Art (Graphic Design), Bachelor of Fine Arts

A Bachelor of Fine Arts with Graphic Design Concentration at UTRGV prepares students for serious professional work in the field. The curriculum emphasizes concept development and application, work with clients and professional development, including the establishment of a working portfolio. Students who graduate from the program are equipped for a broad range of practices in the design field. Our alumni have worked in a number of design-related areas such as interactive design, art direction, publication design, including print and advertising, multimedia and web design, motion graphics, photography and social service design in a variety of settings, including small boutique design studios, multi-national advertising agencies, and start-up consultancies. UTRGV Graphic Design alumni follow a wide range of individual paths, including running their own design studios, working for large corporations or specializing in web and interactive media. Some students also choose to earn a master's degree in the field or pursue other professional degrees, opening many possible horizons.

Core Curriculum Requirements – 42 Hours

The Core Curriculum serves as a broad foundation for the undergraduate degree. All candidates for a bachelor’s degree must achieve core student learning outcomes, including communication, critical thinking, empirical and quantitative skills, teamwork, personal responsibility and social responsibility, by completing courses within each category or component area of the Core Curriculum as outlined below.

The University has approved specific courses that satisfy Core Curriculum Requirements. Approved courses can be found on the Core Curriculum Page. Students seeking the most efficient way to complete the core curriculum and major or minor requirements are advised to take approved courses that can fulfill both requirements. Although core curriculum courses can also be used to fulfill major or minor requirements, earned credits hours are only applied once. The courses listed below fulfill core curriculum and major requirements. Students who have completed a core curriculum category with courses other than those listed below will still be required to take the listed course(s) to meet major requirements.

050 Creative Arts – 3 hours

Choose one:

ARTS 1303Art History I, Prehistoric to the 14th-Century

3

ARTS 1304Art History II, 14th-Century to the Present

3

Major Requirements – 78 Hours

Requirement Courses - 12 hours

Art Core

Choose one:
ARTS 1303Art History I, Prehistoric to the 14th-Century

3

ARTS 1304Art History II, 14th-Century to the Present

3

Required:
ARTS 1316Drawing I

3

ARTS 1311Design I

3

ARTS 1312Design II

3

ARTS 1303 and ARTS 1304 must both be completed. One will be applied to the core curriculum, the other to the major requirements. 

Prescribed Electives - 6 hours

Advanced Electives

Choose from:
ARTS 3350Pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican Art and Architecture

3

ARTS 3351Andean Pre-Hispanic Art and Architecture

3

ARTS 3352Art and Architecture of Asia, Africa and Oceania

3

ARTS 3353Italian Renaissance Art, 1415-1595

3

ARTS 3355History of Spanish Architecture, 711-1780AD

3

ARTS 3356Mexican Viceregal Art and Architecture

3

ARTS 3357South American Viceregal Art and Architecture

3

ARTS 3359History of Women in Art

3

ARTS 4350Modern Art History

3

ARTS 4351American Art

3

ARTS 4352Latin American Art and Architecture

3

ARTS 4353History of Photography

3

ARTS 4354Modern Mexican Art, 1785-1940

3

ARTS 4355Modern Mexican Art since 1940

3

ARTS 4356Modern Art of South America and the Caribbean

3

ARTS 4357Latin@ Art History

3

ARTS 4358Research Methods in Latin American Art and Architectural History

3

ARTS 4359Seminar on Topics in Art History

3

ARTS 4388Special Topics

3

Graphic Design Concentration - 60 hours

Required:
ARTS 2313Design Communications I

3

ARTS 2314Design Communications II

3

ARTS 2348Digital Media

3

ARTS 2333Printmaking I

3

ARTS 2363Typography

3

ARTS 3331Visual Communications

3

ARTS 3330Image and Illustration

3

ARTS 3333Design and Production

3

ARTS 3334Photography as an Art Form

3

ARTS 3337Type Design

3

ARTS 3354History of Graphic Design

3

ARTS 4333Graphic Design I

3

ARTS 4334Graphic Design II

3

ARTS 4336Multimedia Production and Design

3

ARTS 4337Digital Photography

3

ARTS 4330Animation

3

ARTS 4338Interactive Design

3

ARTS 4339Portfolio for Graphic Design

3

ARTS 4396BFA Senior Graphic Design Exhibit

3


Choose One

ARTS 4391Individual Problems/Internship/Co-op

3

ARTS 4392Individual Problems

3


Total Credit Hours: 42

Total Credit Hours: 120

Major Graduation Requirements

Specific graduation requirements required for this program beyond university bachelor’s degree requirements. 

Grade of ‘C’ or better in ARTS 4396.