a pathway to completing your degree.

Cooperative Education Option

The Cooperative Education option for the Graphic Design program is an alternative to VFP 313 – Aesthetics of Film and DSN 490 – Internship.. Each co-op assignment is one semester long and normally the two co-op assignments span two consecutive semesters with the same employer. In order to be eligible, students must first have at least 60 credits, plus a GPA of 2.5 or higher. Students must contact the Office of Work-Integrated Learning and their Program Chair one semester before they would like to begin a co-op assignment.   For additional information on cooperative education, please visit: https://www.wilmu.edu/coel/work-integrated-learning.aspx

Minimum Grade Policy

The Graphic Design program has set a minimum passing grade of “C-” for the following courses:  DSN 308, DSN 335, DSN 401, DSN 410, and DSN 415.  Students receiving a grade lower than “C-” in any of these courses must retake the course.

Enhance your Degree with a Certificate

The College of Technology's digital media department, which is focused on giving students hands-on training and real-world skills across a multimedia platform, consists of six individual Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees: Animation and 3D, Game Design and Development, Graphic Design, Video and Film Production, and Web Design.

Each of these degree programs has been designed with three identifiable parts:  Uniform First Year, Program Core, and 15 credits to be used towards a CoT Certificate. All students will begin their academic career with a uniform first year before they begin to focus on their selected degree core.  After completion of the uniform first year, students will begin to enroll in their program core courses.  Finally, students in each program will use 15 career-centered course credits towards earning a College of Technology Certificate as illustrated in the table below.