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Course Catalog
To read more about our academic offerings, or to view full course descriptions, please refer to our University Catalog.
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Application Requirements
STANDARD PORTFOLIO
A portfolio on CD or mailed slides or samples. Portfolio submissions must be 18-20 pieces. The portfolio submissions should include computer-generated graphic design work; logos, posters, publications, websites, etc. In certain situations other media may be considered. Interview Optional.
OR
TARGETED PORTFOLIO
10-15 pieces* including the following 3 assignments:
Photographic Story – Use a familiar object (no people) that has meaning in your daily life, create a visual story – fictitious or realistic – with that object in 5 images (considered one entry).
Collage – Create a color collage from magazine clippings using a unique two-color scheme (should be created by hand not on the computer) Size: approximately 8” x 8”
Signage – If your home or personal room was a museum, what would it be called and what would the sign look like. No computer type or computer rendering.
* a series would be considered one piece and should be identified as such on separate information sheet
If necessary to meet the minimum requirement, or if desired to broaden your portfolio, you may add two of these to your submission (totally optional):
Visual Message – Create a distress/‘S.O.S.’ or ‘message in a bottle” letter. Using ONLY found type from magazines, newspapers, and/or other printed material such as menus or business cards as well as photographs of letters on a one-sided page. Size is up to you, mention the dimensions and rationale, if any, on the information sheet. No pictures.
Map your day – Using various mediums (not a computer) such as collage, pencil, ink, markers, pastels, watercolors, etc. create a visual map of your typical day.
Video – create a 20-60 second video that responds to the theme “Make/Think.”
In-person reviews can be scheduled through the Graphic Design department.
Call (401) 254-3249 for more information.
Graphic Design Communication
The Graphic Design Communication program at Roger Williams University is a contemporary blend of a liberal arts education and applied creative and technical skills. Graphic Design students extract information from their complete educational experience to shape visual messages that are thought-provoking, well researched and well executed. Graphic Design majors are creative, intellectually curious and disciplined. They are highly motivated, visually responsive individuals who like to work with technology but draw inspiration from academic pursuits, experimental research, social responsibility and a respect for the beauty of the physical world.
Critical thinking and technical training are partnered with practical information in the Graphic Design program. Students learn the best professional practices in the field as they relate to production, budget restrictions and client relations.
Students in Graphic Design attend class in the Graphic Design Labs, the most sophisticated computer facilities at RWU located in Global Heritage Hall. Students participate in a formal portfolio exhibition and complete an internship in their senior year.
Student Learning Outcomes
Student Learning Outcomes
The goals of the Graphic Design Communication major are as follows:
- To prepare students for careers in the demanding field of Graphic Design;
- Create comprehension of both solid communication theory and practical graphic arts skills training;
- Engender knowledge of how emerging technologies are used by professionals and the industry in the 21st Century;
- Provide cutting-edge instruction and pedagogy to our students;
- Provide service and outreach to the academic and professional communities of which we are a part both nationally and internationally;
- Support the missions of the Department of Communication and Rogers Williams University.
Graphic design is a professional program with the goal of educating students with professional standards for an entry-level position in the graphic design industry. The measure of that has always been fairly definable: entry-level positions at design firms, advertising agencies, publications and/or web design firms, or companies that have internal graphic design departments which generally have defined tasks and expectations. Students who complete the graphic design major should have the following skills:
- Strong critical thinking and analytical skills
- Preparation of a physical portfolio that demonstrates their visual and technical skills
- An understanding of the contemporary landscape of graphic design industry
- An understanding of standard tools used in the graphic design industry
- An understanding of the history of graphic design including trends and trendsetters
- An ability to discuss, critique and visually analyze their work
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