Discover your love for design and dive into your own personal style with Graceland’s art degree in graphic design.
Students who major in art at Graceland have the opportunity to develop the well-rounded skills necessary for creative expression. Whether their passion is illustration or web development, Graceland students are able to study in a first-class environment that emphasizes design fundamentals while allowing them to explore their creativity.
For those who major in the art field, with a graphic design emphasis, your course offerings will range from drawing and printmaking to typography and web design. Logos, package design, newsletter, and magazine layouts are just a few of the types of projects a graphic design major will experience. You'll get your hands on any and all forms of graphic design you may be interested in.
Graceland’s small student-to-faculty ratio gives graphic design majors personalization and critique that leads to high levels of placement in internships and jobs after graduation. Graceland’s liberal arts campus environment encourages students to think critically in many areas of thought, so they have room to pursue other interests like the arts and athletics while working toward their degree.
Graphic Design is one of two tracks available under the Art major. In order to complete this program, you must complete both the core requirements for an Art major, and the Graphic Design emphasis requirements.
In addition to the general education requirements, students majoring in Art will complete either a studio or graphic design track. Each track is 36 credits as prescribed below:
Students will explore a variety of techniques and concepts that focus on the generation, development, and communication of new ideas through exploration of the principles and elements of design in relation two-dimensional design and color theory. This course explores the relationship of material, method, and process in the construction of meaning in art. Students experiment with interdisciplinary research methods to generate projects reflecting current topics of interest. Studio fee required. ELO5 Arts - Innovation
This introductory course considers drawing as a form of communication and a sustaining practice. Various drawing materials, observation, memory training, and composition are stressed to give the student a wide experience and solid base in the art, skill, and history of drawing. Contemporary and non-traditional drawing methods will be explored. Studio fee required. ELO5 Arts - Sustainability
A technical course exploring the digital tools used in the graphic design industry. Students are exposed to the function, theory, and use of industry-standard computer hardware, software, and basic digital design principles utilized in the production of graphic design.
This course serves as an introduction to the materials, philosophies, techniques, and processes of painting. Students will work with acrylic paint and mediums and approach the creative experience of painting through the study of subject matter, form, and content. Color theory, sketching, and different painting techniques and styles will be emphasized. An emphasis on interdisciplinary and contemporary approaches will be stressed. Studio Fee required.
Theme-based art history course exploring topics such as innovation, power, politics, architecture, entertainment, sacred spaces, sustainability, and eco art throughout art history to the present. ELO5 Arts - Innovation, GE3A Liberal Learning-Arts.
Theme-based art history course that explores topics such as activism, empathy, justice, disability, mental illness, feminism, sexuality, queer art, social and civic engagement, labor, and race throughout art history to the present. ELO5 Arts - Equality, ELO5 Arts - Equality and Peace, GE3A Liberal Learning-Arts.
This introductory printmaking making course introduces students to non-toxic printmaking techniques including relief printing, monotype, silkscreen, and other contemporary processes. The course explores how these traditional methods have been used as a means for informing, gathering, protesting, and celebration. Studio Fee required. ELO5 Arts - Innovation
A required senior- level course where students identify and critically reflect on a theme that intersects with their own studio practice, or discipline. This course supplements preparations for the capstone exhibition through the analysis of area exhibitions, providing hands-on experience in the mechanics of exhibition production. Portfolio development and professional practices will be emphasized. Permission from instructor required.
Students will explore a variety of techniques and concepts that focus on the generation, development, and communication of new ideas through exploration of the principles and elements of design in relation two-dimensional design and color theory. This course explores the relationship of material, method, and process in the construction of meaning in art. Students experiment with interdisciplinary research methods to generate projects reflecting current topics of interest. Studio fee required. ELO5 Arts - Innovation
This introductory course considers drawing as a form of communication and a sustaining practice. Various drawing materials, observation, memory training, and composition are stressed to give the student a wide experience and solid base in the art, skill, and history of drawing. Contemporary and non-traditional drawing methods will be explored. Studio fee required. ELO5 Arts - Sustainability
A technical course exploring the digital tools used in the graphic design industry. Students are exposed to the function, theory, and use of industry-standard computer hardware, software, and basic digital design principles utilized in the production of graphic design.
This course serves as an introduction to the materials, philosophies, techniques, and processes of painting. Students will work with acrylic paint and mediums and approach the creative experience of painting through the study of subject matter, form, and content. Color theory, sketching, and different painting techniques and styles will be emphasized. An emphasis on interdisciplinary and contemporary approaches will be stressed. Studio Fee required.
Theme-based art history course exploring topics such as innovation, power, politics, architecture, entertainment, sacred spaces, sustainability, and eco art throughout art history to the present. ELO5 Arts - Innovation, GE3A Liberal Learning-Arts.
Theme-based art history course that explores topics such as activism, empathy, justice, disability, mental illness, feminism, sexuality, queer art, social and civic engagement, labor, and race throughout art history to the present. ELO5 Arts - Equality, ELO5 Arts - Equality and Peace, GE3A Liberal Learning-Arts.
This introductory printmaking making course introduces students to non-toxic printmaking techniques including relief printing, monotype, silkscreen, and other contemporary processes. The course explores how these traditional methods have been used as a means for informing, gathering, protesting, and celebration. Studio Fee required. ELO5 Arts - Innovation
A required senior- level course where students identify and critically reflect on a theme that intersects with their own studio practice, or discipline. This course supplements preparations for the capstone exhibition through the analysis of area exhibitions, providing hands-on experience in the mechanics of exhibition production. Portfolio development and professional practices will be emphasized. Permission from instructor required.
In addition to the Performing Arts Foundation courses, Dramatic Media students will take additional coursework outlined below:
A technical course exploring the digital tools used in the graphic design industry. Students are exposed to the function, theory, and use of industry-standard computer hardware, software, and basic digital design principles utilized in the production of graphic design.
An overview of personal financial management, including investment, taxation, insurance and credit.
This course provides a comprehensive overview, with hands-on experience, of Social Media Marketing. The most basic objectives of the course are to provide students with a broad introduction to social media marketing concepts and techniques using the latest online tools combined with practical "real world" application. There will be an emphasis on strategic use of tools, effective design and contemporary marketing techniques. Students will build and maintain real world marketing campaigns.
An examination of the various landmark theories, such as rhetorical, Marxist, and feminist to analyze popular culture, with an emphasis on the importance of communication in the production and consumption of culture. Students will study the development of culture by applying different theories or 'lenses' to cultural artifacts including music, movies, advertisements, clothing, etc. GE3C Liberal Learning-Humanities +This course is only offered every other year.
An exploration of the emergence of new communication practices as well as their social, political, cultural, and economic impact in personal, community, cultural, social, institutional, and international life. Specific attention will be given to the ways social media influence and shape matters of ethics and privacy, how we see ourselves and others, how we interact formally and informally, and how we do business. ELO4 Global Learning - Innovation +This course is only offered every other year.
Study of cinema as an artistic endeavor, form of rhetoric, cultural mirror, and purveyor of ideology. Introduces the fundamentals of the discipline, to include vocabulary, concepts of film production, film reception, film analysis, film interpretation, and film criticism. Exploration of the artistic, commercial, entertainment, and ideological relationships between cinema and American culture, along with practice in the film literacy skills needed to qualitatively assess and communicate cinema’s artistic and cultural contributions. ELO5 Humanities - Innovation, GE3C Liberal Learning-Humanities.
A hands-on introduction to digital film production and editing. Introduces the technical knowledge need to investigate the creative possibilities of composition, light, motion, color and sound in shooting digital film. Examines the fundamentals of nonlinear editing, including continuity development, logging clips, audio tracks, and transitions. Additional fee required. Prerequisites: ENGL2510 or instructor consent. +This course is only offered every other year.
Encompasses the study of intervals, scales, and triads combined with sight singing and dictation of the same elements, as well as rhythmic dictation.
Aural Skills I focuses on beginning study of sight singing, rhythmic performance, dictation (melodic, harmonic, rhythmic), and related skills, all designed to develop the student's musical ear to the highest degree possible. This course is intended to be taken concurrently with Music Theory I. In the case of transfer students, an aural proficiency exam will be administered to determine placement.
Explores the musical history of the planet's diverse human communities. Music is not one universal language but a group of languages that express, shape and record human experience. An intensive study of how music works within the social and cultural context including a specific examination of indigenous music of West Africa, Latin America, China, Indonesia, and Japan. ELO5 Arts - World Citizenship, ELO5 Arts - Equality and Peace, GE3E Liberal Learning-Arts.
Introduction to various jazz styles and performers through the listening, discussion, and lecture of important and representative musical works from each of these periods. A significant focus will be on the relationship between the music, style, and social and economic fabric. ELO5 Arts - Innovation.
An in-depth, practical examination of contemporary approaches to creating and editing music using both hardware and computer software for live and digital environments. Topics include designing sound via MIDI sequencing/virtual instruments, music notation software, the history of the music recording industry, and creating for various media including soundtracks, sound/character effects, and video games. Prerequisite: PART1100 Performing Arts Stagecraft & Technology
This course covers the anatomy & physiology of musical ensembles, both instrumental and vocal. The primary goals of this course are (1) to provide students with a fundamental understanding of orchestral, wind, and vocal ensembles and how they are structured, (2) to teach students how to compose and arrange music for various ensembles, and (3) to give students tools to study and understand scores for both large and small ensembles. By studying and analyzing important pieces of musical literature from the 18th century to the present and applied practice in both composing original works and arranging pieces for different ensemble settings, this course will help students prepare for careers as conductors, professional players, and/or composers and arrangers. Prerequisites: MUSC1160 Music Theory II
An interdisciplinary course that explores the vital role of design in bringing narratives to life across various mediums. Students will examine how set, costume, light, and sound designs contribute to storytelling in theatre, film, and new media platforms. Through practical workshops, lectures, and collaborative projects, participants will engage in the creative process, learning to interpret a variety of scripts and conceptualize visual narratives while considering the unique challenges and opportunities each medium presents. Emphasizing critical thinking and innovation, this course aims to equip students with the skills to create immersive experiences that resonate with audiences in a rapidly evolving artistic landscape.
Advanced study of a selected area in the performing arts: performance, design, technology, history, management, dramaturgy, theory, trends, etc. May be repeated for credit.
Designed to develop an understanding of how Theatre and society coexist in our world. Course fosters an appreciation for the theatre artist’s skills and expertise. In this course students experience acting, design, and playwriting through collaborative group projects and interactive assignments. Students will explore the complex relationship between Theatre and society from the past to the present through presentations and class discussions. ELO5 Arts - Equality, ELO5 Arts - Equality and Peace, GE3A Liberal Learning-Arts.
This course is an immersive, concentrated study of the technical aspects of theatre, film, and new media stage production. Students will engage in hands-on projects, learning to collaborate effectively in a team environment while applying industry-standard practices. This course emphasizes the integration of technology with traditional stagecraft techniques, preparing students for various roles in theater production and media environments. Through lecture demonstrations, lab workshops, and practical experiences, students will develop creative thinking and problem-solving skills essential in the fast-paced world of stagecraft and technology. Prerequisite: PART1100 Performing Arts Stagecraft & Technology.
An in-depth exploration of significant plays and scripts from various genres and time periods, focusing on themes, structure, and performance elements. Students will analyze key texts, examine their cultural and historical contexts, and engage in discussions about character development, dialogue, and the evolution of dramatic forms. Through readings, discussions, and written analyses, participants will enhance their critical thinking and appreciation for dramatic arts. Overall, this course prepares students for a deeper understanding of the craft of storytelling in both theatre and film.
This course explores the fundamental principles of storytelling across various platforms, including theater, film, and digital mediums. Students will engage in the development of scripts, focusing on character creation, dialogue, structure, and pacing, while also considering the unique demands and opportunities each medium presents. Through workshops, peer critiques, and the analysis of existing works, participants will enhance their writing skills and gain an understanding of industry standards and practices, culminating in the creation of original pieces tailored to stage, screen, or new media formats.
This course explores the evolution of performance and storytelling through various media forms, including theater, film, television, and digital platforms. Students examine key historical movements, influential artists, and technological advancements that have shaped dramatic expressions across cultures and eras. By analyzing texts, performances, and critical theories, the course encourages a deeper understanding of how media reflects and influences societal values, identity, and aesthetic trends, while fostering critical thinking and media literacy. Engaging discussions, presentations, and screenings enhance students' appreciation for the rich tapestry of dramatic arts throughout history. +This course is only offered every other year. GE3A Liberal Learning-Arts.
This course offers a comprehensive exploration of the evolution of musical theatre, tracing its origins from early theatrical traditions to contemporary productions. Students will examine key works, influential figures, and stylistic developments within the genre, considering how social, political, and cultural contexts have shaped its transformation. Through lectures, discussions, and performance analyses, participants will gain insight into the various elements that define musical theatre, including music, lyrics, choreography, and narrative structure, fostering an appreciation for its role as a dynamic form of artistic expression. +This course is only offered every other year.
This course is for aspiring directors looking to develop their skills in staging, interpretation, and collaboration within theatrical and musical contexts. Students will explore fundamental directing techniques, including script analysis, character development, and the creation of cohesive visions for performances. Through hands-on scene work, guided exercises, and collaborative projects, students will gain practical experience in leading rehearsals, working with actors, and integrating elements of music and choreography. This course will also cover the historical and contemporary landscape of directing, providing insight into the artistic and logistical challenges directors face. By the end of the course, students will have crafted a variety of short, directed scenes and at least one musical number, showcasing their understanding of the director’s role and enhancing their confidence to lead a production.
An applied study of the principles and techniques of directing for film, television, and theatre that will engage the students in developing their unique voice, visual storytelling, and the art of working with actors, cinematographers, and production teams. The final project in this course will be a realized one-act production or short film that showcases directorial vision and skills, offering a comprehensive experience that prepares students for careers in the industry. Prerequisite: THTR4110 Stage and Musical Directing
A technical course exploring the digital tools used in the graphic design industry. Students are exposed to the function, theory, and use of industry-standard computer hardware, software, and basic digital design principles utilized in the production of graphic design.
An overview of personal financial management, including investment, taxation, insurance and credit.
This course provides a comprehensive overview, with hands-on experience, of Social Media Marketing. The most basic objectives of the course are to provide students with a broad introduction to social media marketing concepts and techniques using the latest online tools combined with practical "real world" application. There will be an emphasis on strategic use of tools, effective design and contemporary marketing techniques. Students will build and maintain real world marketing campaigns.
An examination of the various landmark theories, such as rhetorical, Marxist, and feminist to analyze popular culture, with an emphasis on the importance of communication in the production and consumption of culture. Students will study the development of culture by applying different theories or 'lenses' to cultural artifacts including music, movies, advertisements, clothing, etc. GE3C Liberal Learning-Humanities +This course is only offered every other year.
An exploration of the emergence of new communication practices as well as their social, political, cultural, and economic impact in personal, community, cultural, social, institutional, and international life. Specific attention will be given to the ways social media influence and shape matters of ethics and privacy, how we see ourselves and others, how we interact formally and informally, and how we do business. ELO4 Global Learning - Innovation +This course is only offered every other year.
Study of cinema as an artistic endeavor, form of rhetoric, cultural mirror, and purveyor of ideology. Introduces the fundamentals of the discipline, to include vocabulary, concepts of film production, film reception, film analysis, film interpretation, and film criticism. Exploration of the artistic, commercial, entertainment, and ideological relationships between cinema and American culture, along with practice in the film literacy skills needed to qualitatively assess and communicate cinema’s artistic and cultural contributions. ELO5 Humanities - Innovation, GE3C Liberal Learning-Humanities.
A hands-on introduction to digital film production and editing. Introduces the technical knowledge need to investigate the creative possibilities of composition, light, motion, color and sound in shooting digital film. Examines the fundamentals of nonlinear editing, including continuity development, logging clips, audio tracks, and transitions. Additional fee required. Prerequisites: ENGL2510 or instructor consent. +This course is only offered every other year.
Encompasses the study of intervals, scales, and triads combined with sight singing and dictation of the same elements, as well as rhythmic dictation.
Aural Skills I focuses on beginning study of sight singing, rhythmic performance, dictation (melodic, harmonic, rhythmic), and related skills, all designed to develop the student's musical ear to the highest degree possible. This course is intended to be taken concurrently with Music Theory I. In the case of transfer students, an aural proficiency exam will be administered to determine placement.
Explores the musical history of the planet's diverse human communities. Music is not one universal language but a group of languages that express, shape and record human experience. An intensive study of how music works within the social and cultural context including a specific examination of indigenous music of West Africa, Latin America, China, Indonesia, and Japan. ELO5 Arts - World Citizenship, ELO5 Arts - Equality and Peace, GE3E Liberal Learning-Arts.
Introduction to various jazz styles and performers through the listening, discussion, and lecture of important and representative musical works from each of these periods. A significant focus will be on the relationship between the music, style, and social and economic fabric. ELO5 Arts - Innovation.
An in-depth, practical examination of contemporary approaches to creating and editing music using both hardware and computer software for live and digital environments. Topics include designing sound via MIDI sequencing/virtual instruments, music notation software, the history of the music recording industry, and creating for various media including soundtracks, sound/character effects, and video games. Prerequisite: PART1100 Performing Arts Stagecraft & Technology
This course covers the anatomy & physiology of musical ensembles, both instrumental and vocal. The primary goals of this course are (1) to provide students with a fundamental understanding of orchestral, wind, and vocal ensembles and how they are structured, (2) to teach students how to compose and arrange music for various ensembles, and (3) to give students tools to study and understand scores for both large and small ensembles. By studying and analyzing important pieces of musical literature from the 18th century to the present and applied practice in both composing original works and arranging pieces for different ensemble settings, this course will help students prepare for careers as conductors, professional players, and/or composers and arrangers. Prerequisites: MUSC1160 Music Theory II
An interdisciplinary course that explores the vital role of design in bringing narratives to life across various mediums. Students will examine how set, costume, light, and sound designs contribute to storytelling in theatre, film, and new media platforms. Through practical workshops, lectures, and collaborative projects, participants will engage in the creative process, learning to interpret a variety of scripts and conceptualize visual narratives while considering the unique challenges and opportunities each medium presents. Emphasizing critical thinking and innovation, this course aims to equip students with the skills to create immersive experiences that resonate with audiences in a rapidly evolving artistic landscape.
Advanced study of a selected area in the performing arts: performance, design, technology, history, management, dramaturgy, theory, trends, etc. May be repeated for credit.
Designed to develop an understanding of how Theatre and society coexist in our world. Course fosters an appreciation for the theatre artist’s skills and expertise. In this course students experience acting, design, and playwriting through collaborative group projects and interactive assignments. Students will explore the complex relationship between Theatre and society from the past to the present through presentations and class discussions. ELO5 Arts - Equality, ELO5 Arts - Equality and Peace, GE3A Liberal Learning-Arts.
This course is an immersive, concentrated study of the technical aspects of theatre, film, and new media stage production. Students will engage in hands-on projects, learning to collaborate effectively in a team environment while applying industry-standard practices. This course emphasizes the integration of technology with traditional stagecraft techniques, preparing students for various roles in theater production and media environments. Through lecture demonstrations, lab workshops, and practical experiences, students will develop creative thinking and problem-solving skills essential in the fast-paced world of stagecraft and technology. Prerequisite: PART1100 Performing Arts Stagecraft & Technology.
An in-depth exploration of significant plays and scripts from various genres and time periods, focusing on themes, structure, and performance elements. Students will analyze key texts, examine their cultural and historical contexts, and engage in discussions about character development, dialogue, and the evolution of dramatic forms. Through readings, discussions, and written analyses, participants will enhance their critical thinking and appreciation for dramatic arts. Overall, this course prepares students for a deeper understanding of the craft of storytelling in both theatre and film.
This course explores the fundamental principles of storytelling across various platforms, including theater, film, and digital mediums. Students will engage in the development of scripts, focusing on character creation, dialogue, structure, and pacing, while also considering the unique demands and opportunities each medium presents. Through workshops, peer critiques, and the analysis of existing works, participants will enhance their writing skills and gain an understanding of industry standards and practices, culminating in the creation of original pieces tailored to stage, screen, or new media formats.
This course explores the evolution of performance and storytelling through various media forms, including theater, film, television, and digital platforms. Students examine key historical movements, influential artists, and technological advancements that have shaped dramatic expressions across cultures and eras. By analyzing texts, performances, and critical theories, the course encourages a deeper understanding of how media reflects and influences societal values, identity, and aesthetic trends, while fostering critical thinking and media literacy. Engaging discussions, presentations, and screenings enhance students' appreciation for the rich tapestry of dramatic arts throughout history. +This course is only offered every other year. GE3A Liberal Learning-Arts.
This course offers a comprehensive exploration of the evolution of musical theatre, tracing its origins from early theatrical traditions to contemporary productions. Students will examine key works, influential figures, and stylistic developments within the genre, considering how social, political, and cultural contexts have shaped its transformation. Through lectures, discussions, and performance analyses, participants will gain insight into the various elements that define musical theatre, including music, lyrics, choreography, and narrative structure, fostering an appreciation for its role as a dynamic form of artistic expression. +This course is only offered every other year.
This course is for aspiring directors looking to develop their skills in staging, interpretation, and collaboration within theatrical and musical contexts. Students will explore fundamental directing techniques, including script analysis, character development, and the creation of cohesive visions for performances. Through hands-on scene work, guided exercises, and collaborative projects, students will gain practical experience in leading rehearsals, working with actors, and integrating elements of music and choreography. This course will also cover the historical and contemporary landscape of directing, providing insight into the artistic and logistical challenges directors face. By the end of the course, students will have crafted a variety of short, directed scenes and at least one musical number, showcasing their understanding of the director’s role and enhancing their confidence to lead a production.
An applied study of the principles and techniques of directing for film, television, and theatre that will engage the students in developing their unique voice, visual storytelling, and the art of working with actors, cinematographers, and production teams. The final project in this course will be a realized one-act production or short film that showcases directorial vision and skills, offering a comprehensive experience that prepares students for careers in the industry. Prerequisite: THTR4110 Stage and Musical Directing
In addition to the essential education requirements, minors in Art: Graphic Design must complete 18 semester hours as prescribed below:
Students will explore a variety of techniques and concepts that focus on the generation, development, and communication of new ideas through exploration of the principles and elements of design in relation two-dimensional design and color theory. This course explores the relationship of material, method, and process in the construction of meaning in art. Students experiment with interdisciplinary research methods to generate projects reflecting current topics of interest. Studio fee required. ELO5 Arts - Innovation
A technical course exploring the digital tools used in the graphic design industry. Students are exposed to the function, theory, and use of industry-standard computer hardware, software, and basic digital design principles utilized in the production of graphic design.
Covers basic principles of typography, such as type anatomy, type fonts and families, communication with typography and an introduction to layout and grid structures. Typography as medium and message and conceptual solutions are emphasized. Additional fee required. Prerequisite: ARTS1680 Computer Graphic Design 1.
Study of the integration of type and image through multi-level designs, such as multi page layouts, and identity systems. Additional fee required. Prerequisite: ARTS1680 and ARTS1710.
An examination of the various landmark theories, such as rhetorical, Marxist, and feminist to analyze popular culture, with an emphasis on the importance of communication in the production and consumption of culture. Students will study the development of culture by applying different theories or 'lenses' to cultural artifacts including music, movies, advertisements, clothing, etc. GE3C Liberal Learning-Humanities +This course is only offered every other year.
An emphasis in learning theories, information processing theories, perception theories, components of persuasive appeals, and the ethics involved in persuasion. Further, students will examine the theories and persuasive appeals involved in communication campaigns and critique the success, or lack thereof, of multiple persuasive strategies. +This course is only offered every other year.
Students will explore a variety of techniques and concepts that focus on the generation, development, and communication of new ideas through exploration of the principles and elements of design in relation two-dimensional design and color theory. This course explores the relationship of material, method, and process in the construction of meaning in art. Students experiment with interdisciplinary research methods to generate projects reflecting current topics of interest. Studio fee required. ELO5 Arts - Innovation
A technical course exploring the digital tools used in the graphic design industry. Students are exposed to the function, theory, and use of industry-standard computer hardware, software, and basic digital design principles utilized in the production of graphic design.
Covers basic principles of typography, such as type anatomy, type fonts and families, communication with typography and an introduction to layout and grid structures. Typography as medium and message and conceptual solutions are emphasized. Additional fee required. Prerequisite: ARTS1680 Computer Graphic Design 1.
Study of the integration of type and image through multi-level designs, such as multi page layouts, and identity systems. Additional fee required. Prerequisite: ARTS1680 and ARTS1710.
An examination of the various landmark theories, such as rhetorical, Marxist, and feminist to analyze popular culture, with an emphasis on the importance of communication in the production and consumption of culture. Students will study the development of culture by applying different theories or 'lenses' to cultural artifacts including music, movies, advertisements, clothing, etc. GE3C Liberal Learning-Humanities +This course is only offered every other year.
An emphasis in learning theories, information processing theories, perception theories, components of persuasive appeals, and the ethics involved in persuasion. Further, students will examine the theories and persuasive appeals involved in communication campaigns and critique the success, or lack thereof, of multiple persuasive strategies. +This course is only offered every other year.
Students will explore a variety of techniques and concepts that focus on the generation, development, and communication of new ideas through exploration of the principles and elements of design in relation two-dimensional design and color theory. This course explores the relationship of material, method, and process in the construction of meaning in art. Students experiment with interdisciplinary research methods to generate projects reflecting current topics of interest. Studio fee required. ELO5 Arts - Innovation
Introduction to surface, space, and time as an artistic medium. Lectures, readings, demonstrations, and hands-on projects help students identify and understand surface, space, and time-based principles in art and design. Emphasis will be places on three-dimensional and four-dimensional narrative and visual storytelling practices. Studio Fee required. ELO5 Arts - Innovation
This introductory course considers drawing as a form of communication and a sustaining practice. Various drawing materials, observation, memory training, and composition are stressed to give the student a wide experience and solid base in the art, skill, and history of drawing. Contemporary and non-traditional drawing methods will be explored. Studio fee required. ELO5 Arts - Sustainability
This course serves as an introduction to the materials, philosophies, techniques, and processes of painting. Students will work with acrylic paint and mediums and approach the creative experience of painting through the study of subject matter, form, and content. Color theory, sketching, and different painting techniques and styles will be emphasized. An emphasis on interdisciplinary and contemporary approaches will be stressed. Studio Fee required.
Theme-based art history course exploring topics such as innovation, power, politics, architecture, entertainment, sacred spaces, sustainability, and eco art throughout art history to the present. ELO5 Arts - Innovation, GE3A Liberal Learning-Arts.
Special topics in art. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. Content and semester hours will vary. Prerequisites may apply. Additional fee required.
Theme-based art history course that explores topics such as activism, empathy, justice, disability, mental illness, feminism, sexuality, queer art, social and civic engagement, labor, and race throughout art history to the present. ELO5 Arts - Equality, ELO5 Arts - Equality and Peace, GE3A Liberal Learning-Arts.
This introductory printmaking making course introduces students to non-toxic printmaking techniques including relief printing, monotype, silkscreen, and other contemporary processes. The course explores how these traditional methods have been used as a means for informing, gathering, protesting, and celebration. Studio Fee required. ELO5 Arts - Innovation
Contemporary and traditional approaches to clay with emphasis on wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques. Exploration of sustainable production practices will also address surface decoration and responsible firing processes. Studio fee required. ELO5 Arts - Sustainability
In this course students explore basic methods of creating physical objects. Develops the integration of sculptural concept and practice, and the critical analysis of completed sculpture through a series of projects that investigate sculptural processes and issues. Lectures on directions in sculpture, technical demonstrations, and group critiques are scheduled. Studio fee required.
Development of knowledge and skills to plan, organize, and facilitate meaningful art curricula for elementary art students, with attention to lesson preparation, child artistic development, material discovery and integration with other subjects. Additional fee required. Prerequisite: admittance into Teacher Education, unless part of an approved Liberal Studies Program, junior standing. +This course is only offered every other year.
Development of knowledge and skills to plan, organize, and facilitate meaningful art curricula for secondary art students with attention to lesson preparation and material discovery. Additional fee required. Prerequisites: admittance into Teacher Education, unless part of an approved Liberal Studies Program. +This course is only offered every other year.
Elementary Education Majors complete 14 weeks of elementary student teaching in accordance with the policies in the Teacher Education Handbook. Additional fee required. Prerequisites: Senior standing, admittance into Teacher Education, and approval for student teaching. (Graded on a Pass/Fail basis.) * If a candidate with more than one teaching major completes 14 semester hours of student teaching for one major (or endorsements that require student teaching), an additional six semester hours of student teaching will meet the student teaching requirement for the asterisked second teaching major.
Students will explore a variety of techniques and concepts that focus on the generation, development, and communication of new ideas through exploration of the principles and elements of design in relation two-dimensional design and color theory. This course explores the relationship of material, method, and process in the construction of meaning in art. Students experiment with interdisciplinary research methods to generate projects reflecting current topics of interest. Studio fee required. ELO5 Arts - Innovation
Introduction to surface, space, and time as an artistic medium. Lectures, readings, demonstrations, and hands-on projects help students identify and understand surface, space, and time-based principles in art and design. Emphasis will be places on three-dimensional and four-dimensional narrative and visual storytelling practices. Studio Fee required. ELO5 Arts - Innovation
This introductory course considers drawing as a form of communication and a sustaining practice. Various drawing materials, observation, memory training, and composition are stressed to give the student a wide experience and solid base in the art, skill, and history of drawing. Contemporary and non-traditional drawing methods will be explored. Studio fee required. ELO5 Arts - Sustainability
This course serves as an introduction to the materials, philosophies, techniques, and processes of painting. Students will work with acrylic paint and mediums and approach the creative experience of painting through the study of subject matter, form, and content. Color theory, sketching, and different painting techniques and styles will be emphasized. An emphasis on interdisciplinary and contemporary approaches will be stressed. Studio Fee required.
Theme-based art history course exploring topics such as innovation, power, politics, architecture, entertainment, sacred spaces, sustainability, and eco art throughout art history to the present. ELO5 Arts - Innovation, GE3A Liberal Learning-Arts.
Special topics in art. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. Content and semester hours will vary. Prerequisites may apply. Additional fee required.
Theme-based art history course that explores topics such as activism, empathy, justice, disability, mental illness, feminism, sexuality, queer art, social and civic engagement, labor, and race throughout art history to the present. ELO5 Arts - Equality, ELO5 Arts - Equality and Peace, GE3A Liberal Learning-Arts.
This introductory printmaking making course introduces students to non-toxic printmaking techniques including relief printing, monotype, silkscreen, and other contemporary processes. The course explores how these traditional methods have been used as a means for informing, gathering, protesting, and celebration. Studio Fee required. ELO5 Arts - Innovation
Contemporary and traditional approaches to clay with emphasis on wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques. Exploration of sustainable production practices will also address surface decoration and responsible firing processes. Studio fee required. ELO5 Arts - Sustainability
In this course students explore basic methods of creating physical objects. Develops the integration of sculptural concept and practice, and the critical analysis of completed sculpture through a series of projects that investigate sculptural processes and issues. Lectures on directions in sculpture, technical demonstrations, and group critiques are scheduled. Studio fee required.
Development of knowledge and skills to plan, organize, and facilitate meaningful art curricula for elementary art students, with attention to lesson preparation, child artistic development, material discovery and integration with other subjects. Additional fee required. Prerequisite: admittance into Teacher Education, unless part of an approved Liberal Studies Program, junior standing. +This course is only offered every other year.
Development of knowledge and skills to plan, organize, and facilitate meaningful art curricula for secondary art students with attention to lesson preparation and material discovery. Additional fee required. Prerequisites: admittance into Teacher Education, unless part of an approved Liberal Studies Program. +This course is only offered every other year.
Elementary Education Majors complete 14 weeks of elementary student teaching in accordance with the policies in the Teacher Education Handbook. Additional fee required. Prerequisites: Senior standing, admittance into Teacher Education, and approval for student teaching. (Graded on a Pass/Fail basis.) * If a candidate with more than one teaching major completes 14 semester hours of student teaching for one major (or endorsements that require student teaching), an additional six semester hours of student teaching will meet the student teaching requirement for the asterisked second teaching major.
We are surrounded by design every day, even as we walk down the street. It’s evident in our homes and apartment complexes, in our stores, in our gyms, and even in our restaurants. There is room for great designers in many different fields throughout many different industries. A Graphic Design degree from Graceland can help to prepare you for all of those careers, including:
…and many other exciting fields.
When you study graphic design at Graceland, students will develop close mentoring relationships with professors because of the low student-to-faculty ratio. This allows graphic design majors to receive regular portfolio and project critiques from industry professionals.
Our wide array of interdisciplinary projects gives students the ability to think critically about the future of design and get excited about their own person stamp on the industry.
99% of students on the Lamoni campus receive financial aid.
As you consider college, you want a simple, easy-to-understand formula designed to ensure that the one-of-a-kind Graceland Experience is within reach for your family. Undergraduate tuition includes our unique Transformational Leadership major, and we offer generous financial aid and scholarships to all of our students, making Graceland as affordable, if not moreso, than most public universities.
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