The following is guidance for students obtaining a BFA in Graphic Design.
Students with Digital Design emphasis should consult elsewhere.

Remember that this is NOT an official A-State page!!!  The dates below may change.  Please see A-State Registrar for exact dates.
This page last updated August 2020.
 REGISTRATION FOR SPRING 2021 >> TBD
Priority: Oct 12
Upper Level (Grad/Senior/Junior): Oct 14
Lower Level (Sophomores/Freshmen): Oct 16

FYI: You are assigned an advisor by A-State. I take no new advisees, though you may always ask me questions that I will do my best to answer in regards to your academic studies here.
Many forms you may need your advisor to use are available outside the Department of Art (Prof. Steele's) office in the Fine Arts Building and/or within the Handbook for the Department of Art.
You must complete this before meeting with me for an advising appointment. This used to be done via "Degree Checklists" (see below), but this new system is much more dependable once you get the hang of it. Plus, you have better knowledge and control of your studies.

Please remember that you can follow any year's Degree Requirements from the time you began as a Graphic Design major, but you must follow that ONE checklist and no hybrid of multiple years.   ​
SUGGESTED STUDY PLAN FOR FIRST YEAR:
1st semester (fall or spring): Design 1, Drawing 1, Survey of Art History 1 (FYE), Comp 1, Design Technology + Intro to Graphic Design = 16 credit hours
2nd semester (fall or spring): Design 2, Drawing 2, Survey of Art History 2, Comp 2, Ideation = 15 credit hours
CURRICULUM CODES
ART- Art, the majority of your studio classes outside of Graphic or Digital Design
GRFX - Graphic Design
ARTH - Art History
ARED - Art Education
DIGI - 
GRAPHIC DESIGN REVIEW:
  • Beginning Spring 2020: Graphic Design Review is a co-requisite with GRFX-2303 Typography and Layout. HOWEVER, please discuss with Prof. Nikki about this. An override can be provided as long as the student promises to take the Review the semester AFTER Type and Layout. 
  • Student must sign up forReview like a class, though it is not for credit and does not receive a grade. 
  • In order to sign up for the Review "class", see advisor for signed TBA form. 
  • Passing either Review is a pre-req for STUDIO (art and design) classes 3000+ level.  It is not a pre-req for any Art History.  
  • One must pass the Review to graduate with a BFA. ​
  • Use this College GPA Calculator to figure out the GPA for your major. 
PRE-REQUISITES
  • Students should acquire a signed "Department of Art Prerequisite Waiver Form" from advisor.  If the student is currently enrolled in the prerequisite, the student's ADVISOR signs the override form. If the student has not taken the prerequisite, THEN the student must approach professor of that class and ask to be admitted.  This is completely up to the professor. Also see Course Caps below.
  • Intermediate Typography, Identity Design, and Advertising Design are no longer pre-reqs for each other. They can be taken in any sequence or even in the same semester.
  • Graphic/Digital Design classes with no pre-requisites: Introduction to Graphic Design, [Design Tech], Ideation
  • Also beginning Spring 2020: Ideation is no longer required for Typography and Layout. Taking it at the same time (OR BEFORE!!!) would be a good idea or you will not be able to get into more advanced design classes without asking (and probably not receiving) an override from the instructing professor. 

COURSE CAPS
  • Even if a student receives an override from a professor, the system will block admission to the number of students if it exceeds fire code. Faculty should keep track of the enrollment in their class and not sign overrides if the maximum enrollment has been met; however, sometimes a few students may be caught in the "almost full" category.

PORTFOLIO CLASSES:​
  • SPRING 2019: Portfolio Capstone course will begin and offered only in the spring semester. It should be taken with Professional Practice For Design.

REGISTERING FOR CLASSES:
  • After being advised, student will receive Registration Clearance Form.  This form must then be presented to the administrative assistant in the Art + Design department office (next door to the Fine Arts Center Gallery).  She/he will be sure that there are no financial (or other) holds on student's account.  If all is well, student is cleared and ready to register when the system opens to that student's standing (senior, junior, etc.).

WHAT "CLASS" ARE YOU?
"Student Classification:
  • Beginning students with less than 30 credit hours are classified as Freshmen
  • Students with 30-59 credit hours are classified as Sophomores
  • Students with 60-89 hours are classified as Juniors
  • Students with 90 or more hours are classified as Seniors. 
Current classification, not end of the semester classification, is used to determine when you may participate in the registration process."

SEMESTERS CLASSES ARE OFFERED:
*  means the class is below 3000-level or an art history class, so passing Graphic Design Review not required as a pre-requisite to take the class
  • Every Fall and Spring semester: ​
    • A fundamental studio courses*, including Design 1*, Design 2*, Drawing 1*, Drawing 2*,  Drawing 3, Art History Survey 1-2*, Ceramics, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, and Printmaking.
    • 3- or 4000-level Art History course (not History of Graphic Design, which is only offered in the fall)
    • MAJOR CHANGES BEGINNING SPRING 2021. Many upper-level GRFX- classes are now only offered once a year. This is due to the revised Digital Design degree no longer requiring these classes and the minimum number of students needed for a class to be offered. 
  • Every Fall, Spring, and Summer semester: Internship
  • Fall only: History of Graphic Design*, Photography for the Graphic Designer
  • Spring only:  co-requisites Professional Practice (formerly Branding) and Portfolio Capstone 
  • All other classes in the curriculum are in flux after Spring 2020 due to the virus and other changes. Professors will always do their best to work with students to help them with enough advance warning. Please be in touch as soon as possible. 

ACADEMIC LOAD
  • "Academic Load: Number of hours a student may take each semester.  Students with a grade point average below 3.5 may take no more than 18 hours in a given semester (Fall, Spring, Summer).  Students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher may take up to 21 hours with permission of the dean of the college in which they are enrolled.  The total academic load of students concurrently enrolled at other institutions of higher education while enrolled at ASU cannot exceed this maximum requirement. The maximum academic load for students with less than a 2.00 semester or cumulative GPA shall not exceed 12 hours per semester or 12 hours during the summer term which includes any combination of five or ten-week courses, (Internet or correspondence courses are inclusive and/or other courses no matter how delivered or where taken.), or 3 hours in an interim."
​
​GRADUATING
  • Students must begin the process.  Check deadlines, as they begin within the first week(s) of the semester you will graduate!!!!  Don't miss the deadlines or you may not graduate!