Offered in: Chicago

The Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design program offers students a broad-based general education combined with extensive design education that prepares students for creative careers in visual communication across print, digital, and interactive media. This degree blends a liberal arts education with hands-on design training, grounded in design history, theory, and professional practice. Students gain proficiency in industry-standard tools and techniques, and explore areas including typography, digital illustration, web and mobile interaction, photography, video production, branding, packaging, and publication design. The curriculum culminates in a required internship and portfolio development course, as well as a capstone design project that showcases each student’s strongest work. 

Students will complete the 39-semester-hour program with a professional-grade portfolio and the skills needed to pursue careers in graphic design, visual communication, advertising, branding, UX/UI, and related creative industries.

Student media: The department also houses the Torch student newspaper (print and online), Design Studio space, Media Lab, Photo and Video Studio, Podcast and Radio Studio,  RU Fire student broadcast club, and the Gage Gallery – outlets that offer students the unique ability to create media for users inside and outside Roosevelt University.

Prerequisites

With the exception of DES 130 COLOR AND DESIGN HISTORY and DES 235 DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION AND IMAGING, students must have completed COMM 110 COMMUNICATION IN THE INFO AGEor its equivalent with a grade of C (not C-) or better to continue their studies as Graphic Design majors.

Requirements

Students in Graphic Design should carefully review the degree map (see tab above) because not all courses are offered every term. Consult an academic advisor in the program if you have questions.

Students complete a total of 13 courses (39 credit hours) for the major in Graphic Design, including:

• 10 Required courses in the major
• 2 electives in the major
• COMM 110 COMMUNICATION IN THE INFO AGE  is the gateway to the program. We recommend students take COMM 201 as soon as they complete ENG 102. Transfer students may have an equivalent course that can be substituted.

Highlights of the program include:

• Students complete a required internship and portfolio course, DES 380 INTERNSHIP AND PORTFOLIO.
• Students conclude their program with a required capstone project, DES 368 DESIGN CAPSTONE.

Note these guidelines:

• Transfer students must complete at least 24 credit hours at Roosevelt.
• Letter grades (not pass/fail) are required for courses in Graphic Design. 
• Grades below C (not C-) in courses in the major are not acceptable.
• Minimum GPA in the major is 2.0.

CORE Requirements (General Education)

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Higher level of Math may be required by major

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Coursework must come from outside of students' major discipline

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A maximum of 9 credits can be applied from a single discipline towards humanities and social science requirements

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Digital Advertising and Public Relations Majors must complete COMM 110 with a grade of C or higher. This course can fulfill one Social Science requirement. 

These quantitative requirements also apply to degrees.

• Students must earn a minimum of 120 semester hours.
• Students may apply no more than 60 credit hours of 100-level courses toward the degree.
• Students must apply no fewer than 60 credit hours of 200- and 300-level courses toward the degree.
• Students must have at least 18 credit hours (of the 60 credit hours above) at the 300 level.
• Students may transfer in no more than 70 credit hours from community colleges.
• Students earning less than 60 total hours in residence must take their final 30 hours at Roosevelt University. Note that some majors have additional requirements for RU hours.
• Students must have a grade point average of 2.0 or higher to graduate. Note that some majors have additional GPA requirements.
• Students may apply no more than 51 hours in the major (BA) or 57 hours in the major (BS)

Your degree map is a general guide suggesting courses to complete each term on the academic pathway to your degree. It is based on the most current scheduling information from your academic program. Your program’s degree map is reviewed annually and updated as schedules change (although you retain the same course requirements as long as you are continuously enrolled in your degree program).

Always work closely with your academic advisor to understand curriculum requirements and scheduling, as each student’s academic plan can look slightly different.

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The First-Year Success course is required of freshmen with fewer than 12 hours and is taken in the first semester at RU.

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One Natural Science course must have a lab.

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General electives are courses outside the major. A course counting toward a minor may be taken here in place of a general elective.

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Choose from DES 312 2D ANIMATION, DES 337 DESIGN INTERACTION FOR MOBILE, DES 346 ADVANCED ILLUSTRATION AND IMAGING and DES 351 BUSINESS OF DESIGN

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The university requires two Experiential Learning courses, designated with the EXL attribute in the course schedule. Additional Experiential Learning courses are optional.