Graphic Design (Bachelor of Fine Arts, B.F.A.)

The four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Graphic Design degree at Missouri Western will prepare you for a career as a graphic artist.

Graphic designers plan, analyze, and create visual solutions to communications problems. They decide the most effective way of getting a message across in print, electronic, and film media using a variety of methods such as color, type, illustration, photography, animation, and print and layout techniques.

A bachelor’s degree is required for most entry-level and advanced graphic design positions.

 

Students who choose this bachelor degree program will have no more than 6 years from admission or subsequent declaration to meet the requirements listed below. If certification, accreditation or statutory requirements change and additional requirements become effective during this time, the new requirements take precedence.

General Studies
Students must complete General Studies courses42
Major Requirements
ART 110Beginning Drawing I3
ART 120Two-Dimensional Design3
ART 129Design Software Applications3
ART 160Beginning Drawing II3
ART 170Three-Dimensional Design3
ART 192Digital Imaging3
ART 205Survey of Art History I3
ART 255Survey of Art History II3
ART 290Graphic Design I3
ART 292Graphic Design II3
ART 315Illustration I3
ART 333Typography3
ART 344User Experience Design3
ART 349Interactive Design I3
ART 359Photography I3
ART 390Graphic Design III3
ART 449Interactive Design II3
ART 488Final Portfolio3
ART 490Graphic Design IV3
ART 493Internship In Art2-6
Select six additional credit hours of advanced graphic design electives6
Graphic Design II
Typography
Graphic Design III
Graphic Design IV
Select three additional credit hours of guided electives6
Motion Graphics
Painting II
Topics in Ancient/Medieval Art
Topics in Modern/Contemporary Art
Topics in Renaissance/Baroque Art
Topics in Non-Western Art
Internship In Art
Introduction to Mass Media
Digital Videography
Media Design
Principles of Marketing
Digital Marketing
Advertising and Promotion
Selection six additional credit hours of Art History6
Topics in Ancient/Medieval Art
Topics in Modern/Contemporary Art
Topics in Renaissance/Baroque Art
Topics in Non-Western Art

Program Graduation Requirements

  1. Earn a grade of C or higher in all major coursework.
  2. Earn an overall GPA of at least 2.0 and a major GPA of at least 2.0.

University Graduation Requirements 

  1. Earn a minimum of 120 credit hours (100 level and higher, maximum of 6 CED credit hours applicable).
  2. Earn a minimum of 30 credit hours in upper-division courses.  Lower-division transfer courses accepted as meeting upper-division departmental course requirements cannot be used to fulfill this requirement.
  3. Earn 30 of the last 45 credit hours at MWSU in institutional coursework (exclusive of credit by examination).
  4. Participate in required departmental and campus wide assessments. 
  5. Fulfill the Missouri Constitution requirement.
  6. Successfully pass the Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement exam.