If your goal is to become a professional character designer, concept artist or creature designer for films or games, an illustrator for publishers and advertisers, a graphic novelist, or scientific illustrator, this could be the right major for you. With a rich history rooted in drawing, painting and art theory, the Communication Arts program is effectively tailored to provide students opportunities to develop the variety of creative skills, techniques and understandings most relevant and sought after in the expanding universe of communication medias. Now more than ever, success grows from relationships and networks of friends and colleagues. The Comm Arts department is, at its core, a diverse community of supportive, inclusive and highly motivated creatives who understand the power and value of supporting one another’s artistic dreams.

The sophomore year provides for the advancement of basic creative principles and understandings with courses in drawing, design, typography and figure drawing. The junior year broadens knowledge of design development, photography, sequential imaging and illustration. The processes of working from concept to finished presentation are a focus during this studio course work. Senior students advance their understanding of professional practices, including standards of practice, ethics, contractual and intellectual property guidelines, professional promotional materials and, most importantly, portfolio evolution and refinement guided by personal postgraduate goals.

The junior and senior years offer several opportunities for students to select from a variety of electives within the major. Students typically choose three to five electives in the department. This allows them to begin specializing in and/or more deeply explore personal interests. Currently the elective classes offer specific illustration topics, (i.e., printmaking, advanced figure drawing and editorial illustration) and entertainment and video game design (i.e., graphic novels, 3D image and movement, entertainment concept design, and organic 3D modeling).

Learning outcomes:

• Students will demonstrate proficiency in drawing, including the figure.

• Students will demonstrate conceptual and critical thinking.

• Students will articulate conceptual and visual ideas to communicate content.

• Students will demonstrate competence in the use of traditional media.

• Students will demonstrate competence in the use of digital media and emerging technologies.

• Students will demonstrate knowledge of the historical and current context of communication arts.

• Students will demonstrate ethical and professional practices.