With an emphasis on process, conceptual strategy, and professional practices, students are given broad opportunities to develop a unique voice, vision, and viewpoint. Working with typography, photography, and illustration, they create and combine symbols, images, and text to represent ideas and messages. Using both print and digital formats, they produce projects that demonstrate an understanding of visual communication through brand strategy, interactive design, and typographic systems. This diverse body of work is refined into a strategic professional portfolio aimed at accomplishing each student’s education and employment goals.
Graphic design students at San Diego City College can earn a Certificate of Achievement or Associate Degree in Graphic Design. The 30-unit certificate is ideal for students who want to gain the skills and portfolio to get an entry-level position in the field. The Associate Degree includes the same courses but adds general education and electives to meet the minimum of 60 units for the degree.
100 Basic Graphic Design
106 Typography
118 Graphic Design History
125 Digital Media
124 Page Layout
133 Branding & Packaging
120 Illustration or
174A Book Arts
Elective Course *
206 Advanced Typography
148A Portfolio A
Elective Course *
148B Portfolio B
* One elective is required for the degree. Additional electives are recommended for building specialized skills.
+ Non-major general education courses are required for the Associate Degree.
100 Basic Graphic Design
106 Typography
118 Graphic Design History
125 Digital Media
124 Page Layout
133 Branding & Packaging
120 Illustration or
174A Book Arts
Elective Course *
206 Advanced Typography
148A Portfolio A
Elective Course *
148B Portfolio B
* Electives courses are recommended for building specialized skills.
Develop your skills by learning to use digital tools important to graphic communication.
Grow your understanding and skills by studying and generating letterforms by hand and computer.
Discover design styles through a comprehensive survey of historical art and design movements.
A study of design layout for two-dimensional graphic projects in print and digital formats.
Develop your skills by learning to use digital tools used in graphic communication.
Intermediate level students will create three-dimensional packages and logotypes.
Students will evaluate their work and strategize about what will be included in their final portfolio.
Students will work with advanced Photoshop techniques to create realistic photographic rendering of projects.
Students in this course will learn about the professional aspects of being a successful designer.
This course is a practical study of creative processes as they relate to graphic design production.
This course focuses on practices and strategies to deliver effective website experiences.
Conceptual development, research and ideation techniques to solve challenging design problems.
This course focuses on practices and strategies to deliver effective mobile experience design.
Learn the design and development of websites through a series of technical workshops.