Program Overview

BDes in Graphic Design

The Bachelor of Design in Graphic Design degree from UIC requires students to complete university, college, and school degree requirements. The Graphic Design degree requirements are outlined below.

Degree Requirements

To earn a Bachelor of Design in Graphic Design degree, students need to complete the following requirements:

• Foundation Course Requirements: 25 hours
• General Education and Elective Courses: 34 hours
• Graphic Design Major Requirements: 59 hours
• Electives outside the School of Design: 13-14 hours
• Total Hours: 132

Foundation Course Requirements

The following courses are required:

• DES 110: Design Colloquium (1 hour)
• DES 120: 2D Form Studio (4 hours)
• DES 130: 3D Form Studio (4 hours)
• DES 140: Design Drawing (4 hours)
• DES 150: Digital Media Design I (4 hours)
• DES 160: Design Photography (4 hours)
• DES 170: Color Theory (4 hours)
• Total Hours: 25

General Education and Elective Courses

The following courses are required:

• ENGL 160: Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts (3 hours)
• ENGL 161: Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research (3 hours)
• Understanding the Individual and Society course (3 hours)
• Understanding the Past course (3 hours)
• Analyzing the Natural World course (4 hours)
• Exploring World Cultures course (3 hours)
• Understanding U.S. Society course (3 hours)
• AH 110: World History of Art and the Built Environment I (4 hours)
• AH 111: World History of Art and the Built Environment II (4 hours)
• Art Elective (4 hours)
• Total Hours: 34

Graphic Design Major Requirements

The following courses are required:

• DES 208: Typography I: Form (4 hours)
• DES 209: Typography II: Systems (4 hours)
• DES 220: Form and Image Studio (4 hours)
• DES 250: Digital Media Design II (4 hours)
• DES 251: Digital Media Design III: Motion Design (4 hours)
• DES 308: Typography III: Expression (4 hours)
• DES 309: Typography IV: Advanced Topics (4 hours)
• DES 350: Digital Media Design IV: Advanced Topics (4 hours)
• DES 410: Senior Design Colloquium I (1 hour)
• DES 411: Senior Design Colloquium II (1 hour)
• Select two of the following courses: (8 hours)
  • DES 420 and DES 421: Professional Practice Project I and Professional Practice Project II
  • DES 430 and DES 431: Interdisciplinary Product Development I and Interdisciplinary Product Development II
  • DES 440 and DES 441: Design and Identity I and Design and Identity II
  • DES 452 and DES 453: Information Aesthetics I and Information Aesthetics II
• DES 480: Graphic Design Thesis I (4 hours)
• DES 481: Graphic Design Thesis II (4 hours)
• DES Elective:
  • DES 450: Advanced Topics in Design (3 hours)
  • or CS 426: Video Game Design and Development
• Art History Requirement for the Major:
  • DES 235: History of Design I (3 hours)
  • DES 236: History of Design II: 1925 to the Present (3 hours)
• Total Hours: 59

Electives Outside the School of Design

• Electives outside the School of Design (13-14 hours)
• Total Hours: 13-14

UIC First Year Dialogue Seminar

• DLG 120: UIC First-Year Dialogue Seminar (Required of new freshmen only) (1 hour)
• Total Hours: 1

Sample Course Schedule—BDes Graphic Design

The following is a sample course schedule for the BDes in Graphic Design program:

Freshman Year

• Fall Semester:
  • DES 110: Design Colloquium (1 hour)
  • DES 120: 2D Form Studio (4 hours)
  • DES 130: 3D Form Studio (4 hours)
  • DES 160: Design Photography (4 hours)
  • ENGL 160: Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts (3 hours)
  • Total Hours: 16
• Spring Semester:
  • DES 140: Design Drawing (4 hours)
  • DES 150: Digital Media Design I (4 hours)
  • DES 170: Color Theory (4 hours)
  • ENGL 161: Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research (3 hours)
  • DLG 120: UIC First-Year Dialogue Seminar (Required of new freshmen only) (1 hour)
  • Total Hours: 15-16

Sophomore Year

• Fall Semester:
  • AH 110: World History of Art and the Built Environment I (4 hours)
  • DES 208: Typography I: Form (4 hours)
  • DES 250: Digital Media Design II (4 hours)
  • DES 220: Form and Image Studio (4 hours)
  • Total Hours: 16
• Spring Semester:
  • AH 111: World History of Art and the Built Environment II (4 hours)
  • DES 209: Typography II: Systems (4 hours)
  • DES 251: Digital Media Design III: Motion Design (4 hours)
  • Understanding the Individual and Society course (3 hours)
  • General Elective (3 hours)
  • Total Hours: 18

Junior Year

• Fall Semester:
  • DES 235: History of Design I (3 hours)
  • DES 308: Typography III: Expression (4 hours)
  • DES 350: Digital Media Design IV: Advanced Topics (4 hours)
  • General Elective (4 hours)
  • Understanding the Past course (3 hours)
  • Total Hours: 18
• Spring Semester:
  • DES 236: History of Design II: 1925 to the Present (3 hours)
  • DES 309: Typography IV: Advanced Topics (4 hours)
  • DES Elective (3 hours)
  • Analyzing the Natural World course (4 hours)
  • General Elective (3 hours)
  • Total Hours: 17

Senior Year

• Fall Semester:
  • DES 410: Senior Design Colloquium I (1 hour)
  • DES 411: Senior Design Colloquium II (1 hour)
  • DES 480: Graphic Design Thesis I (4 hours)
  • Select one of the following courses: (4 hours)
    • DES 420: Professional Practice Project I
    • DES 430: Interdisciplinary Product Development I
    • DES 440: Design and Identity I
    • DES 452: Information Aesthetics I
  • General Elective (4 hours)
  • Exploring World Cultures course (3 hours)
  • Total Hours: 17
• Spring Semester:
  • DES 481: Graphic Design Thesis II (4 hours)
  • Select one of the following courses: (4 hours)
    • DES 421: Professional Practice Project II
    • DES 431: Interdisciplinary Product Development II
    • DES 441: Design and Identity II
    • DES 453: Information Aesthetics II
  • ART Elective (4 hours)
  • Understanding U.S. Society course (3 hours)
  • Total Hours: 15
• Total Hours: 132