Graphic Design

The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Graphic Design develops the knowledge and skills required in the areas of photography, digital imaging, and graphic design. The coursework includes creating graphic designs, including images, layouts, typography, packaging, motion and interactive graphics, and branding in various print and digital media. This degree prepares students for employment and upgrades the skills of persons employed in occupations such as production artists, graphic designers, freelance artist-designers, and art directors. A Certificate of Completion (CCL) in Graphic Design is also available.

Details

Field of Interest

Visual and Performing Arts

Degree Type

Associate in Applied Science (AAS)

Academic Plan

Graphic Design (DEG)

Academic Plan Code

3201

Total credits required

61-68

Catalog Year

2024-2025

Effective Term

Fall 2024

Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

What You'll Learn

This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:

Create complex designs to project specifications, demonstrating professional competence in research, planning, production, and presentation.
Apply critical thinking skills, the creative process, and historical and visual literacy to solve complex visual, technical, and conceptual problems.
Critique design solutions to evaluate their effectiveness.
Apply industry standard tools and research to develop effective media, designs, and workflows.
Demonstrate collaborative practices.
Communicate design solutions that meet audience needs and recognize cultural and individual differences.
Create a collection of works (e.g., capstone, internships, and/or portfolio) that reflect professional competency.
Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based annual median wages* for this program. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information.

Art Directors

$83,430 Show expanded career information for Art Directors

Commercial and Industrial Designers

$77,810 Show expanded career information for Commercial and Industrial Designers

Graphic Designers

$50,740 Show expanded career information for Graphic Designers

Photographers

$34,520 Show expanded career information for Photographers

* Wage information sourced from the . Updated May 2022.

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Pathway Planner tool in your to manage your plan.
The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.
Consult with your faculty mentor or academic advisor to determine educational requirements, including possible university transfer options, for your chosen career field.

Full-time
Part-time

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
or	or	Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C or better in or or ) or (B or better in ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C or better in or or ) or (B or better in ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ).	Critical course	FYC or FYC	3
			Critical course recommended for students planning to transfer to a university		3–6
					1
		Prerequisites or Corequisites: or permission of Instructor.	Critical course Gateway course		3
or	or				3
or	or				3
or	or				1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
or	or	Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in . or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in .		FYC or FYC	3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( or ) and ( or or or or or an appropriate district placement or permission of Instructor).	OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment	L	0–3
or or	or or		Students who intend to transfer should choose either or to fulfill the [HU] requirement for transfer	H, HU or H, HU or None	3
		Prerequisites or Corequisites: or permission of Instructor.			3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.	Critical course		3
		Prerequisites or Corequisites: or permission of Instructor.	Critical course		3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Area	Credits
or or or	or or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or equivalent. or No requisites	SB or SB or L or SB	3
				3
or	or	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or permission of Instructor. recommended. or No requisites		3
or	or			3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.		3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
				SB	3
or	or			SG or SQ	4
or or or or or	or or or or or	Prerequisites: Permission of Program Director or Instructor. or Prerequisites: Permission of Program Director or Instructor. or Prerequisites: Permission of Program Director or Instructor. or Prerequisites: Permission of Department or Division. or Prerequisites: Permission of Department or Division. or Prerequisites: Permission of Department or Division.			1–3
RE	Restricted Electives				3
Elective	General Elective		Select additional courses 100-level or higher to complete the minimum credits required for this degree. Consult with the Program Director or an Academic Advisor.		0–3

Restricted Electives

A list of additional, alternative, or supplemental courses for this pathway map
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
		Prerequisites or Corequisites: or permission of Instructor.			3
		Prerequisites or Corequisites: or permission of Instructor.			3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.			3
					3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in AVC/ or permission of Instructor. and suggested but not required.			3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.			3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in and [ or (ADA/, ADA/, and )] and , or permission of Instructor.			3
					3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Credits
			Critical course recommended for students planning to transfer to a university	3–6
				1
		Prerequisites or Corequisites: or permission of Instructor.	Critical course Gateway course	3
or	or			1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
or	or	Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C or better in or or ) or (B or better in ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C or better in or or ) or (B or better in ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ).	Critical course	FYC or FYC	3
or	or				3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
or	or				3
or	or	Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in . or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in .		FYC or FYC	3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( or ) and ( or or or or or an appropriate district placement or permission of Instructor).	OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment	L	0–3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
or or	or or		Students who intend to transfer should choose either or to fulfill the [HU] requirement for transfer	H, HU or H, HU or None	3
		Prerequisites or Corequisites: or permission of Instructor.			3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
			Critical course		3
		Prerequisites or Corequisites: or permission of Instructor.	Critical course		3

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
or or or	or or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or equivalent. or No requisites		SB or SB or L or SB	3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.			3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
					3
or	or	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or permission of Instructor. recommended. or No requisites			3

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
or	or				3
				SB	3

Term 9

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 9
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
or	or			SG or SQ	4
RE	Restricted Electives				3

Term 10

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 10
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
or or or or or	or or or or or	Prerequisites: Permission of Program Director or Instructor. or Prerequisites: Permission of Program Director or Instructor. or Prerequisites: Permission of Program Director or Instructor. or Prerequisites: Permission of Department or Division. or Prerequisites: Permission of Department or Division. or Prerequisites: Permission of Department or Division.			1–3
Elective	General Elective		Select additional courses 100-level or higher to complete the minimum credits required for this degree. Consult with the Program Director or an Academic Advisor.		0–3

Restricted Electives

A list of additional, alternative, or supplemental courses for this pathway map
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
		Prerequisites or Corequisites: or permission of Instructor.			3
		Prerequisites or Corequisites: or permission of Instructor.			3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.			3
					3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in AVC/ or permission of Instructor. and suggested but not required.			3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.			3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in and [ or (ADA/, ADA/, and )] and , or permission of Instructor.			3
					3

Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

FYC = First Year Composition
H = Historical Awareness
HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry

SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
SG = Natural Sciences General
SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative

Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s for additional details regarding the requirements of this award .

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

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Graphic Design