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 is not required for admission to the UIC School of Design. Work completed during the Design Foundation Year will be reviewed in late April in consideration for acceptance to the Bachelor of Design (BDes) in Graphic Design.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Summary of Requirements | ||
| Foundations Program | 25 | |
| General Education and Foundation Courses | 34 | |
| Graphic Design Major Requirements | 59 | |
| Electives outside the School of Design | 13-14 | |
| DLG 120 | UIC First-Year Dialogue Seminar (Required of new freshmen only) a | 1 |
| Total Hours | 132 | |
| a | 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. |
Foundations Program
| 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 Coursesa
| 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 | |
| a | 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. |
| b | 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. |
| c | This course is approved for the Understanding the Creative Arts General Education category. |
Graphic Design Major Requirements
| 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 308 | 4 | |
| DES 309 | 4 | |
| DES 350 | Digital Media Design IV: Advanced Topics | 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 courses: | 8 | |
| Professional Practice Project I and Professional Practice Project II | ||
| Interdisciplinary Product Development I and Interdisciplinary Product Development II | ||
| Design and Identity I and Design and Identity II | ||
| Information Aesthetics I and Information Aesthetics II | ||
| DES Elective | ||
| DES 450 | Advanced Topics in Design | 3 |
| or CS 426 | Video Game Design and Development | |
| 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 | 59 | |
Electives Outside the School of Design
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Electives | ||
| Electives outside the School of Design a | 13-14 | |
| Total Hours | 13-14 | |
| a | 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. |
UIC First Year Dialogue Seminar
| 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
| 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: Expression | 4 |
| DES 350 | Digital Media Design IV: Advanced Topics | 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 | |
| Professional Practice Project I | ||
| Interdisciplinary Product Development I | ||
| Design and Identity I | ||
| Information 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 | |
| Professional Practice Project II | ||
| Interdisciplinary Product Development II | ||
| Design and Identity II | ||
| Information Aesthetics II | ||
| ART Elective | 4 | |
| Understanding U.S. Society course | 3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Total Hours | 133 | |