Degree Requirements - 124 credits
Students can earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with this major
Graphic Design Major Requirements: 29 courses, 91 credits
Core Requirements (21 courses, 64 credits)
Art History Requirement (3 courses, 12 credits)
Studio Electives (5 courses, 15 credits)
Choose five of the following:
Internship:
With the assistance of a faculty advisor, each student will identify an appropriate internship site relevant to the practice of graphic design. All interns are required to complete 120 hours working under the direction of a qualified design professional. Interns are expected to contribute to the host firm at a high level of design interaction. Although the internship experience is non-credit bearing, students must complete ADG-337 Professional Practice & Internship.
Notes:
• Courses numbered 200 and above have as a prerequisite the completion of the Foundation Studies program or its equivalent. Exceptions may be made only with the permission of the instructor and the Graphic Design program director.
• The letter “S” preceding the course number indicates a studio course, for which a studio fee is assessed.
• In addition to the required courses listed below all BFA candidates must participate in all portfolio reviews and exhibit work in the Graphic Design Student Exhibition.
Residency Requirement Policy: In the College of Arts and Sciences, a two-course (8 credit) residency requirement must be satisfied for completion of a minor and a four-course (16 credit) residency requirement must be satisfied for the completion of a major.
About the Graphic Design Major
Learn more about the experiences and opportunities available within this major.
View the Program Page
Graphic Design Major Learning Goals and Objectives
Learning goals and objectives reflect the educational outcomes achieved by students through the completion of this program. These transferable skills prepare Suffolk students for success in the workplace, in graduate school, and in their local and global communities.
| Learning Goals |
Learning Objectives |
| Students will... |
Students will be able to... |
| Understand and employ the principles of visual language |
- Demonstrate perceptual acuity in two and three dimensional work
- Demonstrate conceptual understanding of complex visual systems
- Demonstrate technical facility with the tools current to their chosen art & design field
- Demonstrate visual communication skills common to their chosen art & design field |
| Understand and employ the creative thinking process |
- Effectively solve visual and design problems specific to their chosen discipline
- Use experimentation to test new ideas
- Evaluate their work and the work of their peers through the critique process
- Use the reiterative process to develop new and original solutions to visual and design problems |
| Understand their potential in the professional art & design field of their choosing |
- Evaluate their work in relation to the historical precedents of their chosen field
- Visually present their work in a professional manner using the tools current to their chosen field
- Orally present and support their work in a professional manner to peers and professionals from their chosen field
- Demonstrate fluency in the technologies current to their chosen field
- Demonstrate knowledge of the significant contemporary aesthetics and social issues relevant to their chosen field
- Employ professional practices current to their chosen field |
About the Graphic Design Major
Learn more about the experiences and opportunities available within this major.
View the Program Page
Honors in the Major
To become a candidate for honors in the major, a student must:
- Be of sophomore standing with an overall GPA of 3.3.
- Have a major GPA of 3.5.
- Submit portfolio of fall/spring sophomore work. Work must show promise of high achievement in each discipline.
- Have the desire to expand their Senior Thesis Project with additional research and engagement.
- Receive an invitation to apply from the department/major.
- Submit an application by the end of the sophomore year.
- Provide two Art & Design faculty members as references for their ability to do Honors work.
- Faculty in each of the majors will choose the students for each program based on faculty recommendations.
- All students must develop a relevant Honors Project proposal to be approved by the faculty advisor in their discipline by December 1st of their Senior year. Faculty should approve this project by the end of semester.
To complete requirements for honors in the major, a candidate must:
- Graduate with an overall GPA of 3.3.
- Graduate with a major GPA of 3.5.
- Take the CAS H322 Honors Interdisciplinary Real World Problems course in their Junior year, Fall* or Spring semester. If accepted into the program, students must determine if they can adjust their Fall semester to accommodate the course. CAS H322 must be taken by the end of the Junior year.
- Develop and present this project along with Senior Thesis work for student exhibition in the Suffolk Art Gallery in spring semester of Senior year.
- Present capstone project at the CAS Honors Symposium in your senior year.
About the Graphic Design Major
Learn more about the experiences and opportunities available within this major.
View the Program Page