Bachelor of GRAPHIC DESIGN

We expand the boundaries of traditional graphic design, rooting students in a vital understanding of the relationship between medium and message. This area of study prepares you for the broadest possibilities and most challenging engagements in today’s creative industries.

We learn the history, principles, and major theories of design while acquiring both technical skills and those of ideation, critical evaluation, and revision to create provocative, relevant design solutions. The curriculum encourages integrated design solutions across media and fosters the development of research, critical thinking, and creative practice skills while being grounded in communication theory. Through independent and collaborative projects, students will meet complex conceptual challenges and offer insightful solutions with handcrafted style.

PNCA is the only art and design college located in one of the most progressive cities in the United States. For all of its one hundred-plus years, PNCA has nurtured the talent in its students for radically reimagining everything, transforming the lives of our students and everyone they touch. Our studios and galleries continue to give rise to a vibrant community of innovators and culture-makers who shape the cultural landscape.

At the creative heart of Portland, PNCA is a center for communities of artists, designers, and scholars, presenting more free public programs and exhibitions in a given year than any other arts institution in the city.