Graphic and Media Design (B.A.)

Marymount’s Graphic and Media Design program prepares students for careers as creative, proficient, and ethically responsible graphic and media designers. The curriculum provides a foundation in graphic and media design theory and the development of research, writing, critical thinking, and creativity. Students develop the conceptual and technical skills to create graphic and media designs, digital photography, illustration, video productions and motion graphics. Course-work includes branding and marketing campaigns, publication design, poster and brochure design, and social media campaigns. An emphasis is on communication design solutions for the contemporary media environment, including print, online publications, websites, and social media.

In addition to learning the fundamentals of the graphic and media design discipline, students also choose a specialty area of study, including:

• Graphic Design
• Media Design
• Visual Communication
• Web Design

Graduates are prepared for entry-level positions in graphic and media design at corporations, nonprofits, institutions, government agencies, design studios, advertising agencies, public relation firms, book, magazine, and newspaper publishers, web and mobile app developers, and exhibit design, video, and motion graphic production companies.

Upon successful completion of the graphic and media design major, students will be able to

develop the ability to communicate effectively to a wide variety of audiences, verbally, in writing, and electronically;
utilize knowledge of typography, graphics, photography, and video to communicate ideas and information visually via print, web, mobile, and social media; and
apply critical thinking and aesthetic judgments in creating print and digital media.

Internship Prerequisites: A minimum of 90 credits with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required in order to register for the internship.

Minimum Grade Requirements: A minimum grade of C is required in any course within the graphic and media design major.

Program Requirement: Students entering the sophomore-level graphic and media design curriculum are required to have a personal computer, a color printer, and the software supported by the major. Recommended computer specifications are available from an advisor or the Marymount website.

Residency Requirement: Students must complete 21 credits of their graphic and media design major or specialty courses at Marymount.

Degree Requirements — Graphic and Media Design

This degree requires a total of 120 credits.

Liberal Arts Core and University Requirements

See University Requirements and the Liberal Arts Core for details. Media design majors will satisfy the three-course university Writing-Intensive (WI) requirement by choosing among CMD 209 Contemporary Journalism, CMD 301 History of Graphic Design (graphic design specialty requirement), CMD 315 Writing for Digital Media, and other WI courses in the Liberal Arts Core or university electives.

Major Requirements

Students will take the following coursework in a sequence determined in collaboration with a faculty advisor. Some courses also satisfy Liberal Arts Core and/or University Requirements.

Required for All Majors

All Graphic and Media Design students will take these ten (10) courses for a total of twenty-eight (28) credits.

CMD 100	Introduction to Media Communication	3
CMD 102	Visual Communications and Design	3
CMD 200	Electronic Publishing	3
CMD 203	Digital Photography	3
CMD 255	Typography	3
CMD 305	Publication Design	3
CMD 308	Web and Social Media Design	3
CMD 360	Communication and Design Studio *	3
CMD 400	Internship *	3
CMD 405	Portfolio	1

Writing and Presentation

Choose two (2) courses from the following:

CMD 209	Contemporary Journalism *	3
CMD 302	Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques	3
CMD 307	Broadcast Writing and Delivery	3
CMD 315	Writing for Digital Media *	3

Specialty Courses

All majors are required to choose a specialty within the discipline or a minor approved by advisor for a total of fifteen (15) credits.

Graphic Design

FA 105	Drawing I *	3
CMD 202	Illustration I *	3
CMD 301	History of Graphic Design *	3
MKT 301	Principles of Marketing	3
	Two (2) major electives

FA 105: as the required Liberal Arts Core FNA course

Media Design

CMD 204	Video Production: Multimedia Communication	3
CMD 205	Video Production: Promotional and Informational Communication	3
	Three (3) major electives

Visual Communication

CMD 204	Video Production: Multimedia Communication	3
	OR
CMD 205	Video Production: Promotional and Informational Communication	3

	Two (2) additional writing and presentation courses
	Two (2) major electives

Web Design

IT 125	Web Development	3
IT 130	Java Programming	4
IT 225	Advanced Web Development	3
IT 310	Database Technology	3
	One (1) major elective

Electives within the Major

CMD 204	Video Production: Multimedia Communication	3
CMD 205	Video Production: Promotional and Informational Communication	3
CMD 303	Illustration II	3
CMD 360	Communication and Design Studio *	3
CMD 404	Performance Media Lab *	3
MKT 301	Principles of Marketing	3
MKT 319	Advertising and Integrated Marketing Communications	3
CMD 421	Project	1
CMD 433	Research *	1

Recommended Electives

CMD 103	Adobe Photoshop	1
CMD 104	Adobe Illustrator	1
CMD 105	Video Editing	1
CMD 106	Motion Graphics	1
CMD 107	Media Techniques	1

Sample Degree Plan — Graphic and Media Design

Please note that this is a sample plan; all students should consult with an advisor in making course selections.

Year One — Fall

CMD 102	Visual Communications and Design	3
FA 105	Drawing I *	3
EN 101	Composition I *	3
MA	Mathematics (MT) core course *	3-4
DSC 101	DISCOVER First-Year Seminar *	3

EN 101: WR core course

FA 105: Required FNA for the graphic design specialty; students in other specialties may take FA 105 or another FNA course

Year One — Spring

CMD 100	Introduction to Media Communication	3
CMD 200	Electronic Publishing	3
EN 102	Composition II *	3
	Natural Science (NS) core course with lab *
TRS 100	Theological Inquiry *	3

EN 102: WR core course

TRS 100: TRS-1 core course

Year Two — Fall

	One (1) specialty course
	One (1) writing and presentation course
PH 100	Introduction to Philosophy *	3
	Introductory Social Science (SS-1) core course *	3
	One (1) general elective

PH 100: PH-1 core course

Year Two — Spring

CMD 203	Digital Photography	3
CMD 255	Typography	3
	One (1) writing and presentation course
	Introductory Social Science (SS-1) core course *	3
	One (1) general elective

Year Three — Fall

CMD 305	Publication Design	3
CMD 308	Web and Social Media Design	3
	One (1) specialty course
PH	Advanced Philosophy (PH-2) or Philosophical Ethics (PH-E) core course *	3
	One (1) general elective

Year Three — Spring

CMD 360	Communication and Design Studio *	3
HI	Introductory History (HI-1) core course *	3
EN	Introductory Literature (LT-1) core course *	3
	Introductory Social Science (SS-1) or Natural Science (NS) core course *
	One (1) general elective

Year Four — Fall

CMD 405	Portfolio	1
	One (1) major elective
	Advanced Literature (LT-2) or Advanced History (HI-2) core course *	3
	Advanced Theology/Religious Studies (TRS-2) core course *
	Two (2) general electives

Year Four — Spring

CMD 400	Internship *	3
	Advanced Social Science (SS-2) core course *
	One (1) specialty course
	One (1) major elective or one (1) general elective
	One (1) general elective

* Fulfills Liberal Arts Core/University Requirements. See University Requirements and the Liberal Arts Core and the Course Descriptions for further information.