Program Overview
College of Performing and Visual Arts
Location: Guggenheim 101
Telephone: 970.351.2143
Fax: 970.351.2299
Website: arts.unco.edu/art/
Advising Information:
Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.
To find your advisor, log into ursa.unco.edu; go to 'Student' tab and click 'View Student Information' link. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.
Contact the Art office for more information.
The program consists of three parts:
- Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Credits
- Required Major Credits
- University-Wide Credits
Program Description:
The Graphic Design concentration prepares you to work as a visual thinker and communicator using a variety of traditional print and emerging digital media. Coursework integrates practice, theory, critical thinking, visual literacy and conceptual problem solving. Students plan, analyze, create, and evaluate visual solutions to communication problems in a full range of areas such as Editorial Design, Corporate and Brand identity Design, Advertising, Publication, Environmental Graphic Design, Packaging Design, Typography, Web, Motion and Interactive Design.
Program Admission Requirements:
Academic Good Standing
Program Requirements:
- New Art & Design students must complete the Foundation requirements before they can begin their advanced art studies. The Foundation Courses include ART 181, ART 182, ART 183, ART 184, and ART 234. Students must also successfully complete the Foundation Portfolio.
- Transfer students who have articulated coursework from another institution will only submit artwork completed in courses taken at UNC. Students who have completed ART 181, ART 182, ART 183, ART 184 and ART 234 at another accredited university are exempt from the portfolio review.
- Students need to achieve an overall rating of 3.0 or higher on the assessment rubric in order to advance in the program. Students who do not meet the minimum 3.0 may rework and resubmit the foundation portfolio by the announced deadline in a given semester for reconsideration. Those who do not meet the minimum requirements after the re submission are encouraged to meet with an advisor to discuss options for completing a degree at UNC.
- Three hours of internship (ART 492) is required.
Degree Requirements — 120 Credits
1. Liberal Arts Curriculum — 31 credits
To complete the degree in 120 credits as outlined, the program recommends the below LAC courses that also count toward the 60 required major credits.
Any additional coursework completed outside of the recommended list below may extend the length of the program of study.
Written Communication — 6 credits
Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.
See Written Communication courses
Mathematics — 3 credits
Select any course to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.
See Mathematics courses
Arts & Humanities, History, Social & Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Multicultural Studies [MS], and International Studies [IS] — 15 credits
To complete the LAC in the minimum number of credits, be sure to choose at least one course with an IS designation and one course with an MS designation.
ART 181 (3), ART 182 (3), and ART 185 (3) are recommended to fulfill Arts & Humanities requirement and the additional 3 credits required in Arts & Humanities or History or Social & Behavioral Sciences and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
Students are encouraged to choose a History course with an IS designation, and choose a Social and Behavior Sciences course with an MS designation.
See Arts & Humanities, History, and Social & Behavioral Sciences courses
Natural & Physical Sciences — 7 credits
Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.
See Natural & Physical Sciences courses
See Liberal Arts Curriculum
2. Required Major — 60 credits
Take all of the following courses:
Complete the following five Foundation Courses first
Complete the following courses:
| ART 171 | Introduction to Visual Communication Design | 3 |
| ART 185 | Neoclassic to Modern Art HistoryLAA1 | 3 |
Take one additional Art History Course (3 credits)
Choose two of the following courses (6 credits)
Choose one of the following courses:
Take all of the following (27 credits)
3. University-Wide Credits — 29 credits*
Complete additional credits to achieve the minimum credits needed for any degree at UNC; for this program, that will typically be 29 credits.
*Note: Students who apply the recommended courses to both the liberal arts curriculum and the major requirements will have an increased number of university wide electives to apply to this degree. See your advisor for details.