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This multidisciplinary degree program prepares students to apply the principles and elements of design to create original graphic design work in digital media and web design. Students will create digital works using cutting-edge software, such as the Adobe Suite, including Dreamweaver, Animate (formerly Flash), Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. Students receive training in a wide range of activities including typography, publication design, and computer-aided graphic design. Students will develop skills in clear and effective visual communication. Presentation of information (i.e., selection of colors, paper, and media) is also emphasized.
Graduates will be able to:
General Education:
In addition to the program-specific outcomes listed above, students completing the Associate degree programs are required to demonstrate proficiency in the General Education learning outcomes. Specific outcomes may vary by program; please refer to the program requirements below.
A. Depending upon a student's placement or for transfer purposes, this program may have pre-requisite(s). See a pathway coordinator or student development specialist for advisement.
B. It is recommended that students enroll in their first WI course upon completion of EN 101. For a list of WI courses available for registration, go to: https://pccc.libguides.com/c.php?g=788118&p=5643525
C. For GD 294, Internship Program, 3.0 GPA and recommendation from a CIS full-time faculty required.
D. It is recommended that students enroll in their first WI course upon completion of EN 101.
This course is a foundation studio providing the beginner with basic techniques and practices in composition, sketching, contour drawing, texture, value, and one- and two-point perspective.
Fall, Spring
This course provides IT students with an introduction to information technology fundamentals encompassing both hardware and software. An emphasis is placed on the system unit components, peripheral devices, and systems and applications software. Topics include: CPU, RAM, machine cycle, data representations, number systems, operating system characteristics, utility programs, language translators, communication devices, media, and networks. Students learn how to: effectively search the Internet for information, use Microsoft Windows, and use Microsoft productivity software (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
Fall, Spring
This course focuses on the stages of the writing process and includes a formal research paper. A variety of writing and reading assignments are designed to develop analytical and critical-thinking skills.
- General Education Course
College Level or with applicable co-requisite
Fall, Spring, Summer
Cross listed as AR 110.
This course trains students to apply the principles and elements of design to create original work in advertising, editorial, and promotional print materials and presentations. Students will explore typography and how it relates to the layout and design of information, as well as portfolio presentation and preparing work for print. Students will use graphic design programs in the Adobe suite, including Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator.
DE 010 - Academic English I
OR
ENR 107 - Advanced ELS Reading and Speaking II
Fall, Spring
This course surveys selected works of art in Western and Non-Western cultures from Prehistoric to the 13th Century. Study will focus on major artistic and cultural developments and their reflection in significant works of art within the political, social, economic, and philosophical context of each period. In addition to general historical understanding, this course will provide development in skills of critical analysis and interpreting of artworks. At least one museum trip is required.
- General Education Course
Fall, Spring
This course develops student prose by utilizing the writing process (drafting, revising and editing). Students are required to complete a process portfolio that includes 3-5 typed, revised, and edited MLA papers, reflective and low-stakes writing assignments, and at least one paper that demonstrates proper research techniques. All writing assignments must demonstrate and develop the writing process, critical thinking, and writing skills. Throughout the term, a variety of reading assignments and topics are introduced to develop interpretive and argumentative skills, while developing a critical understanding of well-crafted, professional prose.
- General Education Course
EN 101 - Composition I
Fall, Spring, Summer
This course is an introductory course that provides students with the basic knowledge, vocabulary and skills needed to enter into the studies of design, photography, videography, illustration, animation and web design. Students will explore many facets of creating art using computer software and the art creation process using Adobe software. Topics include digital painting, 2D design, photo manipulation, image compositing, animation, 3D design and human-computer interface design.
DE 010 or ENR 040 (if needed)
Fall, Spring
This course is an extension of GD 101 (Introduction to Digital Arts) course. The goal of this course is to provide students additional studio time to apply the concepts learned in the GD 101 to art and design projects. Studio projects in this course include digital painting, 2D design, photo manipulation, image compositing, animation, 3D design and human-computer interface design.
GD 101 - Introduction to Digital Arts
Fall, Spring
Cross listed as CIS 170.
This course provides a hands-on experience for students interested in learning how to develop websites. Students gain an understanding of terminology, web design, and web operation functions, and they explore a variety of methods available for building a website. Both HTML5 and CSS3 will be introduced. Students use a high-level, web-authoring tool to build web pages for a website that can utilize a database and is published onto a network server.
CIS 101 - Computer Concepts and Applications
OR
CIS 107 - Information Technology Fundamentals and Applications
Fall, Spring
This course provides an essential foundation for graphic design students to understand how to use type effectively to communicate information and ideas. Students are introduced to the history of written communication: from the earliest cave pictographs and the invention of movable type, to today’s digital creation of typefaces, logos, icons, and symbols that are part of the continued human desire to express ideas and describe the world. Typographic terms, classifications, and styles, as well as measurement systems, are discussed in order to explore the differences between legibility and readability. Creating a visual hierarchy with text formatting and basic layout is covered in lectures as well as lab assignments.
AR 110 - Introduction to Graphic Design
OR
GD 110 - Introduction to Graphic Design
Fall, Spring
This course surveys selected works of art in Western and Non-Western cultures from the 14th Century to present times. Study will focus on major artistic and cultural developments and their reflection in significant works of art within the political, social, economic, and philosophical context of each period. In addition to general historical understanding, this course will provide development in skills of critical analysis and interpreting of artworks. At least one museum trip is required.
Fall, Spring, Summer
This foundation course introduces the basic principles of two-dimensional design: line, shape, space, texture, value, and color. Students work with different media and techniques to develop projects that will explore these elements. Students also study principles of visual organization and the steps of the critique process.
AR 101 - Drawing I
Fall, Spring
Cross listed as AR 210.
This course trains the student to apply the principles and elements of design to create original work in digital media, advertising and promotional print materials. Students will explore how information flows through multi-page layouts to build original pages. The student will further explore software used by graphic designers including programs in the Adobe Suite, InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator.
AR 110 - Introduction to Graphic Design
OR
GD 110 - Introduction to Graphic Design
Fall, Spring
Cross listed as AR 211.
This course trains the student to apply the principles and elements of design along with typographic skills to create a variety of original print and media projects using Adobe Software. Topics on Branding, Advertising Campaign, Editorial Design and Motion graphics will be explored.Advanced software techniques will be used to help students create original portfolio artwork.
GD 205 - Typography
AR 210 - Layout and Publication Design
OR
GD 210 - Layout and Publication Design
Fall, Spring
Cross listed as CIS 273.
This course introduces students to creating and applying effective graphics, text, video, animation, and sound to a website. Students use authorizing tools to create and edit multimedia components, and apply these to enhance and publish a website. Students will focus on responsive web design for desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. Software used is Adobe Dreamweaver and Animate (formerly Flash).
CIS 170 - Website Design and Tools
OR
GD 170 - Website Design and Tools
Fall, Spring
This course focuses on the study of the forms, principles, and processes of mass media messages, including analysis of aesthetics and methods of persuasion. Practice in planning and implementing visual and textual messages in various media.
Fall, Spring
This course explores the basic principles of the three-dimensional form and animation in computer graphics. Emphasis is on 3D design and animation principles to design solutions, visualizations and animated movies. Studio projects in this class include 3D modeling, photo realistic texturing and lighting, scene construction, animation and rendering.
AR 110 - Introduction to Graphic Design
OR
GD 110 - Introduction to Graphic Design
Fall, Spring
This course is essential in the preparation of a portfolio for Graphic Design. This course serves as a building block in the transition from student to working designer. A strong portfolio provides an important foundation for the development of a successful career. The course assignment will give students guidance for improving their current portfolio pieces as well as developing new portfolio pieces. In addition to representing their artwork in print and web design, the portfolio must include a resume and self-promotion piece containing contact information as well as work samples. Students will make final presentations to the faculty who will critique the project's content, approach and degree of professionalism.
CIS 170 - Website Design and Tools
OR
GD 170 - Website Design and Tools
Choose 3 classes from GD 110/AR110, GD 205, GD 210/AR210, GD 211, GD 236
Fall, Spring
Course Code : EC 101
Course Description :
This course covers such basic economic concepts as the elements of national income, inflation and unemployment, the economic roles of government, determination of national income, business cycles, the global economy, and monetary fiscal policies. EC 101 emphasizes macroeconomics.
Semesters Offered :
Fall, Spring
Course Code : EC 102
Course Description :
This course further explores economic principles emphasizing composition and pricing of national output, distribution of income, trade unions, cost analysis, women at work, income inequality, the pricing factors of production, international trade and finance, and an evaluation of alternative economic systems. EC 102 emphasizes microeconomics.
- General Education Course
Prerequisites :
EC 101 - Economics I
Semesters Offered :
Fall, Spring
Course Code : PL 101
Course Description :
This course explores the rudiments of political science, the branches of government, political theory, ideologies, behavior, socialization, and totalitarianism. It also covers the nature of law, sovereignty, international politics, bureaucracy, race relations, and contemporary political issues.
Semesters Offered :
Fall, Spring
Course Code : PL 102
Course Description :
This course is a study of the principles and processes of American government, civil rights and liberties, political parties, the presidency, Congress, the Supreme Court, and judicial review.
Semesters Offered :
Fall, Spring, Summer
Course Code : PS 101
Course Description :
This course explores the general principles and theories of psychology, history and methodology, sensation, perception, learning, memory, motivation, emotion, intelligence, personality, and the physiological basis of behavior.
Semesters Offered :
Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter
Course Code : PS 102
Course Description :
This course explores human development from prenatal life through late adulthood with an emphasis on the biological, cognitive, social, and emotional patterns of development.
Prerequisites :
PS 101 - Introduction to Psychology
Semesters Offered :
Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
Course Code : PS 201
Course Description :
This course explores child development from prenatal life through adolescence with an emphasis on biological, motor, cognitive, emotional, moral, and social development.
- General Education Course
Prerequisites :
PS 101 - Introduction to Psychology
Semesters Offered :
Fall, Spring
Course Code : SO 101
Course Description :
This course is a study of the basic concepts in social interaction, analyzing aspects of the immediate culture, defining and evaluating the individual behavior in inter-group relations, social organization and processes, and elements of social control and deviance in a changing society.
- General Education Course
Semesters Offered :
Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
Course Code : SO 105
Course Description :
This course explores major global social problems from three theoretical perspectives (structural functionalist, conflict, and symbolic interactionist theory) with an emphasis on problems occurring in the United States such as health care, substance abuse, crime, poverty, unemployment, and racial, ethnic, and gender inequalities. Solutions to these problems are also discussed and analyzed.
Note: This course was formerly SO 201.
Semesters Offered :
Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
Choose one (1) from the following two courses:
This course covers the use of portable video equipment to plan, record, edit, and produce short information and entertainment programming. Students use video camcorders and an editing system to learn the basic skills of electronic news gathering (ENG) and electronic field production (EFP). Class assignments may include assisting other classes or departments in producing videotaped material.
College level English
Fall, Spring
This course covers the basics of camera work and composition and familiarizes students with lighting techniques for indoor and outdoor shooting and photo editing techniques. Students must have access to a Digital SLR camera and provide their own photo printing. Field trips are included.
Offered periodically
OR take both:
The proper techniques and strategies necessary for employment in the business sector are explored. Proper mental preparation and job seeking opportunities are discussed. In addition, emphasis is on resume preparation, interviewing techniques, and pre- and post-interview letters. Students participate in videotaped mock interviews.
15 college credits completed
Fall
Cross listed as CIS 294.
This course gives students the opportunity to work as an intern in an approved position in their chosen major and specialization. Students will work at a job site for 90 hours over the course of the semester, spread out over 8-10 weeks. Acceptance is not guaranteed; students must show a strong academic history (both in the major and outside), strong interpersonal skills, and have a history of reliability and integrity in the classroom. Students will be required to attend a pre-semester workshop, so early registration is critical to placement. Coursework will include a resume, weekly reports, a LinkedIn profile, and a post-internship presentation. Supervision is provided by the College through on-the-job visits and individual progress review sessions.
30 College credits (with 12 credits in CIS/GD courses)
Fall
