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Undergraduate Programs

Visual Communication Design

Bachelor of Fine Arts – B.F.A. |
Undergraduate

A visual communication design student showing her proposed work to a mentor

About the Program

Create images that inform, persuade and inspire while considering the physical, cultural, societal, and technological implications of your work. You’ll gain the skills to design across multiple mediums and build a portfolio that reflects both your creativity and technical expertise. Through hands-on projects and industry connections, you’ll graduate prepared to make a meaningful impact in the design world.

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Visual Communication Design

The Polytechnic Approach

Explore social, environmental, and ethical issues through the lens of a camera, sculptural display or interactive media. In Visual Communication Design, you learn by creating, navigating, exploring and testing out mediums of creative and interpretive art. Learn about different forms of design and how they connect to the human experience, then practice telling stories and evoking emotion through digital and traditional means. Under the guidance of faculty experts, you will receive critiques of your work in studio classes and can show your art in an annual juried exhibition. In your senior year, you will participate in industry night, an exhibition of graduating students’ work that connects you with industry professionals for job opportunities after graduation. Here, you gain technical skills and a global awareness that will prepare you for your career in a diverse, exciting world.

Courses

Create impactful visual designs across various media, addressing audience needs and functional communication. As part of the College of Environmental Design, our program emphasizes environmental, social, and ethical awareness, integrating these themes into its curriculum. Educators focus on fostering creativity, cultural diversity, and global awareness while promoting a strong foundation in conceptual and technological aspects of design. You will gain hands-on experience through juried exhibitions and an annual industry night, where you showcase your work to industry professionals. The capstone course, Professional Practices in Visual Communication Design, culminates in a portfolio review by experienced alumni, ensuring graduates are well-equipped for careers in communication design. The Visual Communication Design program is accredited by The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

For the most up-to-date information on courses for this program, visit the course catalog or contact an advisor.

Art poster explaining good design

Financial Aid & Scholarships

The Sam Francis Foundation Endowed Scholarship

The Sam Francis Foundation endowment was established in 2020, with the goal of continuing the mission of Sam Francis, dedicated to the transformative power of art as a force for change.

Professor Crystal Yachin Lee

Featured Faculty

Dr. Lee teaches a broad range of visual communication design courses and previously worked in Washington D.C. specializing in environmental graphic design for museum exhibitions at places like the Smithsonian Institution.
Crystal Yachin Lee Professor and Program Coordinator of Visual Communication Design

Get Involved

AIGA at CPP

AIGA advances design as a professional craft, strategic advantage, and vital cultural force. AIGA Cal Poly Pomona is part of the largest community of design advocates in the country. We bring together practitioners, enthusiasts and patrons to amplify the voice of design and create the vision for a collective future. The Cal Poly Pomona chapter of the AIGA takes advantage of its strategic proximity to Los Angeles and hosts numerous events, including guest speakers, the 24-hour Design for Good Marathon, workshops, travel to Austin Texas’s SXSW conference, studio tours, and more.

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