Graphic Design, BFA

The BFA Graphic Design program prepares students for intellectually and aesthetically challenging careers in Graphic Design. Preparation involves both theoretical and practical study with emphasis on typography, form and image, information architecture, experience design and interactive design. Admission to the BFA Graphic Design program is by portfolio review, which takes place after completing preliminary course work. After admission, passage of portfolio reviews conducted at the end of each semester are required to continue to advance through the BFA GD program. All students are required to complete a professional internship. In addition to the regular curriculum, students have the opportunity to attend special classes and workshops led by studio professionals and faculty members.

Students must pass a milestone portfolio review to remain in the BFA program. Students who do not pass the review will be changed to the BA-Art with a concentration in Design Studies.

University Graduation Requirements

Students must complete all residency, curriculum, unit, and GPA requirements as outlined in the Undergraduate Graduation Requirements section of the Policies and Procedures .

4-Year Program Roadmap

Students may find a roadmap for this program here. Roadmaps should be used in consultation with the catalog and your advisor to identify additional requirements for completing the major (for example, course grade minimums). Associate Transfer Degrees (ADT) pathway roadmaps can be found here.

General Education/American Institution Requirements

Courses that meet General Education/American Institution requirements are noted with area designation for required area. For legend please see General Education Attributes .

University Requirements (47 units)

Core Lower Division General Education (27 units)

Of the 39 units required by the university, 12 units may be satisfied by coursework outlined below. Courses that meet GE Areas A1, A2, A3 or B4 must be passed with a “C-” or better to meet the requirement. Consult with major advisor for details.

Upper Division General Education (9 units)

Of the 9 units required by the university, 0 units may be satisfied by coursework outlined below. Consult with major advisor for details.

American Institutions (6 units)

The 6 units of American Institutions (US123) coursework shown below also fulfills GE Areas D2 and D3. Other courses meet the American Institutions requirement, but may not include additional GE areas. The American Studies (AMS 1A /AMS 1B ) and Humanities Honors (HUM 1A /HUM 1B , HUM 2A /HUM 2B ) programs both offer larger integrated packages that meet this requirement. Consult with major advisor for details.

Complete One Sequence From:

Physical Education (2 units)

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (3 units)

At SJSU, students must pass both the SJSU Writing Skills Test (WST) and a 100W course. For additional information on the WST, please see http://testing.sjsu.edu/wst. Exceptions to the GWAR may be found at http://info.sjsu.edu/gwar.html.

A grade of C or better (C- not accepted) is required to meet graduation requirement.