The information here may reflect program requirements for future academic years. If you are a current student and would like to see the current or prior years’ requirements for this program, please see the University Catalog.
The Graphic Design major requires the completion of 60 semester hours, which includes ten three-credit required courses, one Art History course, three three-credit electives from a selected menu of courses, four three-credit elective credits, and six credits of Thesis Project. Designers also complete a required internship or participate in our real-world studio, Center for Design. This 60-credit major contributes to the 121 credits required for the BFA degree.
In addition to the program requirements listed below, all BFA students must complete Foundation & General Education requirements (including six credits of Thesis Project) that contribute to the 121 credits required for the BFA degree.
GD241 Design 1: Signs & Symbols
GD242 Design 1: Psychology of Seeing
GD245 Typography 1
GD246 Typography 2
GD247 Production
GD251 Fundamentals of Interactive Design
GD341 Design 2: Culture & Audience
GD342 Design 2: Rhetoric & Persuasion
GD351 Motion Graphics
GD344 Marketing & Branding
GD444 Graphic Design Advanced Studio
IS213 History of Design Arts
Complete 2 courses from the following courses:
AA231 Animation 1: Materials, Method
ACP300 Creative Entrepreneurship and Career Readiness
ACP301 Applied Learning Internship
ACP302 Applied Learning Elective
GD310 Graphic Design Special Topics (any section).
Possible topics include Apparel Design, Experimental Typography, Mixed Realities, Microinteractions + Motion, Environment & Experience Design, 3D + Advanced Motion, and more.
GD350 Interface & Structure
IL252 Visual Techniques
IL254 Digital Media Strategies 1
IL256 Digital Media Strategies 2
IL257 Illustration: Special Topics
IL259 Picture Book
IL351 Visual Vocabulary
IL354 Design + Image
PH272 Concept / Capture / Print 1
PH273 Studio Lighting Essentials
PR282 Screenprint and Lithography
PR288 Textile Relief and Screenprint
PR286 Letterpress + Book
PH211 Fundamentals, Cinematography
Complete 12 additional credits from any of the following subjects:
Animated Arts (AA), Creative Writing (CW), Drawing (DR), Graphic Design (GD), Illustration (IL), Intermedia (IM), Painting (PA), Painting and Drawing (PADR), Photography (PH), Printmaking (PR), or Sculpture (SC).
ACP499 Thesis Project
The Graphic Design minor requires the completion of 15 semester hours, which includes three three-credit required courses and nine additional credits of relevant coursework. Students should work with their Academic Advisor to make a personalized plan that shows how this minor fits into their studies and ensures that choices match their goals and interests. Taken together with a major, this minor contributes to the 121 credits required for the BFA degree.
Required Program Courses
GD245 Typography I
GD241 Design Studio I, part 1: Signs and Symbols
GD242 Design Studio I, part 2: Psychology of Seeing
Program Electives
Complete 3 additional relevant courses at the 200, 300, or 400-level approved by Academic Advisor
The Graphic Design curriculum gets you thinking from the micro to the macro levels, about craft and concept, and combines physical making with digital skills to help you grow your unique voice as a designer. You'll find you have plenty of options to tailor your experience.
Willamette University