Students pursuing the bachelor of fine arts degree (BFA) in graphic design (GDES) will enroll in the College of Architecture, Design and Construction as Pre-Graphic Design (PGDE) majors for the first year level curriculum.
Acceptance and Progression into the Professional Graphic Design Program
The program maintains the right to limit freshmen and transfer enrollment. Admission into the BFA in graphic design is selective, is limited, and is based on a multiple step process.
Application for Pre-Graphic Design: Once accepted to Auburn University, students who indicate pre-graphic design as their major must complete and submit the Pre-Graphic Design Freshmen Admission Application by the deadline stated on the application form. Accepted students will be designated as Pre-Graphic Design (PGDE) for the first year of the curriculum. Entering freshmen admitted to Auburn who are admitted as PGDE to the major must begin their program of study in the fall or spring term of the academic year after they are admitted, or they will be held to the same admission requirements as transfer students. Entering freshmen who are not admitted into Pre-Graphic Design may consider other programs in the college and should communicate with the CADC Office of Student Services to discuss options.
PGDE to GDES second year level Courses: After completing the first year level Pre-Graphic Design curriculum, an admission process based on GPA ranking admits qualified students into the Graphic Design second year level program for the GDES 2210 and GDES 2220 courses. Once accepted into the second year level Graphic Design major, the students will be classified as GDES and be considered probationary. The admissions process into the second level GDES program is as follows:
Pre-Graphic Design students must complete at least 30 semester hours of credit including:
GDES 1110 Drawing I;
GDES 1120 Drawing II;
GDES 1210 Design I;
GDES 1220 Design II;
two courses from the sequence ARTS 1710, 1720, 1730 Art History I, II, III;
and at least 6 hours of coursework counting toward the University Core Curriculum.
The GPA for entrance to the second level of Graphic Design will be calculated on the above listed courses only. (The two highest Core grades will be used.) [Grades received at other institutions in courses that have been accepted by Auburn, as Core or fundamental art course requirements, will be included in the GPA.] Following completion of the above listed courses, PGDE students will submit an Application to B.F.A. in Graphic Design Degree Program to the CADC Office of Student Services. Students will be ranked by GPA, and the top students will be selected. These students will be notified and then registered in the next level courses – GDES 2210 Production Processes and GDES 2220 Typographics I, by CADC Office of Student Services. Students who are not accepted can reapply in following semesters.
B.F.A in Graphic Design Entrance Review: All probationary second-year level GDES students who have achieved a minimum 2.50 GPA in GDES 2210 and GDES 2220 are eligible to apply through a portfolio review process for GDES 2230. The Graphic Design Review Committee will conduct an entrance review twice per academic year, at the end of fall semester and at the end of spring semester. To advance to GDES 2230, it is required that students submit an unofficial transcript showing the required GPA, a portfolio of work from GDES 2210 and GDES 2220, and a one page typewritten statement of intent. The portfolio will consist of 6 projects from the two courses (no more than four projects from one course). The statement of intent should include reasons for choosing the Graphic Design major and address career goals. The Graphic Design Review Committee will evaluate the student’s portfolio and written statement in terms of the individual student’s skills, artistic perception, conceptualization, and professionalism. Upon successful admission by portfolio review, the student will be required to purchase a laptop computer that meets minimum specifications and will be allowed to register for 3000-level courses.
Transfer Students for Graphic Design
The Graphic Design (GDES) program maintains the right to limit transfer enrollment based on available resources. On and off-campus transfer students must file a GDES Transfer Student Admission Application and meet criteria listed in the application with the CADC Office of Student Services no later than the posted deadline.
A student must have a minimum cumulative unadjusted GPA of 2.8 (on a 4.0 scale) on all collegiate work attempted and will be accepted on a space-available basis as determined by the department head.
On and off campus transfer applicants must meet criteria listed in the “Academic Policies” section of the AU Bulletin. The application packet includes an application form, statement of intent, and official transcripts from all schools attended. A portfolio is required for consideration of transfer credit for any studio classes taken. Applicants must be admitted to Auburn University at the time of application. Screening of applications for fall admission begins in March with applicants notified by April 15. Screening of applications for Spring admission begins in October with applicants notified by November 15. Students admitted MUST begin the program the following term. Course work in the major must be taken in sequence; transfer students should anticipate that additional semesters of study may be required to complete the program.
Please be advised that when you choose the B.F.A. in Graphic Design offered by the Graphic Design Program in the College of Architecture, Design and Construction, your progress toward graduation is dependent upon the structure of the curriculum for that degree. The B.F.A. in Graphic Design degree requires a large number of studio courses, and the design of the curriculum is highly sequential in nature. This may mean that your graduation date will not necessarily correspond only to the number of credits you have left to complete. Your graduation date also will be controlled by the curriculum of the degree you have selected. For example you may need only 60 credit hours to graduate and with a normal 15 credit hour load per semester you would be able to graduate in four semesters. However, it is very possible that because of the degree you have selected, you may be required to take five classes and those classes must be taken in sequential order (one each semester). It would take you five semesters to complete these required courses and graduate. This hypothetical example is provided to explain why students transferring to the Graphic Design Program or students already enrolled who have changed majors may be delayed in graduation by the decision to transfer or change majors.
It is the goal of the Graphic Design Program to provide the best education in design possible. The curriculum has been designed to meet accreditation standards set by SACS and NASAD (National Association of Schools of Art and Design) and is structured to provide students with a course of study that ensures growth and development over time. The sequencing of courses is vital and necessary for students to master skills and develop conceptually. Please be aware that your educational success is our priority; consequently you will be required to follow the curriculum for the degree you have chosen.
