BDes in Graphic Design

Degree Requirements

To earn a Bachelor of Design in Graphic Design degree from UIC, students need to complete university, college, and school degree requirements. The Graphic Design degree requirements are outlined below. Students should consult College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts section for additional degree requirements and college academic policies. A portfolio review is required prior to acceptance as a Graphic Design major.

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Summary of Requirements
First Year Program		25
General Education and Foundation Courses		34
Graphic Design Major Requirements		60
Electives outside the School of Design		13-14
DLG 120	UIC First-Year Dialogue Seminar (Required of new freshmen only) ^a	1
Total Hours		133

New freshmen are required to complete DLG 120 for one hour. These students will complete 13 hours of electives for the BDes in Graphic Design. All other students complete 14 hours of electives for the BDes in Graphic Design.

First Year Program

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Required Courses
DES 110	Design Colloquium	1
DES 120	2D Form Studio	4
DES 130	3D Form Studio	4
DES 140	Design Drawing	4
DES 150	Digital Media Design I	4
DES 160	Design Photography	4
DES 170	Color Theory	4
Total Hours		25

General Education and Foundation Courses^a

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Required Courses
ENGL 160	Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts	3
ENGL 161	Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research	3
Understanding the Individual and Society course ^a		3
Understanding the Past course ^a		3
Analyzing the Natural World course ^a,b		4
Exploring World Cultures course ^a		3
Understanding U.S. Society course ^a		3
AH 110	World History of Art and the Built Environment I ^c	4
AH 111	World History of Art and the Built Environment II ^c	4
Art Elective		4
Total Hours		34

Students should consult the General Education section of the catalog for a list of approved courses in this category. Students may choose a General Education course that falls below the recommended semester hour value for a particular category as long as the student reaches a total of 24 hours of General Education distributed across the six categories.

Students who select a course worth less than 4 hours from the Analyzing the Natural World list will need to take an additional General Education Core course as part of their electives.

This course is approved for the Understanding the Creative Arts General Education category.

Graphic Design Major Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Required Courses
DES 208	Typography I: Form	4
DES 209	Typography II: Systems	4
DES 220	Form and Image Studio	4
DES 250	Digital Media Design II	4
DES 251	Digital Media Design III: Motion Design	4
DES 318	Typography III: Dimension	4
DES 319	Typography IV: Expression	4
DES 350	Digital Media Design IV: Advanced Interactive Design	4
DES 410	Senior Design Colloquium I	1
DES 411	Senior Design Colloquium II	1
DES 480	Graphic Design Thesis I	4
DES 481	Graphic Design Thesis II	4
Select two of the following:		8
DES 420/421	Professional Practice Project I
DES 430/431	Interdisciplinary Product Development I
DES 440/441	Design Thinking and Leadership I
DES 452/453	Informational Aesthetics I
DES Elective
DES 351	Social Media Design	4
or DES 432	Interaction Design
Art History Requirement for the Major:
DES 235	History of Design I: 1760-1925	3
DES 236	History of Design II: 1925 to the Present	3
Total Hours		60

Electives Outside the School of Design

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Electives
Electives outside the School of Design ^a		13-14
Total Hours		13-14

UIC First Year Dialogue Seminar

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Required Course
DLG 120	UIC First-Year Dialogue Seminar (Required of new freshmen only)	1
Total Hours		1

Sample Course Schedule—Graphic Design

Plan of Study Grid
Freshman Year
Fall Semester		Hours
DES 110	Design Colloquium	1
DES 120	2D Form Studio (S or F)	4
DES 130	3D Form Studio (S or F)	4
DES 160	Design Photography (S or F)	4
ENGL 160	Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts	3
	Hours	16
Spring Semester
DES 140	Design Drawing (S or F)	4
DES 150	Digital Media Design I (S or F)	4
DES 170	Color Theory (S or F)	4
ENGL 161	Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research	3
DLG 120	UIC First-Year Dialogue Seminar (Required of new freshmen only)	1
	Hours	15-16
Sophomore Year
Fall Semester
AH 110	World History of Art and the Built Environment I	4
DES 208	Typography I: Form	4
DES 250	Digital Media Design II	4
DES 220	Form and Image Studio	4
	Hours	16
Spring Semester
AH 111	World History of Art and the Built Environment II	4
DES 209	Typography II: Systems	4
DES 251	Digital Media Design III: Motion Design	4
Understanding the Individual and Society course		3
General Elective		3
	Hours	18
Junior Year
Fall Semester
DES 235	History of Design I: 1760-1925	3
DES 318	Typography III: Dimension	4
DES 350	Digital Media Design IV: Advanced Interactive Design	4
General Elective		4
Understanding the Past course		3
	Hours	18
Spring Semester
DES 236	History of Design II: 1925 to the Present	3
DES 319	Typography IV: Expression	4
DES Elective		4
Analyzing the Natural World course		4
General Elective		3
	Hours	18
Senior Year
Fall Semester
DES 480	Graphic Design Thesis I	4
Professional Practice Track
Select one of the following:		4
DES 420	Professional Practice Project I
DES 430	Interdisciplinary Product Development I
DES 440	Design Thinking and Leadership I
DES 452	Informational Aesthetics I
General Elective		4
Exploring World Cultures course		3
	Hours	15
Spring Semester
DES 410	Senior Design Colloquium I	1
DES 411	Senior Design Colloquium II	1
DES 481	Graphic Design Thesis II	4
Professional Practice Track
Select one of the following:		4
DES 421	Professional Practice Project II
DES 431	Interdisciplinary Product Development II
DES 441	Design Thinking and Leadership II
DES 453	Informational Aesthetics II
ART Elective		4
Understanding U.S. Society course		3
	Hours	17
	Total Hours	133

Academic Catalog