Visual Communication (BFA)
Design Emphasis


As you learn from industry professionals and accomplished, recognized faculty, you will expand your skills in conceptual thinking and visual problem-solving.

Where It Is Offered
Commerce Dallas
Duration 4 years
Total Credit Hours 120 credit hours
Foreign Language No foreign language credits required

Fine-Tune Your Creative Process in Visual Communication

Hone your skills as a designer by learning how to communicate a client’s needs using an array of visual communication tools. Cultivate your imagination and knowledge in graphic design, packaging, paper systems, and client visual brand development. Our program focuses on conceptual thinking, the creative process, and visual problem-solving. Build a professional portfolio of industry-relevant work for careers.

Instructor pointing towards a screen with students in the background

Is this Program a Good Fit for You?

Visual communication students are typically interested in:

  • Graphic design and illustration
  • Art direction
  • New media
  • Advertising and promotion

See Yourself Succeed with a Degree In Visual Communication

Young adult squished into a subway train, but still enjoying their handheld video game system.

Award-winning Work

You will enter competitions and showcases to display your skills and potentially win awards. Students have won national and international competitions and earned awards from Adobe Achievement Awards, The One Show, American Advertising Federation and Graphis, among others.

Learn more about our Student’s artwork
Student smiling around many computers.

Creative Spaces

Our diverse and collaborative spaces offer multiple creative student outlets including state of the art computer labs, access to hi-end video equipment and alternative makers space equipment.

Mac computers showcasing digital media in a gallery.

Senior Exit Show

Upon graduation, you will participate in the Senior Exit Show, where your work will be displayed for professionals and alumni to view. In the past, students have received multiple job offers during the event.

Faculty of the art department in a gallery. Starting from the left Joshua Ege, Virgil Scott, Lee Hackett, Carlos Hernandez and Casey McGarr.

Career Readiness

Distinguished faculty and design professionals guide your development to help you acquire expertise, versatility and the experience needed to thrive in a complex and rapidly changing world.

Male instructor pointing at whiteboard with students watching
Student sitting on desk listening

What You Will Learn

A Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Visual Communication with a design emphasis will offer you the opportunity to:

  • Cultivate your imagination and build a creative process
  • Learn from industry professionals and accomplished, recognized faculty
  • Gain access to equipment to make your concepts come to life; letterpress, screenprinting, RISO printer, 3-d printer and laser cutters
  • Apply conceptual thinking and visual problem-solving to acquire expertise
  • Participate in student competitions and internships
  • Build a dynamic portfolio

Careers

With our courses focused on client-driven projects such as packaging, paper systems, and visual branding development, our program prepares you for careers in graphic design, advertisement, and visual communications.

Career Possibilities and Current Median Salaries

Graphic Designer
$52,110
Brand Identity Designer
$58,013
Print Graphic Designer
$56,734
Interaction Designer
$85,000
Senior Graphic Designer
$62,645

Data from Glassdoor/US DOL statistics

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

A degree in visual communication will offer you the opportunity to:

  • Focus on an applied conceptual skill set and develop conceptual thinking, visual problem-solving and an understanding of the creative process.
  • Learn to be a creative team leader and target specific market audiences to produce client branding, single ads and campaigns in the form of print, broadcast and interactive media.
  • Gain proficiency in creating headlines, copy, layout and storyboarding by partnering with copywriters, designers, photographers and illustrators.
  • Work on client-driven projects such as packaging, paper systems and visual branding development.
  • Pairs creative thinking and refined design skills with computer-based multimedia and motion design. Study how to create motion graphics, modeling, animation, video, gaming concepts, interactive web and mobile apps.
Student presenting design layouts on a whiteboard.

Featured Courses

Advanced Typography ART 463

Advanced study of typography and its application in visual communication. Students learn through concept development, typographical refinements, and polished execution of projects focusing on type relationships.

Visual Communication Branding ART 462

The course focuses on the understanding of branding as it relates to the identity of a company, organization, or individual in the current business environment. Students will execute a communications plan and use branding concepts and strategies to produce multiple projects.

Screen Printing for Visual Communication ART 464

Students will explore the silkscreen printing process through demonstration, technique application and client driven design projects. Correct art authoring, film output, screen preparation, multi-color, split fountain, halftones, and print registration techniques will be covered.

Letterpress ART 465

Course will address letterpress history, type anatomy, terminology, formal and aesthetic issues, tools, materials of the trade and safety issues. Thumbnail ideation, writing, type setting and linoleum carving will be explored.

Visual Communication Professional Practice ART 458

This course teaches general theory, concepts and techniques of Visual Communication professional practice. Students will learn how to navigate issues that arise in the various professions within Visual Communication through research, discussion and self-promotion.

View Full Curriculum In The University Catalog

Course Delivery and Resources

Face-to-face classes are led by engaged faculty and industry professionals to provide instruction and mentorship to help find your point of difference.

First-year and Sophomore-level courses are taught on the Commerce campus. All upper-level Visual Communication courses are offered in Dallas where students are introduced to the dynamic design community of one of the nation's most vibrant cities. Shuttle service between the Commerce campus and Dallas allows students to reside in Commerce while attending classes in Dallas.

Undergraduate Program Costs

Program Costs

Tuition and fees for undergraduate students taking 12 credit hours are $4,212 for Texas residents and $9,108 for non-residents.

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We are here to help!

Lee Hackett Director of Visual Communication and Assistant Professor
Laurel Jay Carpenter Department Head and Professor of Art
Alum Kristina Nichols Director of Advising
Alum Amanda Scott Academic Advisor III / EAB and Onboarding Manager

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Contact Us

  • 8750 N Central Expy.
  • Dallas, TX 75231

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