Dec 14, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Art - Design (Visual Communication Design) - Major (BS)


The BS in Design (Visual Communication Design) is a liberal arts design studies program with a studio orientation. Specific objectives include providing technical skills for effective visual communication and a breadth of experiences connecting graphic design to general studies in the arts and humanities, the natural and physical sciences, or the  social sciences. The program prepares students for interdisciplinary research or careers requiring design understanding, or for entry into graduate school.

The BS program can accommodate a second liberal arts major, a minor, or a study abroad experience.

Students develop technical competence, informed aesthetic judgment, and skills for collaborative visual production on interdisciplinary teams. Students learn to develop meaningful visual solutions for culturally diverse audiences and situations. The liberal arts framework enables students to develop critical thinking, research, and communication skills necessary to support informed design solutions.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will:

1.  Attain competency in studio practice / technical skills:

  • Attain competency in composing the elements of art with the principles of design
  • Develop technical skills in a range of mediums and design applications related to the visual communication design field

2.  Develop conceptual process in problem solving abilities for visual communication:

  • Acquire abilities to develop creative strategies to visual communication problems, understand message hierarchies, typography, aesthetics, composition and the construction of meaningful images
  • Understand and effectively use graphic design terminology
  • Application of interdisciplinary approaches to visual production

3.  Analyze design with regard to cultural context:

  • Achieve a broad understanding of diverse issues and contexts for design
  • Understand and apply knowledge of significant historical and contemporary achievements in graphic design
  • Make connections between design studies and a breadth of general studies
  • Students will show respect for all forms of diversity, practice inclusivity, and engage in a continual process of education and critical self-reflection and dialogue

4.  Students in the Art and Design Department will show respect for all forms of diversity, practice, inclusivity, and engage in a continual process of education and critical self-reflection & dialogue.  Students will be able to: 

  • Acknowledge that individuals of diverse racial & ethnic, gender & sexuality, religious, class & cultural backgrounds create art.
  • Recognize that artmaking is an expressive practice comprising not only individual perspectives, narratives and experiences but also cultural, social, economic and political issues.
  • Synthesize knowledge from multiple disciplines including diverse traditional and contemporary art movements with their own artistic and/or scholarly vision to create unique and meaningful works of art, design or scholarship.
  • Analyze, reflect upon, discuss and/or write about their own and others’ works of art and design using culturally sensitive and inclusive language.
  • Understand the ways in which traditional art associations (including collections, apprentice workshops, museums, galleries and academies) embody institutionally biased practices.
  • Assess the symbiotic dialogue between artists and their culture, recognizing that they both reflect and influence each other.

Core Curriculum Requirements


All Nazareth students complete Core Curriculum coursework as part of their degree requirements. The Core provides a foundation in the liberal arts and sciences while guiding students to pose and explore their own intellectual questions. See Academic Policies and Procedures  for specific core curriculum requirements. 

Art Core


The Art Core is designed to provide fundamental knowledge in preparation for more advanced coursework in Art. Six Core Studio courses are required:

Required Courses for the BS in Design (Visual Communication Design) Major


BS in Design majors are required to take 8 upper level studio courses, in addition to the 6 core courses listed above. The requirements are as follows: 6 studio courses required at the 200 level, and 2 studio courses at the 300 or 400 level.

The following six studio art courses are required at the 200 level:

Required Visual History Courses for the BS in Design (Visual Communication Design) Major


BS in Design majors are required to take 3 Visual History liberal arts courses. These may include courses in Design History or Art History, or in related Visual Histories.

Free Elective Courses for the BS in Design (Visual Communication Design) Major


In addition to the credits listed above, BS-AVCD students select 5 “free” elective courses that support their major studies. Alternatively students may use these 5 free electives toward a second major or minor. Students may choose to take free elective courses in studio courses or in other supportive areas (e.g. Art History, Communications, Web Design, or Business), after discussing options with their academic advisor. Students with their advisor may choose elective courses from the list below or choose other courses not listed here. (Note: the same course cannot count as both a requirement and an elective.)

Senior Experience Course for the BS in Design (Visual Communication Design) Major


The senior capstone course in the BS in Design major explores the intersection of contemporary design practice and contemporary culture through lectures, readings, writing, and discussion.

Sample Program


FRESHMAN YEAR
Fall Semester Spring Semester
ENGW 101 Exposition    (LA) 3 ENGW 102 Argument and Research  (LA) 3
ACS 101 Academic and College Success   1 PEQ (3) (LA) 3
PEQ (1) - FYS (LA) - AHI.F 120 (Visual Art History) recommended 3 ART 107 Drawing II   3
PEQ (2) (LA) 3 AVCD 154 Digital Imaging Foundation for Design /AVCD 154L   4
ART 101 2D Design     3 AVCD 252 Typography I   3
ART 106 Drawing I   3    
Total Semester Credits 16 Total Semester Credits 16
 
SOPHOMORE YEAR
Fall Semester Spring Semester
ART 102 3D Design   3 ART 255 Digital Photography  or AVCD 201 Introduction to Digital Video/Media   3
ART 215 Professional Skills and Engagement    0 AVCD 251 Graphic Design II /AVCD 251L   4
AVCD 250 Graphic Design I /AVCD 250L   4 AVCD 261 Digital Illustration   3
AVCD 260 Illustration I   3 PEQ (5) (LA) 3
PEQ (4) (LA) 3 PEQ (6) (LA) 3
Visual/Art History (2) (LA) 3 Health & Wellness 0
Total Semester Credits 16 Total Semester Credits 16
 
JUNIOR YEAR
Fall Semester Spring Semester
PEQ (7) (LA) 3 AVCD.Q 274 History of Graphic Design   (Visual/Art HIstory 3) (LA) 3
Elective 300 or 400 level studio (1) such as AVCD 350 Advertising Design   3 PEQ (8) (LA) Science & Science Lab 4
DEIB designated course/Liberal Arts Elective (1) (LA) 3 Liberal Arts Elective (3) (LA) 3
Liberal Arts Elective (2) (LA) 3 Liberal Arts Elective (4) (LA) 3
Integrative Studies (1) 3 Integrative Studies 2 (LA) 3
    Experiential Learning Pathway 0
Total Semester Credits 15 Total Semester Credits 16
 
SENIOR YEAR
Fall Semester Spring Semester
AVCD 365 Issues in Contemporary Design  (Integrative Studies 3) (LA) 3 AVCD 499 Visual Communication Design Comprehensive   0
Elective 300 or 400 level studio (2) such as AVCD 360 Senior Portfolio and Presentation   3 CME 050 Core Milestone Experience    0
Liberal Arts Elective (5) (LA) 3 Liberal Arts Elective (8) (LA) 3
Liberal Arts Elective (6) (LA) 3 Liberal Arts Elective (9) (LA)  3
Liberal Arts Elective (7) (LA) 3 Liberal Arts Elective (10) (LA)  3
    Liberal Arts Elective (11) (LA)  3
Total Semester Credits 15 Total Semester Credits 12