Specs Howard School:
Graphic Design Program Curriculum

ONLINE & ON-CAMPUS: The Best of Both Worlds

The program is one year in length and only meets twice a week. The rest is online! You will spend two days a week on the Specs Howard campus in our fully-equipped Mac® lab. The rest of your time "in class" may be spent anywhere — from the comfort of your home, at the corner coffee shop, or anywhere that offers a high-speed internet connection. The online portion of the program is designed to be taken at your convenience, so if you're a night owl you can be "in class" at 3:00 AM as easily as 3:00 PM. It's your choice!

Weeks 1-8

• Introduction to Adobe Illustrator
  
• Fundamentals of Graphic Design
  
• Typography

Weeks 9-16

• Introduction to Adobe InDesign
  
• Information Presentation
  
• History of Western Art
  
• Career Perspectives: Career in Art & Graphic Design

Weeks 17-24

• Introduction to Adobe Photoshop
  
• Digital Photography for Designers
  
• Perceiving, Understanding & Using Color
  
• Branding & Identity

Weeks 25-32

• Introduction to Dreamweaver/CSS
  
• Introduction to Flash
  
• Package Design

Weeks 33-40

• Intermediate Dreamweaver
  
• Web Page Design with Flash & Dreamweaver
  
• Motion Graphics/Adobe After Effects

Weeks 40-48

• Introduction to Compositing
  
• Portfolio Design
  
• The World of Freelance
  
• Career Perspectives: Portfolio Design

GRADUATION

When you graduate from the Graphic Design Program you will receive a diploma and full access to our placement assistance services. The portfolio you create for class will be used in conjunction with your resume to find employment in the graphic design field.

Upon graduation, you will be prepared to pursue any number of entry-level positions in the graphic/web design industry. Read on to learn more of the career choices available to our graduates. And don’t forget to sign up and stay connected with Specs Howard so you’re always the first to know what’s happening!

Click here to read about our faculty >>