Overview
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic and Interactive Design with Entrepreneurial Studies, offered by the Department of Design and Illustration, does more than prepare students for careers in print and screen-based design—it teaches them how to create unforgettable experiences that make the world a better place.
Tyler GAID majors join a tight-knit network of students, teachers and alumni that embraces the power of design to open minds, move hearts, shape environments and heal communities. Tyler's faculty help students find their unique voice and wield it to solve complex social challenges that impact us all, from poster campaigns that spotlight the effects of climate change to apps that address the problem of physical exercise for individuals who are visually impaired. Students are pushed to experiment and create original, research-driven concepts across all platforms, including illustration, typography, packaging, web sites, social media, virtual reality and real-life spaces.
Students at Tyler get the best of both worlds: an intimate community with small classes and personal mentorship; and access to the facilities, academic experts and resources of Temple, a leading public research university based in Philadelphia, with its dynamic arts and culture scene and opportunities for professional advancement.
Designed to complement the studio experience with tools to support a studio practice or pursue graduate studies, the Entrepreneurship coursework enhances students' career options. Graduates of this degree program will possess requisite business skills to support themselves as visual artists or entrepreneurs in art and related fields.
Each student moves from a common foundation curriculum that introduces materials and processes and prepares them for success in a range of fields of study. Those who select Art as their major will work side-by-side with majors in Visual Studies, Art Education and Art Therapy. The dynamic exchange of ideas that result from these interdisciplinary conversations spur intellectual risk and drive research-based creative concepts.
Upon graduation, students have the practical skill sets and honed aesthetic for successful careers in studio art, art education and design, as well as attend top-tier graduate programs.
Campus Location: Main
Program Code: TA-GIDE-BFA
Admissions
Admission to Tyler's Studio Art (Bachelor of Fine Arts) programs is based on a review of academic credentials and portfolio review. For detailed information on how to apply, please visit Tyler's Studio Art admissions page.
Because of the demand for a limited number of spaces in the Graphic and Interactive Design major, all BFA students who are not yet declared majors in Graphic and Interactive Design will have to apply for the Sophomore Portfolio Review in GAID in order to get into the major, regardless of when that student started at Tyler or when they took Graphic Design (GAD 2001) and Computers for Design (GAD 2021).
The review process is required for any Tyler student seeking to enter the major. Because the GAID program follows a strict fall/spring sequence, students may only begin as GAID majors in the fall semester. Students must complete the program in sequence as the capstone courses are offered only in the spring. Admitted students must begin taking required courses in the major at the junior (3xxx) level in the academic year immediately following official admission to the major or their admission to the major will be forfeited.
It is strongly recommended that potential applicants for admission to the GAID major attend one of the official sophomore advising meetings with the GAID Program Head where the application process will be explained. The process will also be explained by the instructors in each section of GAD 2001.
Laptop Requirement for GAID Majors
The Design and Illustration department is committed to excellence in design and the full integration of technologies within our discipline to best educate and prepare our students to become leaders in this field. A thorough understanding of the changing nature of design and the integral role that technology plays in it is essential for all our students to be active participants in this ever-changing environment.
For full device and software requirements and recommendations, please see the Graphic and Interactive Design Laptop Requirements.
Study Abroad
Students who plan to study abroad should arrange to meet with their academic advisor and the Education Abroad and Overseas Campuses office as early as possible, preferably during the freshman year, in order to explore options and plan the sequence of courses that would be most appropriate.
Accreditation
Temple University is a non-profit accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). NASAD establishes national standards for undergraduate and graduate degrees and other credentials for art and design and art/design-related disciplines, and provides assistance to institutions and individuals engaged in artistic, scholarly, educational and other art/design-related endeavors.
Contact Information
Dermot Mac Cormack, Chair
Tyler School of Art Building, Rooms 210T and 240L
610-653-8227
dermot@temple.edu
Kelly Holohan, Program Head
Tyler School of Art Building, Room 240M
215-777-9733
kholohan@temple.edu
Learn more about the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic and Interactive Design.
These requirements are for students who matriculated in academic year 2024-2025. Students who matriculated prior to fall 2024 should refer to the Archives to view the requirements for their Bulletin year.
Summary of Requirements
The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic and Interactive Design with Entrepreneurial Studies may be conferred upon a student by recommendation of the faculty and upon the satisfactory completion of a minimum of 126 semester hours of credit with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00. All Graphic and Interactive Design with Entrepreneurial Studies majors must complete the General Education requirements.
The required Junior/Senior courses must be completed with a C- or better to fulfill major requirements.
Major Requirements for BFA in Graphic and Interactive Design with Entrepreneurial Studies
Sophomore Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GAD 2001 | Graphic Design | 3 |
| GAD 2021 | Computers for Design | 3 |
Note:
- A minimum final grade of C- in GAD 2001 and in GAD 2021 along with the approved portfolio review is required to be accepted to the major.
- Graphic and Interactive Design majors who plan to study abroad should do so in the second semester of their sophomore year if they plan to graduate in four years. These students should see the Area Head for advising prior to leaving.
GAID Protocol for Portfolio Reviews
There will be two portfolio review cycles in Graphic and Interactive Design (GAID) each academic year: the end of the Fall semester (December) and the end of the Spring semester (May). The portfolio reviews will take place in the week after final studio course reviews. Specific dates for the reviews will be announced at the beginning of each semester in the GAD 2001 classes. They will also be posted on Canvas and in the GAID suite. All full-time GAID faculty will serve on the GAID Portfolio Review Admissions Committee.
Applicants must have completed all Tyler Foundations courses (or had approved transfer courses as noted by the Tyler Admissions Office) and the 2 prerequisites for the major: GAD 2001 and GAD 2021 with a C-minus or better.
Application and Notification
The complete policy and application process is detailed on the Graphic and Interactive Design web site at https://tyler.temple.edu/programs/graphic-interactive-design.
Application forms will be available for eligible students on Canvas.
Students who have completed or who are currently enrolled in the two prerequisites for the GAID major (GAD 2001 and GAD 2021) and intend to submit an application for the Portfolio Review will be able to obtain an application form, portfolio template and detailed application instructions on Canvas by mid-semester.
Students who fail to submit all of the required materials for the Portfolio Review will be disqualified, but may re-apply at the next review cycle as a first-time submitter. Late submissions will not be reviewed.
Applicants to the GAID major will receive one of the following decisions from the committee after the review is completed: (i) accepted; (ii) not accepted; or (iii) revise and submit. Students who receive a "(iii) revise and submit" evaluation should re-apply in the next portfolio review cycle.
Students who pass the portfolio review for admission to the GAID major will be informed via TUmail. Within 2 weeks of receiving this e-mail, admitted students must reply to the acceptance e-mail to confirm that they definitively want to major in GAID. Students who do not confirm by that deadline will forfeit their admission to the major and will need to re-apply in the next GAID portfolio review cycle as a second-time submitter. Students are limited to no more than two applications to the major.
Junior Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GAD 3001 | Advanced Graphic Design (fall only) | 3 |
| GAD 3002 | Advanced Graphic Design (spring only) | 3 |
| GAD 3011 | Typography | 3 |
| GAD 3021 | Intermediate Computer Graphics | 3 |
| Electives strongly recommended | ||
| GAD 3013 | Advanced Typography | 3 |
| or GAD 3015 | Advanced Typography | |
| GAD 3023 | Interactive Design | 3 |
| or GAD 3025 | Interactive Design | |
| GAD 3027 | Digital Narratives | 3 |
| GAD 3031 | Illustration | 3 |
| or GAD 3033 | Illustration | |
| GAD 3041 | Advertising Design | 3 |
| GAD 3096 | The Business of Design (WI) | 3 |
| GAD 3101 | Collaborative Design Workshop in Rome | 3 |
Note:
- In the junior year, Advanced Graphic Design must be taken in sequence (GAD 3001 in Fall / GAD 3002 in Spring).
- The prerequisites for Senior level design courses are the four required courses at the junior level: GAD 3001 (Fall), GAD 3002 (Spring), GAD 3011 (Fall or Spring), and GAD 3021 (Fall or Spring). GAD 3023 or GAD 3025 is strongly recommended for students taking GAD 3027. GAD 3023 or GAD 3025 is required for GAD 4007.
- Students who plan to have an interactive portfolio only should take GAD 3023 or GAD 3025. GAD 3021 is the prerequisite for this course.
- GAD 3096 (Fall or Spring) is Writing Intensive and must be passed with a C- or better to be recognized as Writing Intensive credit. It can replace a Writing Intensive requirement in Art History. In that case the Art History requirement can be fulfilled with an Art History course that is not Writing Intensive.
Senior Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select two specialized courses in Senior Graphic Design from the following: | 6 | |
| Advanced Typography | ||
or GAD 3015 | Advanced Typography | |
| Digital Narratives | ||
| Advertising Design | ||
| Senior Design: Special Topics | ||
or GAD 4010 | Senior Design: Special Topics | |
| Senior Graphic Design: Senior Design Workshop | ||
| Senior Graphic Design: Hybrid Design | ||
| Senior Graphic Design: Art Direction | ||
| Senior Graphic Design: Packaging | ||
| Senior Graphic Design: Publishing | ||
| Senior Graphic Design: Brand Identity | ||
| Senior Interactive Design | ||
| Senior Graphic Design: Projects in Authorship | ||
| Senior Graphic Design: Design for the Public Good | ||
| Senior Illustration | ||
or GAD 4112 | Senior Illustration | |
| Select one specialized course from the Senior Graphic Design list or one of the following: | 3 | |
| Illustration | ||
or GAD 3033 | Illustration | |
| Interactive Design | ||
or GAD 3025 | Interactive Design | |
| The Business of Design (WI) | ||
| Collaborative Design Workshop in Rome | ||
| Specialized Course Requirement | ||
| GAD 4009 | Senior Graphic Design: Projects in Authorship (spring only) | 3 |
| Capstone Requirement | ||
| GAD 4196 | Senior Portfolio (Capstone, WI, spring only) | 3 |
Note:
- An additional 3xxx or 4xxx level GAD course may be taken as studio elective.
- The capstone GAD 4196 Senior Portfolio and GAD 4009 Senior Graphic Design: Projects in Authorship are offered in spring semesters only. These two courses must be taken in addition to the three required senior (or equivalent) GAD courses listed above.
Entrepreneurship Courses
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Planning to Start Your Own Business | ||
| Entrepreneurial and Innovative Thinking | ||
| Lean Startup: Fast and Inexpensive Ways to Test and Launch Your Ideas | ||
| Launch a New Venture in 100 Days | ||
| Doing Well by Doing Good: Where Innovation and Entrepreneurship Meet Social Impact | ||
| Pitching and Funding Entrepreneurial Ventures | ||
| Special Topics - Strategic Management | ||
| Social Impact Internship - Work with Benefit/B-corps, Non-profits, or Multi-bottom-line Ventures | ||
or SGM 3685 | New Venture Internship: Learning to be a High-Value Employee, Manager, or Founder | |
| Select one of the following: 1 | 3 | |
| Field Internship | ||
| Professional Practices in Art (WI) | ||
| Art Careers Promotion | ||
| The Business of Design (WI) | ||
| Field Internship | ||
| Art Career Workshop (WI) | ||
| Creative Cottage Industrialist | ||
| Rome Internship | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 12 | |
- 1
These courses cannot fulfill both a requirement for the major and for this category.
Suggested Academic Plan
Please note that this is a suggested academic plan. Depending on your situation, your academic plan may look different.
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic and Interactive Design with Entrepreneurial Studies
Suggested Plan for New Students Starting in the 2024-2025 Academic Year
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| FDPR 1511 | Foundation Drawing 1 | 3 |
| FDPR 1521 | 2D Foundation Principles | 3 |
| FDPR 1531 | 3D Foundation Principles/W | 3 |
| FDPR 1503 | Woodshop Fundamentals | 1 |
| ARTH 1155 or ARTH 1955 | Arts of the World I: Prehistoric to 1300 or Honors Arts of the World I: Prehistoric to 1300 | 3 |
| ENG 0802 | Analytical Reading and Writing [GW] or Analytical Reading and Writing: ESL [GW] or Honors Analytical Reading and Writing [GW] | 4 |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| FDPR 1512 | Foundation Drawing | 3 |
| FDPR 1522 | 2D Foundation Principles | 3 |
| FDPR 1532 | 3D Foundation Principles/C | 3 |
| FDPR 1502 | Investigations of Art and Design | 1 |
| ARTH 1156 or ARTH 1956 | Arts of the World II: 1300 to the 21st Century 1 or Honors Arts of the World II: 1300 to the 21st Century | 3 |
| IH 0851 or IH 0951 | Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life [GY] or Honors Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life [GY] | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| GAD 2001 | Graphic Design | 3 |
| GAD 2021 | Computers for Design | 3 |
| ART or GAD Sophomore Studio Elective | 3 | |
| IH 0852 or IH 0952 | Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good [GZ] or Honors Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good [GZ] | 3 |
| GenEd Quantitative Literacy Course GQ | 4 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ART or GAD Sophomore Studio Elective | 3 | |
| ART or GAD Sophomore Studio Elective | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Planning to Start Your Own Business | ||
| Entrepreneurial and Innovative Thinking | ||
| Lean Startup: Fast and Inexpensive Ways to Test and Launch Your Ideas | ||
| Launch a New Venture in 100 Days | ||
| Doing Well by Doing Good: Where Innovation and Entrepreneurship Meet Social Impact | ||
| Pitching and Funding Entrepreneurial Ventures | ||
| Special Topics - Strategic Management | ||
| Social Impact Internship - Work with Benefit/B-corps, Non-profits, or Multi-bottom-line Ventures | ||
| New Venture Internship: Learning to be a High-Value Employee, Manager, or Founder | ||
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| GAD 3001 | Advanced Graphic Design 2 | 3 |
| GAD 3011 | Typography | 3 |
| GAD 3021 | Intermediate Computer Graphics | 3 |
| Art History Elective 3 | 4 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| GAD 3002 | Advanced Graphic Design 4 | 3 |
| ART or GAD Studio Elective | 3 | |
| Select one of the following (not previously chosen): | 3 | |
| Planning to Start Your Own Business | ||
| Entrepreneurial and Innovative Thinking | ||
| Lean Startup: Fast and Inexpensive Ways to Test and Launch Your Ideas | ||
| Launch a New Venture in 100 Days | ||
| Doing Well by Doing Good: Where Innovation and Entrepreneurship Meet Social Impact | ||
| Pitching and Funding Entrepreneurial Ventures | ||
| Special Topics - Strategic Management | ||
| Social Impact Internship - Work with Benefit/B-corps, Non-profits, or Multi-bottom-line Ventures | ||
| New Venture Internship: Learning to be a High-Value Employee, Manager, or Founder | ||
| Art History Elective WI 5 | 4 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| Senior Graphic Design Course 6 | 3 | |
| Senior Graphic Design Course 6 | 3 | |
| GAD 3xxx/4xxx (Specialized or Advanced GAD course, as per senior requirements) | 3 | |
| Select one of the following (not previously chosen): | 3 | |
| Planning to Start Your Own Business | ||
| Entrepreneurial and Innovative Thinking | ||
| Lean Startup: Fast and Inexpensive Ways to Test and Launch Your Ideas | ||
| Launch a New Venture in 100 Days | ||
| Doing Well by Doing Good: Where Innovation and Entrepreneurship Meet Social Impact | ||
| Pitching and Funding Entrepreneurial Ventures | ||
| Special Topics - Strategic Management | ||
| Social Impact Internship - Work with Benefit/B-corps, Non-profits, or Multi-bottom-line Ventures | ||
| New Venture Internship: Learning to be a High-Value Employee, Manager, or Founder | ||
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| GAD 4009 | Senior Graphic Design: Projects in Authorship 4 | 3 |
| GAD 4196 | Senior Portfolio [WI] 4,6 | 3 |
| Select one of the following: 7 | 3 | |
| Field Internship | ||
| Professional Practices in Art [WI] | ||
| Art Careers Promotion | ||
| The Business of Design [WI] | ||
| Field Internship | ||
| Art Career Workshop [WI] | ||
| Creative Cottage Industrialist | ||
| Rome Internship | ||
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Open Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 126 | |
- 1
These 2 courses constitute the waiver for the GenEd Arts category if the courses are completed with a C- or better.
- 2
Course offered in fall only.
- 3
Students completing a 3-credit Art History 2000+ elective must select a 4-credit open elective to reach the minimum 126 credits to earn the BFA degree.
- 4
Courses offered in spring only.
- 5
Students who complete GAD 3096 or another WI entrepreneurship course from the approved list may take a non-WI Art History elective.
- 6
A minimum of 2 senior studios must be successfully completed before taking GAD 4196. Senior studios are GAD 3013 (if taken in the senior year), GAD 3015 (if taken in the senior year), GAD 3027 (if taken in the senior year), GAD 3041 (if taken in the senior year), GAD 4000, GAD 4001, GAD 4002, GAD 4003, GAD 4004, GAD 4005, GAD 4006, GAD 4007, GAD 4008, GAD 4009, GAD 4010, GAD 4011, GAD 4111 and GAD 4112.
- 7
These courses cannot fulfill both a requirement for the major and a requirement for this category.
Please Note: An approved study abroad program waives the GenEd Global/World Society (GG) requirement; however, these credits must be made up with academic coursework taken outside of Tyler departments to be in compliance with BFA accreditation. BFA majors interested in studying abroad should consult with an academic advisor to determine if a semester (generally spring semester of second year) or a summer program would be the best option to remain on track for graduation.