Graphic Design
Major: Graphic Design
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science (BS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Total Credit Hours: 184.0
Co-op Options: One Co-op (Four years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 50.0409
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 27-1024
About the Program
Westphal College's Graphic Design curriculum provides a balance of theory and practice in rigorous design study enhanced by general education coursework in the humanities and the physical and social sciences. Students learn to conceptualize, visualize, and realize visual communications through the rigor of project-based exploration and experimentation based on the formal foundations of typography, image-making, aesthetics, and critical thinking. Graphic Design students are immersed in all aspects of visual communications such as motion, web and interactive design, books, magazines and publications (print and screen based), posters, advertising, packaging, exhibition design, and data visualization. Working on two- and three-dimensional projects and electronic media, students utilize the latest applications and emerging technologies to stay current with the industry.
Graphic Design students can also pursue advanced elective coursework in web and motion graphic design, environmental graphic design, experimental publication design, and other interdisciplinary special topics projects.
Additional Information
For more information about the major, visit the Graphic Design program webpage or contact Program Director Bill Rees.
Degree Requirements
General Education Requirements | ||
CIVC 101 | Introduction to Civic Engagement | 1.0 |
COOP 101 | Career Management and Professional Development | 1.0 |
ENGL 101 | Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research | 3.0 |
or ENGL 111 | English Composition I | |
ENGL 102 | Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing | 3.0 |
or ENGL 112 | English Composition II | |
ENGL 103 | Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres | 3.0 |
or ENGL 113 | English Composition III | |
MATH 119 | Mathematical Foundations for Design | 4.0 |
PHYS 175 | Light and Sound | 3.0 |
PHYS 176 | Computational Lab for Light and Sound | 1.0 |
UNIV A101 | The Drexel Experience | 2.0 |
Required Arts and Humanities-students elect a minimum of 9.0 credits | 9.0 | |
Required Natural Science-students elect a minimum of 4.0 credits | 4.0 | |
Required Social Science-students elect a minimum of 9.0 credits | 9.0 | |
Free electives | 23.0 | |
Co-operative education (two terms) | 0.0 | |
Visual Studies Requirements | ||
ARTH 101 | History of Art I | 3.0 |
ARTH 102 | History of Art II | 3.0 |
ARTH 103 | History of Art III | 3.0 |
PHTO 110 | Photography | 3.0 |
VSST 101 | Design I | 4.0 |
VSST 102 | Design II | 4.0 |
VSST 103 | Design III | 4.0 |
VSST 110 | Introductory Drawing | 3.0 |
VSST 111 | Figure Drawing I | 3.0 |
VSST 301 | Painting I | 4.0 |
VSST 321 | Screenprint I | 4.0 |
Visual Studies (VSST) elective | 4.0 | |
Graphic Design Requirements | ||
ARTH 300 [WI] | History of Modern Design | 3.0 |
PHTO 210 | Intermediate Photography | 3.0 |
VSCM 100 | Computer Imaging I | 3.0 |
VSCM 200 | Computer Imaging II | 3.0 |
VSCM 230 | Visual Communication I | 4.0 |
VSCM 231 | Visual Communication II | 4.0 |
VSCM 232 | Visual Communication III | 4.0 |
VSCM 240 | Typography I | 3.0 |
VSCM 241 | Production | 3.0 |
VSCM 242 | Typography II | 3.0 |
VSCM 332 | Visual Communication IV | 4.0 |
VSCM 333 | Visual Communication V | 4.0 |
VSCM 340 | Typography III | 3.0 |
VSCM 350 [WI] | Graphic Design: 20th Century and Beyond | 3.0 |
VSCM 430 | Visual Communication VI | 4.0 |
VSCM 440 | Book Design | 4.0 |
VSCM 450 | Professional Portfolio | 3.0 |
VSCM 460 | Professional Practice | 3.0 |
VSCM 496 | Senior Capstone | 3.0 |
WMGD 210 | Motion Graphics I | 4.0 |
WMGD 220 | Web Graphics I | 4.0 |
WMGD 330 | Web Graphics II | 4.0 |
Total Credits | 184.0 |
Writing-Intensive Course Requirements
In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.
A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.
Sample Plan of Study
BS in Graphic Design: General Plan of Study
Fall-Winter Coop Cycle
First Year | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
ARTH 101 | 3.0 | ARTH 102 | 3.0 | ENGL 103 or 113 | 3.0 | VACATION | |
ENGL 101 or 111 | 3.0 | ENGL 102 or 112 | 3.0 | MATH 119 | 4.0 | ||
UNIV A101 | 1.0 | PHYS 175 | 3.0 | VSCM 100 | 3.0 | ||
VSST 101 | 4.0 | PHYS 176 | 1.0 | VSST 103 | 4.0 | ||
VSST 110 | 3.0 | UNIV A101 | 1.0 | ||||
VSST 102 | 4.0 | ||||||
14 | 15 | 14 | 0 | ||||
Second Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
ARTH 103 | 3.0 | COOP 101** | 1.0 | VSCM 232 | 4.0 | ARTH 300 | 3.0 |
PHTO 110 | 3.0 | PHTO 210 | 3.0 | VSCM 241 | 3.0 | CIVC 101 | 1.0 |
VSCM 200 | 3.0 | VSCM 231 | 4.0 | WMGD 330 | 4.0 | VSST 321 | 4.0 |
VSCM 230 | 4.0 | VSCM 242 | 3.0 | Free Elective | 3.0 | Arts and Humanities Elective | 3.0 |
VSCM 240 | 3.0 | VSST 111 | 3.0 | Social Science Elective | 3.0 | Natural Science | 4.0 |
WMGD 220 | 4.0 | ||||||
16 | 18 | 17 | 15 | ||||
Third Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | VSCM 340 | 3.0 | VSCM 350 | 3.0 | ||
VSCM 332 | 4.0 | VSCM 333 | 4.0 | ||||
WMGD 210 | 4.0 | VSST 301 | 4.0 | ||||
Visual Studies (VSST) Elective* | 4.0 | Social Science Elective | 3.0 | ||||
Arts and Humanities Elective | 3.0 | Arts and Humanities Elective | 3.0 | ||||
0 | 0 | 18 | 17 | ||||
Fourth Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
VSCM 430 | 4.0 | VSCM 450 | 3.0 | VSCM 460 | 3.0 | ||
VSCM 440 | 4.0 | Free Electives | 9.0 | VSCM 496 | 3.0 | ||
Social Science Elective | 3.0 | Free Electives | 8.0 | ||||
Free Elective | 3.0 | ||||||
14 | 12 | 14 | |||||
Total Credits 184 |
Spring-Summer Coop Cycle
First Year | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
ARTH 101 | 3.0 | ARTH 102 | 3.0 | ENGL 103 or 113 | 3.0 | VACATION | |
ENGL 101 or 111 | 3.0 | ENGL 102 or 112 | 3.0 | MATH 119 | 4.0 | ||
UNIV A101 | 1.0 | PHYS 175 | 3.0 | VSCM 100 | 3.0 | ||
VSST 101 | 4.0 | PHYS 176 | 1.0 | VSST 103 | 4.0 | ||
VSST 110 | 3.0 | UNIV A101 | 1.0 | ||||
VSST 102 | 4.0 | ||||||
14 | 15 | 14 | 0 | ||||
Second Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
ARTH 103 | 3.0 | PHTO 210 | 3.0 | COOP 101** | 1.0 | ARTH 300 | 3.0 |
PHTO 110 | 3.0 | VSCM 231 | 4.0 | VSCM 232 | 4.0 | CIVC 101 | 1.0 |
VSCM 200 | 3.0 | VSCM 242 | 3.0 | VSCM 241 | 3.0 | VSST 321 | 4.0 |
VSCM 230 | 4.0 | VSST 111 | 3.0 | WMGD 330 | 4.0 | Arts and Humanities Elective | 3.0 |
VSCM 240 | 3.0 | WMGD 220 | 4.0 | Free Elective | 3.0 | Natural Science | 4.0 |
Social Science Elective | 3.0 | ||||||
16 | 17 | 18 | 15 | ||||
Third Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
VSCM 340 | 3.0 | VSCM 350 | 3.0 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
VSCM 332 | 4.0 | VSCM 333 | 4.0 | ||||
WMGD 210 | 4.0 | VSST 301 | 4.0 | ||||
Visual Studies (VSST) Elective* | 4.0 | Social Science Elective | 3.0 | ||||
Arts and Humanities Elective | 3.0 | Arts and Humanities Elective | 3.0 | ||||
18 | 17 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Fourth Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
VSCM 430 | 4.0 | VSCM 450 | 3.0 | VSCM 460 | 3.0 | ||
VSCM 440 | 4.0 | Free Electives | 9.0 | VSCM 496 | 3.0 | ||
Social Science Elective | 3.0 | Free Electives | 8.0 | ||||
Free Elective | 3.0 | ||||||
14 | 12 | 14 | |||||
Total Credits 184 |
* | Choose any upper-level VSST course for Visual Studies (VSST) elective. See degree requirements for list of Graphic Design electives. |
** | 1.Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major. 2. COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101. |
Co-op/Career Opportunities
Potential employers include advertising agencies, publishers, printers, independent and in-house design studios, museums and galleries, magazines and newspapers, and television. Training in visual communication prepares an individual for careers in many fields because the problem-solving methods and organizational skills it builds are widely applicable.
Co-op Experiences
The following is a sampling of graphic design co-op employers:
- Comcast
- Esquire
- The Franklin Institute
- Hasbro
- Intuitive Company
- National Constitution Center
- Philadelphia Museum of Art
- Philadelphia Union
- Quirk Books
- Razorfish
- WebLinc
Career Opportunities
Our Graphic Design alumni go on to successful careers in a range of positions including lead designer, creative director, art director, interaction designer, user experience director, and owner or partner of firms. Some of the companies where you will find our alumni include:
- AgileCat
- America's Test Kitchen
- Ann Taylor Inc
- Apple
- Bloomberg
- Blue Cadet
- Brooks Brothers
- Comcast Corporation
- Conde Nast
- eCity Interactive
- ESPN
- exit
- The Franklin Institute
- Intuitive Company
- Kikkerland
- Longwood Gardens
- Marvel Entertainment
- Michael Graves Design Group
- National Constitution Center
- QVC
- Philadelphia Museum of Art
- Saatchi & Saatchi
- Sesame Workshop
- Time Inc.
- Under Armour
- Vera Bradley
Visit the Drexel Steinbright Career Development Center page for more detailed information on co-op and post-graduate opportunities.
Facilities
The Graphic Design studios are located on the fourth floor of the URBN Center in the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design. There are five dedicated studios equipped with up-to-date electronic and traditional tools. Studios have work surfaces for traditional practices that will accommodate 15 students and wall surfaces for critiques or posting examples of printed work. In addition, students have access to a dedicated, non-scheduled graphic design “open lab” equipped with all necessary technology and work surfaces.