January 2008
Responding to the desires of students and the needs of area employers, Mansfield University will begin offering a Bachelor of Science degree program in graphic design in the fall of 2008.
The new program received the approval of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Board of Governors on Thursday, January 10.
“We’re very excited that we are able to offer this new BS program in Graphic Design and proud that the Board of Governors would make this statement of confidence in the quality of Mansfield’s programs,” Provost Michael Renner said.
The MU program will prepare graduates for careers in the growing field of graphic design. Research has shown that there is significant demand for skilled graphic designers in the Northern Tier, an area of the Commonwealth that has been particularly impacted by the declining industrial base, and the Southern Tier of New York.
The program will be interdisciplinary in nature, combining coursework from several departments and disciplines, including art, broadcasting, journalism, business and computer science. It will include training in studio art, principles of design, computerized design and marketing and business.
Students will be able to focus on print-based design found in magazines and other publications or electronic design used in television, the Web and other motion-capable communications media.
“The new program will prepare students for a broad variety of careers, including web design, media design, print and television advertising, illustration, and other fields where there are great job opportunities and high demand,” Renner said. “It’s a good fit with a public liberal arts college, and adds a nice complement to the performing arts programs for which Mansfield is so well known.”
The new program went through Mansfield’s academic planning process, receiving a strong endorsement from the University Senate and the approval of the University’s Council of Trustees.
“The timing is perfect,” Renner added. “We’re about to start construction on a new building that will house the Art and Communication programs that jointly designed this program. The new building will house the faculty, several art studios, and new state-of-the-art television and radio studios. All in all, it’s a wonderful boost to our programs.”
Construction of the new Allen Hall is scheduled to begin this summer.
For more information on the new graphic design program, contact the MU Admissions Department at (800)577-6826 or admissns@mansfield.edu
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