• Job Opportunities
• Related Degrees
• Degree Requirements

The graphic design program prepares students to work in a wide variety of jobs within the visual communication field. The program emphasizes creative and technical solutions to design problems encountered in the workplace, including logo, brochure, package, advertising and identity design, copywriting, photography direction, digital media, and illustration. Production, pre-press, and printing issues are also stressed. At the end of the program, the student will have a completed portfolio and be prepared to work for advertising agencies, design studios, television stations, corporate design firms, and other graphic-related industries.

Job Opportunities

Graphic Designer	Creative Director	Art Director
Freelance Illustrator	Illustrator	Web Designer
Production Artist	Freelance Artist

Related Degrees

Degree Plan and Description	Printable Degree Plan
AAS - Graphic Design	Degree Plan
BS - Graphic Design	Degree Plan
TC - Graphic Design	Degree Plan

Degree Requirements

(Printable Version with full details)

The prerequisites and corequisites of the degree requirements are subject to change.

FRESHMAN YEAR- FALL SEMESTER: 15 hours
Credit Hours	Courses	Notes	Grade
3	English Composition Requirement	1
3	PHIL 2753 Introduction to Philosophy
3	ART 1213 2-D Design
3	GRDS 1103 Introduction to Typography	2
3	GRDS 1303 Production Techniques	2
FRESHMAN YEAR- SPRING SEMESTER: 15 hours
Credit Hours	Courses	Notes	Grade
3	English Composition Requirement	1
3	ART 1203 Color
3	ART 1313 Drawing
3	GRDS 2403 Advertising Design	2
3	GRDS 2213 Digital Illustration	2
SOPHOMORE YEAR- SUMMER I SEMESTER: 6 hours
Credit Hours	Courses	Notes	Grade
3	GRDS 2203 Digital Publishing	2
3	GRDS 2223 Digital Imaging	2
SOPHOMORE YEAR- SUMMER II SEMESTER: 6 hours
Credit Hours	Courses	Notes	Grade
3	GRDS 2233 Web Design I	2
3	GRDS 2313 Production Management I	2
SOPHOMORE YEAR- FALL SEMESTER: 15 hours
Credit Hours	Courses	Notes	Grade
3	Social Sciences Requirement	1
3	MATH 1403 College Algebra or higher
3	GRDS 2433 Identity Design	2
3	GRDS 2323 Production Management II	2
3	Graphic Design Lower-level Elective	2 & 3
SOPHOMORE YEAR- SPRING SEMESTER: 13 hours
Credit Hours	Courses	Notes	Grade
3	Art 2863/2873 Art History I or II
3	GRDS 2423 Graphic Design	2
4	GRDS 2994 Graphic Design Capstone	2
3	Graphic Design Lower-level Elective	2 & 3
JUNIOR YEAR- FALL SEMESTER: 16 hours
Credit Hours	Courses	Notes	Grade
4	Science Requirement	1
3	Upper-level General Education Elective	4
3	ART 3313 Advanced Drawing
3	GRDS 3203 Web Design II	2
3	GRDS 3103 Advanced Typography	2
JUNIOR YEAR- SPRING SEMESTER: 16 hours
Credit Hours	Courses	Notes	Grade
4	Science Requirement	1
3	Social Sciences Requirement	1
3	GRDS 3503 Advanced Illustration	2
3	GRDS 3313 Creative Process	2
3	Graphic Design Upper-level Elective	2 & 5
SENIOR YEAR- FALL SEMESTER: 15 hours
Credit Hours	Courses	Notes	Grade
3	Upper-level General Education Elective	4
3	SPCH 1203 Intro to Speech Communication
3	GRDS 3863 History of Graphic Design	2
3	GRDS 4303 Printing/Prepress	2
3	GRDS 4403 Advertising Design II	2
SENIOR YEAR- SPRING SEMESTER: 15 hours
Credit Hours	Courses	Notes	Grade
3	History/Government Requirement	1
3	GRDS 4423 Graphic Design II	2
3	GRDS 4993 Graphic Design Capstone II	2
3	Graphic Design Upper-level Elective	2 & 5
3	Upper-level General Education Elective	4
Total Hours: 132 At least 45 hours must be upper level

The prerequisites and corequisites of the degree requirements are subject to change.

NOTES
1: General Education Core Requirements, see Graduation Requirements section of the catalog. Follow requirements with the following stipulations: Social Sciences-select PSYC 1163 or SOCI 2753 and select ECON 2803 or 2813.
2: These courses will be used to determine major courses in residency, see Graduation requirements section of catalog.
3: Graphic Design lower-level electives, six hours: Select two courses from ART 1303, 2773, 2783, 2793, 2813, GRDS 2503, 2513.
4: Upper-level general education electives, nine hours: Select three courses from ANTH, ENGL, HIST, PHIL, POLS, PSYC, RHET, and SOCI prefixes. (Must meet course prerequisites.) Consult with faculty advisor.
5:Graphic Design upper-level electives, six hours: Select six hours from GRDS 3213, 3223, 3233, 352V, 3613, or ART 3303, 3313, 3763, 3773, 3783, 3793.

Transfer Course Information

The Arkansas Course Transfer System (ACTS) contains information about the transferability of courses within Arkansas public colleges and universities. Students are guaranteed the transfer of applicable credits and the equitable treatment of the application of credits for the admissions and degree requirements. Courses transferability is not guaranteed for courses listed in ACTS as "No Comparable Courses." Courses with a D grade will not transfer unless an appeal for exception is submitted in writing to the provost prior to the first day of class. ACTS-Arkansas Course Transfer System http://acts.adhe.edu -select Course Transfer. Students may also view the UA Fort Smith Transfer Credit Guide at www.uafortsmith.edu/Transfer/TransferCreditGuide.