- Community of interest
- Business, Cosmetology, Arts & Design
- Award
- AA Degree
- Program code
- 11140.00AA
- Department
- Studio Art/Graphic Design
- CIP code
- 50.0409: Graphic Design.
- TOP code
- 1030.00 - Graphic Art and Design*
Program detailsAward, code, department, CIP/TOP
Program Snapshot
- Community of interest
- BCAD Business, Cosmetology, Arts & Design
- Award
- AA Degree
- Program code
- 11140.00AA
- Department
- Studio Art/Graphic Design
- CIP code
- 50.0409: Graphic Design.
- TOP code
- 1030.00 - Graphic Art and Design*
Next Steps
AA Degree — expand to learn about this award
The Associate of Arts is typically awarded for academic areas outside STEM and CTE — humanities, social sciences, arts, language. Like every Butte College associate degree, it has two parts: a general-education curriculum and an academic program of specialization.
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.
Semester-by-Semester Map
Term 1
Class Schedules
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).
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 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 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 1-199 or C1000-C2999)
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. Department recommends MSP 96.
Term 2
Class Schedules
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).
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.
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.
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.
Elective (any course numbered 1-199 or C1000-C2999)
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.
Term 3
Class Schedules
Select one: Meets Area 3
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.
Graduation Requirement Choice (See GE Guide)
Elective (any course numbered 1-199 or C1000-C2999)
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.
Term 4
15–17 unitsGeneral 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.
Elective (any course numbered 1-199 or C1000-C2999)
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.
Example roles: 5
- Web and Digital Interface Designers
- Special Effects Artists and Animators
- Graphic Designers
Graduate School Paths
Advanced roles commonly associated with graduate, professional, or post-baccalaureate study.
Example roles: 1
- Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
Local Job Market
Web and Digital Interface DesignersSOC 15-12555 nearby openings
Top employers in sample
- Adventist Health 3
- AECOM 1
- Butte County 1
Where the postings are
- Butte Creek, Butte County 1
- Linda, Yuba County 1
- Loma Rica, Yuba County 1
- Manzanita, Butte County 1
- Thermalito, Butte County 1
Sample current postings
Special Effects Artists and AnimatorsSOC 27-10141 nearby opening
Top employers in sample
- Butte County 1
Where the postings are
- Thermalito, Butte County 1
Sample current postings
Graphic DesignersSOC 27-10241 nearby opening
Top employers in sample
- Butte County 1
Where the postings are
- Thermalito, Butte County 1
Sample current postings
Artists and Related Workers, All OtherSOC 27-101915 nearby openings
Top employers in sample
- Butte County 14
- K2 Staffing 1
Where the postings are
- Thermalito, Butte County 14
- Chico, Butte County 1
Sample current postings
Art DirectorsSOC 27-10115 nearby openings
Top employers in sample
- Another Source 1
- Los Rios Community College District 1
- Sacramento State 1
- The Gap 1
- ZLINE 1
Where the postings are
- Folsom, Sacramento County 1
- Long Island, Sacramento County 1
- Rosemont, Sacramento County 1
- Sacramento, Sacramento County 1
- Sierra, Washoe County 1
Sample current postings
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-11213 nearby openings
Top employers in sample
- Nevada City School of the Arts 3
Where the postings are
- Nevada City, Nevada County 3
Sample current postings
Posting counts come from Adzuna's index of US job boards, covering the last up to 90 days within up to 100 miles of ZIP 95965. Coverage and salary visibility vary by employer. Empty searches expand the radius and posting window before the section gives up.
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.
Live wage data was not available from the BLS helper for the mapped occupations, so some pay fields may be blank.
Last generated 2026-07-05T16:59+00:00