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Graphic Design

Courses

VSCM 100 Computer Imaging I 3.0 Credits

This course explores current potentials, limitations, and issues related to use of computer software for design applications. Projects include graphics creation and manipulation; image acquisition, creation and manipulation; text creation and manipulation; typography; input and output options and control; hardware/software/system fundamentals; and troubleshooting.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit

VSCM 140 Calligraphy 0.0-3.0 Credits

Covers the skills and understanding of letterforms as geometry and type, development of hand/eye skill in letter-forming, investigation of solids and voids, and use of traditional and modern tools and materials. Studio.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: VSST 110 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM 200 Computer Imaging II 3.0 Credits

Provides continued study of electronic imaging with emphasis on Graphic Design process for print and screen design.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: VSCM 100 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM 220 Web Graphics I 4.0 Credits

This course focuses on the concepts, issues and techniques related to the design of Websites. Emphasis is on the design and hierarchy of a website. Students will utilize HTML, XHTML, basic JavaScript, dynamic HTML, and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) skills.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit

VSCM 221 Web Graphics II 4.0 Credits

Continues VSCM 220. Increases the complexity and scope of the art direction and design for web graphics. Students will focus on professional quality web pages using dedicated software that adheres to current industry standards.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: VSCM 220 [Min Grade: D] or WMGD 220 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM 222 Web Graphics III 4.0 Credits

Continues VSCM 221 and increases the complexity and scope of the art direction and design for web graphics. Students will focus on professional quality web pages using dedicated software that adheres to current industry standards.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: (VSCM 221 [Min Grade: D] or WMGD 330 [Min Grade: D]) and VSCM 231 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM 230 Visual Communication I 4.0 Credits

Provides an overview of graphic design as an applied art. Covers the given, the formal, and the psychological aspects of graphic design.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Cannot enroll if classification is Freshman
Prerequisites: VSST 102 [Min Grade: D] or VSST 105 [Min Grade: D] or VSST 100 [Min Grade: D] or VSST 107 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM 231 Visual Communication II 0.0-4.0 Credits

Continues VSCM 230. Covers corporate identity and explores logo development using the pictoral mark, typographic solution, and abstract interpretation as symbols of identity.

VSCM 232 Visual Communication III 0.0-4.0 Credits

Examines problems in graphic design on the relationship between designer and client, including solving specific situations of image-making with emphasis on the total identity of an organization, firm, or publication. Involves extensive exploration of color and imagery. Studio.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: VSCM 231 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM 240 Typography I 3.0 Credits

Uses the history of type as the backdrop for the introduction to the art and craft of conventional through state-of-the-art typesetting as well as the creative and extraordinary use of type. Focuses on the letter, word, and sentence. Studio/lecture.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: VSST 102 [Min Grade: D] or VSST 105 [Min Grade: D] or VSST 107 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM 241 Production 0.0-3.0 Credits

Covers traditional and electronic means of print production. Explores alternate means of production and various printing and output methods. Studio.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: VSCM 240 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM 242 Typography II 3.0 Credits

Continues VSCM 240. Broadens the scope to deal with the paragraph and the typeset page, with increased attention to the importance of subtleties and refinements. Explores the differing requirements of type in relationship to pictorial images.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: VSCM 240 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM 247 On Screen Typography 3.0 Credits

This course develops a visual sensitivity to typographical compositions on screen while expanding knowledge of current technologies.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is DIGM or major is GRDS.

VSCM 322 Motion Graphics I 4.0 Credits

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: VSCM 221 [Min Grade: D] or WMGD 330 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM 332 Visual Communication IV 4.0 Credits

This course focuses on techniques and methods of advanced problem solving and exploration of extended identity systems. Students learn to analyze conceptual and contextual relationships pertinent to any visual communication assignment.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: VSCM 232 [Min Grade: D] and VSCM 222 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM 333 Visual Communication V 4.0 Credits

This course focuses on information graphics, including signage, environmental graphic design, and exhibit design. Information graphics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge. These graphics present complex information quickly and clearly. Studio.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: VSCM 332 [Min Grade: D] or VSCM 331 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM 340 Typography III 3.0 Credits

Typography III concentrates on the exploration and management of large blocks of text in specific design problems. Special emphasis will be placed on the style and readability of typographic treatments.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: VSCM 242 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM 345 IKI: Tamagawa-Drexel Exchange 3.0 Credits

The 12-day program is open to all University students and entails a collaboration between Drexel students and Tamagawa students in Japan as well as at Drexel (Philadelphia). In Japan, students will survey and experience the true Japan by visiting exceptional sites that exemplify the old and the new world of Japanese culture and life. The trip will balance visits between the everyday/industries and cultural sites/museums to capture a comprehensive understanding of the Japanese “IKI.” In Philadelphia, each group (made of Tamagawa and Drexel students) will conduct on-site research in historical and cultural venues and neighborhoods. Students will learn about immigration history, changing cultures over generations, and the challenges that diverse communities face.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit

VSCM 350 [WI] Graphic Design: 20th Century and Beyond 3.0 Credits

Concentrates on impact and significance of the graphic design profession in society through the history and movements of the profession and the work of 20th-century masters of visual communication. Students will analyze conceptual and contextual relationships and develop greater awareness of stylistic content and its relevance to the culture.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if classification is Junior or Senior.

VSCM 360 Design on Site 3.0 Credits

Weekly visits to studios of various design disciplines such as small graphic design offices, environmental graphic design firms, advertising agencies, book and magazine publishers, and website developers. A written report is due at the end of the term.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is GRDS.
Prerequisites: VSCM 232 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM 370 Experimental Publication Design 3.0 Credits

This course concentrates on exploring alternative formats and unique delivery systems for the transfer of information. Special emphasis is placed on developing appropriate imagery for the defined readership, formatting, the use of a comprehensive grid system and the development of a wayfinding system for the publication. The course will build a greater awareness of proportion, readability and information transfer, and will reinforce the use of color as a visual communication tool.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: VSCM 232 [Min Grade: D] and VSCM 242 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM 430 Visual Communication VI 4.0 Credits

Continues VSCM 333. Explores three-dimensional graphic design processes and techniques for communication, including problems of scale, material, form, and function. Emphasizes package design. Includes point-of-purchase design. Studio.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: VSCM 322 [Min Grade: D] and VSCM 333 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM 440 Book Design 4.0 Credits

Investigates design of books, from their pre-Gutenberg origins to contemporary technology of design, binding, paper, and finishing. Includes multiple page formats, production grids, and sequential images. Lecture/studio.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: VSCM 322 [Min Grade: D] and VSCM 333 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM 450 Professional Portfolio 3.0 Credits

Focuses on the preparation of a professional Graphic Design portfolio. A critical process that includes the screening of completed projects, reworking or expanding projects, and reconstructing/creating final portfolio components. A formal interview presentation of the portfolio is also explored and refined.

VSCM 460 Professional Practice 3.0 Credits

Covers running a design office, including basic contracts, fee structures, and the design process. Explores types of design offices; working with suppliers, printers, photographers, and illustrators; scheduling; resumes and portfolios; taxes; and marketing of graphic design services. Lecture/field work.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: VSCM 430 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM 478 Graphic Design Seminar: Advanced Techniques 3.0 Credits

An exploration for the subtleties that distinguish excellence in graphic design print, web and motion venues. Selections include: Advanced Typography and Electronic Portfolio.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Can be repeated 3 times for 9 credits
Prerequisites: VSCM 340 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM 479 Graphic Design Seminar: Advanced Media 3.0 Credits

An exploration of advanced media development in Graphic Design as relevancy and currency demands. Selections include: Illustration I and II and Bookmaking.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Can be repeated 3 times for 12 credits
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is GRDS.
Prerequisites: VSCM 232 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM 485 Annual Report Design 3.0 Credits

Development and analysis of the corporate annual report as a graphic design concept and as a developed marketing tool.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: VSCM 340 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM 496 Senior Capstone 3.0 Credits

Requires each student to define a problem and set a goal and strategies, develop a concept, and carry out a solution. Divides time among research, design, thematic development, and final presentation. Requires instructor approval of study.

College/Department: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: VSCM 221 [Min Grade: D] and VSCM 322 [Min Grade: D] and VSCM 430 [Min Grade: D]

VSCM I199 Independent Study in Graphic Design 0.0-12.0 Credits

Self-directed within the area of study requiring intermittent consultation with a designated instructor.