Art and Design

Bring Your Creative Vision to Life

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Program Duration: 2 Year Program
Degree Type: Associate in Arts (A.A.)
Total Credit Hours: 63

smiling student in art studio classroom drawing with charcoal at an easel

About This Program

Our Art and Design program will help you explore a range of media, increase your practice skills and sharpen your sense of design. You will learn basic visual skills, elements and principles of design, and specific characteristics of several media while gaining a broader perspective through art history and theory.

Quick Information

General Contact Call 215)751-8010

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Transfer Opportunities

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A private research university offering nearly 200 programs, featuring a diverse array of majors for both undergraduate and graduate students.

A public university with a strong academic reputation.

A public university in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, offering various majors.

Historically Black public university emphasizing academic excellence.

A public research university in Philadelphia, offering diverse programs and a vibrant campus experience.

A private college in Philadelphia, known for adult education and career-focused programs.

Located in scenic Western Pennsylvania, offering diverse programs and experiential learning opportunities.

A public university in West Chester, Pennsylvania, known for diverse programs and academic excellence.

View all transfer opportunities

Semester 1

Students must maintain a "C" average in all program-specific courses.

Course Number and Name	Credits	Advisory Notes	Course Type
ENGL 101 - English Composition I or ENGL 101H - English Composition I (Honors)	3 credits	Art and Design majors are expected to take ENGL 101, ART 105, ART 111, ART 125, and ART 150 within the first 15 credits in order to properly progress through the program. ENGL 101 fulfills the General Education Writing/Research/Info Lit 1 requirement	ENGL 101
ART 105 - Drawing I	3 credits	Fulfills the General Education Oral Communication/Creative Expression requirement	Major Course
ART 125 - Design I	3 credits		Major Course
ART 111 - Three-Dimensional Design I	3 credits		Major Course
ART 150 - Introduction to Computer Art/Graphics	3 credits	Along with ART 290, ART 150 fulfills the General Education Technological Competency Requirement.	Major Course

Notes:

This program is designed for students who plan to transfer to a bachelor's degree program after earning their associate's degree
Follow this course schedule each semester and you'll earn your associate’s degree in two years
Make sure you discuss your first semester schedule and your educational plan with an advisor or counselor when you register.

Semester 2

Course Number and Name	Credits	Advisory Notes	Course Type
ART 106 - Drawing II	3 credits	ART 106 must be completed in the second 15 credits. Prerequisite: ART 105	Major Course
ART 126 - Design II	3 credits	ART 126 is only offered in the Spring semester.	Major Course
ART 112 - Three-Dimensional Design II	3 credits		Major Course
ART 103 - History of Art: Ancient to Renaissance or ART 103H - History of Art: Ancient to Renaissance (Honors)	3 credits	ART 103 fulfills the General Education Cultural Analysis & Interpretation requirement.	Major Course American Global Diversity and Interpretive Studies
ENGL 102 - The Research Paper or ENGL 102H - The Research Paper (Honors)	3 credits	Fulfills the General Education Writing/Research/Info Lit 2 requirement.	Major Course

Notes:

Don’t forget to meet with an advisor and review this schedule when registering for your classes
Start planning for transfer:
- Did you know our dual admissions partnerships include scholarship opportunities?
- Learn more about our transfer agreements and use our interactive search tool for your program’s transfer options
Make sure you are using Starfish Connect to track and improve your grades
Stay on the path to success: take advantage of academic support services offered by Counseling the Learning Labs, Academic Advising and more
Now is a good time to start financial planning for next semester:
- Manage your financial aid
- Take advantage of our payment plans and know the payment deadlines
- Apply for a scholarship— You only have to complete one application to be considered for all available scholarships

Semester 3

Course Number and Name	Credits	Advisory Notes	Course Type
FNMT 101 - Quantitative Reasoning or FNMT 118 - Intermediate Algebra or MATH 137 - Geometry for Design	3 credits	Some colleges and universities require a mathematics course above FNMT 118. In that case, we recommend that students who are FNMT 118 ready take MATH 137 instead of FNMT 101. Students who are FNMT 118 ready who intend to transfer to Temple University should take FNMT 118, which is the prerequisite for MATH 161. Please visit the transfer agreements web page for more information and consult with an advisor when selecting a quantitative reasoning course.	Quantitative Reasoning
ART 290 - Portfolio Preparation	3 credits	ART 290 is only offered in the Fall semester Prerequisite: ART 106, ART 111, ART 125 Along with ART 150, ART 290 fulfills the General Education Technological Competency Requirement.	Major Course
ART 207 - Drawing III	3 credits	ART 207 is only offered in the Fall semester	Major Course
ART 104 - History of Art II: Renaissance to Modern or ART 104H - History of Art: Renaissance to Modern (Honors)	3 credits
ART 109 - Ceramics I or ART 115 - Painting I or ART 151 - Graphic Design I or PHOT 101 - Introduction to 35mm Film Camera and Darkroom Techniques or PHOT 151 - Techniques in Photo Editing (Photoshop I) or Combine 3 credits worth of ART 180 or ART 170 Special Topics courses	3 or 4 credits	Students must select the first of three opportunities for directed electives.	Directed Elective

Notes:

Meet with an advisor and review this schedule when registering for your classes
Make sure you are using Starfish Connect to track and improve your grades
Stay on the path to success: take advantage of academic support services offered by Counseling the Learning Labs, Academic Advising and more
Start financial planning for next semester:
- Manage your financial aid
- Take advantage of our payment plans and know the payment deadlines
- Apply for a scholarship—You only have to complete one application to be considered for all available scholarships

Semester 4

Course Number and Name	Credits	Advisory Notes	Course Type
ART 208 - Drawing IV	3 credits
ADC 176 / HIST 176 - Philadelphia History: Architecture and Planning or ANTH 112 - Cultural Anthropology or GEOG 103 - Introduction to Human Geography or HIST 102 - United States History: The Civil War and the 19th Century or HIST 103 - United States History: The 20th Century and Beyond or HIST 103H - United States and Pennsylvania History: The 20th Century (Honors) or HIST 121 - World History: The Distant Past or HIST 122 - World History: The Recent Past or SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology or SOC 101H - Introduction to Sociology (Honors) or SOC 115 - Gender and Society		Students must take a Social Science course that fulfills the Writing Intensive General Education Competency. The following courses are recommended: ADC 176, ANTH 112, HIST 102, HIST 103
BIOL 106 - General Biology I or CHEM 103 - General Chemistry I or CHEM 105 - Inquiry into Chemistry or PHYS 101 - Revolutionary Concepts in Physics or EASC 111 - Environmental Conservation or EASC 111H - Environmental Conservation (Honors) PHYS 107 - Matter and Energy or PHYS 108 - Descriptive Astronomy	3 or 4 credits	Students must take a Scientific Reasoning course from the included list on the left.	Scientific Reasoning
ART 205 - Modern and Contemporary Art	3 credits	ART 205 is currently only offered in the Spring semester.
ART 109 - Ceramics I or ART 115 - Painting I or ART 205 - Modern American Art or ART 209 - Ceramics II or ART 215 - Painting II or ART 251 - Graphic Design II or PHOT 101 - Introduction to 35mm Film Camera and Darkroom Techniques or PHOT 151 - Digital Imaging or Combine 3 credits worth of ART 180 or ART 170 Special Topics courses	3 or 4 credits	For the second directed elective, students can select anything from the list on the left. ART 205 and 251 are currently only offered in the Spring semester.	Directed Elective
ART 109 - Ceramics I or ART 115 - Painting I or ART 205 - Seminar: Modern and Contemporary Art ART 209 - Ceramics II or ART 215 - Painting II or ART 251 - Graphic Design II or PHOT 101 - Introduction to 35mm Film Camera and Darkroom Techniques or PHOT 151 - Techniques in Photo Editing (Photoshop I) or Combine 3 credits worth of ART 180 or ART 170 Special Topics courses	3 or 4 credits	For the third directed elective, students can select anything from the list on the left. ART 205 and 251 are currently only offered in the Spring semester	Directed Elective

Notes:

Congratulations, this is your final semester! Don’t forget to complete your graduation application.
Meet with an advisor when registering for your classes
Finalize your transfer plans:
- Meet with a counselor at your selected dual admissions transfer college
- Meet with one of our College’s counselors or an advisor to review transfer requirements
Take advantage of our scholarship opportunities for transferring students and apply for a scholarship
Visit Career Connections to learn about internships and your future career possibilities

professor instructing two design students in computer lab

Launch Your Career in Art and Design

Commercial and Industrial Designers - est. salary $87,268
Graphic Designers - est. salary $68,933
Fine Artists, including Painters, Sculptors and Illustrators - est. salary $29,187*
Art Directors - est. salary $111,000*

Learn More

**EMSI Data, 2025; Philadelphia County, PA; a percentage of people in these jobs may have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Career Outlook

$68,933

Median Salary of a Graphic Designer

30,417

Number of Jobs in the Region

+2.07%

10-year Job Outlook in the Region for Graphic Designers

Featured Career

Graphic Designers

Use aesthetic design theory to create designs, concepts and sample layouts for print and web materials such as company logos, pamphlets, flyers, product illustrations and more.

Starting Pay: $39,903

Typical Tasks

Key information into computer equipment to create layouts for client or supervisor.
Review final layouts and suggest improvements, as needed.
Determine size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, and select style and size of type.
Develop graphics and layouts for product illustrations, company logos, and Websites.
Create designs, concepts, and sample layouts, based on knowledge of layout principles and aesthetic design concepts.
Use computer software to generate new images.
Prepare digital files for printing.

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