GRAPHIC DESIGN PROGRAM

CURRICULUM

LENGTH: 48 Calendar Weeks
CLOCK HOURS: 720
SEMESTER CREDIT HOURS: 29.5
CLASS SIZE: Maximum size for a typical class: 24 students
CLOCK HOUR: A clock hour is defined as a period of 60 minutes with a minimum of 50 minutes of instruction.

Semester credit hours are calculated as one semester credit hour for every 20 clock hours involving classroom contact or every 30 clock hours of supervised laboratory instruction. Students are also expected to perform 180 hours of outside preparation/homework as part of this program.

The Graphic Design Program focuses your education on both print and digital design. The goal of the program is to teach you to produce and present work acceptable for a professional client/designer environment.

All graphic design students receive an orientation, training, and on-going support for the online learning system from the Director of Student Services or Learning Resources Coordinator, who are available by email or telephone. The online courses for the Graphic Design Program are open only to students who are enrolled in the full program and may not be taken separately.

FIRST MARKING PERIOD: Weeks 1-8


• Fundamentals of Graphic Design:
This course acquaints the beginning non-designer with the basic principles, terminology, guidelines, methods and systems used to solve graphic design problems.
Clock Hours: 60 (22 lecture; 14 lab; 24 online) | 
Credit Hours: 2.5
• Introduction to Adobe Illustrator:
Subjects include cover duplication, rotating and scaling text, tracing, freehand drawing, image refinement, use of gradients and color, working with image paths, Illustrator objects, paint characteristics, Illustrator layers, and creating and using type.
Clock Hours: 36 (24 lecture; 12 lab) 
| Credit Hours: 1.5
• Career Perspectives – Careers In Art And Graphic Design:
Topics include the demand of today’s graphic artist, how to work for clients, tools needed to be a graphic designer and the professionalism needed to acquire an entry-level position in the graphics industry.
Clock Hours: 24 (online) 
| Credit Hours: 1.0

TOTAL SEMESTER:
Clock Hours: 120 (Classroom Hours 46/Lab Hours 26/Online Hours 48)
Credit Hours: 5.0

SECOND MARKING PERIOD: Weeks 9-16


• Information Presentation:
Students develop oral communication skills through exercises and presentations geared toward the design industry.
Clock Hours: 44 (20 lecture; 24 online) | 
Credit Hours: 2.0
• Introduction to Adobe Photoshop:
Topics include image manipulation, graphics corrections, color theory, painting and retouching images, enhancing images, working with layers and selections, creating images for the web, and managing color.
Clock Hours: 36 (24 lecture; 12 lab) 
| Credit Hours: 1.5
• Introduction to Digital Photography:
Students are familiarized with the uses of photography, basic camera operation, exposure, lenses and their effects, lighting, creating background elements, location shots, studio product shots, and basic portraiture.
Clock Hours: 16 (10 lecture; 6 lab) 
| Credit Hours: 0.5
• Typography:
Topics include typography terms and concepts, typeface options, how to use type creatively and appropriately match type with messages.
Clock Hours: 24 (online) 
| Credit Hours: 1.0

TOTAL SEMESTER:
Clock Hours: 120 (Classroom Hours 54/Lab Hours 36/Online Hours 48)
Credit Hours: 5.0

THIRD MARKING PERIOD: Weeks 17-24


• Introduction to Adobe Indesign:
S Students learn how to layout documents using Adobe InDesign. Topics include managing text; utilizing colors, swatches and gradients; utilizing transparency; adding tables; handling page elements and graphics; importing and exporting files and working with long documents.
Clock Hours: 36 (24 lecture; 12 lab) 
Credit Hours: 1.5
• Branding and Identity:
Students explore the essential skills required to design logos, marketing materials and advertising programs to establish and promote a corporate identity.
Clock Hours: 40 (16 lecture; 24 online) | 
Credit Hours: 2.0
• Perceiving, Understanding and Using Color:
Students study concepts of the use of color in art and graphic design, color properties, the expression and perception of color and the use of color in different contexts.
Clock Hours: 24 (online) | 
Credit Hours: 1.0
• History of Western Art:
Students explore how to appreciate art and architecture, learn vocabulary for analysis and discussion and review important historical works of art from the Paleolithic period through modern times.
Clock Hours: 20 (lecture) | 
Credit Hours: 1.0

TOTAL SEMESTER:
Clock Hours: 120 (Classroom Hours 60/Lab Hours 12/Online Hours 48)
Credit Hours: 5.5

FOURTH MARKING PERIOD: Weeks 25-32

• Web I:
Students are introduced to the skills needed to create, host and maintain a website. Topics include basic XHTML, Dreamweaver, domain names, web hosting providers, HTTP, FTP and best practices for creating websites.
Clock Hours: 60 (28 lecture; 8 lab; 24 online) | 
Credit Hours: 2.5
• Package Design:
This course provides an understanding of the qualities inherent in various packaging materials by producing a variety of packaging solutions dealing with shape, form and volume. Clock Hours: 40 (6 lecture; 10 lab; 24 online) 
| Credit Hours: 1.5
• Introduction To Flash:
Students learn the core features of Flash to create vector animation and import and manipulate bitmaps, sounds and video.
Clock Hours: 20 (10 lecture; 10 lab) 
| Credit Hours: 0.5

TOTAL SEMESTER:
Clock Hours: 120 (Classroom Hours 44/Lab Hours 30/Online Hours 48)
Credit Hours: 4.5

FIFTH MARKING PERIOD: Weeks 33-40

• Web II:
Students develop their own websites from approved site proposals. Topics covered include Cascading Style Sheets (CSS); layers; JavaScript; web forms; adding audio, video and animation to web pages; web browsers and N-tier (client-server) systems.
Clock Hours: 72 (36 lecture; 36 lab) | 
Credit Hours: 3.0
• Web Integration:
Students explore advanced capabilities of web browsers, including browsable content, data, wireless devices, applications, databases, RSS feeds and other technologies, providing broad exposure to an “internet-rich” experience.
Clock Hours: 48 (online) | 
Credit Hours: 2.0

TOTAL SEMESTER:
Clock Hours: 120 (Classroom Hours 36/Lab Hours 36/Online Hours 48)
Credit Hours: 5.0

SIXTH MARKING PERIOD: Weeks 41-48

• Advanced Projects:
Students create graphic design projects in preparation for what they will likely encounter as graphic design professionals.
Clock Hours: 48 (online) | 
Credit Hours: 2.0
• Portfolio Design:
In preparation for the job interview process, design portfolios are created and/or refined. Working one-on-one with the instructor, each student selects pieces that showcase his or her design thinking process, creativity, craft and computer skills.
Clock Hours: 64 (28 lecture, 34 lab) 
| Credit Hours: 2.0
• Career Perspectives II – Breaking Into Graphic Design:
Students explore resume writing and interviewing techniques in preparation for seeking employment in the graphic design industry.
Clock Hours: 16 (lecture) 
| Credit Hours: 0.5

TOTAL SEMESTER:
Clock Hours: 120 (Classroom Hours 38/Lab Hours 34/Online Hours 48)
Credit Hours: 4.5

Need to know more about our programs? Call us at 866-61-SPECS or simply keep reading to find out more about how Specs Howard grads are enjoying some seriously cool careers!