Graphic Design

The Certificate of Achievement in Graphic Design prepares students to work in publishing companies, in-house design departments, studios, advertising agencies, and other visual arts occupations. Students completing this program will be well-versed in design principles and apply them in computer illustration, image manipulation, print-based page layout, and production.

Students will be engaged in contextualized and experiential learning while digitally applying the fundamental principles of design to concrete, real-world projects. To earn a Certificate of Achievement in Graphic Design, students must complete 24 specified units. Students are encouraged to participate in a 60-180 hour internship with a Moorpark College-affiliated industry.

We are aiming towards offering a cohort type program of study as our proposed program is heavily focused on experiential and teamwork teaching and learning pedagogy. Due to this factor and the aforementioned narrative in regards to need and undersupply of qualified workers, we project to be able to recruit a cohort of 24 students every fall semester and have them complete the certificate requirements within 3 semesters. Factors considered:

• Lack of similar programs in Moorpark College’s service area

• CA has the highest employment level in this occupation according to BLS (see attachment 10) a healthy job quotient of 1.57 and Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Graphic Designers, with an annual median income of $65,340

• At least three of the courses are going to be accepted by the CSU system. Also, students completing this certificate program will be well versed in design basics, and if they choose to pursue higher education they will be very well prepared

• Dual enrollment with high schools is possible with the first 2 courses in the pathway

The Graphic Design program is aimed at creating an effective career pathway for the students in our community. This program also aligns with the Model Curriculum (MC) template (See attachment 2). There is a need in Ventura County for such a career pathway as identified by the industries in the area such as Kalo, Williams Lea, Amgen, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Mediazoo, etc. This certificate program could serve as a gateway to high-skill and high-wage jobs for our new students, returning students, or the adult members of our community who might be seeking a career change or those who are already working in the design industry but would benefit from obtaining a more formal education. Furthermore, the knowledge and experience gained from this certificate program will definitely benefit those students who decide to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design. By completing this program, students will have a firm knowledge of how to apply the learned principles of design to real world-applications, and this proficiency will surely heighten the confidence and motivation of some students to aim for a higher education in the field of design.