Fine & Performing Arts Graphic Design

Description

The graphic design major prepares students to integrate creativity with visual communication to create a wide variety of print and digital products. The School of Art, Art History and Design offers two undergraduate degrees for this major. Both include a solid base of knowledge in the principles and history of art and design. The bachelor of arts (BA) degree, with nearly fifty percent of its courses in the major, requires students to complement this foundation with another area of study. The bachelor of fine arts (BFA) degree expands on the basic coursework by providing additional experience in graphic design and related studio art areas. This intensive degree holds seventy percent of its courses in the major and is intended for those who want to work in a design career or pursue graduate study in graphic design.

Bachelor of Arts Degree at a Glance

Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree at a Glance

Admission

Any student who meets college admission requirements may declare a major in graphic design.

College Requirements

College Admission

Requirements for admission to the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts are consistent with general University admission requirements. These include:
 

• English (4 units)
• Mathematics (4 units)
• Social studies (3 units)
• Natural sciences (3 units)
• Foreign language (2 units)

NOTE: One unit equals one year of high school credit.

One of the following performance standards must also be met:

New Freshmen: Minimum ACT 20 (composite), minimum SAT 950 (combined), or rank in top half of high school graduating class.

Transfer and Readmit Students: Completed 12 or more semester credits from a post-secondary institution with a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA and 2.0 GPA during the last semester of record at the time of application. (Emerging media arts majors: minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA and 3.0 GPA during the last semester of record at the time of application.)

International Students: Minimum TOEFL 70 (Internet) or 523 (paper).

Individual departments may have higher standards for acceptance into the different degrees and options. Please check with the individual departments for these standards.

Auditions/Portfolio Reviews

Auditions are required for admission to the Glenn Korff School of Music for music, music education, and dance majors. Auditions are also required for admission to the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film for the acting major. A separate application and portfolio review are required for acceptance into all other programs in the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film.

Admission Deficiencies/Removal of Deficiencies

Students who are admitted through the Admission by Review process with core course deficiencies will have certain conditions attached to their enrollment at Nebraska. These conditions are in this catalog under “Removal of Deficiencies.”

Students with one deficiency, two deficiencies but not in the same category, or two deficiencies in a world language who receive a Deferred Admission or Admission by Review, may be considered for admission to the college. Students who are admitted through the Admission by Review process with core course deficiencies will have certain conditions attached to their enrollment at Nebraska. These conditions are explained under Admission to the University, Removal of Deficiencies in this catalog.

College Degree Requirements

College General Education Requirements

World Languages/Language Requirement

The language requirement serves to help students gain a working familiarity with a language and a culture other than their own.

All students pursuing bachelor of arts or bachelor of music degrees are required to complete the intermediate level in one world language. The language requirement is fulfilled by the completion of the 4th level of a single language (either in high school or in college). Language study at UNL is currently available in Arabic, Chinese, Czech, French, German, Greek, Japanese, Latin, Russian, Spanish, and American Sign Language. Courses offered at UNL that complete the sequence include: ARAB 202, CHIN 202, CZEC 202, FREN 202 or FREN 210, GERM 202, GREK 301 & GREK 302, JAPN 202, LATN 301 & LATN 302, RUSS 202, SLPA 202, SPAN 202 or SPAN 210.

NOTE:

• A student who has completed the fourth-year level of one world language in high school is exempt from the language requirement.
• A student whose language proficiency is not reflected on a transcript may demonstrate proficiency of the intermediate level through assessment with the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. (Greek, Latin, and American Sign Language are not included in this process.) Report of the results will be made to the academic advisor for consideration of a waiver of the language requirement without credit toward the degree.
• International and domestic students whose first language is not English will be exempt from the requirement without credit toward the degree based on documentation of previous study.

Minimum Hours Required for Graduation

A minimum of 120 semester hours of credit is required for graduation from the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. Students in the College are required to maintain a minimum current and cumulative GPA of 2.0. Individual departments may require a higher current and cumulative GPA.

Grade Rules

C- and D Grades

The College will accept no more than 15 semester hours of grades lower than C (includes C-, D+, D, and D- grades)  from schools outside of the University of Nebraska system.

Courses with grades lower than C—either those earned at Nebraska or transferred from other schools—cannot be applied toward requirements in a major, but may be applied toward total hours and other requirements that do not have a minimum grade threshold.

Pass/No Pass

University regulations for the Pass/No Pass privilege state: The Pass/No Pass option is designed to be used by a student seeking to expand his/her intellectual horizons by taking courses in areas where he/she may have minimum preparation without adversely affecting his/her grade point average.

1. Neither the P nor the N grade contribute to a student’s GPA.
2. P is interpreted to mean C or above. Some professional education courses require a C+ or above.
3. A change to or from Pass/No Pass may be made until mid-term (1/2 of the course). This date coincides with the final date to drop a course without the instructor’s approval.
4. The Pass/No Pass or grade registration cannot conflict with the professor’s, department’s, college, or University policy governing grading option.
5. Prior to the mid-term deadline, changing to or from the Pass/No Pass requires using the MyRED system to change the grading option or filing a Drop/Add form with Husker Hub, first floor Canfield Administration Building. After the mid-term deadline, a student registered for Pass/No Pass cannot change to a grade registration unless the Pass/No Pass registration is in conflict with a professor’s, department’s, college, or University policy governing Pass/No Pass.
6. The Pass/No Pass grading option cannot be used for the removal of C- or D or F grades.

Pass/No Pass privileges in the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts are extended to students according to the following additional regulations:

1. Pass/No Pass hours can count toward fulfillment of ACE requirements up to the 24-hour maximum.
2. Freshmen and sophomores may enroll for no more than 6 hours of Pass/No Pass work per semester.
3. Students may not elect to take courses on a Pass/No Pass basis to fulfill degree requirements in the major. Departments may allow up to 6 hours of Pass/No Pass to be taken in the minor offered by the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts.
4. Departments may specify that certain courses can be taken only on a Pass/No Pass basis.
5. The College will permit no more than a total of 24 semester hours of Pass/No Pass grades to be applied toward degree requirements. This total includes all “pass” grades earned at Nebraska and other schools.

Individual departments vary in their policies regarding Pass/No Pass hours as applied to the major and minor. Consult the individual departmental listings for these policies. Students who wish to apply Pass/No Pass hours to their major and minor(s) must obtain approval on a form that is available in the Dean’s Office, 102 Woods Art Building.

GPA Requirements

Students are expected to maintain a minimum 2.0 grade point average each semester. Some programs within the College may have higher GPA requirements to keep in good academic standing.

Transfer Credit Rules

Ordinarily, hours earned at an accredited college are accepted by the University. The College, however, will evaluate all hours submitted on an application for transfer and reserves the right to accept or reject any of them. The maximum number of hours the University will accept on transfer from a two-year college is 60.

Normally, credit is not given for pre-university work. In some instances, however, it may be possible to receive credit through satisfactory examination.

All transfer students must complete the Residency Requirement (see “Residency Requirement”), and at least 9 hours in the major field must be completed at the University regardless of the number of hours transferred.

The Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts will accept no more than 15 semester hours of D grades from schools other than UNO or UNK. All grades may be transferred from UNO or UNK. However, transfer courses within a student’s major or minor will be evaluated by that unit and held to the same minimum grade standards as courses taken at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Transfer Credit from Foreign Institutions

Credit for courses taken at foreign universities and colleges will be transferred only after validation by the appropriate department. This evaluation may include examination of the student over subject matter studied at the foreign institution.

International Baccalaureate Credit

Students who have studied art, music, or theatre within the International Baccalaureate Program will be given credit for courses at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln according to the guidelines established by each academic unit. Contact the department office for specific course information.

Course Level Requirements

Upper-Level Requirement: Thirty of the 120 semester hours of credit must be in courses numbered above 299.

Residency

Students must meet either of the following residency qualifications:
 

• At least 30 of the last 36 hours of credit must be registered for and completed while enrolled at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
• A total of 90 credits must be registered for and completed while enrolled at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Credit earned during education abroad may be used toward degree requirements if students participate in prior approved programs and register through the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Credit awarded from an institution other than Nebraska will be subject to transfer credit and residency rules.

Experiential Learning Requirement

All undergraduates in the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts must complete an Experiential Learning (EL) designated course.

ACE Requirements

All students must fulfill the Achievement Centered Education (ACE) requirements. Information about the ACE program may be viewed at ace.unl.edu.

Catalog Rule

Students who first enroll at Nebraska under the 2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog must fulfill the requirements stated in this catalog or in any other catalog which is published while they are enrolled in the College, provided the catalog they follow is no more than ten years old at the time of graduation. A student must, however, meet the requirements from one catalog only rather than choosing a portion from one catalog and the remainder from another.

Exception: Students pursuing any degree in the Glenn Korff School of Music who fail to take at least one course that will fulfill their major requirements during a 12-month period must re-audition. They will then move to the catalog in effect at that time.

Students who have transferred from a community college may be eligible to fulfill the requirements as stated in the catalog for an academic year in which they were enrolled at the community college prior to attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  The decision to utilize a previous catalog should be made in consultation with academic advisors and must be requested within the first two semesters of enrollment after transferring. Students must complete all degree requirements from a single catalog year and within the time frame allowable for that catalog year.

Eligibility to use a prior catalog is dependent upon:

• Admission to the university as a transfer student
• Enrollment at a community college during the catalog year being used
• Continuous enrollment at the previous institution for one academic year or more
• Proceeding to enrollment at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln within one calendar year from the last enrollment at the previous institution
• Maintaining the same major after the admission process

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of graphic design (BA) will be able to:

1. Explore the depth and breadth of graphic design and the roles of designers.
2. Develop a graphic design vocabulary.
3. Demonstrate a contextualized understanding of design history.
4. Explore technological innovation and problem solving strategies through rigorous study and an engagement with a wide variety of tools and media.
5. Discover and apply user-centered design methods and practices in order to solve complex design problems.
6. Examine the concepts and ethical responsibilities inherent to design authorship.
7. Build strong verbal, visual, and written communication skills.
8. Engage in collaboration with others, both inside and outside the design discipline, to understand the ways in which visual communication design has the ability to contribute knowledge and social capital.
9. Study the complexities of visual information as it relates to form, structure, and context in order to gain a better understanding of how meanings are constructed.
10. Learn how to visualize complexity in ways that are interesting, appropriate, ethical, beautiful, and functional.
11. Acquire meaningful knowledge in an academic area outside of art.
12. Develop a practical grasp of a foreign language.

Graduates of graphic design (BFA) will be able to:

1. Explore the depth and breadth of graphic design and the roles of designers.
2. Develop a graphic design vocabulary.
3. Demonstrate a contextualized understanding of design history.
4. Explore technological innovation and problem solving strategies through rigorous study and an engagement with a wide variety of tools and media.
5. Discover and apply user-centered design methods and practices in order to solve complex design problems.
6. Examine the concepts and ethical responsibilities inherent to design authorship.
7. Build strong verbal, visual, and written communication skills.
8. Engage in collaboration with others, both inside and outside the design discipline, to understand the ways in which visual communication design has the ability to contribute knowledge and social capital.
9. Study the complexities of visual information as it relates to form, structure, and context in order to gain a better understanding of how meanings are constructed.
10. Learn how to visualize complexity in ways that are interesting, appropriate, ethical, beautiful, and functional.
11. Iteratively engage in the study and practice of key design research theories, methods, and processes in preparation for industry application and future graduate study in design.

Major Requirements

Bachelor of Arts Requirements

Minor Requirements

BA students are required to complete a minimum of one minor. A second major can be used to satisfy the minor requirement.

Bachelor of Fine Arts Requirements

Additional Major Requirements

BA Degree

Grade Rules

C- and D Grades

The minimum grade for all major requirements is C.

Pass/No Pass

All courses taken for major requirements must be for a letter grade unless the course is only offered Pass/No Pass.

Course Level Requirement

A minimum of 3 credits of studio art and 3 credits of art history must be taken in courses numbered above 299.

Extended Education, Independent Study Rules, Internship Credit Rules, Transfer Credit Rules

No more than 6 hours of independent study courses may count toward the major in the BA degree. This includes all courses numbered 390, 392, 395, 396, 490, 492, 495, 496, and 499H offered by the School of Art, Art History and Design.

At least 15 credit hours in graphic design and 6 credit hours in art history of the required BA courses must be taken at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Courses taken at other academic institutions may be substituted for the remaining required courses subject to evaluation by the department.

Time and Credit Guidelines

The School of Art, Art History and Design adheres to the following time and credit guidelines established by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD):

• In studio courses, 1 hour of credit represents three hours of work each week of the 16-week semester. Two of the hours are spent in class with the instructor, and one hour of additional work is expected outside of regularly scheduled class time.
• In lecture/discussion courses, 1 hour of credit represents one hour each week in class, and two hours each week of work outside of class for the duration of the 16-week semester.

BFA Degree

Grade Rules

C- and D Grades

The minimum grade for all major requirements is C.

Pass/No Pass

All courses taken for major requirements must be for a letter grade unless the course is only offered Pass/No Pass.

Course Level Requirement

A minimum of 3 credits of art history must be taken in courses numbered above 299.

Extended Education, Independent Study Rules, Internship Credit Rules, Transfer Credit Rules

No more than 9 hours of independent study courses may count toward the major in the BFA degree. This includes all courses numbered 390, 392, 395, 396, 490, 492, 495, 496, and 499H offered by the School of Art, Art History and Design.

At least 36 credit hours in graphic design and 6 credit hours in art history of the required BFA courses must be taken at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Courses taken at other academic institutions may be substituted for the remaining required courses subject to evaluation by the department.

Time and Credit Guidelines

The School of Art, Art History and Design adheres to the following time and credit guidelines established by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD):

• In studio courses, 1 hour of credit represents three hours of work each week of the 16-week semester. Two of the hours are spent in class with the instructor, and one hour of additional work is expected outside of regularly scheduled class time.
• In lecture/discussion courses, 1 hour of credit represents one hour each week in class, and two hours each week of work outside of class for the duration of the 16-week semester.

PLEASE NOTE
This document represents a sample 4-year plan for degree completion with this major. Actual course selection and sequence may vary and should be discussed individually with your college or department academic advisor. Advisors also can help you plan other experiences to enrich your undergraduate education such as internships, education abroad, undergraduate research, learning communities, and service learning and community-based learning.

Graphic Design (B.A.)

Icon Legend: Critical

15 HR TERM 1

Required Foundation

complete ARTP 151, ARTP 152, DRAW 201, GRPH 222

12hr

C

Successful completion of ARTP 151, ARTP 152, DRAW 201, and GRPH 222 by the end of the second term of enrollment is critical to your success in the major. ARTP 151 and ARTP 152 will meet the experiential learning requirement.

---

Art History Intro

complete AHIS 101

3hr

C

AHIS 101 will also fulfill the ACE 7 requirement.

15 HR TERM 2

Graphic Design Core

complete GRPH 223, GRPH 224

6hr

C

GRPH 224 is only offered in the Spring semester.

---

Graphic Design Intro

complete GRPH 221

3hr

C

Successful completion of GRPH 221 by the end of the third term of enrollment is critical to your success in the major.

---

Art History Intro

complete AHIS 102

3hr

C

---

ACE 1 Written Texts

complete 1 from ACE1

3hr

14 HR TERM 3

Life Drawing

complete DRAW 202

3hr

C

---

Graphic Design Core

complete GRPH 321

3hr

C

---

ACE 3 Math/Statistics

complete 1 from ACE3

3hr

---

Language Sequence

recommend 1 or more courses

5hr

Depending on your language background and current skill level, select the appropriate course. Prerequisite courses at the 100 level will count as electives.

14 HR TERM 4

Graphic Design Core

complete GRPH 325

3hr

C

---

ACE 5 Humanities

complete 1 from ACE5

3hr

---

Additional Graphic Design

complete Any Graphic Design Course

3hr

C

Select from the list of approved courses.

---

Language Sequence

recommend 1 or more courses

5hr

Depending on your language background and current skill level, select the appropriate course. Prerequisite courses at the 100 level will count as electives.

16 HR TERM 5

Graphic Design Core

complete GRPH 421

3hr

C

---

ACE 2 Communication Skill

complete 1 from ACE2

3hr

---

ACE 4 Sciences

complete 1 from ACE4

3hr

---

Language Sequence

recommend 1 or more courses

3hr

Depending on your language background and current skill level, select the appropriate course.

---

Electives

complete Any Course

4hr

Some electives credits should be devoted to satisfying minor requirements.

16 HR TERM 6

Additional Graphic Design

complete Any Graphic Design Course

3hr

C

Select from the list of approved courses.

---

Art History Elective

complete Any Art History Course

3hr

C

---

ACE 6 Social Sciences

complete 1 from ACE6

3hr

---

Language Sequence

recommend 1 or more courses

3hr

Depending on your language background and current skill level, select the appropriate course.

---

Electives

complete Any Course

4hr

Some electives credits should be devoted to satisfying minor requirements.

15 HR TERM 7

Graphic Design Core

complete GRPH 426

3hr

C

---

Art History Upper Level

complete either Any Art History Course at the 300 Level or Any Art History Course at the 400 Level

3hr

C

---

ACE 8 Ethical Principles

complete 1 from ACE8

3hr

---

Electives

complete Any Course

6hr

Some electives credits should be devoted to satisfying minor requirements.

15 HR TERM 8

ACE 10 Capstone

complete GRPH 428

3hr

C

GRPH 428 will meet the experiential learning requirement.

---

ACE 9 Global/Human Divers

complete 1 from ACE9

3hr

---

Electives

complete Any Course

9hr

Some electives credits should be devoted to satisfying minor requirements.

Graduation Requirements

1. A minimum 2.00 GPA required for graduation.
2. ***Total Credits Applying Toward 120 Total Hours***
3. Complete 30 of the last 36 hours in residence at UNL OR Complete a minimum of 90 hours at UNL.
4. Complete a minimum of 30 hours numbered 300 or above. This may include both major and non-major courses.
   

Graphic Design (B.F.A.)

Icon Legend: Critical

15 HR TERM 1

Required Foundation

complete ARTP 151, ARTP 152, DRAW 201, GRPH 222

12hr

C

Successful completion of ARTP 151, ARTP 152, DRAW 201, and GRPH 222 by the end of the second term of enrollment is critical to your success in the major. ARTP 151 and ARTP 152 will meet the experiential learning requirement.

---

Art History Intro

complete AHIS 101

3hr

C

AHIS 101 will also fulfill the ACE 7 requirement.

15 HR TERM 2

Graphic Design Core

complete GRPH 223, GRPH 224

6hr

C

GRPH 224 is only offered in the Spring semester.

---

Graphic Design Intro

complete GRPH 221

3hr

C

Successful completion of GRPH 221 by the end of the third term of enrollment is critical to your success in the major.

---

Art History Intro

complete AHIS 102

3hr

C

---

ACE 1 Written Texts

complete 1 from ACE1

3hr

15 HR TERM 3

Life Drawing

complete DRAW 202

3hr

C

---

Graphic Design Core

complete GRPH 321

3hr

C

---

Studio Art Electives

complete 1 from Any Art Theory and Practice Course*, Any Art Special Topic Course*, Any Ceramics Course*, Any Drawing Course*, Any Painting Course*, Any Photography Course*, Any Printmaking Course*, Any Sculpture Course*, Any Watercolor Course*

3hr

C

---

Art History Elective

complete Any Art History Course

3hr

C

---

ACE 3 Math/Statistics

complete 1 from ACE3

3hr

15 HR TERM 4

Additional Graphic Design

complete GRPH 323

3hr

C

---

Graphic Design Core

complete GRPH 325

3hr

C

---

Studio Art Electives

complete 1 from Any Art Theory and Practice Course*, Any Art Special Topic Course*, Any Ceramics Course*, Any Drawing Course*, Any Painting Course*, Any Photography Course*, Any Printmaking Course*, Any Sculpture Course*, Any Watercolor Course*

3hr

C

---

ACE 5 Humanities

complete 1 from ACE5

3hr

---

ACE 2 Communication Skill

complete 1 from ACE2

3hr

15 HR TERM 5

Graphic Design Core

complete GRPH 421

3hr

C

---

Additional Graphic Design

complete GRPH 425

3hr

C

Normally offered in the Fall semester.

---

Studio Art Electives

complete 1 from Any Art Theory and Practice Course*, Any Art Special Topic Course*, Any Ceramics Course*, Any Drawing Course*, Any Painting Course*, Any Photography Course*, Any Printmaking Course*, Any Sculpture Course*, Any Watercolor Course*

3hr

C

---

ACE 4 Sciences

complete 1 from ACE4

3hr

---

Electives

complete Any Course

3hr

15 HR TERM 6

Additional Graphic Design

complete Any Graphic Design Course*

6hr

C

Select from the list of approved courses.

---

Studio Art Electives

complete 1 from Any Art Theory and Practice Course*, Any Art Special Topic Course*, Any Ceramics Course*, Any Drawing Course*, Any Painting Course*, Any Photography Course*, Any Printmaking Course*, Any Sculpture Course*, Any Watercolor Course*

3hr

C

---

ACE 6 Social Sciences

complete 1 from ACE6

3hr

---

Electives

complete Any Course

3hr

15 HR TERM 7

Graphic Design Core

complete GRPH 426

3hr

C

---

Additional Graphic Design

complete Any Graphic Design Course*

3hr

C

Select from the list of approved courses.

---

Art History Upper-Level

complete either Any Art History Course at the 300 Level* or Any Art History Course at the 400 Level*

3hr

C

---

ACE 8 Ethical Principles

complete 1 from ACE8

3hr

---

Electives

complete Any Course

3hr

15 HR TERM 8

ACE 10 Capstone

complete GRPH 428

3hr

C

GRPH 428 will meet the experiential learning requirement.

---

Additional Graphic Design

complete Any Graphic Design Course*

6hr

C

Select from the list of approved courses.

---

ACE 9 Global/Human Divers

complete 1 from ACE9

3hr

---

Electives

complete Any Course

3hr

Graduation Requirements

1. A minimum 2.00 GPA required for graduation.
2. ***Total Credits Applying Toward 120 Total Hours***
3. Complete 30 of the last 36 in residence at UNL OR Complete a minimum of  90 hours at UNL.
4. Complete a minimum of 30 hours numbered 300 or above. This may include both major and non-major courses.