The Visual Communications Program offers students a diversified, creative business background in visual presentation, exhibit/trade show design, retail and event marketing, and store planning, with an emphasis on the fashion and entertainment industries. Students benefit from exposure to practical and theoretical visual merchandising techniques. Courses include presentation design, color theory, concept visualization, trend forecasting, and computer graphics.
What Our Students Learn In our program, students learn the creative and technical skills to create visual displays and elements for a variety of projects.
Why FIDM Students work on real-world projects with industry professionals from companies like Saks Fifth Avenue, Global Shop, PAVE/Planning, Visual Education Partnership, Giorgio Armani, Bloomingdale's, Gucci, and Anthropologie, and have partnered with FIDM to create internships for students in the program.
Students leave the program proficient not only in their hard skills like quick sketching, InDesign, SketchUp, and Photoshop, but also confident in soft skills like collaboration and negotiation. They develop a full understanding of attention to detail, problem solving, and what goes on in the world of art and culture and how it applies to their work.
REQUIRED CLASSES FOR ASSOCIATE OF ARTS (A.A.) (for students without a prior college degree)
GNST 1040 English Composition
GNST 1230 Color & Design Theory
GNST 1450 College Mathematics
GNST 1600 Effective Speaking
GNST 1650 Critical Thinking
GNST 2020 Survey of Western Art I
GNST 2420 Survey of Western Art II
GNST 2750 Seminar in the Arts
GNST 2960 American Political & Economic History
MMKT 1550 Marketing & Brand Development
SMED 1100 Introduction to Social Media
VCOM 1250 Survey of Visual Communications
VCOM 1350 Ideation Sketching
VCOM 1480 Perspective Sketching
VCOM 1850 Trends: Past, Present & Future
VCOM 2020 Layout & Design
VCOM 2130 Mobile Photography
VCOM 2180 Computer Rendering
VCOM 2220 Materials & Props (6 hours)*
VCOM 2350 Computer Graphics
VCOM 2380 Advanced Digital Imaging
VCOM 2460 Design Installation (6 hours)*
VCOM 2510 E-Commerce & Visual Merchandising
VCOM 2640 Public Relations for Entertainment & Fashion
VCOM 2730 Merchandising in the Corporate Environment
VCOM 2760 Lighting Techniques for Visual Communications
VCOM 2780 Portfolio Preparation & Presentation
VCOM 2810 Experiential Techniques in the Visual World
VCOM 2820 Fashion Styling & Coordination
VCOM 2840 Entrepreneurship for Visual Presentation
Total Units of Credit 90
REQUIRED CLASSES FOR PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATION (A.A.) (for students with a prior college degree)
GNST 1230 Color & Design Theory
GRPH 2780 Introduction to Digital Photography
SMED 1100 Introduction to Social Media
VCOM 1250 Survey of Visual Communications
VCOM 1350 Ideation Sketching
VCOM 1480 Perspective Sketching
VCOM 1550 Critical Concepts for Visual Communications
VCOM 1850 Trends: Past, Present & Future
VCOM 1900 Drafting Techniques for Visual Presentation
VCOM 2020 Layout & Design
COM 2180 Computer Rendering
VCOM 2220 Materials & Props (6 hours)*
VCOM 2350 Computer Graphics
VCOM 2380 Advanced Digital Imaging
VCOM 2460 Design Installation (6 hours)*
VCOM 2510 E-Commerce & Visual Merchandising
VCOM 2640 Public Relations for Entertainment & Fashion
VCOM 2780 Portfolio Preparation & Presentation
VCOM 2820 Fashion Styling & Coordination
VCOM 2840 Entrepreneurship for Visual Presentation
Total Units of Credit 60
*Three (3)-hour lab included in 6 hours
For important information about the completion rate, educational debt, and earnings of students who attended this program, go to fidm.edu/go/ge/vc.
[left] design: retail magazine and Saks Fifth Avenue Window Design Challenge; Class: Design Installation [top right] Students participating in the 99¢ Store Challenge [middle] Precise craftsmanship is needed when making scale models; Class: Materials & Props [bottom left] Students working with paint and markers; Class: Perspective Sketching [bottom right] Building and construction is part of the curriculum
