Visual Communication Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts
Program Overview
Students in this program focus on visual communication, typography and graphic design while exploring industry-specific areas of study such as advertising, information design, branding, editorial design and illustration, motion graphics, animation, type design, interaction design, user centered design (UX/UI), and cross disciplinary design fields. They learn to create compelling messages while exploring the social and environmental dimensions of communication. Students who complete the graphic design program in visual communication will be effective problem solves contributing to social products, services, and communications.
Specific graduation requirements for this degree beyond the university's bachelor's degree requirements.
Core Curriculum - 42 hours
The Core Curriculum serves as a broad foundation for the undergraduate degree. All candidates for a bachelor’s degree must achieve core student learning outcomes, including communication, critical thinking, empirical and quantitative skills, teamwork, personal responsibility and social responsibility, by completing courses within each category or component area of the Core Curriculum as outlined below.
The University has approved specific courses that satisfy Core Curriculum Requirements. Approved courses can be found on the Core Curriculum Page. Students seeking the most efficient way to complete the core curriculum and major or minor requirements are advised to take approved courses that can fulfill both requirements. Although core curriculum courses can also be used to fulfill major or minor requirements, earned credits hours are only applied once.
The courses listed below fulfill core curriculum and major requirements. Students who have completed a core curriculum category with courses other than those listed below will still be required to take the listed course(s) to meet major requirements.
050 Creative Arts - 3 hours
Choose one:
| ARTS 1303 | Art History I, Prehistoric to the 14th-Century | 3 |
| Or | |
| ARTS 1304 | Art History II, 14th-Century to the Present | 3 |
ARTS 1303 and ARTS 1304 must both be completed. One will be applied to the core curriculum, the other to the major requirements.
Major Requirements - 78 hours
Required Courses - 63
Art Core - 24 hours
Visual Communication Design Lower Division Core - 12 hours
Visual Communication Design Upper Division Core - 27 hours
Prescribed Electives - 15 hours
Choose one:
Students may take any advanced 3000 or 4000 level course OR one of the following:
Choose four:
Total Credit Hours: 42
Total Credit Hours: 120
View this program’s recommended roadmap to graduation.
UTRGV Roadmaps are a suggested sequence of courses designed to assist students in completing their undergraduate degree requirements. This is a term-by-term sample roadmap of courses required to complete the degree. Students must satisfy all requirements in their catalog including, but not limited to course prerequisites, grade point average and course grade benchmarks, progression requirements, and graduation requirements.
Students should meet with their academic advisor every semester to discuss their individualized path toward completion. Degree progress within this roadmap depends upon such factors as course availability, individual student academic preparation and readiness, student time management, work and personal responsibilities, and financial considerations. Students may choose to take courses during summer terms to reduce course loads during long semesters.