Home—Academics—Colleges—Humanities and Fine Arts—Degree Programs—Graphic Design

Graphic Design

Shape the way people see, use, and experience information. Become an expert in typography and image.

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Degree Type

Bachelor of Arts

College

Humanities

Focus Areas

Motion Design

Typography

Pre-Professional Studio

Accreditations

National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)

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Home—Academics—Colleges—Humanities and Fine Arts—Degree Programs—Graphic Design

Contact Info

Logan Woodle

Chair, Visual Arts

EHFA 270

843-349-2630

mwoodle@coastal.edu

Did You Know?

Student designers consistently win regional and national awards for their work on our student-driven publications, Tempo and Archarios.

Why Choose CCU for Graphic Design?

Learn how to be a visual communicator through type and image and innovate through technology. In the classroom, you will build the fundamental skills of design, which can translate across careers and technologies, and you will engage with contemporary designers and practices. At Coastal Carolina University, we have a number of student-driven publications and professional-level design projects to help you build your portfolio before graduating.

Studying Graphic Design at CCU

Mickie Smith (2022)

Meet a Major

A man in a black tie and button-up shirt talks in a lowly lit gallery.

Jeff Case

Meet a Faculty Member

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All Visual Arts Faculty

Program Highlights

CCU's program in Graphic Design focuses on real-world applications of design fundamentals, like typography and user experience design.

Average Completion Time

4 years

Degree Credit Hours

120 credit hours

Majors

200+

Major Requirements

Building on the foundations of art making and the historical context of contemporary art and design, students expand their technical and conceptual skills in graphic design. Students learn to analyze visual problems, explore advanced concepts, and use appropriate media to generate solutions that result in a professional portfolio of finished work. All graphic design majors at Coastal Carolina University are required to have their own Macintosh laptop computer and Adobe Creative Cloud software.

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Minor for Art Studio Majors

The 18-credit hour minor in Graphic Design has two tracks: one for Art Studio majors, and the other for those outside art programs, like Communications, Marketing, or Digital Culture and Design. Art studio majors will paint, draw, and sculpt, but with a minor in Graphic Design, art studio students will also learn web design, photography, and desktop publishing, and, thus, expand their career possibilities.

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Minor for Non-Art Studio Majors

The Graphic Design for Non-Art Studio Minors is designed for complementary majors, such as Communications, Marketing, or Digital Culture and Design, who are interested in tailoring their major with the unique skills acquired by studying art and design. With a broad foundation in studio art and design, the minor complements many majors and helps lead to careers involving social media research and marketing, web design, and advertising.

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The Athenaeum Press

The Athenaeum Press at Coastal Carolina University is an integral part of the graphic design experience, both through the Pre-Professional Studio and through the project-based courses offered through the press. This unique, award-winning, student-driven publishing lab creates museum exhibitions, publications, and digital projects that focus on local and regional stories. It is also home to the two acclaimed student magazines: Tempo and Archarios.

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Where Graphic Design Can Take You

An Award-Winning Animator

A woman sits on the red couch from Blues Clues in the Nickelodeon Studio.

“I call them the holy trinity: Paul Olsen, Scott Mann and Jeff Case. The three of them played very different roles and were each very important to me. Paul Olsen pushed me to do design when I was originally a journalism major; Scott taught me to be tight, nimble, proper and professional; and with Case, it was opening my creativity notes.”

- Barbara Astrini, B.A. Graphic Design 2014
2019 Emmy Winner, Outstanding Short Format Children’s Program
Owner, Studio LOJA

Becoming a Professor of Graphic Design

A black and white photo of a woman with long brown hair and a black turtleneck looking into the camera.

“I worked on a project on the Gullah culture, where we got to travel around to see and talk to different people. And the project I designed won a national ADDY award. So that was a quintessential part of my journey in being a graphic designer, in getting recognition for work that my friends and I poured our hearts into."

- Tori Hord, Graphic Design, 2014
Masters in Graphic Design, NC State University
Associate Professor of Graphic Design, Methodist University