Graphic Design for PrintAS Degree

Share my plan
Community of interest
Business, Cosmetology, Arts & Design
Award
AS Degree
Program code
07264.00AS
Department
Studio Art/Graphic Design
CIP code
50.0409: Graphic Design.
TOP code
1030.00 - Graphic Art and Design*
In the Graphic Design program, students receive hands-on training in many areas of the visual communications field. Butte College offers a complete design and computer lab to aid in the development of job-related skills and techniques. Many of the instructors are working professionals who take time from their careers to teach. Their awareness of the demands of business and industry brings knowledge to the classroom of what is happening now in the field as well as future trends. The goal of the Butte College Graphic Design program is to prepare students for entry level positions. Students who successfully complete the program and plan to earn a four-year degree will have a solid foundation for application to the design school of their choice. The field of graphic design offers many opportunities and options for the creative individual who has worked hard to develop the necessary skills and techniques. Upon completion of the program the student will have a working familiarity with most aspects of these rapidly growing fields. The department highly recommends that the student entering the second year of the Graphic Design program have access outside of school to a computer with the Adobe Suite software.
Program detailsAward, code, department, CIP/TOP

Program Snapshot

Community of interest
BCAD Business, Cosmetology, Arts & Design
Award
AS Degree
Program code
07264.00AS
Department
Studio Art/Graphic Design
CIP code
50.0409: Graphic Design.
TOP code
1030.00 - Graphic Art and Design*

Next Steps

Map Class Schedule

Pick a term:

Fall 2026Winter 2027Spring 2027Summer 2027

This will open the term course schedule not including GE requirements.

Program Schedule ReportMeet with a counselor
Graphic Design for Print
AS Degree — expand to learn about this award

The Associate of Science is typically awarded for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) and Career Technical Education (CTE) programs. Like every Butte College associate degree, it has two parts: a general-education curriculum that gives you a broad base of knowledge, and an academic program where you specialize.

About General Education. GE is an integrated program of learning designed to foster intellectual curiosity, cultural understanding, critical thinking, creative reasoning, oral and written communication, and the capacity for ethical reasoning. By graduation, you'll have developed the ability to think critically, communicate clearly, apply quantitative reasoning, understand how the major academic disciplines ask their questions, comprehend diverse cultures and historical periods, and assess ethical problems — alongside the depth you build in your major.

See the 2025-26 Catalog for official program details

Semester-by-Semester Map

Term 1

Class Schedules

Pick a term:

Fall 2026Winter 2027Spring 2027Summer 2027

This will open the term course schedule not including GE requirements.

15–18 units
ART 8
Drawing I
3 units
course details

This course is an introduction to principles, elements, and practices of drawing, employing a wide range of subject matter and drawing media. Focus on perceptually based drawing, observational skills, technical abilities, and creative responses is placed on materials and subject matter. (C-ID ARTS 110).

ART 31
Graphic Design I
3 units
course details

This course is an introduction to the general field of graphic design. Students will explore and apply professional skills in design, layout, and production. Areas of study will include advertising design and layouts, corporate identity, publication design, packaging and producing print-ready artwork.

MSP 1
Multimedia Careers
3 units

Meets Graduation Requirement.

course details

This course introduces the fundamental concepts and skills needed to pursue a multimedia career, and is taken during the first semester of enrollment in the program. The course develops a strong foundation for more specialized course work in Graphic Design for Print and Digital Media, Digital Video and Audio, Digital Photography, Two-and Three-Dimensional Modeling and Animation, and Multimedia Authoring.

General Education: Area 1A

about Area 1A

English Composition

Baccalaureate-level academic writing — expository and argumentative. The foundation for every other course you'll write in.

General Education: Area 2

about Area 2

Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning

College-level mathematics or quantitative reasoning — the toolkit behind science, business, and informed citizenship.

Term 2

Class Schedules

Pick a term:

Fall 2026Winter 2027Spring 2027Summer 2027

This will open the term course schedule not including GE requirements.

15 units
ART 7
2-D Foundations
3 units
course details

This course is an introduction to the concepts, applications, and historical references related to two-dimensional art and composition, including the study of the basic principles and elements of line, shape, texture, value, color and spatial illusion. Students develop visual vocabulary for creative expression through lecture presentations, studio projects, problem solving, and written assignments. (C-ID ARTS 100).

ART 34
Graphic Design II
3 units
course details

This is an intermediate course in graphic design. Students will apply design principles and tools of graphic design learned in ART 31 and ART 32. Concentration is on increasing skill levels for developing advanced design techniques for print and online.

PHO 2
Introduction to Photography
3 units
course details

This course is an introduction to the processes, principles, and tools of photography. Topics include the development of technical and aesthetic skills, elements of design and composition, camera technology, materials and equipment, black and white film, darkroom skills, and contemporary trends in photography.

RTVF 12
Mass Media and Society
3 units

Meets Area 4.

course details

Survey of mass communication and the interrelationships of media with society including history, structure and trends in a digital age. Discussion of theories and effects, economics, technology, law and ethics, global media, media literacy, and social issues, including gender and cultural diversity. (C-ID JOUR 100).

General Education: Area 1B

about Area 1B

Oral Communication and Critical Thinking

Baccalaureate-level oral communication and/or critical thinking — speaking with structure to a live audience, analyzing arguments, identifying assumptions.

Term 3

Class Schedules

Pick a term:

Fall 2026Winter 2027Spring 2027Summer 2027

This will open the term course schedule not including GE requirements.

15 units
ART 32
Creative Typography
3 units
course details

This course is an introduction to the technical and aesthetic fundamentals of typography and their relationship to the design of effective visual communications. It also includes the study of the letterform, typefaces, copy fitting, software and specification emphasis on creative application.

ART 35
Illustration Art I
3 units
course details

This course is an introduction to the study and practice of illustration art. Students will investigate both contemporary and historical illustration art. Various media and techniques used in illustration art will be explored. Students will gain an understanding of how illustration is used in client projects, and how to market their skills to clients in the print and online design industries.

BUS 60
Advertising and Promotion
3 units
course details

This course introduces students to the function of promotion in relation to business and society. It looks at promotion as a social and economic institution. Emphasis is placed on integrating marketing communications across multiple platforms including social media and other online spaces to achieve the organizations objective.

MSP 96
Introduction to Computer Graphics
3 units
course details

This course is an introduction to the skills, techniques and tools to produce computer generated graphics. Areas of study will include: the basics of computer drawing and design, adding text to graphics, converting and exporting graphics into multiple formats for print and online, and modification and transformation techniques.

Select one: Meets Area 3A

Required

3 units
Choose one of 3 choices
Choose one of 3 choices

Term 4

Class Schedules

Pick a term:

Fall 2026Winter 2027Spring 2027Summer 2027

This will open the term course schedule not including GE requirements.

15–17 units
ART 36
Illustration Art II
3 units
course details

This is an intermediate course in illustration that focuses on the application of traditional and digital techniques. Students design and produce real-world client projects. Students are also introduced to the business of illustration and career paths for illustrators.

ART 70
Gallery Production/Business of Art
2 units
course details

This course will deal with the various aspects of operating an educationally directed art gallery including scheduling, lighting, publicity, security, budget, receptions, show themes and reviews. The Butte College Coyote Gallery will function as the class laboratory, and approximately two to three shows will be organized and installed each semester. (Annual student show in Spring semester). In addition, students will learn the business of art in order to be able to successfully compete in the professional market place.

MSP 5
Introduction to Interactive Web Design and Authoring
3 units
course details

This course is an introduction to developing interactive content for the World Wide Web. Students will survey online content to gain an understanding of effective Web design principles. Students will learn how to produce interactive content using a variety of programs to create and process text, sound, graphics and video. As a final project, students will design and produce an interactive Website.

General Education: Area 5

about Area 5

Physical and Biological Sciences

The physical universe, its life forms, and its natural phenomena — astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, meteorology, oceanography, physics — taught alongside the scientific method that makes them work.

General Education: Area 6

about Area 6

Ethnic Studies

The histories, experiences, and contributions of the four autonomous disciplines: Black / African American / Africana studies, Native American studies, Chicano/a/x and Latino/a/x studies, and Asian American studies.

Elective (any course numbered 1-99 or C1000-C1999)

Only necessary if the 60 units needed to graduate have not been completed. Consider taking a Cal-GETC General Education course. Visit www.assist.org to see options.

Career Connections

2-Year Degree Paths

Entry points students may pursue after associate-level study, technical preparation, or licensure pathways.

No locally mapped occupations in the current dataset point cleanly to an immediate 2-year outcome for this program.

4-Year Degree Paths

Roles that more often open up after transfer and a bachelor's degree.

No locally mapped occupations in the current dataset are grouped into the 4-year pathway for this program.

Graduate School Paths

Advanced roles commonly associated with graduate, professional, or post-baccalaureate study.

No locally mapped occupations in the current dataset are grouped into the graduate-school pathway for this program.

Source Notes

Course sequencing is generated from the Acadia Program Mapper cache. Career groupings use local CIP-to-SOC mappings and BLS occupation data when available. Confirm education plans with Counseling and Advising.

No NCES/IPEDS CIP-to-SOC mapping was found for this program's CIP code.

Last generated 2026-06-12T23:20+00:00