Program Overview
The Department of Visual Communication at
Dar Al-Hekma University embraces contemporary and traditional design methodologies in practice, teaching, and research. It instills in its graduates the aspiration to advance themselves in education and the professional fields. It also seeks to foster an indigenous culture of design, conveying to students the responsibility to shape the future of visual communication in the region and the world. It also prepares students to the job market through real life projects and constant collaboration with industry professionals and entrepreneurs. Graduates of the program gain practical artistic knowledge, which enables them to be in key positions in the job market. The department also offers two tracks leading to bachelor’s degrees: namely, a bachelor’s degree in visual communication - graphic design track and a bachelor’s degree in visual communication - motion graphics track. Students have the opportunity to benefit from different types of
undergraduate scholarships.
Program Tracks
-
Graphic Design: Students majoring in graphic design learn both traditional art and modern design processes and are exposed to real-life production projects that promote relevant industry experience.
-
Motion Graphics: Students in the motion graphics track develop skills in digital motion-based visual communication through learning techniques such as 3D compositing, motion tracking, and 2D animation.
Program Mission
Graduating professionals equipped with design thinking, leadership, and research skills in the field of Visual Communication to foster creativity and sustainability.
Program Goals
- Enrich the visual communication profession by graduating qualified professionals in the field of visual communication.
- Increase research opportunities in the area of visual communication.
- Obtain national accreditation from the NCAAA for the visual communication program.
- Promote the visual communication profession in the community.
Why Choose this Bachelor program at Dar Al-Hekma University?
- The Department of Visual Communication at Dar Al-Hekma is the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia and is recognized throughout the Kingdom for producing graduates who are ready to compete in the exciting and demanding job market. The dynamic curricula of the program focus on developing resourceful and successful design professionals with great insights in the world of visual arts.
- The Mac labs, the latest software programs, the printmaking studios and the in-house digital printing services provide students with the appropriate facilities needed for their success.
- The program develops students' conceptions of the market by examining real company projects, and enhances their confidence and their social and artistic skills, which they very much need to compete in the global market.
- The program covers a diverse range of design areas including graphic design, animation, illustrations, printmaking, photography and typography.
- The program is taught by a team of professional instructors and researchers, who are experts in their chosen fields.
- Students benefit from a variety of talks and workshops presented by external professionals. They are also regularly engaged with the community, where they participate in various competitions industrial-linked projects and exhibitions, to be well prepared for the field of design.
Admission Requirements
Programs
| TOEFL Score
| Required Certificate Percentage
| Qudurat Test Score
| Othe Admission Requirement
|
---|
Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication
| 500
| 80%
| 65%
| None
|
For further details about admissions, click here
Learing Outcomes
On successful completion of this program, graduates will be able to:
Knowledge
- Discuss history theories, principles, and best practices to develop visual communication design.
- Demonstrate understanding of the sociocultural and economic issues encountered in the design profession in contemporary societies.
- Identify the process of critical, strategic, and conceptual thinking that meets local and global visual communication design standards.
Skills
- Determine theories and design thinking strategies including problem identification, research and information gathering, analysis, generation of alternative solutions, and prototyping to solve design problems.
- Demonstrate emotional intelligence through visual communication and team player skills.
- Apply current industry standard technologies in the development and final production of visual communication across a variety of media.
- Create original artwork for creative design solutions.
Values
- Consider ethical standards, social responsibility, and community engagement as visual communicators.
- Practice self-and life-long learning in the visual communication field.
Plan of Study
Year One |
---|
Semester – Fall |
Semester – Spring |
---|
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
COMM 1301 | Communication Skills I | 3 | COMM 1302 | Communication Skills II | 3 |
ICTC 1301 | Information & Communication Technology | 3 | ARAB xxxx | Arabic Studies | 3 |
EMOI 1201 | Emotional Intelligence | 2 | ARTS xxxx | Art & Design | 2 |
HART 1301 | Survey of World Art I | 3 | HART 1302 | Survey of World Art II | 3 |
FDSG 1301 | Fundamentals of Drawing | 3 | FDSG 1303 | Introduction to 3D Design | 3 |
FDSG 1302 | Fundamentals of Design | 3 | FDSG 1304 | Illustration Styles
and Techniques | 3 |
Total Credit Hours |
17 |
Total Credit Hours |
17 |
Year Two |
---|
Semester – Fall |
Semester – Spring |
---|
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
BBBF 1101 | Basic Body & Brain Fitness | 1 | ISLS xxxx | Islamic Studies | 2 |
ARAB xxxx | Arabic Studies | 3 | XXXX xxxx | Required General Ed Electives (HUMN, NASC,SBSC) | 3 |
HART 2301 | Visual Communication Theory | 3 | XXXX xxxx | Free Elective Course | 3 |
VLCD 2302 | Typography I: Latin Typography | 3 | HART 2302 | Modern Visual Communication Theory | 3 |
VLCD 2310 | Introduction to 4D Design | 3 | VLCD 2310 | Typography II: Arabic Typography | 3 |
VLCD 2311 | Introduction to Digital Illustration | 3 | VLCD 2311 | Introduction to Digital Photography | 3 |
Total Credit Hours |
16 |
Total Credit Hours |
17 |
Year Three |
---|
Semester – Fall |
Semester – Spring |
Semester – Summer |
---|
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
ISLS xxxx | Islamic Studies | 3 | ENTR 3301 | Entrepreneurship & Design Thinking | 3 | VLCD 3305 | Internship | 3 |
LOGC 1201 | Logic and Problem Solving | 2 | VLCD 3307 | Web-based Design | 3 |
XXXX xxxx | Required General Ed Electives (HUMN, NASC,SBSC) | 3 | VLCD 3308 | Islamic Design | 3 |
HART 3301 | Research and Writing for the Creative Arts | 3 | GRDS 3601 | Graphic Design Studio II | 6 |
VLCD 3306 | Typography III: Type Design | 3 |
GRDS 3304 | Graphic Design Studio I | 3 |
Total Credit Hours |
17 |
Total Credit Hours |
15 |
Total Credit Hours |
3 |
Year Four |
---|
Semester – Fall |
Semester – Spring |
---|
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
ISLS xxxx | Islamic Studies | 3 | XXXX xxxx | Free Elective | 3 |
XXXX xxxx | School / Program Elective | 3 | XXXX xxxx | School / Program Elective | 3 |
GRDS 4402 | Capstone I: Graphic Design Thesis | 4 | GRDS 4403 | Graphic Design Portfolio | 3 |
GRDS 4501 | Graphic Design
Studio III | 5 | GRDS 4403 | Capstone II: Graphic Design Project | 4 |
Total Credit Hours |
15 |
Total Credit Hours |
13 |
Career Prospects
The program equips students with the necessary skills that qualify them for a variety of career paths/jobs in the market including, but not limited to:
Graphic Design:
- Graphic Designer
- Corporate in-house designer
- Advertising art director
- Advertising artist
- Advertising designer
- Advertising illustrator
- Advertising layout designer
- Biological illustrator
- Brand development designer
- Cartoonist
- Catalog illustrator
- Commercial artist
- Computer animator
- Computer graphics specialist
- Commercial artist
- Computer animator
- Computer graphics specialit
- Digital image artist
- Digital production artist
- Electronic games designer
- Interactive designer
- Packaging designer
- Packaging production artist
- Photo editor
Motion Graphics:
- Motion graphics designer
- Character designer
- Video editor
- 2d animator/2d character animator
- Audio/sound editor
- Visual effect artist
- Stop motion artist
- Documentary filmmaker
- Animation illustrator
- Storyboard artist
- Filmmaker
- Copy writer
- Concept developer
- Compositor
- Production designer
- Scriptwriter
- Interactive multimedia designer
- Website designer
- Application designer
Bachelor of Graphic Design Track Plan of Study
Year Three |
---|
Semester – Fall |
Semester – Spring |
Semester – Summer |
---|
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
ISLS xxxx | Islamic Studies | 3 | ENTR 3301 | Entrepreneurship & Design Thinking | 3 | VLCD 3305 | Internship | 3 |
LOGC 1201 | Logic and Problem Solving | 2 | VLCD 3307 | Web-based Design | 3 |
XXXX xxxx | Required General Ed Electives (HUMN, NASC,SBSC) | 3 | VLCD 3308 | Islamic Design | 3 |
HART 3301 | Research and Writing for the Creative Arts | 3 | GRDS 3601 | Graphic Design Studio II | 6 |
VLCD 3306 | Typography III: Type Design | 3 |
GRDS 3304 | Graphic Design Studio I | 3 |
Total Credit Hours |
17 |
Total Credit Hours |
15 |
Total Credit Hours |
3 |
Year Four |
---|
Semester – Fall |
Semester – Spring |
---|
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
ISLS xxxx | Islamic Studies | 3 | XXXX xxxx | Free Elective | 3 |
XXXX xxxx | School / Program Elective | 3 | XXXX xxxx | School / Program Elective | 3 |
GRDS 4402 | Capstone I: Graphic Design Thesis | 4 | GRDS 4403 | Graphic Design Portfolio | 3 |
GRDS 4501 | Graphic Design
Studio III | 5 | GRDS 4403 | Capstone II: Graphic Design Project | 4 |
Total Credit Hours |
15 |
Total Credit Hours |
13 |
Bachelor of Motion Graphic Design Track Plan of Study
Year Three |
---|
Semester – Fall |
Semester – Spring |
Semester – Summer |
---|
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
ISLS xxxx | Islamic Studies | 3 | ENTR 3301 | Entrepreneurship & Design Thinking | 3 | VLCD 3305 | Internship | 3 |
LOGC 1201 | Logic and Problem Solving | 2 | VLCD 3307 | Web-based Design | 3 |
MOGR 3305 | Drawing for Animation | 3 | VLCD 3308 | Islamic Design | 3 |
HART 3301 | Research and Writing for the Creative Arts | 3 | MOGR 3306
| Motion Graphics Studio II | 6 |
---|
VLCD 3306 | Typography III: Type Design | 3 | xxxx xxxx
| Required General Ed Electives (HUMN, NASC,SBSC)
| 3
|
---|
MOGR 3304 |
Motion Graphics Studio I | 3
|
Total Credit Hours |
17 |
Total Credit Hours |
15 |
Total Credit Hours |
3 |
---|
Year Four |
---|
Semester – Fall |
Semester – Spring |
---|
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
ISLS xxxx | Islamic Studies | 3 | XXXX xxxx | Free Elective | 3 |
XXXX xxxx | School / Program Elective | 3 | XXXX xxxx | School / Program Elective | 3 |
GRDS 4402 | Capstone I: Motion Graphics Thesis
| 4 | GRDS 4403 | Motion Graphic Design Portfolio | 3 |
GRDS 4501 | Motion Graphic Design
Studio III | 5 | GRDS 4403 | Capstone II: Motion Graphic Design Project | 4 |
Total Credit Hours |
15 |
Total Credit Hours |
13 |