Visual Communication Design

Admission to the Department of Design is competitive, and we’re looking for students who are curious, motivated, and ready to grow. We are a vibrant and welcoming community ready to be a part of your next great chapter. First, you’ll apply to Ohio State. After that you will be selected to join our shared first-year Design Foundations program. At the end of your first year, you’ll submit a separate application to the major area of your choice. 

Admitted first-year students begin in pre-visual communication design. There they complete the prerequisite course work necessary to apply to the major. 

Learn more by visiting the Department of Design’s admission process guide.  

At The Ohio State University’s Department of Design, your path begins with a strong foundation. Our shared first-year Design Foundations program is where all undergraduate design students — whether you're pursuing Industrial Design, Interior Design, Visual Communication Design, or Experiential Media Design — start building the creative, technical, and collaborative skills that will shape your future. 

In your first year, you’ll dive into studio-based learning, explore design thinking, and develop essential skills in drawing, digital tools and visual literacy. You’ll work alongside other aspiring designers, gaining exposure to each discipline while discovering where your passion truly lies. This immersive experience helps you build a solid base and prepares you to apply to your major of choice in the spring semester. 

The Bachelor of Science in Design (BSD) is a Professional Degree. This means that, unlike BA or BS programs, over 65% of the course credit in the degree is focused on the creation and study of art and design. Our lock-step curriculum will take you through a specific sequence of studio-based courses, designed to scaffold your skills and increase in scale, scope, complexity and collaboration with each semester.  

Design is global and there are opportunities to take your education international. This has been a long tradition in design education at Ohio State and is a great opportunity to venture out of your comfort zone, gain confidence and develop new cultural understanding to become a global citizen. 

Opportunities for hands-on learning are instrumental to discovering your passion. Internships give you the experience you need to differentiate yourself from other candidates, support your career goals, expand your skill set and determine how your education and extracurriculars can best support your long-term goals.  

The Arts Honors Program offers highly motivated students an enriched academic experience through the integration of curricular and co-curricular programs. As a student in the Arts Honors Program, you enjoy the advantage of having at least two advisors to help you with degree planning, course selection, and other academic issues. In general, you will consult with departmental academic advisor about the major area, procedural matters, and information about degree requirements, and consult with an Honors Office advisor for assistance with an Honors Contract, an Undergraduate Thesis, and other special honors opportunities. 

You can learn more about the Arts Honors Program at the College of Arts and Sciences website. 

The Ohio State Scholars Program offers academically motivated students the chance to meet and live with other students who share similar interests. Each of the seventeen programs are centered around a particular theme or area of study and are open to students regardless of their intended major. 

You can learn more about the Scholars Program at the College of Arts and Sciences website.  

Two-thirds of design students graduate with research distinctions. Our curriculum is built around the principle that design research is central to the design process and should always consider the complexities that come from making the world a better place - ecologically, economically and socially. Our students are regularly recognized by professional organizations and publications and employers consistently cite our alumni’s attention to research as the primary reason they grow to be leaders in the organization.  

Student organizations popular with visual communication design students include:

• Columbus Society for the Communicating Arts at Ohio State (CSCA@OSU)
• Design for 90
• D3: Design Develop Deploy, An Entrepreneurial Startup Club
• NOMA: Designers for Diversity

Design offers many opportunities for a fulfilling career. Students graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Design take positions in consulting, industry, nonprofits, governmental agencies or start-ups. Many designers begin with project work and advance to research, facilitation and leadership. Planning activities often place designers in the role of understanding trends and establishing strategic goals. Employers often share that designers from Ohio State repeatedly exceed their expectations, make a significant impact and grow to lead their organizations. 

According to Coroflot's latest Design Salary Guide, the median salary for a visual communication designer is $48,400.

Students majoring in visual communication design will achieve the following learning outcomes.

• Students will gain a lifelong desire and ability to create new knowledge and foster problem-solving skills through creativity and the application of a creative process.
  • Students will apply design thinking and the design process in all studio projects.
  • Students will develop the ability to design and develop ideas for new products, spaces and/or interfaces that may not have existed before.
  • Students will be able to apply design and creative skills learned in one studio to problems encountered in the new context of a successive studio.
• Students will develop an understanding of a human-centered focus on design and research.
  • Students will be able to conduct and complete user research studies for all studio projects.
  • Students will create designed artifacts that will be evaluated by design professionals and potential users.
• Students will prepare for a successful career in the design profession.
  • Students will prepare a portfolio that documents their creative work throughout the undergraduate program.
  • Students will develop the skills of presenting themselves and their design competencies in a professional practice context.
• Students will develop an understanding of and familiarity with the tools and methods of the design profession.
  • Students will demonstrate proficiency in model-making techniques using various materials to explore three-dimensional design ideas.
  • Students will demonstrate proficiency in the use of relevant design technology in the problem-solving and creative process.
  • Students will exhibit proficiency in both 2D and 3D design methodologies.
• Students will hone the skills that are central to communicating design ideas and solutions.
  • Students will demonstrate proficiency in drawing, sketching and digital visualization techniques for the purpose of exploring multiple ideas and using storytelling techniques to express them.
  • Students will present and defend their design projects in public critiques.
  • Students will be able to create documentation that describes the processes associated with a capstone thesis project.
• Students will develop an understanding of and appreciation for the role of the designer in environmental relationships.
  • Students will be able to synthesize knowledge and skills learned in a liberal arts environment and apply them to issues and problems in their specific area of design.
  • Students will develop a knowledge of and appreciation for the concept of sustainable design practices.