Visual Communication

Texas A&M University-Commerce has been a leader in the Visual Communication  for over three decades. The degrees in Visual Communication, Art Direction and Copywriting is known for having cultivated the creative talents of hundreds of students who now occupy positions of the highest importance in the advertising industry. The New York-based One Club for Art and Copy has bestowed upon the advertising program of Texas A&M University-Commerce more awards than any other program in the region, and the Dallas Society of Visual Communications has chosen us as "Best School" more times than all other regional colleges and universities combined. These and many other awards demonstrate that Texas A&M University-Commerce provides its students with a decided edge in the professional world.

Entry into Visual Communication Program is by portfolio review. As a prerequisite to entering Communication Arts classes taught at the Universities Center at Dallas (UCD), students need to complete at least 24 hours of art foundation courses as prescribed in the undergraduate catalog and the student will have completed the University Studies requirements of A&M-Commerce. The student must have an overall GPA of at least 2.5 and an art foundations GPA of at least 3.0. Students having completed University Studies and art foundation requirements, who fail to present work according to the stated guidelines, will not be considered for entry into Communication Arts classes at the UCD.

  

All majors have an assessment system that students must pass in order to proceed in their major: a basic assessment will be administered after the third year and a concentration assessment will be administered after the fourth year. Students who do not pass their assessments will be required to correct deficiencies before continuing their program. Students will be advised of the most expedient way to correct deficiencies by faculty and may be required to repeat courses to strengthen and further develop their skills areas. All majors must pass their senior exit review prior to graduation. During the fourth and fifth years, all majors will be required to enter their work in various art shows. As with other university programs, students must pass their courses in their major with a minimum grade of "C".

Texas A&M University-Commerce established a 2-plus-3 program in Visual Communication, Department of Fine Arts, Brookhaven College, facilitating the evaluation of course credits and ease of transfer for students from that institution. Transfer work for students from other institutions may be accepted for courses that are not directly compatible with the common course numbering system; the faculty reserves the right to delay accepting these courses until reviewing the student's portfolio. Portfolio reviews for transfer students will generally occur late in the spring semester for students wishing to enter the program during the fall semester and late during the fall semester for students wishing to enter the program during the spring semester.

For more information contact Lee Whitmarsh

MFA in Art with Emphasis in Visual Communication

The Advanced Texas A&M-Commerce Master of Fine Arts program in Communication Design centers on meeting the needs of practicing professionals in the expanding field of Visual Communication Design who aspire to achieve a higher level of proficiency in design innovation, design professional practice and/or to pursue a career in design education. The A&M-Commerce MFA program explores creative process innovation; design development; inter-disciplinary design-community initiatives; design-professional practice leadership, strategy, process and product; and design-teaching methodologies grounded in an historical perspective.

For more information please email Virgil Scott