Graphic Design Degree – Wayne State College Nebraska

Explore the Graphic Design degree program

Logos. Graphics. Magazines. Clothing. Everywhere you look, printed material displays the work of a graphic designer. Eye-catching design makes a world of difference in advertising, marketing, branding, and more. The Graphic Design degree program at Wayne State College gives you training on the latest design software as a production tool. We focus on teaching the techniques, procedures, and methods – all part of the design process. With a Graphic Design degree from Wayne State College, you will be open to a broad range of career opportunities.

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Prepare for your future

Opportunities and outcomes

Graphic design topics covered

Principles of imagery, spatial concepts, and visual communication
Portfolio development for graphic design
Production, manipulation, and use of digital imagery for graphic design
Typography, color theory, form, and composition using Adobe Illustrator
Layout design for print and digital communication using Adobe InDesign
2D animation of typography using Adobe After Effects, Illustrator, and Photoshop
Designing for mobile apps using Adobe Sketch and After Effects
Web page design and content planning for the graphic designer using Adobe Sketch
Graphic design for interactive media using Adobe Sketch

Student learning outcomes

Demonstrate technical competency in media and tools relevant to the discipline
Demonstrate competency in elements and principles of art or design
Synthesize subject matter, form, and context to create studio art content
Create graphic designs that effectively communicate information visually and have a distinct theme
Compose a visual presentation of works
Compose oral and written presentation about works and understands art in its context

Student art exhibits

The Nordstrand Visual Arts Gallery, located in Conn Library, hosts a variety of exhibits each semester, serving as space for students and faculty to showcase their work. You’ll have opportunities to participate in the juried art exhibits at the end of every spring semester, where your work is reviewed, judged, and prizes are awarded. You’ll also have the opportunity to sell your own artwork, and get involved in organizing, advertising, scheduling, and handling all art sales.

Nordstrand Visual Arts Gallery

Graphic design internships

Our outstanding Career Services Office is available to help you find graphic design internships and career opportunities. Students recently completed internships at the following locations:

A2Z Graphic Design Omaha
Fowler Design Company
IKT Boutique
Magical Marketing
Mustang Media, Inc.
Photography businesses
The Wayne Herald
Total Graphics
Wayne State College
White Farmhouse Realty

Career services and internships

Graduates of the Graphic Design degree program work in their chosen field using the skills they learned while at Wayne State College. Each year, eager employers welcome WSC graduates into their organizations.

Jobs of recent graduates:

Corporate Marketing – Hamilton.net (Aurora, Neb.)
Creative Front-End Engineer and Illustrator – Esri (Lincoln, Neb.)
Freelance Photographer/Owner – Time Koepsell Photography (Omaha, Neb.)
Graphic Designer – Big Ink, Inc. (Bellevue, Neb.)
Interactive Designer – Sandhills Publishing (Lincoln, Neb.)
Marketing Coordinator – JEO Consulting Group (Lincoln, Neb.)
Marketing Manager – NebraskaCare Staffing (Norfolk, Neb.)
Screen Printer – Moonlight Custom Screen Printing and Embroidery (Kearney, Neb.)
Social Media Marketer and Graphic Designer – A to Z Graphic Design (Omaha, Neb.)

job or grad school placement rate
within six months of graduation
Data based on most recent
employment outcomes survey

Cost of attendance

Most Affordable College in Nebraska

- College Affordability Guide, 2024

Wayne State is considered the most affordable four-year college or university in Nebraska. With same rates for in- and out-of-state students, our tuition guarantee, and our generous scholarship packages, it is clear to see how WSC earned the title. In fact, the average remaining annual cost of attendance for 2024-25 is $2,268 for undergraduate students after financial aid and scholarships.

Art core courses (20 credits)

Credits: 3
Description: Study of two-dimensional and three-dimensional design elements and principles applied to imagery and spatial concepts. Emphasis on visual communication and problem-solving through creative thinking, concepts, media, skills, processes, and research. Critical discourse, basic color theory, and composition will be integral parts of the course. Students will design a digital portfolio. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Credits: 3
Description: An introduction to foundational concepts and techniques in the study of line, shape and form, light and shadow, linear and atmospheric perspective. Formal concerns regarding composition will be explored and selection of subject matter will be from the figure, still life, landscape, and nature. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Credits: 3
Description: A continuation of drawing techniques as delineated in ART 110. Students will expand upon their background in various drawing media and be challenged by a more intense study of the human figure. 6 hours studio. $10 class fee per credit hour required.
Prerequisite: ART 110 Drawing I
Credits: 0
Description: A review for sophomores and transfer students who have completed, or are currently enrolled in, ART 101 and 110. This assessment course ensures that students are properly prepared for the rigors of upper-level art classes. Artistic development, professionalism, written and verbal communication skills, and the comprehension of terminology, techniques, and theories are considered. Entering transfer students, meeting all other prerequisites, may enroll in upper-division classes prior to the review. However, transfers must take and pass ART 200 during its soonest offering before enrolling in any subsequent upper division art classes. Successful completion of the review is a prerequisite for ART 316, 321, 322, 335, 351, 371, and 381. Carries no credit. Graded S/NC.
Credits: 2
Description: This course explores the effective use of digital imagery in graphic design. Aesthetic content in the production, manipulation, and presentation of digital images will be stressed. Students will learn creative and exploratory use of digital cameras, scanners, and appropriate computer programs. Utilizes Adobe Photoshop. 4 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Prerequisite: ART 101 Design or ART 110 Drawing I, or instructor permission for students declaring a minor in Graphic Design, or Animation and Motion Graphics.
Credits: 3
Description: Concentration on foundational skills using the oil painting medium. Color mixing, sketching for compositional placement, surface applications, and use of materials will be covered. Subject matter will address formal concerns as they relate to representation and abstraction. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Prerequisite: ART 101 Design or ART 110 Drawing I, or instructor permission for students declaring a minor in Art.
Credits: 3
Description: Exploration of basic technical and expressive possibilities in three-dimensional form and space, including woodworking, steel fabrication, and mixed-media assemblage. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Prerequisite: ART 101 Design or ART 110 Drawing I, or instructor permission for students declaring a minor in Art.
Credits: 3
Description: An introduction to printmaking concentrating on relief and screen-printing processes. Utilizing wood, plastics, and silkscreen stencils as matrices, the student will execute a variety of editioned prints in black and white, and color using single block, multiple block, and reductive techniques. Various approaches to registration and color will be presented. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Prerequisite: ART 101 Design or ART 110 Drawing I, or instructor permission for students declaring a minor in Art.

Graphic design concentration courses (40 credit hours)

Credits: 3
Description: Course structured to help students gain a working knowledge of the history of the profession of graphic design. Principles of visual design based in basic visual communication, typography, and the professional practice of graphic design will be covered. Development of visual skills is emphasized, using color, form, and composition to aid in message-design strategies. Utilizes Adobe Illustrator. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Prerequisite: ART 204 Digital Imaging for Graphic Design. (Prerequisite waived for students declaring a minor in Online and Social Media, Animation and Motion Graphics, or the CIS major with Web Specialist concentration.)
Credits: 3
Description: This course focuses on the visual aspects of print and electronic communication and identifying when a design is successful. Emphasis on integration of effective and established design principles in layout design. Projects include advertisement, brochure, and poster design. Utilizes Adobe InDesign. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Prerequisite: ART 230 Graphic Design I, or instructor permission for students declaring a minor in Web and Mobile App Design and Development.
Credits: 3
Description: A survey of painting, sculpture, and architecture from Prehistoric to Gothic. Lecture.
Credits: 3
Description: A survey of painting, sculpture, and architecture from Early Renaissance through the 21st Century. Lecture.
Credits: 3
Description: Students will learn to question the boundaries between painting, drawing, and digital artwork through demonstrations, discussions, and exposure to contemporary and historically relevant mixed media artists. Experimentation, critical thinking, and technical proficiency will be emphasized. Students are expected to be self-directed regarding the selection of subject matter and content, but open to the selection of media, as well as learning through collaboration. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Credits: 3
Description: Study of type as both a verbal and visual form of communication. A discussion of the art of designing with type, including the planning of typeface, size, and composition. The course also explores the combination of type with illustration, animation, video, and how each can be integrated into a meaningful composite. Projects include simple and complex 2D animations for various audiences and purposes, using typography as a focal point and means of communication. Utilizes Adobe After Effects, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Prerequisite: ART 200 Sophomore Review or ART 231 Graphic Design II, or instructor permission for students declaring a minor in Graphic Design, or Animation and Motion Graphics.
Credits: 3
Description: This course will explore how the design concepts, principles, and processes of graphic design can be applied to the design and prototyping of mobile apps. Projects include creating a concept for how users will explore a product or experience and how the app will communicate visually with the user, followed by creating a functional app prototype. Utilizes Sketch, Adobe After Effects, and various prototyping applications. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Prerequisite: ART 335 Advanced Typography and Animation, or instructor permission for students declaring a minor in Web and Mobile App Design and Development.
Credits: 3
Description: This course is designed as an introduction to design and development for the web, with a focus on the specific needs of the graphic designer. Emphasis is on fundamental technical implementation, including current HTML, CSS, and the basics of JavaScript and JavaScript libraries. Topics include page design, responsive design, and content planning. Utilizes Sketch and various code editors. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Prerequisite: ART 403 App Design and Prototyping
Credits: 3
Description: This course focuses on the design of interactive media. Emphasis on graphic and information design for the web. Projects include creating an online portfolio of work. Utilizes Sketch and various code editors. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Prerequisite: ART 405 Web Design for the Graphic Designer
Credits: 1
Description: This course is designed to concentrate on preparing the student to compete in the job market. Topics include: 1) portfolio development, 2) practical considerations in interviewing skills, 3) self-promotion and developing contacts. Students will make arrangements, advertise, and present their individual portfolios at a senior portfolio public presentation. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Prerequisite: ART 403 App Design and Prototyping
Credits: 3
Description: The internship program is a credit bearing program providing undergraduate students with the opportunity to integrate career-related work experience with classroom learning. Work experiences occur in positions relevant to a student’s major. Internships require a minimum of 40-50 work hours for each 1 hour of credit. Contact the Career Services Office, your academic advisor, or department chair for specific details. Regular letter grade.
Prerequisite: Approval of the academic advisor and/or department chair
Choose two of the following art history courses:
Note: Students selecting the Advanced Studio Minor cannot apply those hours to the art history course requirements below.
- ART 302 Ancient Art History (3 credits)– Advanced study of the art of the Classical World, focusing on the sculpture, architecture, and painting of ancient Greece and Rome. Lecture. Prerequisite: ART 244 Art History Survey I and ART 245 Art History Survey II.
- ART 303 Italian Renaissance Art History (3 credits)– Advanced study of the art of Italy from the 14th through 17th centuries. Lecture.Prerequisite: ART 244 Art History Survey I and ART 245 Art History Survey II.
- ART 304 American Art History (3 credits)– Advanced study of American art from the Colonial era through the 1920s. Lecture.Prerequisite: ART 244 Art History Survey I and ART 245 Art History Survey II.
- ART 305 Modern Art (3 credits)– Advanced study of European and American art from the mid-19th century through the 1970s. Lecture.Prerequisite: ART 244 Art History Survey I and ART 245 Art History Survey II.
- ART 306 Contemporary Art (3 credits)– Advanced study of global art from the 1970s through the present day. Lecture.Prerequisite: ART 244 Art History Survey I and ART 245 Art History Survey II.
- ART 307 Special Topics in Art History (3 credits)– Advanced study of a specific topic in art history. Lecture.Prerequisite: ART 244 Art History Survey I and ART 245 Art History Survey II.
Select one of the following courses by advisement:
- ART 363 Digital Photography I (3 credits)– Offers an opportunity to learn visual communication, recording, expression and appreciation of digital photographic process basics. The course includes photography basics such as composition, lighting, camera care, use of photographic equipment, computer and printing processes, organizational methods, technical terminology, and the introduction to industry standard software to manipulate and enhance digital images. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
- BUS 270 Principles of Marketing (3 credits) – This course facilitates students in conquering the essential concepts of product, price, promotion, distribution, segmentation, ethics, and social responsibility, while addressing the evolving digital and social media influences. The fundamentals will be stressed allowing for useful decision processes by managers while encouraging the development of the marketing specialist as one of the key decision makers in a firm. Marketing is critical to implementing strategy, gaining competitive advantages, and ensuring positive organizational results.
- BUS 374 Advertising and Integrated Marketing (3 credits) – Through study of the most dynamic and revolutionary concepts of advertising and integrated marketing, students will become leaders in using the major marketing communication tools of advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, public relations, personal selling, internet, and social media and mobile marketing. Utilizing an integrated marketing communications (IMC) planning model, students will gain the skills necessary to research and evaluate a company's marketing and promotional situation and use various methods to develop effective communication strategies and programs to achieve the organization's marketing objective. Prerequisite: BUS 270 Principles of Marketing.
- CNA 426 Public Relations through Social Media (3 credits) – An introduction to current systems and practices used in marketing communications to create and maintain Internet-based interactive communications with customers and constituents. Students will create content hands-on and will be able to apply a conceptual framework including branding programs, integrated marketing communications, and other professional, legal, and ethical standards and practices. This course draws from the fields of public relations writing, photography, video production, and/or other types of multimedia content creation.
- CNA 450 Media Design Applications (3 credits) – Survey of contemporary media software and design elements which includes the creative use of current print (newspaper, yearbook, and newsletters), video (editing, motion graphics, and animation), and audio software packages in professional content creation.
- CNA 479 Animation and Motion Graphics Applications (3 credits) – A study and application of techniques used in developing 2-D, 3-D, and stop motion animation, and motion graphics. Students learn advanced theory and mechanics behind animation development, fundamental principles of character design, layout, storyboarding animation, and motion graphics for various media applications. Prerequisite: CNA 450 Media Design Applications.
- Any Art course except ART 102 Visual Arts Experience, ART 314 PK-8 Art Curriculum, ART 315 Art and Creative Processes in Education, or ART 316 Secondary School Art

Popular pairings

Many students at Wayne State will add a second major or a minor to complement their program of study or to focus their studies on a specific topic. Students who recently majored in Graphic Design at Wayne State also paired this major with one or more of the following programs:

Business Administration (minor)
Computer Science (major or minor)
Promotion and Media (minor)
Studio Art (major or minor)
Web and Mobile App Design and Development (minor)

View all majors and minors

Related programs

Students interested in the Graphic Design program may also be interested in:

Marketing (B.A. or B.S.)
Studio Art (B.A.)

I really enjoy the size of the department and program. The personal relationships you can build with professors and other students have made everything much more enjoyable. I also really like that the graphic design lab has nice Macs, and that we use Adobe software for pretty much everything. Getting comfortable using quality technology and software programs has set me up for using them in future jobs. In the Graphic Design program, you also take classes in studio art. I feel like I’m more well-rounded as an artist because I’ve gotten to do things like sculpture, painting, and printmaking. There are so many options out there with this degree, and the faculty have helped to make sure we know our options and the different types of graphic design work.

Jillian Grantham

Giltner, Nebraska

Graphic Design