1. College Success

• COLLG 110 College Success (3 credits)

• Course purpose: A foundational course to explore and affirm a career choice and build upon the skills, knowledge, and resources that will support you at Pierce College and beyond.

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• Note: The College Success course you select will depend on the Career Pathway Map you are following. Your advisor will assist you in selecting either the 3- or 5- credit version of the course. Should you choose to repeat a College Success course you must enroll in a College Success course with the same credit amount as the original course; a COLLG 110 course grade can only be replaced with a grade from another COLLG 110 course and a COLLG 115 course grade can only be replaced with a grade from another COLLG 115 course. 

2. Art Course Recommendation

Choose one

• ART 101 Design, Beginning (5 credits)
• ART 111 Drawing Beginning (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Basics in Art, including Basic Design and Drawing is the foundation of a good graphic and media designer. ART& 100 can be substituted for evening and online students.

3. English Composition I

• ENGL& 101 English Composition I (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Develop written communication skills in order to create content for clients, employers and businesses in a clear, concise and professional manner.

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• Note: Your advisor will assist you in reviewing your Guided Self Placement and selecting either the 5-credit or the 7-credit co-requisite ENGL& 101 + ENGLC 101 course.

   

  Note: If transferring to Evergreen State College, you must complete ENGL&101 with a GPA of 2.0 or higher.

Action Item: Meet with Advisor

Use your Success Network! In your first quarter, meet with your advisor to revisit your career and transfer path, make adjustments to your goals as needed, and plan for your next steps.

Note: If transferring to Evergreen State College, four criterion must be met:

1. Earn a technical associate degree from a regionally accredited Washington community or technical college. Eligible degrees include: AAS, ATA, AAT, or AAS-T degrees.
2. Complete ENGL&101 with a GPA of 2.0 or higher.
3. Complete a minimum of 20 academic, quarter hours of college-level credits with a GPA of 2.0 or higher in each course. No more than 10 credits earned in the same subject area can count toward the 20 credit minimum.
4. Have a cumulative, college-level GPA of 2.5 or higher.

4. Intro to Graphic Design and Rich Media

• DDSGN 110 Introduction to Graphic Design and Rich Media (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Introduces basics of graphic design and covers design techniques.

5. Math Course Recommendation

Choose one

• BTECA 117 Business Mathematics (5 credits)

• Course purpose: This course provides the foundation of math skills needed in a business environment.

• MATH& 107 Math in Society (5 credits)

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• Note: The math course you select will depend on the Career Pathway Map you are following, the transfer institution/degree that you select, and your math placement guidance. Your advisor will assist you in selecting the relevant 5 or 7 credit course(s) based upon co-requisite options.

6. Human Behavior Course Recommendation

Choose one

• BUS 240 Human Relations in the Workplace (5 credits)
• PSYC& 100 General Psychology (5 credits)
• BUS 134 Introduction to Social Media (5 credits)

• Course purpose: The three options cover human behavior, group behavior and societal behavior.

7. Layout Design and Publishing

• DDSGN 121 Layout Design and Publishing (3 credits)

• Course purpose: Teaches traditional page layout design and desktop publishing using Adobe InDesign.

8. Public Speaking

• CMST& 220 Fundamentals of Public Speaking (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Graphic and media artists almost always work with clients. Presentations to small and large groups of clients are part of this field.

9. Graphic Design

• DDSGN 130 Graphic Design II (5 credits)

• Course purpose: This class covers beginning and advanced graphic design techniques using Adobe Illustrator, one of the main tools of a graphic and media designer.

10. Fundamentals of 3D Modeling and Animation

• DDSGN 140 Fundamentals of 3D Modeling and Animation (5 credits)

• Course purpose: This is the first media design class in the program. It teaches the creation of 3D models and how to texture, light and animate them. From Game Design to Graphic Design, 3D modelers, texture artists and animators are always an in-demand field.

11. English/Journalism Course Recommendation

Choose one

• JOURN 102 Introduction to News Writing (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Develop skills for writing copy on web sites and for print media.

• ENGL& 102 Composition II: Argumentation and Research (5 credits)
• ENGL& 235 Technical Writing (5 credits)
• ENGL& 236 Creative Writing I (5 credits)
• ENGL& 237 Creative Writing II (5 credits)
• ENGL& 238 Creative Writing III (5 credits)
• ENGL 249 Creative Writing - Special Projects (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Further develop written communication skills in order to create content for clients, employers and businesses in a clear, concise and professional manor.

Action Item: Internship

Secure an internship. Meet with your advisor for assistance.

12. Product Management

• DDSGN 120 Production Management (3 credits)

• Course purpose: Learn how to run a design business and how to work with clients in the field.

13. Fundamentals of Digital Photography and Adobe Photoshop

• DDSGN 160 Fundamentals of Digital Photography and Adobe Photoshop (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Photography and Adobe Photoshop are two cornerstones that every graphic and media designer must master to be successful.

14. Fundamentals of Video Production

• DDSGN 170 Fundamentals of Video Production (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Covers all angles of video production form script writing to camera composition to post-production editing and enhancement. These skills will set a student apart in a crowd of graphic designers.

15. Web Design and CSS

• DDSGN 150 Web Design (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Web design has become a required skill for every graphic designer. This along with page layout, illustration and image editing make up the four basics every graphic designer needs in their skill set.

16. Fundamentals of Motion Graphics and Interactive Media

• DDSGN 210 Fundamentals of Motion Graphics and Interactive Media (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Create animations using photography and illustrated elements. This class also covers an introduction in creating interactive user experiences and user interfaces (UX/UI).

Action Item: Apply for Graduation

Way to go! It is time to apply for graduation. Visit the Pierce College Graduation website for details. https://www.pierce.ctc.edu/graduation

17. Digital Design Course Recommendation

Choose one grouping or a combination of courses from each group (3 courses total). Meet with your advisor to discuss options.

Action Item: Meet with Advisor

Meet with your advisor if you have any course substitutions that need to be submitted to the evaluations office.

20. Portfolio

• DDSGN 230 Portfolio (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Students create a portfolio and website to prepare to enter the workforce.

21. Supervised Internship

• DDSGN 290 Supervised Internship (3 credits)

• Course purpose: Students get a practical application of skills they learned. It is a 90-hour commitment that is designed to give students work experience in the field of graphic and media design.

Total Credits: 97

Program Code: 504