Explore the Horizons of Your Creativity with APU’s Design Studies Major
Design is beautiful. Design is everywhere—from the Nike logo to stop signs to the menu you read at In-N-Out Burger. Design happens when you decide what to wear in the morning, and is involved when you choose to use a particular toothbrush. Design is making connections where others do not see them; it involves asking the “what if” questions that motivate creativity, and encompasses complex software systems and simple, everyday items. If you enjoy the challenge of learning, thinking strategically, and expanding ideas using visual communication, APU’s Bachelor of Arts in Design Studies could be for you.
Throughout the program, coursework guides students in developing a wide range of visual communication products including branding and identity, editorial design, vector and digital illustration, and user interface and experience design. Students work on projects that promote humanitarian organizations, confront social issues, and encourage responsible interaction with life’s challenges. Design studies majors leave APU prepared to create design work that communicates effectively and meets client and customer needs.
A design studies minor is also available.
Designers make everything—they make the design on your Starbucks cup, the Google homepage, the tags on your clothes, the covers of your books, the logos of your favorite companies. The field of design is so diverse—there’s a niche for every kind of designer—and the skills I have learned at APU have prepared me to find my niche and excel in whatever field I choose.
Rebecca Romero ’17 recently graduated as a design major. Hear her story about what happened when she followed her passion to switch her major and study art and design.
Is This Major Right for You?
The design studies major may be for you if you:
- Enjoy finding creative solutions to communication problems using technology and conventional media.
- Like to reimagine how people can better engage with a website, software, or application.
- Appreciate exploring the conceptual process necessary for enduring design.
- Find inspiration in researching and creating diverse visual solutions within deadline-oriented environments.
Design Scholarship
A talent-based scholarship program is available to eligible incoming design majors. Learn more about the Design Scholarship.
Note: This information is current for the 2023-24 academic year; however, all stated academic information is subject to change. Please refer to the current Academic Catalog for more information.