BFA in Design > FAQ

Please refer to the FSU catalogue for many of your questions about the BFA in Design or any degree in the ART area.

What are the requirements for a major in Graphic Design? 

The following list of classes must be taken as prerequisites for all other art courses to complete the required foundations program. The requirements for foundations are currently being reviewed. Entering students should contact the department for specific details regarding foundations requirements. Required Foundations Courses for BFA in Graphic Design or BS in Studio Art with a Design Concentration:

Note: Prior to applying to the BFA program in graphic design, all students must take GRA 2190 Graphic Design I, and ART 4926C Media Workshop: Electronic Imaging.

Check the FSU catalogue for any changes.

How do I go about applying to FSU, just to get in to begin with, when striving for the BFA in Design program?

Please go online to www.fsu.edu for instructions as to how to apply to Florida State University.  And from there look at art.fsu.edu for information about the Design Program at Florida State.

What is the process for applying for a BFA in Design?

Please see Application Information page for course requirement information and a guide to portfolio submission.

1. The following list of classes must be taken as prerequisites for all other art courses to complete the required foundations program.

2. Prior to applying to the BFA program in graphic design, all students must make sure they have taken other requirements listed on the following pages::

How many times can I apply to get a BFA in Design.

You may apply 2 times. This in effect gives you one additional semester of courses to get accepted. If you are not accepted in the BFA in Design program you may opt for a BFA in Studio Art or choose another major.

I am interested in coming to Florida State and major in graphic design. Can you please tell me a bit about your program and the BFA in Design.

At FSU, we see designers and artists as two sides of the same coin.
For either, design is about empowerment. An interdisciplinary use of tools, combining traditional, digital and experimental techniques is encouraged.

The design area provides students with skills directly geared toward entering the Digital Arts and Design Industries. Our three main distinctions within design are Print Design, Interactive Design, and Animation & Visual Effects.

Please add our Design Area Flowchart [pdf] to learn more about courses and sequences.

Print Design includes a wide range of media and context, from magazine layout, to posters, billboards, package design, multi-media campaigns and gallery installations. Special facilities for print design at FSU include wide-format archival printers, high-volume tabloid color laser printers, large paper cutters, wide-format laminators, etc.

Interactive Design generally focuses on web-based artworks. Crossing into other media areas like sculpture or animation can give students a hybridized focus. Faculty expertise in sensors, electronics, and programming are available to interactive design students. Up-to-date computing facilities and 24 hour access to our advanced projects lab help interactive students maintain focus.

The Animation & Visual Effects sequence focuses on time-based screen arts, and visual storytelling in narrative and experimental modes. Students are encouraged to develop their own unique skill sets among 3D and 2D Animation, video art, special effects, stop-motion, or experimental processes.

The Animation & Visual Effects distinction in design has a special relationship with the FSU Film School, and their Emmy award winning visual effects guru, Stuart Robertson. But we don't train students to just be computer jockeys. As artists, these students are expected to develop their own conceptual frameworks and visual languages.

I have an AA degree where I studied design. What courses are accepted toward the BFA in Design?

Please see the registrar at Florida State University to see what transfer credit is allowed. The Art Advisor will determine what courses will be accepted towards your major.

I have taken courses in a private school, what courses are accepted by Florida State University?

Please see the registrar at Florida State University to see what transfer credit is allowed. The Art Advisor will determine what courses will be accepted towards your major.

Is a laptop required to be a BFA degree in design.  If so, which one should I purchase?

Please visit the computer requirement page.

I am a graduate student in another area, can I take design courses?

Grad students cannot sit in design courses unless they are enrolled. If grad students from another area want to take design classes, and there is room in the course, they will have to be put into a grad workshop class and pay for the credit hours. You can do this with the Art Advisor directly if there is room. Or you can contact the instructor directly and the instructor can have a grad workshop section added.

Can I minor in Graphic Design?

No, we currently do not offer a minor in Graphic Design. 

How do I get an internship in design? Can I get credit for an internship?

Please visit the bfa design internship page.

Do you offer DIS courses in Design?

No we do not offer DIS courses, but instructors can accept students into workshop courses to work on independent projects.

How do I get into a class that I really need to graduate and it is already full?

You must go to the first day of class and ask the instructor to be admitted.  It is up to the instructor to add you the course.

Do I have to complete all of the foundation courses before I can apply for the BFA in Design?

We expect all of the foundation courses to be completed before you can be officially accepted into the BFA in Design program.

I was told that you must be a student at FSU for one semester at least before you can apply for the BFA  program. Is that true?

No.
You may declare a major in the  BFA in Design BUT you will be accepted as  CONDITIONAL STUDENT IN THE BFA IN DESIGN PROGRAM UNTIL YOU HAVE APPLIED AND BEEN FORMALLY ACCEPTED. You may apply to be formally accepted once all of the prerequisites have been met.  The portfolio reviews occur at the end of fall and spring semesters only.

Do courses I took in high school count towards my major?

The only courses that are accepted from high school are ones that have AP credit and the student has passed the AP exam with a 4 or higher score.

My only question is what courses do you suggest I take?

Please download the MAP for BFA in Design [pdf] majors. It will outline the course requirements for specializations in design.

To take an undergraduate Design course, do I need to get instructor permission since I'm not in the art department?

We do not admit students who are not in the  BFA in Design program into our courses. The BFA in Design is a limited access portfolio reviewed major.

I have taken a course as a Communications major that covers Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, but I am very interested in learning more about these programs and getting a second major. How can I enroll in more ART courses?

The only way you can add Graphic Design as a second major is to complete all of the pre-re cs for the major. (Under the grandfather rule or the new BFA rules)  You can not just add our advanced courses and we currently do not offer a minor in Graphic Design.

Would you consider a working with me on a DIS?

We do not offer DIS courses. You can contact the instructor and get permission to be added to a workshop section of the class.

I'm currently a junior art history major and I would like to add studio art (with a concentration in graphic design) as a second major. but if I added the second major would I be able to be grandfathered in?  

Yes, you can get a BS in Studio Art if you complete all of the required courses. You will not be able to get a BFA in Design unless you meet the requirements for that degree.

 

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