You may take your time completing prerequisite and general education classes and preparing your application portfolio. Often students need time to save money or complete a job before attending school. While getting ready, however, you must check in and be reassessed every academic year. Program requirements often change and we want you to have current information.

Your Student Assessment and Recommendation Form is valid for one academic year only. Everyone must follow the new application procedures and submit a portfolio for admission into the program as of fall 2003. If you have been here taking classes, you will want to submit your application right away.

We are screening applicants for several reasons. The primary reason is attrition. We usually have 95-120 applicants for the program. Out of this, we accept 40 into the first year classes. Of these 40, only 10-15 will complete the program. This is due to several reasons including the time required to complete the classes, the intensity of the work and the balance of technical and creative skills required. Many students are not aware of exactly what graphic artists do and the vast background and creativity they must bring to the workplace every day. We would like students to be more prepared to be successful and hope the screening procedures will help with that process.

There is a constant left brain-right brain balance in graphic design. You need to be creative to come up with original concepts, so you’re learning to generate ideas and participate in critiques. On the other hand, you produce most of your work, at least in part, with computers which requires proficiency with current technology. The technology changes so quickly, that you must learn how to learn software. The challenge comes from either not knowing how to produce the great ideas that you have just sketched, or in knowing the software, but not having any original ideas for your projects. It takes time.

If you have applied early, chances are very high that you will gain admission. Many students express an initial interest, but take other paths before fall classes begin. Apply as early as possible.

It could mean several things. You are welcome to make an appointment with a faculty advisor to discuss your written evaluation. We will try to be as specific as possible with our suggestions. You may need to work on communication skills in writing classes or take more drawing. You may need to pay attention to detail by proof reading more carefully. Our goal is not to keep you out, but to help you get ready to be more successful.

Students are able to maintain a limited work schedule, if they take a reduced credit load. You must maintain 12 credit hours to be considered a full time student for financial aid purposes. Each term’s offerings vary both as to the time of day scheduled and the time commitment necessary outside of class. We will help you plan a reasonable schedule each term. It is very important to meet with a faculty advisor prior to registration each term, because most program classes are only offered once a year. You will be advised of these classes, so you can make the best scheduling decisions and complete the program in the least possible amount of time. The program is designed to take two full years to complete, beginning with program courses in the fall term. Taking less than a full load per term, or taking prerequisite courses, will increase the time required to complete the
program. More and more students are finding that it is easier to take the program over a three year period of time.

We offer a selection of evening and online classes each term, however, at this time most required courses are offered only during the day. We hope to increase our online, weekend and evening offerings in the future. Let us know how we can meet your needs.

We try to accommodate all students, but because we are a small program, most courses are offered only once a year and must be taken in sequence. The great thing about being part of a small program is that once you do get in sequence, you will be one of a small dedicated group of students who work well together and get lots of one-on-one time with instructors. We will work with you to schedule any general education requirements or approved electives that can be taken while you wait to get into the program.

At this time, Photography, ART 261; and Basic Design, ART 115 and 116; and ART 131, Basic Drawing are offered in the summer in addition to many general education classes.

It is necessary to have a Visual Communications curriculum code in order to enroll in the daytime program classes. After the courses are filled with full time VC students, you may be allowed to register if there is room in a particular class and you meet the prerequisites. You must meet with a VC faculty advisor and the individual instructor before registration.

Having a computer at home is a great asset, but is not essential. We maintain several hours of open time in the Mac lab each day and have open lab all day on Fridays. In addition, the lab is open most Saturdays and a few Sundays during the term. Some work can be completed at home if you do have a computer, but you will be required to produce some projects in the scheduled class lab. If you do not have a computer at home, it will be necessary for you to make the most of the open lab times and schedule your work accordingly. No fonts or programs from home can be brought into the VC lab and no VC fonts or programs can be take home. Most students find a home computer makes their life a lot easier.

We have chosen to use Macintosh in our lab because it is the platform of choice for most design professionals. Graphics software is available for both PC and Mac and most files transfer quite easily between the two platforms. You are responsible for making sure your files transfer to the Macintosh environment, should you choose to work on a PC at home. Although application files often translate easily, fonts are frequently different on the Mac than they are on a PC, which usually results in text and document changes. PC’s are usually less expensive, but most students prefer Macs.

The primary graphics applications we use are Quark XPress, Freehand, and PhotoShop. Other software in the lab includes InDesign , Illustrator, DreamWeaver, Flash, Fontographer, and PageMaker. We try to keep current in all software versions, however if upgrades come out during an academic year we wait until summer to upgrade the lab.We are currently evaluating whether or not we will add Adobe InDesign to the software we teach. We have Adobe Illustrator available, although it is not currently used in any of the courses. We will be using Mac OSX in fall 2003 and are waiting for more news on software compatibility.

No. Thumbnail layouts and rough sketches are done by hand. You may be asked to do pencil layouts before doing computer production. Some illustrations and sketches are hand rendered and later scanned for use in the computer. 35mm darkroom techniques are taught along with the digital in the photography courses. Traditional illustrations and hand lettering are welcome additions to your work. The creativity required to generate the ideas will never be come from anywhere except inside you. Bring a pencil.

Some introductory classes have 40 students in a lecture class. We limit lab size so each student will have a computer. We have 20 student work stations in our instruction lab, with ten additional stations in a small lab that is available for use by enrolled VC students. Priority for these computers is given to students working on live jobs with tight deadlines. Second year classes usually range from 14-18 students.

Each project that you are assigned is designed with both overall graphic arts concepts and specific techniques in mind. Projects are varied and will include work on live jobs where possible. You will work on symbol and logo design while you learn Freehand software. You may work on the school newspaper while learning photo scanning and image manipulation in PhotoShop. You will learn layout and typesetting while working on brochures, newsletters, magazines and catalogs in Quark XPress or InDesign . In the second year of the program you may design posters for the Art Gallery and film series, or logos and brochures for campus clients. Other topics can be explored in Special Projects or Studio Practices, individualized classes for additional study with an instructor. Cooperative Work Experience is another option for on-the-job learning.

Some students have an art background and pursue graphic design and illustration. Other students are intrigued by computers and enjoy the challenge of solving technical problems related to digital output of files for print. An interest in photography brings some students into the program. One thing is for certain, no amount of talent can substitute for hard work in learning all of the varied skills and techniques required to be successful in this competitive and ever-changing field. Those with an art background must learn to be technically accurate; computer addicts will learn that flashy techniques are useless without a solid design concept. Regardless of your background, if you’re willing to work hard, we can teach you the skills, both technical and aesthetic, that will lead to a rewarding career.

Graphic arts basics are the same whether you’re designing for a newspaper ad, the Internet, a
T-shirt, or multimedia presentation. Good typography, the use of design principles, photography skills, and creative problem solving are all essential. You will learn basic skills that will transfer to any media. Print is an essential media to master and is a great starting place for other media as well.

Supplies include CDs and Zip disks for storing your digital files, books for each class, standard notebooks, tracing paper, sketchbooks, folders for turning in projects, a three ring binder, pencils, felt tip pens and mounting board. You are required to purchase prints from the printers. Basic design classes have their own supply lists which may include papers, markers, paints and pencils. A portfolio is required for the spring term of your second year and may cost up to $230. Expect to spend up to $450 per term on these expenses in addition to cameras and a portfolio.

A 35mm camera is required for the photography courses. The camera needs to have manual control over the focus, depth of field (F-stops), and shutter speed. Used cameras are an excellent option. Film, printing papers and filters are also required for photography. Most students are now buying their own digital cameras for other class work, but most of these cameras are “point and shoot” with little control over the focus, depth of field and shutter speed. Digital cameras with these controls are beyond most student budgets. We will be moving towards an all-digital course for general photography when the price of digital SLR cameras becomes affordable. You need to be able to have control over the camera settings in order to learn photography. You will be better in PhotoShop with an in-depth understanding of the photographic processes.

We have an articulation agreement with the Art Institute of Portland for completion of a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design. They will accept your courses and Associates of Applied Science degree as a block transfer towards your degree at AIP. We are working on similar agreements with Portland State University and Western Oregon University. These articulations should be in place for students entering the program in fall 2003. Additional course work may be required. Other colleges and universities should be contacted on an individual basis regarding transfer possibilities prior to enrolling.

While there are no elective slots within the program, there are many support courses that we recommend that you take. We offer illustration, advanced photography, web design and software courses within the program. The art department offers excellent courses in art history, drawing and printmaking. If you’re thinking about opening your own business, there are marketing courses and other great resources available. The college offers many computer courses if you’re interested in more in-depth web programming and design. Many of our students are interested in journalism and work on the school newspaper. There are many options open to you. Welcome.