These requirements are for students who matriculated in academic year 2024-2025. Students who matriculated prior to fall 2024 should refer to the Archives to view the requirements for their Bulletin year.
Summary of Requirements
The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic and Interactive Design may be conferred upon a student by recommendation of the faculty and upon the satisfactory completion of a minimum of 126 semester hours of credit with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00. All Graphic and Interactive Design majors must complete the BFA curriculum and General Education requirements.
The required Junior/Senior courses must be completed with a C- or better to fulfill major requirements.Â
Requirements for BFA in Graphic and Interactive Design
Sophomore Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý2001 | Graphic Design | 3 |
| ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý2021 | Computers for Design | 3 |
Note:
- A minimum final grade of C- in ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý2001 and in ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý2021 along with the approved portfolio review is required to be accepted to the major.
- Graphic and Interactive Design majors who plan to study abroad should do so in the second semester of their sophomore year if they plan to graduate in four years. These students should see the Area Head for advising prior to leaving.
GAID Protocol for Portfolio Reviews
There will be two portfolio review cycles in Graphic and Interactive Design (GAID) each academic year: the end of the Fall semester (December) and the end of the Spring semester (May). The portfolio reviews will take place in the week after final studio course reviews. Specific dates for the reviews will be announced at the beginning of each semester in the ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý2001 classes. They will also be posted on Canvas and in the GAID suite. All full-time GAID faculty will serve on the GAID Portfolio Review Admissions Committee.
Applicants must have completed all Tyler Foundations courses (or had approved transfer courses as noted by the Tyler Admissions Office) and the 2 prerequisites for the major: ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý2001 and ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý2021 with a C-minus or better.
Application and Notification
The complete policy and application process is detailed on the Graphic and Interactive Design web site at .
Application forms will be available for eligible students on Canvas.
Students who have completed or who are currently enrolled in the two prerequisites for the GAID major (³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý2001 and ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý2021) and intend to submit an application for the Portfolio Review will be able to obtain an application form, portfolio template and detailed application instructions on Canvas by mid-semester.
Students who fail to submit all of the required materials for the Portfolio Review will be disqualified, but may re-apply at the next review cycle as a first-time submitter. Late submissions will not be reviewed.
Applicants to the GAID major will receive one of the following decisions from the committee after the review is completed: (i) accepted, (ii) not accepted, or (iii) revise and submit. Students who receive a "(iii) revise and submit" evaluation should re-apply in the next portfolio review cycle.
Students who pass the portfolio review for admission to the GAID major will be informed via TUmail. Within 2 weeks of receiving this e-mail, admitted students must reply to the acceptance e-mail to confirm that they definitively want to major in GAID. Students who do not confirm by that deadline will forfeit their admission to the major and will need to re-apply in the next GAID portfolio review cycle as a second-time submitter. Students are limited to no more than two applications to the major.
Junior Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3001 | Advanced Graphic Design (fall only) | 3 |
| ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3002 | Advanced Graphic Design (spring only) | 3 |
| ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3011 | Typography | 3 |
| ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3021 | Intermediate Computer Graphics | 3 |
| Electives strongly recommended | ||
| ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3013 | Advanced Typography | 3 |
| ´Ç°ùÌý³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3015 | Advanced Typography | |
| ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3023 | Interactive Design | 3 |
| ´Ç°ùÌý³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3025 | Interactive Design | |
| ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3027 | Digital Narratives | 3 |
| ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3031 | Illustration | 3 |
| ´Ç°ùÌý³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3033 | Illustration | |
| ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3041 | Advertising Design | 3 |
| ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3096 | The Business of Design (WI) | 3 |
| ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3101 | Collaborative Design Workshop in Rome | 3 |
Note:
- In the junior year, Advanced Graphic Design must be taken in sequence (³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3001 in Fall / ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3002 in Spring).
- The prerequisites for Senior level design courses are the four required courses at the junior level: ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3001 (Fall), ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3002 (Spring), ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3011 (Fall or Spring), and ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3021 (Fall or Spring). ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3023 or ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3025 is strongly recommended for students taking ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3027. ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3023 or ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3025 is required for ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý4007.
- Students who plan to have an interactive portfolio only should take ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3023 or ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3025. ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3021 is the prerequisite for this course.
- ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3096 (Fall or Spring) is Writing Intensive and must be passed with a C- or better to be recognized as Writing Intensive credit. It can replace a Writing Intensive requirement in Art History. In that case the Art History requirement can be fulfilled with an Art History course that is not Writing Intensive.
Senior Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select two specialized courses in Senior Graphic Design from the following: | 6 | |
³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3013 | Advanced Typography | |
´Ç°ùÌý³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3015 | Advanced Typography | |
³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3027 | Digital Narratives | |
³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3041 | Advertising Design | |
³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý4000 | Senior Design: Special Topics | |
´Ç°ùÌý³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý4010 | Senior Design: Special Topics | |
³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý4001 | Senior Graphic Design: Senior Design Workshop | |
³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý4002 | Senior Graphic Design: Hybrid Design | |
³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý4003 | Senior Graphic Design: Art Direction | |
³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý4004 | Senior Graphic Design: Packaging | |
³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý4005 | Senior Graphic Design: Publishing | |
³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý4006 | Senior Graphic Design: Brand Identity | |
³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý4007 | Senior Interactive Design | |
³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý4008 | Senior Graphic Design: Projects in Authorship | |
³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý4011 | Senior Graphic Design: Design for the Public Good | |
³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý4111 | Senior Illustration | |
´Ç°ùÌý³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý4112 | Senior Illustration | |
| Select one specialized course from the Senior Graphic Design list or one of the following: | 3 | |
³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3031 | Illustration | |
´Ç°ùÌý³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3033 | Illustration | |
³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3023 | Interactive Design | |
´Ç°ùÌý³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3025 | Interactive Design | |
³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3096 | The Business of Design (WI) | |
³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý3101 | Collaborative Design Workshop in Rome | |
| Specialized Course Requirement | ||
| ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý4009 | Senior Graphic Design: Projects in Authorship (spring only) | 3 |
| Capstone Requirement | ||
| ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý4196 | Senior Portfolio (WI, Capstone, spring only) | 3 |
Note:
- Additional 3xxx and 4xxx level GAD courses may be taken as studio electives.
- The capstone ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý4196 Senior Portfolio and ³Ò´¡¶ÙÌý4009 Senior Graphic Design: Projects in Authorship are offered in spring semesters only. These two courses must be taken in addition to the three required senior (or equivalent) GAD courses listed above.