2024-25 Catalog

Graphic and Interactive Design

Graphic and Interactive Design with Specializations in:

  • Graphic Design
  • Interactive Design

Associate in Science Degree (CIP# 1611080300)

By providing students with theoretical and classroom experience which closely parallels on-the-job activities, this program prepares students for careers in the graphics industry. Two specializations are available within the program: Graphic Design and Interactive Design. Graphic Design prepares students for employment as layout designers, graphic artists and computer graphic designers focusing on printed material. Interactive Design prepares students for employment in areas of entry-level interactive graphics and Web page design.

Students are strongly encouraged to consult a Career Program Advisor in the department office for assistance in determining the best education plan for their career goals.

Although scheduling may not always provide for the following progression of courses, students should use the foundation, intermediate and advanced course sequences as a guide in program planning.

All degree-seeking students must satisfy entry testing requirements and satisfactorily complete all mandatory courses in reading, student success, mathematics, English, and English for Academic Purposes in which the student is placed.

Alternative Ways to Earn Credit toward this Degree

Graduates of specific programs at Orange Technical College and Osceola Technical College, as well as other institutions may be eligible to receive college credit for courses in this program. You may also be eligible to receive credit toward this degree if you have earned one of the approved Gold Standard industry certifications or Career Pathways credit. To learn more about Valencia’s award of credit options, visit https://valenciacollege.edu/academics/programs/as-degree/alternative-award-of-credit-agreements.php. Eligible students should contact the Career Program Advisor in their academic department for more information about the requirements for the award of credit.

College Credit Technical Certificates

The Graphic and Interactive Design A.S. degree also offers the following college credit certificate programs.  These certificates can put you on the fast-track to reaching your career goals. They are designed to equip you with a specialized skill set for entry-level employment or to upgrade your skills for job advancement. Most can be completed in one year or less, and all of the courses in the certificates are embedded in the A.S. degree. You can earn the certificates as you progress through your A.S. Degree or as a separate, stand-alone credential. Click on the Certificate tab at the top of the page for more information about the certificates that are offered.

  • Interactive Design Support (15 credits) (CIP # 0611080305)
  • Graphic Design Support (15 credits)  (CIP # 0611080302)
  • Interactive Design Production (24 credits) (CIP # 0611080304)
  • Graphic Design Production (24 credits) (CIP # 0611080303)

Start Right

Degree-seeking students enrolling at Valencia for the first time will have a limited range of courses from which to choose for their first 18 college-level credits. Within the first 18 college credit hours, you will be required to take ENC1101 (3 credits), and if applicable, SLS 1122 (3 credits) and a mathematics course appropriate to your selected meta-major (3 credits).  The remaining courses will be chosen from the General Education Core Courses in humanities (3 credits), science (3 credits), or social science (3 credits), and/or the introductory courses within the A.S. degree programs. For specific courses see the Foundation Courses on the “Program Requirements” tab. For course sequencing recommendations, see your Career Program Advisor or create an education plan by logging into Atlas, clicking on the LifeMap tab and clicking My Education Plan.

Potential Careers

  • Graphic Designer
  • Web Designer
  • Brand Designer
  • Advertising Designer
  • User Interface Designer
  • Interactive Designer
  • Illustrator (digital and traditional)
  • Front-end Web Developer
  • Production Artist

Salary & Earnings Information

For career information related to this program, please visit O*Net OnLine.

Contacts

Future Students

To learn more about this program, contact Enrollment Services at enrollment@valenciacollege.edu or 407-582-1507 or visit valenciacollege.edu/graphic-design/.

Current Students

Your Career Program Advisor contact information can be found in Atlas. Log into Atlas, click on the Courses tab, and check your Academic Profile information to find a link to your Advisor. 

East Campus Faculty Program Chair
Kristy Pennino: 407-582-2864
kpennino@valenciacollege.edu

West Campus Faculty Program Chair
Meg Curtiss: 407-582-1452
mcurtiss@valenciacollege.edu

Osceola Campus Faculty Program Chair
Julio Falu: 407-582-4229
jfalu1@valenciacollege.edu

Internship and Workforce Services

If you need assistance with job resources or in locating an internship, please visit: valenciacollege.edu/internship.

Program Requirements

Foundation Courses
GRA 1142CGRAPHIC DESIGN ESSENTIALS +5
GRA 1751INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE +2
GRA 1413PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR DESIGNERS +1
ART 1300CDRAWING I3
DIG 2100CWEB ESSENTIALS2
ENC 1101FRESHMAN COMPOSITION I +*~3
ARH 1000ART APPRECIATION ~3
MathematicsSee Gen. Ed. Core Requirements *+~3
Science See Gen. Ed. Core Requirement ~3
POS 2041U.S. GOVERNMENT ~3
or AMH 2020 U.S. HISTORY 1877 TO PRESENT
Intermediate Courses
GRA 2585CUSER INTERFACE DESIGN + *3
GRA 2156CVECTOR ILLUSTRATION +*3
GRA 1206CFUNDAMENTALS OF TYPOGRAPHY +*3
GRA 2201CELECTRONIC IMAGING +*3
GRA 2141CWEB DESIGN +*3
Advanced Courses
GRA 1180CPORTFOLIO PREP + *1
GRA 1951CPORTFOLIO REVIEW +*1
GRA 2942INTERNSHIP IN GRAPHICS +*1
Specialization (See below)18
Total Credit Hours64
+

This course must be completed with a grade of C or better.

*

This course has a prerequisite; check description in Valencia catalog.

~

This is a general education course.

(GR)

Denotes a Gordon Rule course.

Graphic Design Specialization

Program Outcomes

  • Demonstrate entry-level technical competencies in pre-press production using industry-standard software.
  • Produce a portfolio that demonstrates design and typography proficiencies.
  • Produce a résumé, personal brand, and self-promotional item(s) that demonstrate design and typography proficiencies.
  • Solve complex problems by applying design thinking processes and visual communication principles to printed collateral.
  • Perform industry-defined workplace skills in thinking, valuing, communicating, and acting.
Intermediate Courses
GRA 1203CLAYOUT, DESIGN AND COPY PREPARATION +*3
GRA 2113CADVANCED GRAPHIC DESIGN I +*3
Graphic/Interactive Design Elective3
Advanced Courses
GRA 2121CPUBLICATION DESIGN +*3
GRA 2182CADVANCED GRAPHIC DESIGN II +*3
GRA 2310CGRAPHIC REPRODUCTION PROCESSES +*3
Total Credit Hours18
+

This course must be completed with a grade of C or better.

*

This course has a prerequisite; check description in Valencia catalog.

Interactive Design Specialization

Program Outcomes

  • Demonstrate entry-level technical competencies in interactive prototyping and production using industry-standard software and markup languages.
  • Produce an interactive portfolio that demonstrates design and typography proficiencies.
  • Produce a résumé, personal brand, and self-promotional item(s) that demonstrate design and typography proficiencies.
  • Solve complex problems by applying design thinking processes and visual communication principles to interactive projects.
  • Perform industry-defined workplace skills in thinking, valuing, communicating, and acting.
Intermediate Courses
GRA 2133CINTERMEDIATE INTERACTIVE DESIGN + *3
GRA 2723CCSS DESIGN +*3
Graphic/Interactive Design Elective3
Advanced Courses
GRA 2143CADVANCED WEB DESIGN +*3
GRA 2132CADVANCED INTERACTIVE DESIGN I +*3
GRA 2134CADVANCED INTERACTIVE DESIGN II +*3
Total Credit Hours18
Graphic/Interactive Design Electives
GRA 1920CLETTERING WORKSHOP3
GRA 2108CDESIGN STUDIO + *3
GRA 1956CPHOENIX DESIGN PROJECT + *3
GRA 1933CFUNDAMENTALS OF CREATIVE THINKING +3
GRA 2151CILLUSTRATING +*3
GRA 2425BUSINESS & ETHICS OF GRAPHIC DESIGN *3
GRA 2225CADVANCED TYPOGRAPHY +*3
DIG 2341CINTRODUCTION TO MOTION GRAPHICS *3
GRA 2930SELECTED TOPICS IN GRAPHIC ARTS +*3
GRA 1109HISTORY OF GRAPHIC DESIGN3
GRA 2207CADVANCED IMAGE EDITING +*3
GRA 2755CWEB DEVELOPMENT FOR DESIGNERS +*3
PGY 1800CDIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY3
DIG 2132CDIGITAL DRAWING AND DESIGN3
+

This course must be completed with a grade of C or better.

*

This course has a prerequisite; check description in Valencia catalog.

Notes:

Expand your career opportunities with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Organizational Leadership (BASBOL) from Valencia. This degree builds on your skills, and prepares you for a supervisory or management role within your respective field. For more information, go to: Bachelor's Degree in Business & Organizational Leadership.  Students who wish to continue their education should consult with a Career Program Advisor to determine the best education plan for their career goals.

Students wishing to transfer credits from this program to another institution must accept responsibility for securing approval from the transfer institution for acceptance of this degree.

Specialized courses may not be offered every session or on every campus.

Graphic Design Production

Technical Certificate

This program is designed to provide students with the skills required to produce layouts and graphics for print and advertising design. The certificate focuses on the application of good design principles and the utilization of industry-standard production techniques as well as software and hardware at a basic level.  

Program Outcomes

  • Demonstrate intermediate-level technical competencies in pre-press production using industry-standard software

  • Translate the design thinking and visual communication decisions of others into production-ready work

  • Perform industry-defined workplace skills in thinking, valuing, communicating, and acting.

GRA 1142CGRAPHIC DESIGN ESSENTIALS +5
GRA 1413PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR DESIGNERS +1
ART 1300CDRAWING I +3
GRA 1203CLAYOUT, DESIGN AND COPY PREPARATION +*3
GRA 2585CUSER INTERFACE DESIGN +*3
GRA 1206CFUNDAMENTALS OF TYPOGRAPHY +*3
GRA 2156CVECTOR ILLUSTRATION +*3
GRA 2201CELECTRONIC IMAGING +*3
Total Credit Hours24
+

This course must be completed with a grade of C or better.

*

This course has a prerequisite; check description in Valencia catalog.

Notes:

A minimum grade of C is required in all courses to meet prerequisite and completion requirements.

Specialized courses may not be offered every session or on every campus.

This certificate program is eligible for Financial Aid.

Graphic Design Support

Technical Certificate

This program is designed to provide students with the skills required to create layouts and graphics for printed design projects. The certificate focuses on the application of good design principles and the utilization of industry-standard production techniques as well as software and hardware at basic level.

Program Outcomes

  • Demonstrate foundational-level technical competencies in pre-press production using industry-standard software

  • Translate the design thinking and visual communication decisions of others into production-ready work

  • Adapt to industry-defined workplace skills in thinking, valuing, communicating, and acting.

GRA 1142CGRAPHIC DESIGN ESSENTIALS +5
GRA 1413PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR DESIGNERS +1
GRA 2201CELECTRONIC IMAGING *+3
GRA 1203CLAYOUT, DESIGN AND COPY PREPARATION +*3
GRA 1206CFUNDAMENTALS OF TYPOGRAPHY +*3
Total Credit Hours15
+

This course must be completed with a grade of C or better.

*

This course has a prerequisite; check description in Valencia catalog.

Notes:

A minimum grade of C is required in all courses to meet prerequisite and completion requirements.

Specialized courses may not be offered every session or on every campus.

Graphics - Interactive Design Production

Technical Certificate

This program is designed to provide students with the skills required to create images, ​layout web pages, and layout user interfaces. The certificate focuses on the application of appropriate production techniques and the use of industry-standard software and hardware at a basic to intermediate level.

Program Outcomes

  • Demonstrate intermediate-level technical competencies in interactive prototyping and production using industry-standard software and markup languages.

  • Translate the design thinking and visual communication decisions of others into prototypes or production-ready work.

  • Perform industry-defined workplace skills in thinking, valuing, communicating, and acting.

GRA 1142CGRAPHIC DESIGN ESSENTIALS +5
GRA 1751INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE +2
DIG 2100CWEB ESSENTIALS +2
GRA 2585CUSER INTERFACE DESIGN + *3
GRA 1206CFUNDAMENTALS OF TYPOGRAPHY + *3
GRA 2201CELECTRONIC IMAGING +*3
GRA 2723CCSS DESIGN + *3
GRA 2141CWEB DESIGN + *3
Total Credit Hours24
+

This course must be completed with a grade of C or better.

*

This course has a prerequisite; check description in Valencia catalog.

Notes:

A minimum grade of C is required in all courses to meet prerequisite and completion requirements.

Specialized courses may not be offered every session or on every campus.

This certificate program is eligible for Financial Aid.

Graphics - Interactive Design Support

Technical Certificate

This program is designed to provide students with the skills required to assist in the creation of images and layouts for the Internet and user interfaces. The certificate focuses on the application of appropriate production techniques and the use of industry-standard software and hardware at a basic level.

Program Outcomes

  • Demonstrate foundational-level technical competencies in interactive prototyping and production using industry-standard software and markup languages.

  • Translate the design thinking and visual communication decisions of others into prototypes or production-ready work.

  • Adapt to industry-defined workplace skills in thinking, valuing, communicating, and acting.

GRA 1142CGRAPHIC DESIGN ESSENTIALS +5
GRA 1751INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE +2
DIG 2100CWEB ESSENTIALS +2
GRA 2585CUSER INTERFACE DESIGN + *3
GRA 2201CELECTRONIC IMAGING + *3
Total Credit Hours15
+

This course must be completed with a grade of C or better.

*

This course has a prerequisite; check description in Valencia catalog.

Notes:

A minimum grade of C is required in all courses to meet prerequisite and completion requirements.

Specialized courses may not be offered every session or on every campus.