Misc
Objectives of the Program of Instruction
The objective of the Design program is to credibly prepare the student for design practice; and secondly, a broader long-term goal is for continued personal and creative growth.
The curriculum of the program introduces the reality of problematic issues that might be encountered in projects the designer might confront daily, yet with a stated focus on process and the multi-disciplinary environment in which design will be practiced for the future. The Design Program of Portfolio Center regards the priority of innovative form in design as essential to any dialogue; however, the paradigm for the program is grounded by the hierarchy that the student will handle strategic analysis and create solutions for the complexity of communications problems which involve system related issues and community-level problems.
This is accomplished in concentration and learning and by emphasizing instruction foremost on professional services, i.e., inclusive of conceptual aspects of design and intellectual processes; and secondly, on traditional mechanics for design education, stressing general skill levels, i.e., intuitive, manual and craft, as a means of communicative reference— and from this giving meaning to issues leading to the opportunity that the designer will become an intermediary between information and understanding.
Employment opportunities are expansive and include creative positions within industry settings such as, corporate design and brand identity firms; corporate communications firms; graphic design firms; information design and media architectural firms; urban planning and conservation firms; packaging design firms; publication design firms; environmental and exhibit design firms; advertising agency/design groups; and corporate identity design firms.
Entrance Requirements for Graphic Design Students
Prospective applicants applying to the Design Program of Portfolio Center must submit any examples of creative work that reflect a personal aesthetic style and dimension. These samples can be visual or literary, and they could include current everyday work. Appropriate submissions include, but are not limited to: graphic designs, ads, drawings, paintings, fiction or poetry, sculpture, photography, architecture, or electronic design. The applicant must submit a written statement of their intent and reason for study. Students are requested to demonstrate creative potential. Relevant prior life/work experience or academic credentials are also considered as criteria for placement within the program. All applicants must have a minimum of a high school diploma/G.E.D.
International and foreign students who do not speak English as a first language must either pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or demonstrate their English language verbal skills in a conversation with an admissions officer.
Inclusive decision option
If in the event the candidate cannot attend a personal visit to the school, the student select can have the same advantage as the candidate who can. You may submit your application and portfolio by delivery to the admissions office. The admissions office will present it to the Department Head. At this time an admission counselor will arrange, in lieu of a personal interview, a telephone conference with the Department Head.
If all applications and materials have been submitted and the interview has occurred, the Admissions Office will notify the student in writing approximately two weeks following of the admissions decisions; and, at that time an Admissions Officer will confirm your reservation.
Students are strongly encouraged to have a college, university, or associate liberal arts degree prior to applying for or enrolling in the Design Program. This is not a prerequisite to acceptance into the Design Program. All applicants must have a minimum of a high school diploma/G.E.D.
Instructional Methods Used in the Graphic Design Program
Portfolio Center provides competencies that are essential to professional success in many ways:
- A professional designer in practice teaches every class.
- Student assignments are realistic as the work takes place in an environment not unlike that of a design firm or design consultancy. This integrates the student immediately into a relationship that will characterize their future professional life. The assignments are often given with the same specifications that the instructor faces on the job.
- Students use the same equipment that is used in the profession. Portfolio Center makes every attempt to teach students with the same materials and equipment that are current in the business.
- Emphasis is placed on presentation of work, and on professional business practices.
- Students are encouraged to join professional organizations that relate to design, such as the American Institute of Graphic Arts (A.I.G.A.). The Type Directors Club, American Center for Design, The Design Management Institute.
- Portfolio Center student work is entered into and awarded in major competitions throughout the profession, and student work is published in major professional periodicals and books.
