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College of Information and Communications

Visual Communications

Visual storytelling is all around us: movies, commercials, journalism, augmented reality, drones. Contemporary communication is visual communication. In our program, you will learn visual problem-solving through fundamental skills such as graphic design, film, web design and photography.  You will receive instruction in the cutting-edge concepts and tools needed for an exciting and in-demand career in the modern visual media landscape. Amplify your creativity with the skills needed to execute your ideas into stunning and effective visual communications.

Classes

You'll learn how to focus your passion into telling stories, then improve your skills to do so. You can tailor your major to your specific interests, taking classes to make you a smarter, better-prepared visual journalist. Learn more about the classes you will take as a visual communications student in the university's academic bulletin. Here are just a few examples of some of the quality work our classes created during spring 2020.

Capstone Experience

You'll have the most memorable resumé of any in the stack after your senior semester here, showcasing your work in three ways — a printed book, a website and a tablet-based portfolio. And you'll also stand out because your work will not only be beautiful, but will have something to say. Check out these portfolios from spring 2021. 

Awards

And you’ll gain the skills needed to flex your muscles beyond the classroom. You may join the multitude of former and fellow classmates who’ve racked up top-level awards from Hearst, the American Advertising Federation and other national organizations.

Industry Experience

We'll get you on a project, part of a film crew, in a design house, behind the scenes to help you strengthen your ability to tell stories. Our students are highly sought after for internships with art, photo, design, social media and web departments at ad agencies, public relations firms, non-profits and news organizations. And these are just some of the many opportunities for our students.

Careers

We shoot wars and fashion shows, design mobile news apps and striking billboards. We're on the sidelines of big-time college football and in the middle of the third world making a difference. A degree in visual communications can lead you to a career as a photojournalist, videographer, illustrator, graphic designer, art director, social media marketer, user-interface / user-experience web designer, filmmaker or marketing specialist. The list goes on. Our graduates work for news organizations, advertising agencies, public relations firms, fashion houses, magazines, social media groups and themselves.

Faculty

You’ll study with talented faculty like Van Kornegay and Scott Farrand, who take students on  yearly treks to Africa and Moscow to teach them about the impact of storytelling in a digital world. And typography enthusiast and head of the sequence Tara Mortensen, as well as Jason Porter, an award-winning animator and designer who is a voting member of the Academy of Television Arts and Science.

Advanced Study

The visual communications curriculum is a great foundation for graduate study.  You can gain an advanced understanding of journalism techniques and how communications is applied in different types of organizations through participation in our Accelerated Master of Mass Communication program.  Choose a specialization in either strategic communications management or multimedia journalism, and you can complete two degrees in as little as five years.

Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.

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