Special Department Requirements
We have just two years to train students for employment in the local graphic design industry. While two years may seem like a more than adequate amount of time to complete our projects and course work, lots of information is packed into those two years and you’ve probably seen the two year class schedule for the Advertising and Graphic Design degree in the GTCC catalog.
Unlike some of the other programs and courses here at GTCC, the Advertising and Graphic Design department cannot offer all the classes in our curriculum every semester. In other words, ART 131 Drawing 1, GRD 141 Design I, GRA 151/161 Computer I and Computer I Applications and GRD 110 Typography 1 are ONLY taught in the fall term and it is a whole year before those classes are available again. So, it is VERY important for you to consult one of the full time Advertising and Graphic Design faculty or the Advertising and Graphic Design department chair immediately if you have questions about whether the classes you are taking are keeping you in the proper course sequence.
A matter of clarification: An “Application” in our course listings is essentially extra lab hours for a class and an “Application” is a co-requisite for either a Design course or a Computer course. For example, lets say you sign up for Computer Graphics I, GRA 151 section 01, you must sign up for the same section number of Computer Graphics Applications I, GRA 161 - 01. The class work and projects are continued over from either the computer class or design class into its application. So, even though it looks like a totally separate class when you register, an Application is really a seamless extension of either a Computer class or a Design class because you don’t change rooms, you don’t change instructors and you use the same book(s).
All this being said, we are well aware that not all of our students are able to take a full load of classes because of work schedules, family responsibilities or even health issues. That is why we devised a “Three Year Plan” for those students who know at the time they begin the program they cannot take a full course load each semester.
If you have questions at any time about the course sequence and whether or not you’re on track, please feel free to drop by our offices during posted office hours (we post our schedules on our office doors) or call (or email) and request an appointment if the posted hours conflict with your class and/or work schedule.
Both the “Two Year Plan” and the “Three Year Plan” are shown in the Advertising and Graphic Design newsletter, given out at all S.O.A.R. sessions or are available, and in the Advertising and Graphic Design Student Handbook.
