Use your creativity and artistic side to communicate information visually — in websites, publications and everyday objects.
As a designer, you’ll develop a visual identity for brands, companies and campaigns. You’ll be a problem solver, learning how people interact with information and then helping them find what they need.
Learn color theory and how to use typography and images. Start with traditional print design, and then dive into digital. And Austin, a creative economy, is an ideal city to learn your craft. Get hands-on experience from mentors and internships. Discover what it’s like to work at a big agency or a small shop where everyone wears multiple hats, or as the in-house designer for a promising startup.
What do our graduates do?
Graphic Design majors go on to a variety of careers and graduate schools from St. Edward’s. Here’s a sample.
- Senior experience designer at Accomplice in Austin
- Designer at FODA Studio in Austin
- Software engineer at Blackbaud in Austin
- UX/UI designer at USAA
- Art director at Mighty Arsenal in Austin
- UX designer and researcher at Visa
- Digital creative designer at James Avery Artisan Jewelry
- Designer at Mood Media in Austin
- Interactive production designer at Houndstooth Studio
- Visual designer at Chaotic Moon Studio
- Founder of mobile tech company Balderdash
- Art director at The Barbarian Group in New York
For more information on the Graphic Design major, please contact Jimmy Luu, associate professor of Graphic Design. The Graphic Design major is part of the Department of Visual Studies.
Major Roadmap
Explore your options — classes, internships, research and study abroad. Use the Graphic Design Major Guide to find what interests you, discover what you love, and create a major experience that jumpstarts your future.
The Classroom and Beyond
Students majoring in Graphic Design can explore career paths and practical application of their studies through internships and interactions with the greater Austin community.
On Campus Projects
Learn how graphic design contributes to the formation and expression of complex societal ideas and values. Join the staff of Arete or the Sorin Oak Review, campus publications for academic and creative works, or lend your talents to Hilltop Views, the campus newspaper.
Student Organizations
There are also opportunities to help create fliers and posters for campus events and student organizations. Be sure to join Command G, the Graphic Design student organization. Command G arranges workshops and roundtables and provides opportunities to explore careers in the field through studio visits.
Graphic Design Exhibitions
To Be Continued is the collective work of the 2017 St. Edward's University senior graphic design class. The exhibition showcases the intersection of creativity, ingenuity, and tenacity of the group.
Making Meaningful Connections
Graphic Design and Writing and Rhetoric major Logan Stallings ’19 is building on the skills she gained on the hilltop in a year abroad as a Fulbright scholar.
Degree Requirements
Major Requirements: The BA in Graphic Design requires 49 hours of graphic design major courses, which include a combination of introductory coursework, visual studies, art, and graphic design.
General Education Requirements: The Graphic Design degree requires 57 hours of general education courses that students complete over four years in addition to their major courses and electives.
View and download the full degree plan for our Graphic Design major.
A few examples of the Graphic Design major courses students take:
- Interactive Design - This course explores design issues unique to user-centered interaction in digital media. Students examine a range of formal and conceptual issues, including user interface, organization, narrative, motion, time and sound.
- Social Design - This course explores issues of responsibility and how designers participate, shape and criticize the world around us.
- Image Methodology - The purpose of this class is to teach strategies and processes for developing and utilizing original images. Whether the images are digital or analog, students learn to seek the full potential of an image and exploit the possibilities within it.
Internships
Our students have recently interned with:
- Houndstooth Studio, an Austin-based studio that creates audience experiences
- Chaotic Moon Studios, a creative technology studio focused on software, mobile development and design
- Bakery, a creative and technology agency
- Realty Austin, an Austin-based real estate agency
Meet the Faculty
Our distinguished faculty members are excellent researchers, educators and practitioners who get to know their students as individuals. They share their passion for learning and create fun and dynamic experiences that challenge and inspire students to achieve their potential. Meet a few of them ...
Professor Luu's practice resists traditional notions of Graphic Design, resulting in his engagement with a range of activity that includes public art, traditional print design, and design journalism. He welcomes and enjoys answering any questions about the curriculum. jimmyl@stedwards.edu (512) 428-3119
– Jimmy Luu, Associate Professor of Graphic Design, Area Coordinator
To keep her students on the forefront of the ever-changing design profession, Professor Garza frequently pilots leading-edge technologies and pedagogical approaches, such as creating a mobile scavenger hunt to immerse students in new content, using cloud collaboration tools for a digital history project, running a Hackathon to create mobile websites, and experimenting with 3D printing.
– Kim Garza, Associate Professor of Graphic Design
Professor Phan is advisor to the graphic design student group and oversees many other student designed endeavors on campus.
– Tuan Phan, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design
Along with personal attention and mentorship from their professors, our students have access to offices and programs outside of the classroom that support their success. We encourage students to take advantage of these resources that help them thrive and excel: Learn more about these services.
Graphic Design Minor
Students who wish to earn a Graphic Design minor must take the following coursework, totaling 24 hours.
Required Courses:
Graphic Design Minor Required Courses (15 hrs)
• Lab I (3 hrs)
• Typography I (3 hrs)
• Studio I (3 hrs)
• Lab II (3 hrs)
• Studio II (3 hrs)
Required Minor Electives (9 hrs)
Choose nine hours from the courses listed below.
• Design History and Theory (3 hrs)
• Typography II (3 hrs)
• Topics in Graphic Design (3 hrs)
• Topics in Visual Studies (3 hrs)
• Professional Practices (3 hrs)
Are you a current student? Contact your advisor for next steps on declaring your major or minor.