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Degrees and Requirements

Design Studies

The Bachelor of Science in Design Studies program is intended to be an advanced, design focused degree. Students have the option of selecting 1 or 2 areas of concentration within design, arts & film. They are also required to complete a design studies core, and design internship.  
 
This program will focus on the foundation of design principles, while allowing students to build upon that knowledge with an individualized focus. This program is intended to provide the groundwork for design research and theory, setting students up for advanced studies in the discipline(s) of their choosing.

Students will complete 30 credits of discipline coursework - either 30 credits in one discipline, or 15 each in two disciplines. Discipline(s) and the courses will be selected in conjunction with the academic advisor. 

Possible disciplines include:  Graphic Design, Interior Architecture & Design, Film, Photography*, or History of Visual Arts*.
*can only be 15 credit disciplines.

Summary of Requirements

Design Discipline(s): 1 or 2: 30 total credits

  • DISC 1 or 2

    DISC 1 or 2

    Credits (Min/Max): /

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Design Studies Business Electives. Choose from these course subjects: 9 credits

  • ACCTXXXX

    ACCTXXXX

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  • ADMGXXXX

    ADMGXXXX

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  • FINCXXXX

    FINCXXXX

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  • ISTCXXXX

    ISTCXXXX

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  • MRKTXXXX

    MRKTXXXX

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  • SCMGXXXX

    SCMGXXXX

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Design Studies Core: 18 credits

  • DSGN1010
    INTRO TO DESIGN STUDIES

    DSGN1010
    INTRO TO DESIGN STUDIES

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    This course explores the responsibility of design to shape the human experience. The ubiquitous nature of design will be analyzed through a variety of past and present contexts and as both a social and cultural force. Studio practices will introduce students to visual techniques that will deepen the understanding of the impact design has on shaping the world around us.

    PREREQUISITES:

  • DSGN2010
    DESIGN THINKING

    DSGN2010
    DESIGN THINKING

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    Design thinking teaches various research, synthesis, and iterative design techniques which focus on human and user-centered problem solving. Students will learn how to understand and define a design problem in a framework of thinking that inspires solutions generated with informed creativity. Students will grasp various techniques for brainstorming, prototyping, and problem solving that focus the users? needs to the core of the design process.

    PREREQUISITES:

  • DSGN4055
    CAPSTONE IN DESIGN STUDIES

    DSGN4055
    CAPSTONE IN DESIGN STUDIES

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    This course centers on the development of a capstone project. In consultation with faculty and peers, students will create a content-driven project that demonstrates their ability to identify, research, self-author and implement within the identified problem space. The outcome can be solution oriented or a scholarly analytical work about design. The course will culminate with a final professional presentation.

    PREREQUISITES:

  • GCDN1023
    DRAWING I (IDSN1023)

    GCDN1023
    DRAWING I (IDSN1023)

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    A study-workshop in the language of drawing, including practice in expression and communication in various media utilizing principles of line, tone, gesture, exaggeration and lighting. Cross-listed with IDSN1023

    PREREQUISITES:

  • GCDN1060
    FOUNDATION DESIGN I (IDSN1060)

    GCDN1060
    FOUNDATION DESIGN I (IDSN1060)

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    An introductory course in design process, the principles of design and their application to studio projects. This course establishes a framework form which to explore the connection between the foundations of design and complex discipline-specific design problems. Cross-listed with IDSN1060

    PREREQUISITES:

  • GCDN1062
    FOUNDATION DESIGN II (IDSN1062)

    GCDN1062
    FOUNDATION DESIGN II (IDSN1062)

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    PREREQUISITE: GCDN1060 AND IDSN1060, GRADE OF C OR BETTER This course builds upon Foundation Design I, as an introductory course in design process, the principles of design and their application to studio projects, with a focus on color theory through both two- and three-dimensional design. This course continues to establish a framework from which to explore the connection between the foundations of design and complex discipline-specific design problems. Cross-listed with IDSN1062

    PREREQUISITES:

    GCDN1060

Design/Art History: 6 credits

  • ARTH1017
    HISTORY OF ART I: PREHISTORIC

    ARTH1017
    HISTORY OF ART I: PREHISTORIC

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    A survey of world art from prehistoric to late Gothic eras as well as an examination of the interaction of the social, political and economic forces that effected the production and appearance of such arts as painting, sculpture, architecture and the minor arts. Lectures, slides, discussion and field trips are utilized.

    PREREQUISITES:

  • ARTH1018
    HISTORY OF ART II: RENAISSANCE

    ARTH1018
    HISTORY OF ART II: RENAISSANCE

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    This course will provide a survey of world art from early Renaissance to the present day. Emphasis is on cause and effect in the various historical and technological developments of art. Lecture, discussion, slides, film strips and field trips are part of the course.

    PREREQUISITES:

  • ARTH2002
    HISTORY OF GRAPHIC DESIGN

    ARTH2002
    HISTORY OF GRAPHIC DESIGN

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    A survey of the history of graphic design from the invention of writing to the twentieth century. Emphasis will be given to the evolution of graphic communication and will include the origins of printing and typography. The impact of the industry on visual communication and the development of modern graphic design will also be presented.

    PREREQUISITES:

  • ARTH3020
    HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY ART

    ARTH3020
    HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY ART

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    A survey of modern art from the 19th century to the present day. This course explores the revolutionary forms, methods and media invented by contemporary artists to continually defy our expectations of what art should be.

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  • FILM2010
    INTERNATIONAL FILM HISTORY

    FILM2010
    INTERNATIONAL FILM HISTORY

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    In this course we analyze film style across a selection of international films from diverse regional, national and local contexts. We connect the threads of world cinema, asking students to compare and contrast a work from one time and place to any number of its geographically distant offspring. Major international films encourage us to reconsider what cinema is and how new ideas, feelings, and worlds come into being. As such, we study and analyze films from India, Canada, Sweden, Nigeria, South Korea, Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, China and more. We compare and contrast styles along the way. We also explore broader questions about the usefulness of working in a globally-identifiable film style.

    PREREQUISITES:

  • IDSN2032
    HISTORY OF ID AND ARCHITECTURE I

    IDSN2032
    HISTORY OF ID AND ARCHITECTURE I

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    A survey of interiors and architecture from the ancient world through the gothic period. Emphasis is on understanding the development of our consciousness of space and the relationship between plan development, structural concepts, technology and materials.

    PREREQUISITES:

  • IDSN2039
    HISTORY OF ID AND ARCH II

    IDSN2039
    HISTORY OF ID AND ARCH II

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    A survey of interiors and architecture from the Renaissance through the 18th century, with special emphasis on styles and furniture.

    PREREQUISITES:

  • IDSN3032
    HISTORY OF ID AND ARCHITECTURE III

    IDSN3032
    HISTORY OF ID AND ARCHITECTURE III

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    PREREQUISITE: ENGL1012 OR ENGL1012H Survey of nineteenth and twentieth century interiors and architecture in Europe and the United States. Special emphasis is placed on designers and their contribution to contemporary American environment. Prereq: IDSN2039 recommended.

    PREREQUISITES:

    ENGL1012or ENGL1012H