Advertising Design

Associate Degree Program

The program offers a valuable way to capitalize on your talents as you harness your imagination using the tools of today’s media. You will develop a strong sense of concept development, in addition to communication, collaboration, research, problem-solving and presentation skills. This will open opportunities in graphic design, illustration, and web design. This program prepares you for a successful career where you will apply creative commercial and graphic arts solutions for the promotional needs of the publishing, printing, or advertising industry, with the opportunity to become Adobe certified in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe InDesign.

Upon completion of this program, you will have developed a broad knowledge allowing you to be involved in a range of projects such as ads, brochures, corporate identity, packaging, presentations, promotional displays, signage, websites, and digital and/or traditional illustrations.

Offered at the following campus(es): Dover

What You Can Do

In this program, you will gain the knowledge and skills to prepare you for positions such as:

  • Graphic designer
  • Advertising designer
  • Illustrator
  • Webpage designer
  • Art director
  • Pre-press technician
  • Artist
  • Desktop publisher
  • Graphic designer/production
  • Sign designer
  • T-shirt designer
  • In-house designer for small companies, corporations, publishers, schools, retailers, design firms
  • Self-employment

What You Will Learn

Program Graduate Competencies

The Program Graduate Competencies listed below identify the major learning goals related to your specific program of study and identify the knowledge and skills you will have when you graduate to be successful in your chosen field.

  1. Integrate the principles and elements of design into cohesive problem solving techniques for advertising design assignments.
  2. Create or evaluate and select, illustrative or photographic imagery for use in effectively evoking a response within an ad-design solution's target market.
  3. Critique design solutions and develop strategies for strengthening their conceptual and technical effectiveness.
  4. Structure a problem solving strategy for delivery of the client's message to his market, making efficient use of current design, production, and delivery technologies.
  5. Synthesize components of ad-design solutions into cohesive presentations that are technically and conceptually effective.
  6. Integrate professional, ethical, and legal standards into business practice.

Core Curriculum Competencies

The Core Curriculum Competencies listed below identify what you will be able to do as a graduate, regardless of your program of study. You will acquire these core competencies through general education courses and program-specific coursework. You will be expected to use relevant technology to achieve these outcomes:

  1. Apply clear and effective communication skills.
  2. Use critical thinking to solve problems.
  3. Collaborate to achieve a common goal.
  4. Demonstrate professional and ethical conduct.
  5. Use information literacy for effective vocational and/or academic research.
  6. Apply quantitative reasoning and/or scientific inquiry to solve practical problems.

Suggested Pathway to Graduation

Semester 1

Number Course Title Credits
SSC 100First Year Seminar1
BUS 101Introduction to Business3
ENG 101Composition I3
VSC 109Drawing I3
VSC 115Intro To Design3
VSC 160Raster Graphics3

Semester 2

Number Course Title Credits
ENG 102Composition II3
 
HIS 131Art History I3
Or
HIS 132Art History II3
 
MAT 152Quantitative Reasoning3
VSC 161Vector Graphics3
VSC 165Photography I3

Semester 3

Number Course Title Credits
MKT 212Principles of Marketing3
VSC 210Layout Graphics3
VSC 262Web Graphics3
VSC 271Illustration3
ElectiveSocial Science/Humanities Elective3

Semester 4

Number Course Title Credits
VSC 278Advanced Layout and Illustration3
MKT 214Advertising and Promotion3
MKT 217Digital Marketing Fundamentals3
VSC 251Portfolio Workshop4
 
VSC 272Applied Practice Ad Design3
Or
VSC 293VSC Internship3
Or
VSC 294VSC Cooperative3

Approved Electives

Select one (1) social science elective.

Number Course Title Credits
POL 111Political Science3
PSY 121General Psychology3
SOC 111Sociology3

To complete program requirements, you must pass the above courses and earn at least 62 credits. The number of courses and credits required for graduation may be more depending on college readiness and the elective courses offered in your program major (if electives are a part of the program).

VSCAASADD

Alumni | Bijou Cox

Campus-Specific Program Information
Contact Dover

Patti Bishop
Department Chair, Instructor,
and Program Advisor
pbishop2@poscoop.com
(302) 857-1310

Adobe Certified Associate Authorized Testing Center

The Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) certifications offer students a foundation for success by validating their digital skills. Certification testing is offered within the curriculum of several courses within the Visual Communication Department. Upon a successful attempt of the exam, the student is instantly able to promote the Adobe badge received and meet the popular demand of validating skills in the Adobe application.

This program is offered at the Dover campus.

This program is offered at the Dover campus.

This program is offered at the Dover campus.