Graphic Design & Interactive Media
Learn the craft of visual communication — type, image, layout, and interaction — in small studio classes taught by faculty who've worked in the field.
Program Overview
A bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design & Interactive Media prepares you for a career displaying ideas and experiences through imagery and text. Through both virtual and physical design, graphic design plays a vital role in many different media platforms including apps and webpages, as well as games and other virtual experiences.
Taught by experienced industry faculty, your coursework will be grounded in foundational art, design, color, and type principles. You will also receive training in key software packages standard in the design industry, while also focusing on developing your critical thinking skills.
Small class sizes allow for students to develop and refine skills under the close mentorship of experienced faculty members. With in-depth coursework that builds on lessons of past courses, students will be able to put together a portfolio and understanding of the field to be prepared for a successful career after graduation.
Graphic design is a vital part of several industries – whether through physical design or virtual illustrations – the ability to understand design as a process and give form to content allows for an enhanced communication that is valuable to several employers and industries.
Career Outcomes
How to Apply
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Start your application
Free, takes about 15 minutes.
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Send transcripts
Have your high school guidance counselor send them to admissions@shawnee.edu
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File the FAFSA
School code 009942. Required for Free Tuition.
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Get your decision
Most decisions in under 7 days.
At A Glance
Graphic Design & Interactive Media
Degree
B.F.A.
Format
On Campus
Length
4 years (typical)
Class Size
12:1
Location
Main Campus
Why Study Graphic Design & Interactive Media at Shawnee University
You'll build a portfolio that gets you hired. The curriculum is structured around studio courses where each project adds to a body of work you can show employers or graduate programs.
You'll work in small studio classes — faculty know your work and give you the kind of feedback that makes you better, fast.
You'll learn the standard tools of the trade — Adobe Creative Suite, vector design, typography, layout — alongside the design thinking that separates a strong designer from a tool operator.
You'll study with practicing designers. Faculty bring real-world experience into the studio and teach the habits that working designers use every day.
You'll graduate with skills that travel — print, web, app, brand, and interactive media — so you're not locked into one corner of the industry.
Coursework starts with art and design foundations — drawing, color, two- and three-dimensional design, and digital tools — then moves into the graphic design core: typography, digital imaging, vector graphics, publication design, and a two-part Graphic Design Studio. Senior Studio gives you a structured space to refine and present a portfolio of your best work.
- Two-Dimensional Foundations and Digital Foundations
- Typography I and II
- Digital Imaging I — Adobe Photoshop and image-making
- Vector Graphics — Illustrator and identity design
- Publication Design — multi-page layout and editorial
- Graphic Design Studio I and II — applied projects across media
- Senior Studio — portfolio refinement and presentation
Hands-on work is built into every course. You'll design for real clients through on-campus offices and community partnerships, present work in studio critique, and finish the degree with a portfolio that has been tested in front of working designers. Internships are encouraged and supported.
- Develop proficiency in the tools, media, software, and technology related to visual design.
- Create work that demonstrates a strong concept, focused research, and an understanding of design principles.
- Employ a vocabulary for design critique and presentation.
- Prepared for the challenges of professional practice with an understanding of the role design can play within the community and in solving problems, large and small.
Classes meet on the Shawnee State campus in Portsmouth, Ohio, in the Department of Fine, Digital and Performing Arts studios and digital labs.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Shawnee State’s tuition is among the lowest in Ohio, and the Shawnee Advantage Tuition Guarantee keeps your rate flat for four years. Scholarships including Choose Ohio First and the Pell-Eligible Free Tuition Program may also apply.
Graphic Design & Interactive Media Frequently Asked Questions
A portfolio isn't required for admission to the major. You'll build your portfolio through the studio courses and finalize it in Senior Studio.
Yes. The B.F.A. covers both print and screen — type, image, layout, and the principles that apply across media. Students who want a deeper interactive focus can also look at the Interactive Media Minor.
Adobe Creative Suite is the standard set — Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign — plus the workflows working designers use across projects.
Yes. The department supports internships with on-campus offices and community partners so you can build real client experience before you graduate.
Program handbook
Program requirements and expectations are available by contacting the Department of Fine, Digital and Performing Arts at (740) 351-3118.
Accreditation
Shawnee State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). No program-specific accreditation is listed for the B.F.A. in Graphic Design & Interactive Media.
