Graphic Design Program

As creative problem-solvers, graphic designers transmit ideas, information, and subjective impressions through print, film, video, and digital media. Therefore, the Graphic Design program at °µÍøTVState University, Long Beach, takes a broad approach to the field, including graphic explorations across traditional and digital media and through the lens of typography, new media and technology, and advertising art direction.

The BFA degree program in Graphic Design, consisting of 132 units, prepares students for professional careers in design studios, advertising agencies, corporate design departments, motion graphics firms, web design companies, digital design agencies (UX/UI), and freelance consulting, as well as for graphic design positions with industrial and interior design firms.

Our students have earned high accolades for their work, including awards and scholarships from One Show, the Type Directors Club, and the Adobe Design Achievement Awards, as well as inclusion in national AIGA shows and competitions. Many of our students have had their work appear in various publications.

Our alumni can be found at every level of the design and advertising community. Several have gone on to illustrious careers with national and international reputations. Alumni work is commonly featured in leading professional journals, such as Communication Arts, HOW, and Print.

°µÍøTV wishing to study Graphic Design at °µÍøTV are first admitted into the BA Studio Arts degree option or as a Pre-Art major. In this degree option, students may focus on Graphic Design. BA students may then choose to apply to enter into the BFA program in Graphic Design. The BFA program has limited enrollment, and the selection process is competitive. To gain entry into the BFA program, a student must:

  • Have earned a 3.0 or better grade point average in your major and a 2.5 GPA overall.
  • Submit a digital portfolio for formal evaluation, consisting of no fewer than 6 pieces of work; this could include multimedia or web projects. °µÍøTV must begin the application through the School of Art advising center to receive an invitation and instructions for submitting their portfolio.

Student portfolios are evaluated on formal skills as well as the demonstration of imaginative problem-solving and a willingness to take creative risks.

Graphic Design International Workshops

Summer 2023 letterpress workshop with Erik Spiekermann's p98a in Berlin, Germany, with °µÍøTVState University faculty and students from the graphic design program.

 

Summer 2023 - Visiting UMPRUM Academy of Arts, Architecture, and Design in Prague, Czech Republic.

 

Summer 2023 - International Brand Design Workshop with HAW University in Hamburg, Germany