BA in Graphic Design
Susquehanna University
Key Information
Campus location
Selinsgrove, USA
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
4 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
USD 54,440 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
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* tuition 2022-23
Scholarships
Explore scholarship opportunities to help fund your studies
Introduction
Real-world creative
The graphic design program at Susquehanna is focused, close-knit, challenging, intense, and ultimately very rewarding. Our work is a fixture in regional and national student design competitions, and our best graduates ascend to art director and creative director positions with astonishing regularity. Our graduates don’t just make pretty pictures, they are sophisticated critical thinkers and problem solvers, and they have the skills required to win jobs at the best design and advertising agencies in the country. This is the ‘Real World’ of graphic design: our students tackle the same sorts of problems and projects faced every day by design professionals at the top end of the business.
Our majors have a wide variety of opportunities to connect with industry professionals and high profile alumni; opportunities for guest speakers, field trips, portfolio reviews, workshops, juried competitions and internships abound.
The sense of camaraderie and community felt by graphic design majors at Susquehanna is rare and special. Our students spend a lot of time together. They are friends who push, criticize, encourage, lean on and compete with one another. We highly encourage prospective students to attend an admissions event and meet with a faculty member and current students. Individual visits are great too. To schedule one, or learn more about SU, contact the Admission Office.
Gallery
Curriculum
Requirements for Major
When you enroll at Susquehanna, you’ll be paired with an advisor and application tool to guide you in your course planning and scheduling. The following is an excerpt from the complete course catalog. Enrolled students follow the requirements of the course catalog for the academic year in which they declare each major and/or minor, consult with their advisor(s) and the Academic Planning Tool.
Double-counting rules within the department of Art and Design
Students may double count 16 SH BA to BA;
- Students may double count 8 semester hours department minor to BA or BFA;
- Students may double count 4 semester hours department minor to department minor;
- Students may not have a photography minor and a studio art major
- Students may not have a BA and BFA within the department.
Double-counting restriction
Students in the Art and Design Department may, with department head approval, complete more than one major and/or minor in the department.
Departmental Honors
The department awards honors status for graduation for students receiving a 3.70 or higher GPA in the studio art, graphic design, or art history major.
Off-Campus Study
Junior and senior studio art and art history majors are encouraged to spend a semester studying away from campus as part of the university’s GO program. Susquehanna studio art and art history majors have access to art centers all over Europe, particularly in London, Florence, the south of France, and Paris. A liberal arts program at Regent’s College in London is one of the special programs available to art majors. Others may choose extended off-campus study in New York or Washington, D.C. This experience enriches the artistic spirit and opens up avenues for future careers. Students with modern language interests can combine language and art studies abroad.
Art History, Studio Art, and Graphic Design Internships
The department encourages its majors to complete internships, which provide a valuable introduction to the professional art world. Studio art and art history majors typically complete internships at museums and galleries, while graphic design majors are expected to pursue internships at design firms, publishing houses, and advertising agencies. All students may receive major credit for approved internships.
Requirements for the Graphic Design (BA) Major
The BA major in graphic design requires 48 semester hours of Art Department courses with grades of C- or better.
The Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design is a liberal arts program intended for those who are interested in graphic design but unsure if they wish to pursue a career in the field. Students are strongly encouraged to double-major with a related program, such as Marketing, Editing, and Publishing, Luxury Brand Marketing and Management, Creative Writing, or Communications-Advertising. Many other combinations are possible. Admission to the program does not require a portfolio, but those seeking to transfer to the BFA in Graphic Design program may only do so with approval.
20 Department of Art Requirements
- 4 ARTH-101 Introduction to World Art I: Prehistory to 1400
- or ARTH-102 Introduction to World Art II: 15th to 20th Century
- 4 ARTS-111 Foundations of Art I
- 4 ARTS-113 Drawing or ARTS-243 Digital Photography
- 4 ARTH-300 or higher Art History Elective
- 4 ARTS-402 Senior Portfolio
16 Graphic Design Requirements
- 4 ARTG-251 Computer Applications in Graphic Design
- 4 ARTG-252 Visual Communication
- 4 ARTG-253 Typography
- 4 One course chosen from the following:
- ARTG-352 Package Design
- ARTG-354 Interactive Graphic Design I
- ARTG-355 Brand Identity Design
- ARTS-400 Independent Study
12 Electives
- Choose from ARTG, ARTH, or ARTS courses, including ARTS-400 Independent Study and ARTS-404 Internship.
Courses Options
- ARTG 251 Computer Applications in Graphic Design, Credits: 4
- ARTG 252 Visual Communication, Credits: 4
- ARTG 253 Typography, Credits: 4
- ARTG 352 Package Design, Credits: 4
- ARTG 354 Interactive Graphic Design I, Credits: 4
- ARTG 355 Brand Identity Design, Credits: 4
- ARTG 360 Topics in Graphic Design, Credits: 4
- ARTG 400 Graphic Design Capstone, Credits: 1–4
- ARTG 406 Internship, Credits: 1–4
- ARTG 451 Graphic Design Studio, Credits: 4
- ARTG 453 Publication Design, Credits: 4
- ARTG 454 Interactive Graphic Design II, Credits: 4
- ARTG 460 Advanced Topics in Graphic Design, Credits: 2
Program Outcome
Learning Goals
- Graphic Design majors will prepare a portfolio of work that demonstrates readiness to successfully enter the creative industries, professional world, or graduate school.
- Graphic Design majors speak or write articulately about their particular creative process, specifically as it pertains to the development of the work in their portfolios.
- Graphic Design majors develop an awareness of art history from the Renaissance through today.
English Language Requirements
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