Course General Description

In the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design degree program, we train our students in the art of persuasive, visual problem solving. Our faculty of professional designers help students develop and execute brand strategies in diverse media formats, including print, web, motion and mobile devices. Graduates complete this program with a strong understanding of concept ideation, design processes and methods, visual communication strategies, messaging, wireframing, design development and production workflow. Our curriculum recognizes graphic design as a communicative medium, emphasizes solid foundations in visual messaging, and gives students experience creating and presenting their ideas to an extensive range of audiences and consumers. Students have the opportunity to participate in real-world projects such as World Studio’s Design Ignites Change and Design Lab while they enhance their skills in the classroom and draw inspiration from the dynamic city of Washington, D.C. At the end of the program, students participate in NEXT, the Corcoran’s award-winning, school-wide thesis exhibition.

School General Description

The Corcoran School of the Arts & Design at the George Washington University prepares its graduates to be the next generation of global leaders. Part of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, the school functions as an incubator for artists, designers and scholars, who learn from internationally renowned faculty at the intersection of creativity and social innovation. It is an academic experience like no other—inspiring students to research, create and innovate with the potential to shape the world around them. We are a community of civically engaged artists and practitioners, aiming to impact the world through social change. Our students are poised to not just join the creative field of their choice, but to define it for themselves as they become well versed in both practice and research. We embody and exemplify the Columbian College’s Engaged Liberal Arts credo, which strives to link disparate fields and better prepare our graduates for rich, multidimensional careers in the evolving world we live in. The challenges society faces are diverse, requiring different modes of thought, and we prepare our students by encouraging inquiry and collaboration. While we at the Corcoran School can prepare specialists, we pride ourselves on the diversity of our practice and view ourselves as a place of possibility for students instead of teaching art in a singular way.