In addition to encouraging artistic creativity, the Graphic Design program at Lakeland is commercially-focused, meaning students hone skills that professional graphic designers use on a daily basis. Students learn to understand client goals and target audiences, and then create effective design solutions.
Students who graduate with a degree in Graphic Design are well-rounded in all areas of study and are prepared to pursue successful careers in a variety of industries including:
Students who pursue a degree in Graphic Design will become effective visual communicators while their creativity flows and flourishes.
Our faculty gets to know our students personally and help connect them to our industry leaders through our innovative Cooperative Education program.
The courses in the Graphic Design program build off of each other. At the introductory level, students establish a solid design foundation by learning the elements of art and the principles of design. They learn how to brainstorm and generate ideas, analyze and critique those ideas, and then refine them to be even stronger. Students practice turning their ideas into reality by using industry-standard Adobe Creative Cloud software.
Upper-level courses explore real-world design problems for both print and digital applications, which allows students to apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills in a creative and expressive way. Students in these courses learn how to identify their audience and how to create design solutions that resonate with that audience, effectively delivering the message.
A senior capstone course for Graphic Design majors includes a service-learning project that involves students reaching out to local nonprofit organizations and completing a design project in a real-world setting. After reflecting on that experience, students prepare and deliver a presentation about their experience.
*Data provided by Job Center of Wisconsin's Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics for Graphic Designers.
Cooperative Education is all about hands-on learning outside the classroom. Students learn more by doing. They gain real-world knowledge and earn academic credit for hands-on professional work experience — and coursework is centered around these real-life experiences, situations and career goals.
Lakeland students explore their interests and, when they graduate, feel confident they will find a career in which they are passionate.
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*Exceptions to the above admission criteria may be granted for students with a cumulative GPA range from 1.75 to 1.99 if the academic experience that resulted in the less than 2.0 GPA was more than two years ago. Furthermore, typically students with a cumulative GPA range from 1.50 to 1.75 will only be considered if the poor academic performance experience that resulted in the less than 2.0 GPA was more than five years ago. Students receiving an exception will be admitted conditionally.
