Overview

The Visual Communication Design major at Kent State University prepares students for the graphic design and illustration professions. Students develop technical understanding and design skills in the organization of imagery and typography to communicate information in two-dimensional and three-dimensional forms. Students produce work for print, motion, video, screen displays and interactive experiences, as well as package design, exhibition design and environmental wayfinding.

This program focuses on design and illustration in the context of a broad liberal arts program, giving students the flexibility to choose 20 percent of their coursework (with guidance).

This provides the opportunity for students to take a variety of courses to complement their design degree. Students learn at the intersections of communication, information, and technology.

The B.A. degree program is for students planning to attend a graduate program or plan to pair their visual communication design degree with another field of study.

Through a core of diverse theory- and practice-based courses, students learn basic concepts that apply across the range of college programs and develop a sense of professional expectations and build toward interdisciplinary thinking and application.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

Demonstrate an understanding of the ethics (and legal issues) closely associated with fields of visual communication.

Demonstrate an understanding of traditional hands-on skills relative to craftsmanship.

Demonstrate an understanding of the basic use of digital technologies as they relate to their areas of study.

Demonstrate an ability to create visual response to communication problems, including understanding of hierarchy, typography, aesthetics, composition and construction of meaningful images.

Careers

The graduates find meaningful careers and internships everywhere. Here are just a few of the places where they've worked.

Abercrombie & Fitch

Aerie, American Eagle Outfitters

American Greetings

Aquent Studios

Brokaw

Cassel Bear

Cigna

The Cleveland Museum of Art

CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC

Dick's Sporting Goods

Each+Every

Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

FedEx

FleishmanHillard

Giant Eagle, Inc.

IBM Watson

Jo-Ann Stores

Little Jacket

Marcus Thomas

Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Ologie Branding Agency

OverDrive, Inc.

PNC Banks

Progressive Insurance

Sherwin-Williams

Sunnyside Automotive Group

Threadless

Zillow

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Visual Design Thinking

Visual Communication Design Studio

Design Research And Methods

Design/illustration Techniques

Typography

Design History And Theory

Graphic Design

Visual Ethics

Internship Preparation: Design, Illustration And Photography

Internship: Design, Illustration And Photography

Motion Design

Writing For Professional Practice

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-08-18 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-06-01 00:00:00 , International
Starting 2027-01-12 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-10-01 00:00:00 , International

More details

National: Application and all required materials must be submitted seven days before the start of the semester.

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

100

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TOEFL^® IBT

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IELTS

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Credits

120 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Kent, United States

Disciplines

Design Visual Arts View 856 other Bachelors in Design in United States

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Academic requirements

GPA

2.5

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

100

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

A copy of your Passport Biographical Page.

English Language Proficiency scores

Secondary School Graduation Certificate/Diploma/Attending Certificate (Certified English translation and original language).

Secondary School Transcripts/detailed mark sheets (Certified English translation and original language).

Financial guarantee (bank statements) that show sufficient funds to cover educational and living expenses.

Kent State Affidavit of Financial Support is required when you are funded by a sponsor(s). For example: parent, sibling, relative, friend, government, organization or institute/school.

Financial documents are only required after acceptance.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

23690 USD / year

≈ 23690 USD / year
Out-of-State

23690 USD / year

≈ 23690 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

13466 USD / year

≈ 13466 USD / year

Living costs

Kent

United States

1036 - 1710 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Visual Communication Design.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Learning Outcomes

Careers

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

Kent

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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