Visual Communication

The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Visual Communication is designed to prepare students for employment and upgrade the skills of those already employed in the visual communication industry. The program focuses on design principles, technical, interpersonal, and critical thinking skills needed to communicate and complete successful visual communication projects. Students will receive hands-on specialized training for the application of specific technology to meet the unique needs of various careers, including, but not limited to graphic design, publication design, branding, illustration, digital prepress, digital press operation, estimating, production, project management, customer service, marketing, social media, creative advertising, user experience/user interface and creative direction. A Certificate of Completion (CCL) in either graphic design, creative branding or digital process management is embedded in this degree. Students may also elect to pursue standalone Certificates of Completion or transfer to a university.

Details

Field of Interest
Visual and Performing Arts
Degree Type
Associate in Applied Science (AAS)
Academic Plan
Visual Communication (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
3052
Total credits required
61-71
Catalog Year
2024-2025
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

This degree is designed for students seeking gainful, entry-level employment within the Visual Communication field. Graduates may apply courses within this program to Bachelor of Applied Science degrees at an Arizona public university.

See the AGEC Matrix course selections. See a university transfer specialist for details.

Students who plan to transfer to a four-year university who are seeking a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), or Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree can also choose to pursue the Associate in Arts, Fine Arts (AAFA) option.

What You'll Learn
  • Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.
  • Develop visual concepts in response to communication problems including visual organization of information hierarchy.
  • Apply principles of design, history, theory, and criticism from a variety of perspectives for effective visual communication.
  • Critique designs to evaluate their effectiveness, and provide critical feedback to guide improvement and success.
  • Utilize industry standard software to produce effective solutions to client-based problems.
  • Demonstrate professional and collaborative practices in diverse settings as appropriate to the field (e.g., communication, presentation, time management, organization, and legal and ethical considerations).
  • Communicate design ideas and solutions that integrate diverse opinions and cultural and individual differences.
  • Demonstrate the use of appropriate typography and font management.
  • Utilize calibration, characterization, definitions, and profiles of digital color to ensure color consistency across outputs.
  • Use digital prepress concepts and techniques to design, create, and evaluate electronic files for successful output to digital devices.
  • Apply the fundamentals of digital marketing tools and methods for complex segments as they relate to graphic design.
  • Create a portfolio of work that reflects current industry practices.
  • Create effective marketing messages and campaigns for appropriate audiences to drive client-specific business goals.
  • Design effective online and offline collateral to achieve business goals.
  • Develop comprehensive brand standards and guidelines to maintain brand integrity.
  • Estimate each function and process associated with a standard job ticket for printing using appropriate mathematical calculations for cost and time analysis.
  • Map the unique digital workflows for projects through the completion process.
  • Operate and troubleshoot the output of a file for prepress, press and post-press processes.
  • Calibrate an output device for correct color.
  • Demonstrate safe use and maintenance of equipment and consumables.
  • Manage the project lifecycle for internal and external stakeholders.

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Advertising and Promotions Managers

$99,360

Art Directors

$79,070

Customer Service Representatives

$38,100

Desktop Publishers

$40,630

Graphic Designers

$56,090

Prepress Technicians and Workers

$45,650

Print Binding and Finishing Workers

$36,770

Printing Press Operators

$38,650

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.
  • Consult with your faculty mentor or academic advisor to determine educational requirements, including possible university transfer options, for your chosen career field.

Pathway Map Options

There are multiple options available for this pathway map. These options vary depending on the locations, partners, and available tracks of the award.

These pathway map options may share some common coursework. To explore what additional coursework may be required, select your desired option from the list below. Once selected, the list of courses and any associated details will be automatically updated in the course sequence below. The differences between individual pathway map options may only be a few courses.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC or FYC 3
MAT14+ College Mathematics Critical course OR Any approved general education course from the Mathematical Applications [MA] area MA 3–6
AVC100 Introduction to Digital Arts OR Permission of Department 0–1
AVC175 Electronic Publishing Design I Gateway course 3
AVC177 Digital Photographic Imaging I 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
AVC169 2D Media Design 3
AVC103 Typography in the Digital Age Creative Branding Specialization 0–3
AVC181 Graphic Design I 3
Specialization or
Elective		 Specialization Option or Elective 2–3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SB Social & Behavioral Sciences SB 3
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication COM225 recommended for students transferring to NAU to meet the Literacy [L] requirement SB or SB or L or SB 3
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design Creative Branding and Digital Process Management Specialization HU 0–3
Specialization Specialization Option 3
Specialization Specialization Option 3
Specialization or
RE		 Specialization or Restricted Elective 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative SG or SQ 4
Specialization Specialization Option 3
Specialization or
RE		 Specialization Option or Restricted Elective Students should select courses to complete the minimum total program credits required for this degree. 3
RE Restricted Elective Students should select courses to complete the minimum total program credits required for this degree. 2–3
RE Restricted Elective Students should select courses to complete the minimum total program credits required for this degree. 0–3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC or FYC 3
AVC100 Introduction to Computer Graphic Art OR Permission of Department 0–1
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AVC175 Electronic Publishing Design I Gateway course 3
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MAT14+ College Mathematics Critical course OR Any approved general education course from the Mathematical Applications [MA] area MA 3–6
AVC177 Digital Photographic Imaging I 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3
AVC103 Typography in the Digital Age 3
AVC169 2D Media Design 3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
Specialization Specialization Option 3
AVC181 Graphic Design I 3

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
Specialization Specialization Option 3
Specialization Specialization Option 3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative SG or SQ 4
Specialization Specialization Option 3

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
Specialization Specialization Option 3
RE Restricted Elective 3

Term 9

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 9
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication COM225 recommended for students transferring to NAU to meet the Literacy [L] requirement SB or SB or L or SB 3
Specialization or
RE		 Specialization or Restricted Elective 3
RE Restricted Elective 2

Term 10

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 10
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SB Social & Behavioral Sciences SB 3
Specialization or
RE		 Specialization Option or Restricted Elective 3
RE Restricted Elective 0–3
Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • FYC = First Year Composition
  • HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
  • L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
  • MA = Mathematics
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
  • SG = Natural Sciences General
  • SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm13?id=180672).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Visual Communication