Graphic Design/Art
Our campus is an art student's natural habitat
You'll take classes in our Digital Media Center, which features the latest computer and printing technology in a comfortable space to critique and discuss your work with fellow students. You'll also enjoy ready access to spacious painting and drawing studios, digital photo labs, a black and white darkroom, a sculpture woodshop, a ceramics studio, and a printmaking studio — all with great natural light. The O'Connor Art Gallery, steps away from our classrooms and studios in Lewis Hall, exhibits the work of contemporary artists of national renown who will introduce you to innovative movements, strategies and techniques. It is also the site of the art department's annual juried student show and senior thesis exhibitions.
The Graphic Design/Art major offers two concentrations: Graphic Design and Painting. You’ll take courses like Sculpture, Ceramics, Drawing, Design Applications, Painting, Color Photography and Global Art History as you fulfill the requirements of the common art core. These classes focus on the study of art, while advanced classes delve into Graphic Design or Painting in greater depth.
You can apply for grant funding to support your creative work. The university awards funding on a competitive basis that enables students to complete original research or creative work or travel to academic and professional conferences across the U.S. It's all part of the Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Investigations Program (URSCI), a distinctly Dominican initiative. URSCI also will give you a chance to present your work at a campus expo in April.
Students who wish to teach art to elementary or high school students can combine their major with the Secondary and K-12 Education program. Offered by the School of Education, the program includes a full semester of clinical practice, split between an elementary school and a middle or secondary school.
International Students
International students requiring an I-20 or DS 2019 may not apply for this major until SEVP approval.
Graphic Design Concentration
Become a creative problem-solver! Graphic Design blends in-depth study of the visual arts with hands-on practice at creating effective solutions to real-world communications problems.
Master the art of visual communication
As a graphic designer you'll work side-by-side with talented faculty who are passionate about art. You'll learn to develop inventive visual concepts and execute them skillfully — and with the latest technology. With fellow students in small classes, you'll present your work and discuss it in detail. In a curriculum rooted in the liberal arts, you'll deepen your understanding of the creative process and expand your capacity for critical thinking and compelling visual, oral and written expression. You'll come to understand a discipline that brings form and order to human activities, inventions and creations — and prepare for rewarding work in a corporate or studio setting.
Millejie Ponte
Graphic Design Graduate
“I enjoyed all my classes, even the most challenging ones. My professors have a real passion for teaching, and I love getting to know them and my fellow students so well. I feel so lucky to be able to pursue what I love to do.”
Enjoy many ways to learn, on campus and beyond
Practical, hands-on experience is built into the Graphic Design curriculum. Through our internships, you’ll have access to the vast cultural, business and professional resources of Chicago — one of the largest job markets for graphic designers in the nation. We make our connections your connections, so you can test drive your dream job in the real world. To gain a global perspective, you can choose from a number of study abroad programs on multiple continents.
The university's Civic Learning Program enables you to combine academic learning with effective, compassionate service to people in need — in the Chicago area and around the world. The program has been nationally recognized for excellence.
Painting Concentration
Painting is a deep immersion in creative expression. You will expand your perspective, build your technique, and find your own artistic voice.
Develop your talents and live your passion
In small classes, you'll work side-by-side with talented artists who love to teach. You'll study the subtleties of painting and drawing, deepen your knowledge of art history, and practice your hand at printmaking, design, photography and sculpture. In a curriculum deeply rooted in the liberal arts, you'll sharpen your critical thinking skills and gain a new understanding of the broader society and culture. You'll learn to present your work effectively, to discuss it intelligently, and to communicate visually with refinement and impact. The Painting concentration will prepare you for a meaningful career and for lifelong intellectual competence.
Callum Moran
Graphic Design and Art Student
“The professors pay such close attention to what your abilities are and cater your learning experience toward that. It’s not a cookie-cutter one size fits all teaching style. It’s very adaptable.”
More ways to learn, on campus and beyond
Our internships draw on Chicago's lively gallery scene and world-class museums. You can also combine academic study with compassionate service to people in need, in the Chicago area or around the world, through the university’s Civic Learning Program. And the university's outstanding study abroad programs add an extra layer — and, perhaps, artistic backdrop — to your education.
We encourage you to complete a minor in a complementary field. You can choose from a large number of minors, including Business, Communications, Fashion Design, Film Studies, Informatics, and Psychology. The art department offers minors in Graphic Design, Painting, Printmaking/Drawing and Sculpture/Ceramics.