Communication Arts
We are a visual culture. As a Communication Arts student earning your BFA, you can draw and paint, make websites and apps focusing on user interface and experience (UX/UI), direct and create videos and motion graphics, develop identity systems and branding, design books and magazines—whatever best expresses your idea.
You’ll choose from one of two areas of emphasis: Graphic Design or Illustration. You can also minor in Advertising Design. Our cross-disciplinary program challenges you to create captivating visual communications across a wide range of media, and prepares students for careers as creative directors; designers of fabric and textile, murals, exhibitions, websites and apps, UX/UI, branding, books, motion graphics, and packaging; creators of merchandise; editorial illustrators; and studio heads.
Graphic design students research and conceive projects that combine images and typography to convey specific ideas. Illustration students develop strong personal style and image-making skills in a variety of media.
We emphasize collaboration between disciplines and media fluency, helping you sharpen your skills and voice through critiques, reviews, and workshops, as well as experiential learning through visiting artists, conventions, field trips, and student exhibitions.
Whichever major you choose, with a BFA in Communication Arts you’ll graduate with the ability to deliver dynamic visual communications for a variety of applications.
Communication Arts offers a broad, cross-disciplinary learning experience for students interested in pursuing Advertising Design, Graphic Design, and Illustration - all disciplines that focus on effective and arresting visual communication.
Graphic Design
Graphic Design challenges students to research, develop, and refine projects that combine meaning with image-making and typographic form.
Illustration
Illustrators develop a strong personal style in their images and use their image-making skills to support the communication needs of a variety of clients in multiple contexts.
Minors
Students in select departments the opportunity to extend and complement their work by pursuing a minor. View all minors
Communication Arts offers a minor in Advertising Design. See Advertising Design Minor for more details.
Meet the People
Kali Nikitas, Chair (Bio)
Tanya Rubbak, Interim Assistant Chair (Bio)
John White, Coordinator - Advertising Design (Bio)
Tucker Neel, Coordinator - Illustration (Bio)
Ana Lorente, Coordinator - Graphic Design (Bio)
Barbara Edison – Department Manager
Contact the Department
Phone: (310) 665-6843
Graphic Design

Graphic Design challenges students to research, develop, and refine projects that combine meaning with image-making and typographic form.
Illustration

Illustrators develop a strong personal style in their images and use their image-making skills to support the communication needs of a variety of clients in multiple contexts.
Student Work

Click here for the department's tumblr page or check out the Graphic Design and Illustration pages to see emphasis-specific work.
Visiting Artists and Designers

We invite celebrated artists in the fields of graphic design and illustration to share their experience and projects with our students, like alumnus Davis Ngarupe of Actual Source pictured here.
Faculty

Communication Arts faculty are leaders in their chosen field, find out more about their work here.
Contact

Have a question about the program? Contact us.