Graduate Certificate in Graphic Design
Unlock your creative potential with the Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in Graphic Design! This program is designed for graduate students across campus who want to bring graphic design expertise into their fields. Whether you’re in the Arts, Business, Communication, or Design, this 13-hour certificate will empower you to apply cutting-edge design principles to your work, enhancing your ability to communicate, influence, and innovate.
This certificate will help students hone a design process that begins with a critical assessment of cultural contexts, audience perceptions, information processing, and narrative approaches. These insights will be synthesized through an iterative process that culminates with a design outcome that effectively informs, persuades, or motivates human behavior with carefully crafted images and words in a variety of media.
Program Highlights
- 13 credit hours that can be completed in as little as 3 semesters, or as long as five (1, 1-hour summer course is required)
- A future-focused curriculum that combines foundational knowledge with advanced design skills
- A range of classes to select from to build your expertise
- A capstone project in the summer to demonstrate your mastery of the design process
Ready to make your mark? Start by enrolling in IND 5324, Graphic Design Foundations I, then apply for the Graduate Certificate in Graphic Design.
Who should apply?
- Arts: Art Administration, Art Education, Studio Art
- Business: Marketing, Professional Sales, Entrepreneurship etc.
- Communication: Advertising, Media/Communication Studies, Public Relations
- Design: Interior Architecture & Design, Urban & Regional Planning
- Anyone who may need to communicate with the public on a large scale.
Throughout the program, you’ll master a design process that begins with a critical understanding of audience perceptions and cultural contexts. You’ll then apply these insights to create impactful graphic design solutions across multiple platforms—whether for the built environment, emerging media, or commercial experiences.
By the end of the program, you’ll be equipped to craft compelling messages and visuals that inform, persuade, and engage across a variety of media. Plus, you’ll build a strong portfolio, showcasing your newfound skills in a real-world application.
Curriculum Maps
Suitable for students pursuing: MFA and Ph.D. Degrees Semester Courses Credit hours/semester Fall Certificate Year 1 Graphic Design Foundations I Apply to the Program 3 Spring Year 1 Graphic Design Foundations II 3 Fall Year 2 Focus Area Course(s) 3-6 Spring Year 2 Focus Area Course(s) 3-6 Summer Year 2 Capstone Portfolio 1 Per FSU Policy 3A-1, Students are required to apply for the certificate prior to completing the second course in the program). Suitable for students pursuing: MS & MA Degrees Semester Courses Credit hours/semester Fall Certificate Year 1 Graphic Design Foundations I
(3 credit hours)Apply to the Program
And Graphic Design Foundations II (3 credit hours)
6 Spring (2) Focus Area Courses 6 Summer Capstone Portfolio 1 Per FSU Policy 3A-1, students are required to apply for the certificate prior to completing the second course in the program). Required Courses
Graphic Design Foundations I, IND 5324 (3-credit hours)
This course is your gateway to uncovering the fundamental principles that make graphic design a powerful communication tool. Through hands-on exercises culminating in a final project, you will learn graphic design terminology, be introduced to visual communication theory and related strategies, and apply your knowledge and skills to be able to create effective visual messages to engage diverse audiences.
Graphic Design Foundations II, IND 5337, (3-credit hours)
This course provides graduate students with a hands-on intermediate introduction to graphic design useful for the creation of publications, the development of brand elements for coherent and consistent communication, and data visualization. Explorations include event promotion materials, animations, introductory video editing techniques, and basic website creation.
Portfolio Capstone (1 credit hour summer course, via distance learning, taken at the end of your coursework)
This course is designed for students to demonstrate the culmination of their certificate knowledge as it applies to spaces and environments.
Focus Area Courses (Choose Two)
Branded Environments and Experiences, IND 5329, (3-credit hours)
This course explores the design of comprehensive brand identity packages within a variety of settings and contexts. Students will develop the ability to comprehend and analyze communication campaigns, enabling them to craft messages tailored for diverse audiences and settings. The creation of these messages involves utilizing tools such as audience analysis, color theory, and professional software applications.
Exhibition Design: Storytelling and Creating a Connection, IND 5265 (3-credit hours)
This course provides a hands-on introduction to the exhibit design industry. With the primary focus of creating a connection through an engaging experience, student will develop their own exhibition that will demonstrate the importance of craft, visual hierarchy, and storytelling.
Environmental Graphic Design and Wayfinding, IND 5335, (3-credit hours)
This course focuses on graphic design in the built environment and how it can influence behavior, generate storytelling, provide affirmation, and contribute to wayfinding. This hands-on course will focus on the materiality and fabrication of environmental graphics through the fundamentals of inclusive navigation and wayfinding.
Admissions
Students must be graduate students at FSU, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Applicants must be enrolled in or have taken IND 5324, Graphic Design Foundations I and must submit their application prior to week 14 of the fall semester.
Student applications will be reviewed on the rubric below by three faculty. Students receiving an unsatisfactory score on any of the components will not be considered for the program.
Criteria Weight Exceptional (9-10) Proficient (7-8) Adequate (5-6) Needs Improvement (3-4) Unsatisfactory (1-2) FSU GPA 25% 3.9-4.0 3.7-3.8 3.5-3.6 3.3-3.4 3.0-3.2 Letter of Intent 25% Clearly articulated goals and exceptional relevance to graphic design Clear goals and good relevance to graphic design Goals are somewhat clear and relevant to graphic design Goals are unclear and have limited relevance to graphic design Goals are not clear and lack relevance to graphic design Example Graphic Design Elements 25% Exemplary design with evidence of established foundational skills in the discipline Good design with evidence of developing foundational skills in the discipline Adequate design with evidence of emerging foundational skills in the discipline Design needs improvement with little evidence of foundational skills in the discipline Design is unsatisfactory with no evidence of foundational skills in the discipline Designer’s Statement 25% Designer’s statement is compelling and well-articulated Designer’s statement is clear and relevant Designer’s statement is somewhat clear Designer’s statement lacks clarity Designer’s statement is unclear Forms for Current Students
Students must complete the Certificate Completion Request form during their final semester in the program in order to receive the certificate upon graduation.
