Graphic Design for Real-World Systems
Graphic Design & Visual Communication at Thomas Jefferson University focuses on helping people understand information, navigate systems, access services and interact with the world around them.
Learn through collaboration, research-based studios and real-world partnerships connected to healthcare, science, business, culture and community organizations. Guided by faculty with active professional practices, you can develop strong visual foundations while developing skills in critical thinking, collaboration and problem-solving.
Design in Context
At Jefferson, we emphasize that Graphic Design & Visual Communication is deeply connected with our surrounding environments, technologies, systems and communities.
Collaborative projects challenge you to think beyond aesthetics, considering audience, accessibility, behavior, sustainability and the broader impact design can have on people and organizations.
This approach can help you develop flexible creative practices and respond thoughtfully to an evolving world.
Learn Through Real Projects
You will partner with healthcare professionals, occupational therapists, scientists, engineers, educators, businesses and community organizations.
These experiences will expose you to real audiences, real constraints and real-world complexity, all while helping you build important skills in:
- Research
- Communication
- Systems thinking
- Collaboration
- Creative problem-solving
What You’ll Study
The Graphic Design & Visual Communication curriculum balances three core areas of practice: graphic design and visual systems, typography and user experience, and interaction design—on a strong foundation of craft, history and design thinking.
Electives allow you to explore motion, illustration, packaging, service design, experiential graphics, accessibility and emerging technology.
A direct path into UX: the 4+1 bachelor’s & master’s - If you’re interested in user experience, combine this degree with a Master of Science in User Experience & Interaction Design—earning a BS and an MS in five years.
The Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design & Visual Communication is a STEM designated program (CIP Code 11.0803).
Graphic Design students present and evaluate creative work in a collaborative studio environment
Graphic Design students develop and present branding systems that connect design thinking with real-world communication challenges
Studio-based learning encourages students to test ideas, develop craft and strengthen visual communication skills
Students present integrated branding projects that connect audience insight, creative thinking and visual communication
Where This Leads
By developing both strong visual communication skills and systems-level thinking, you’ll be prepared for a wide range of creative careers and evolving industries, including:
- Graphic Design
- Branding & Identity
- UX/UI Design
- Product & Experience Design
- Motion Design
- Information Design
- Creative Strategy
- Design Research
- Digital Media
To see where our alumni are now, visit our Careers & Alumni page.
Study Away & Global Perspective
Design is shaped by culture, environment and human experience. Study Away opportunities allow you to engage with new perspectives, creative communities and global contexts.
Whether studying in major design cities or experiencing new cultural environments, you can gain inspiration that expands both your creative practice and understanding of design.
Our students have recently studied in Copenhagen, Glasgow, Rome, Florence and Barcelona.
Can I Transfer into the Graphic Design & Visual Communication Program?
Transfer students join our program every year. Whether you are coming from a community college or another university, we can help you understand how your credits transfer, explore tuition assistance options and navigate deadlines and other important details.
Visit a Studio, See It for Yourself
The best way to understand our Graphic Design & Visual Communication program is to experience it firsthand. Visit our campus, sit in on a studio and meet the faculty and students who make up our community.
Students work, present and collaborate in an open studio designed to support the creative process
