Graphic Communications

Our department is committed to providing students with a quality education in graphic communications and helping students meet their educational goals, whether professional skills development, personal enrichment or preparation for continued study. As a department, we value creative thinking, collaboration, and social responsibility, and we thread these values through our content and approach to learning.

We offer a wide range of programs including Graphic Design, Web Design and Development, Production Art, Illustration, Game Design/Development, Digital and Offset Print Production and Letterpress Printing/Book Arts. We prepare students to work as graphic designers, web designers, web developers, animators, interactive game designers, production artists, and digital and offset printers. We also prepare students to transfer to four-year universities for continued study.

If you're new to the field and want a two-year course of study, take a look at our certificate programs. If a degree is your goal, you can complete an AA or develop a program to transfer to the university of your choice. If you are a designer returning to school to learn the latest web design or Flash animation techniques, we have certificates focused on those and other digital tools. If you have digital skills but need to learn design theory to create innovative solutions, we have a variety of classes to help you as well. If you are not looking for a full-time commitment, you can always take individual classes to refresh your skills or prepare for a career change. No matter your interests, you can tailor the program to suit your goals and career direction.

For those interested in offset and digital printing, we have both an AA degree and a certificate program. We also offer classes on Book Arts and Letterpress printing for students interested in acquiring these traditional skills.

We also offer a one-semester, non-credit Graphics Support Specialist certficate for those who are not interested in a credit program. Students can transfer in to a credit program upon completion of this certificate.

For more information on each of these areas, see Degrees, Certificates, Transfer.

We began as the Printing Technology Department along with the College in 1935, offering training for typesetters, camera operators and press operators. Course offerings evolved with technology, and the department began teaching digital skills in 1989. In 1990, we merged with the Visual Arts program and became the Graphic Communications Department. Shortly after, we developed our graphic design program. Digital printing became a part of the program in 1999, and our letterpress printing studio expanded in 2008. In 2010, the Multimedia Studies program became part of Graphic Communications, allowing us to refocus our courses to integrate graphic design and production for both web and print.

Photography by Brad Polt-Jones, © 2011