Enterprise News Story

Enterprise News Story:  Fresno State to Offer B.F.A. in Graphic Design
By Sean Prettyman

California State University, Fresno, is known for many of its academic departments, but starting in the fall of 2009, it may be known mainly for its department of Arts and Humanities.  Fresno State will then start offering a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic, which has been over six years in the making.  The B.F.A. is the beginning of an expansion of the Arts and Humanities department, and probably also of career opportunities for many students in the graphic design program.
The B.F.A. in graphic design will differ from the current bachelor’s degree that is offered as an option in the art major.  Now, the graphic design major is a wide-focused program, which is structured towards general studies.  The B.F.A. courses will allow for a more focused and narrow field of study for design students who want a more specific path of graphic design.
Professor Doug Hansen, one of the instructors who has led the push for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, said, “The BFA will allow a more precise focus on the three tracks of graphic design: graphic design, illustration, and interactive media.  Students will have the option to choose the area of graphic design that appeals to them and work toward a more focused degree.”
“Graphic design seems like it is a more popular option in the Arts and Humanities department,” said Sara Gong, a Fresno State senior who is majoring in art history. “The College of Arts and Humanities seems like they want to accommodate students.  The school seems open-minded about providing more opportunities.”
“It mainly took so long to get approval due to all the levels we had to get approval from in the process.  There was even a period last summer where, due to the California budget crisis, the program was put on hold for another year,” said Hansen.  “It was a really challenging process for us to go through.”
“The graphic design option has grown from about 90 majors in 1998 to about 235 majors in 2008.”  The recent surge of students in the graphic design program was one of the leading factors in expanding the curriculum.  Another reason was the demand for highly educated graphic design majors in the job market.  “While the department faculty were researching the process of submitting for the BFA, we asked around to see how much weight employers gave to people who had varying education levels,” Hansen said.  “We found across the board that students who had earned a B.F.A. were more likely to be strongly considered.”
While plans are to implement the new courses and program in fall 2009, it will be some time before the entire program will be available. “There will be a transition period while we begin to offer classes,” explained Hansen.  “Classes will most likely be offered once per year, with alternating courses each semester to accommodate the small faculty in the art department.”
The program will not be available to all students either.  A student must first submit a portfolio of their best work to be analyzed by the instructors.  If students do not meet the requirements, then they will be allowed to continue through the Bachelor of Arts graphic design option.
“It seems fair that graphic design would receive this new degree if there is more demand for it,” said Sara Gong. Come fall of next year, we may see the beginning of a larger Arts and Humanities department, which will gain a reputation as one of the leading programs in California in graphic design.  At least that is the hope of its faculty and students.  As Sara Gong said “It’s unfair that the business school is so huge and art is not.  Everybody deserves an equal education.”