College of Communication and Information
School of Visual Communication Design
www.kent.edu/vcd

About This Program

Unleash your creativity with the Visual Communication major. Experienced faculty will help you develop a portfolio of professional design work for print, motion, video and interactive media. With a focus on design and illustration, this degree offers the flexibility to succeed in a wide variety of career fields. Enroll now and turn your passion for graphic design into a successful future. Read more...

Contact Information

• School Director: Daniel Alenquer | vcd@kent.edu | 330-672-7856
• Speak with an Advisor
• Chat with an Admissions Counselor

Program Delivery

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers

• Graphic Designer
• Art/Creative Director
• UI/UX Designer
• Motion Designer/Animator
• Illustrator
• Exhibit/Wayfinding Designer
• Package Designer

Accreditation

National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency unless they meet specific exceptions. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog.

Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the Coursework tab.

The director of the School of Visual Communication Design may impose additional requirements considered reasonable and necessary. Each transfer student will be evaluated individually in terms of his or her ability to perform within the program. A transfer applicant’s strengths and deficiencies will be considered and his or her transfer credits will reflect that consideration.

Program Requirements

¹

Minimum 1 credit hour of VCD 40192 is required for the program. Students can apply a maximum 4 credit hours of VCD 40192 toward their degree program.

²

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement. 

³

A maximum of 4 credit hours of Physical Activity, Wellness and Sport (PWS) courses may be applied toward the degree program.

Progression Requirements

• Students must earn a minimum B- grade in VCD 13001 before enrolling in VCD 23001. VCD 13001 may be taken a maximum three times until a minimum B- grade is achieved.
• Students must earn a minimum B- grade in VCD 23001 before enrolling in VCD 33000.
• Students must maintain a 2.500 major GPA in order to continue taking VCD courses. Failure to do so at the end of one semester will result in a written warning with the option of repeating certain VCD courses in order to meet minimum grade and GPA requirements to continue. Failure to do so at the end of two consecutive semesters will result in not being permitted to enroll in VCD courses. Students in this situation will be contacted by an academic advisor to create an alternative plan of study with a new major.

Graduation Requirements

• A minimum B- grade may be required in some courses.

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

University Requirements

All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation.

NOTE: University requirements may be fulfilled in this program by specific course requirements. Please see Program Requirements for details.

Kent Core Requirements

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the ethics (and legal issues) closely associated with fields of visual communication.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of traditional hands-on skills relative to craftsmanship.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the basic use of digital technologies as they relate to their areas of study.
4. Demonstrate an ability to create visual response to communication problems, including understanding of hierarchy, typography, aesthetics, composition and construction of meaningful images.

Full Description

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Communication Design prepares students for the graphic design and illustration professions. Students develop technical understanding and design skills in the organization of imagery and typography to communicate information in two-dimensional and three-dimensional forms. Students produce work for print, motion, video, screen displays and interactive experiences, as well as package design, exhibition design and environmental wayfinding.

This program focuses on design and illustration in the context of a broad liberal arts program, giving students the flexibility to choose 20 percent of their coursework (with guidance). This provides the opportunity for students to take a variety of courses to complement their design degree. Students learn at the intersections of communication, information, and technology. The B.A. degree program is for students planning to attend a graduate program or plan to pair their visual communication design degree with another field of study.

Through a core of diverse theory- and practice-based courses, students learn basic concepts that apply across the range of college programs and develop a sense of professional expectations and build toward interdisciplinary thinking and application.

Students may apply early to the following master's degree programs and double count 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both degree programs. See the Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degree Program Policy in the University Catalog for more information.

• Master of Arts degree in Communication Studies
• Master of Arts degree in Media and Journalism
• Master of Arts degree in Visual Communication Design
• Master of Fine Arts degree in Visual Communication Design
• Master of Library Information Science degree in Library and Information Science
• Master of Science degree in Emerging Media and Technology
• Master of Science degree in Health Informatics
• Master of Science degree in Knowledge Management
• Master of Science degree in User Experience

There are many study abroad/away opportunities. For more information contact the Office of Global Education or coordinator of the college's International Study Programs.