Program Overview

Introduction to the Certificate Program in Graphic Design and Digital Imaging

The University of Massachusetts Lowell offers a Certificate Program in Graphic Design and Digital Imaging, which is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in graphic and web design tools. This online program features a mix of design courses in photographic imaging, typography, user interface prototyping, and advertising design.

Program Overview

The Certificate Program in Graphic Design and Digital Imaging is a 10-course, 30-credit program that can be completed entirely online. The program is designed to provide students with hands-on experience using industry-standard software such as Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Upon completing the program, students will possess capabilities in fundamental areas such as web development, image enhancement and manipulation, digital media, and interactive screen design.

Career Outlook

The career outlook for graphic designers is promising, with 9,203 jobs available in 2023 and a median earnings of $66K/yr. The program prepares students for careers in graphic design, web and interface digital design, art direction, special effects, and desktop publishing.

Key Takeaways

The program covers a range of graphic and web design topics, including:

• Essential concepts of image, form, and space relations
• Page layout, the introduction of color, and rendering techniques
• Design for the user experience on mobile and web devices
• The creative use of type in visual communication
• Image capture and preparation for a variety of media
• Web design testing and advanced CSS layout techniques

Curriculum Outline

The program requires 10 courses, including 8 required courses and 2 elective courses.

Required Courses

• GRFX.2000 Introduction to Graphic Design
• GRFX.2020 Fundamentals of Typography
• GRFX.2030 Photographic Imaging
• GRFX.2120 Website Design
• GRFX.3000 Advanced Graphic Design
• GRFX.3020 Advanced Typography
• GRFX.3500 User Interface Prototyping for Apps and Web
• GRFX.4000 Portfolio Production Seminar

Elective Courses

• GRFX.2040 Computer Graphics & Illustration
• GRFX.3120 Advanced Website Design
• GRFX.3150 Design for Advertising
• AEST.3600 Aesthetics and Critical Studies of Graphic Design

Course Descriptions

Each course has a detailed description, including the course objectives, requirements, and credits.

• GRFX.2000 Introduction to Graphic Design: Exercises, lectures, and projects introduce students to graphic design principles and techniques.
• GRFX.2020 Fundamentals of Typography: Studies typographic concepts, techniques, and the creative use of type in visual communication.
• GRFX.2030 Photographic Imaging: Covers the fundamentals of image enhancement, image manipulation, scanning, digital capture, and using industry-standard photo imaging software.
• GRFX.2040 Computer Graphics & Illustration: Students produce a number of illustrations, starting with the traditional approach to illustration and then rendering their concepts using computer illustration and imaging software.
• GRFX.2120 Website Design: Focuses on the creation of visual content for the web and explores what constitutes a visually exciting and engaging site.
• GRFX.3000 Advanced Graphic Design: Students are assigned a variety of advanced-level projects dealing with areas such as logo design, publication design, interactive screen design, direct mail projects, corporate identity systems, poster design, and more.
• GRFX.3020 Advanced Typography: Studies expressive visual communications of words, including type hierarchy, grid organization, and the primary visual communication job of typographic design.
• GRFX.3120 Advanced Website Design: Covers topics such as advanced CSS layout techniques, user-centered design, dynamic pages, and testing.
• GRFX.3150 Design for Advertising: Instruction in the design and layout of commercial advertisements as well as the creative aspects of advertising.
• GRFX.3500 User Interface Prototyping for Apps and Web: Project-based introduction to design for the user experience on mobile and web devices.
• GRFX.4000 Portfolio Production Seminar: Helps students organize their work into a professional package and prepare it for presentation.

Undergraduate Certificate Requirements

Students enrolled in the certificate program must complete all courses and maintain a grade point average of 2.000 or better to earn the certificate. All certificate courses must be completed within a five-year period.

Tuition & Fees

Tuition at the University of Massachusetts Lowell is typically half the cost of private colleges, and online tuition is among the lowest in the nation. The cost per credit is $385, and the cost per 3-credit course is $1,155.

Additional Costs

• Term Registration Fee: $30
• Returned Check Fee: $30

Save on Tuition

The average scholarship aid awarded to online undergraduate students who completed the FAFSA is $7,504.