Graphic Design
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio
The GSU Graphic Design Program prepares students to contribute to the field of Graphic Design through development of critical and conceptual skills as well as training in current professional practices.
Student Profile
The graphic design concentration seeks students who are willing to pursue their goals diligently & who have a passion for the diversity that a life in design offers. Students must demonstrate outstanding conceptual & technical skills and demonstrate pride in the impeccable crafting and presentation of their work. Students should also learn to vocalize & discuss their work in depth.
The undergraduate BFA design program is enriched by “traditional students” as well as those students who already work in full or part time capacity in graphic design related field.
Program Description
The BFA program includes successful application to the program; successful completion of the Senior Portfolio Review; and participation in a Senior Exhibition.
Note: Many courses are offered only once per academic year.
Attention transfer students and non-majors: Consult GSU catalog before signing up for these classes. Prerequisites are strictly enforced.
Students must also present for review copy of the academic evaluation form obtained from the College of Arts and Sciences Office of Academic Assistance, General Classroom Building or printed from your student account.
Design experimentation is encouraged through a mix of problem-solving and personal expression. Students are encouraged to creatively meld the practical aspects of applied design with the more abstract issues of personal exploration, social consciousness, and life goals. The implementation of historical knowledge, contemporary cultural issues, conceptual and philosophical research, and media experimentation is fundamental to the graphic design experience at Georgia State University.
The business of graphic design and the practical aspects of the profession are also key elements of the program. Students begin their professional experience through directed internships with significant sponsoring firms, both in Atlanta and in other cities, nationally and internationally. In addition to the permanent faculty, the program utilizes a diverse and rotating staff of guest instructors, each a prominent member of the professional design community. The professional teaching staff provides an important bridge between the academic program and the professional community.
Contact the Student Advisor at the School of Art & Design, at (404) 413-5221 for answers to questions about Area F (Foundation courses) transfer credits.
Facilities
Current facilities include two teaching Macintosh labs within the Art & Humanities Building, each equipped with Mac G5 workstations, audio-visual editing stations, scanners, and printers. In addition to the teaching labs, students may use the other open-access labs that feature high performance Mac and PC workstations. In the spirit of interdisciplinary study, graphic design students use the full range of traditional media facilities offered by the School, including the sculpture complex and newly renovated photography facilities.
Student Organization
The GSU Design Corps is a student-based organization that provides the students a voice in the operation of the program. The organization has served as host to a variety of social events that serve to involve students with alumni and professionals. It coordinates visits by artists of national and international importance and student field trips to major design firms in Atlanta and New York.
Career Opportunities
The BFA degree prepares students as design generalists. The broad range of visual communications in modern business and culture allows graduates to pursue careers in many directions. Graduates are employed in corporate identity design, design for printed communications, advertising, Web design, animation, package design, design for television, trade exhibition design, and a number of other specialties. While the field is competitive, nearly every business and institution in the world utilizes design services on some plane, and the potential for employment as a designer is excellent.
Internships
All students in the B.F.A. program engage in internships with professional design firms, advertising agencies, or corporations beginning late in the junior year. These internships provide students with vital professional experience and have often resulted in employment opportunities for students. Although students receive a maximum of three-semester hours credit for internships, majors are encouraged to try and participate in several graphic design internships, if possible.
Transfer Credit
Credit for Graphic Design courses taken at other institutions is rarely granted. However, transfer students who would like to request transfer credit for graphic design courses from other institutions must contact the Area Coordinator of the graphic design program during their first Fall or Spring semester at Georgia State University. Transfer students must be prepared to present a comprehensive portfolio of work from each course for which transfer credit is requested. The student work will be reviewed by a Graphic Design faculty committee who will determine the appropriateness of the previous design experiences for transfer.
Degree Requirements
Course work in the graphic design concentration within the B.F.A. in Studio Art program spans three years, beginning with the introductory graphic design sequence. Students enroll in this sequence following the first year in art foundations courses. Most majors must spend three full years within the graphic design component of The School of Art and Design due to the prescribed sequence of the required course offerings.
The graphic design program is a comprehensive course of study distinguished by a series of specialized courses focusing on conceptual, practical, and philosophical issues. Interdisciplinary exploration is encouraged.
The B.F.A. Graphic Design Course Sequence
Students must enroll in the graphic design courses in the following order, beginning the sequence fall semester. It is not possible to begin the concentration during spring semester or summer session. The schedule of academic courses and art and design foundations courses attached are offered as a suggested sequence for students entering the School of Art and Design as freshmen. Transfer students should seek advice regarding transfer credit and sequencing of courses from the graphic design full time faculty. Prerequisites noted in the university catalog apply.
Familiarity with Photoshop and Illustrator is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Note: Many courses are offered only once per academic year.
Consult http://www.gsu.edu/ for the schedule or classes and catalog before signing up for these classes.
Prerequisites are strictly enforced.
Application to the Major
B.F.A. Entrance Review
An entrance review is conducted once per academic year during the exam period for spring semester. Please note that this procedure for review differs from other disciplines within the School of Art and Design. The review at the end of the Spring semester of the sophomore year allows students the opportunity to present all work produced in the courses GRD 3000, GRD 3150 and GRD 3200 for consideration. In addition to the graphic design work, students are encouraged to present work from foundations courses and personal works. Faculty for the introductory graphic design courses will advise students on the preparation of the review portfolio during enrollment in those courses. The review is very selective in determining the group of students who will progress to the upper level. The competitiveness of this process has served to heighten the level of excellence long enjoyed by the graphic design program. Students must have completed all required courses in the art foundations program to apply to the major. Students must have been formally accepted into the B.F.A. program and complete foundations prior to enrolling in GRD 4000 level studio courses.
Any exceptions require the approval of the permanent graphic design faculty.
The number of students accepted into the program has varied over the past academic years and has always been determined by quality of the work presented and the creative potential demonstrated through performance in the introductory graphic design sequence. As the popularity of the program has increased, it has become necessary to designate a ceiling of fifteen to twenty students accepted into the upper level at the end of each academic year.
If not accepted into the B.F.A. program, students may apply the work already completed in graphic design courses to pursue the B.A. degree. The B.A. Degree in art is a liberal arts degree that does not require a portfolio review and should not be confused with the B.F.A. degree, most often recognized as the professional degree. The B.A. degree does not require further courses in graphic design.
Some students have determined to enroll in remedial courses and have successfully reapplied to the graphic design program the following year. However, the sequencing of the graphic design courses requires that reviews be conducted only once per year and that students begin junior and senior level sequences during fall semester. Faculty advisors will be pleased to discuss all specifics and options regarding the process as the student begins the introductory sequence of GRD 3000, GRD 3150 and GRD 3200.
For more detailed information about the program please see the Georgia State University General Catalogues.
