Graphic Design

Graphic Design

A.S. Degree

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Graphic Design

Visual appearance greatly impacts our perceptions of companies, organizations, and products. Graphic designers are responsible for creating strong visual communication using imagery and typography, be it through a corporate logo, a company website, a game app, or a candy's colorful wrapper. The field changes rapidly with the expanding use of technology in design, giving graphic designers an exciting array of challenges. 

Our program responds to the demands and realities of the professional graphic design field. Our courses offer real-world opportunities for students to build their resumes through project-based learning courses that focus on published projects and internships. You will be exposed to a variety of media in courses that utilize both traditional hands-on and digital methods to produce work. Students will have the opportunity to explore cutting edge technology in our digital labs and build unique and sought after skill sets and portfolios. All students are also encouraged to submit writing and art work to the Kelab Art and Literary Journal, a collaborative effort of the Creative Writing, Graphic Design, Photography and New Media programs.

Degree Requirements

Careers on Career Coach

The A.S. degree prepares you for a career in a design studio, creative agency, or an organization’s communications/marketing department. Responsibilities include creating visual materials such as brochures, magazines, advertisements, and electronic publications. Our students have found meaningful employment at a variety of organizations, including Cornell University, Industrial Color Labs, Marietta Corporation, Metrodesign Associates, Porous Materials, Inc., Sciencenter, Ithaca, NY, The Thomas Group, Communique Design & Marketing Inc., and Vision Art Photo. Learn more about related jobs: 

Program Chair

Christine Shanks

Christine Shanks

Associate Professor, Graphic Design

I am an image maker, designer, and educator. I feel at home on the computer and working by hand in the studio. I have experience in fine art and commercial work. Some of my specialties are design (web, interactive, and print), motion graphics, printmaking (utilizing both traditional and digital processes), and photography (alternative processes, digital, and film). 

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Transfer Options

Graduates have transferred to many four-year colleges and universities including:

  • Binghamton University
  • SUNY College at Cortland
  • East Stroudsburg University
  • Fashion Institute of Technology
  • Hartwick College
  • Ithaca College
  • SUNY New Paltz
  • SUNY College at Oswego
  • Pratt Institute
  • Rochester Institute of Technology
  • The College of St. Rose
  • Syracuse University

 

Student Showcase

  • Grad of Note - Anna Gallegos

    Anna Gallegos

    Why did you choose to attend Tompkins Cortland?

    I live locally, and in high school I attended Digital Media at TST BOCES. My brother (Benjamin Gallegos) had been through the same program and had gone from BOCES to Tompkins Cortland to RIT. He learned so much at TC, and it really pointed him in the positive direction he's headed. A Tompkins Cortland recruiter came to our Digital Media class and I jumped at the opportunity. Tompkins Cortland gave me a great foundation in my field, and I was able to experience my field before spending a neck-breaking amount of money on education. 


    Who at TC3 had the greatest positive impact on your experience?

    Hands down Christine Shanks, although I had other wonderful professors along the way. She not only showed us how to use programs and how to design effectively, but she is so dedicated to the success of her students. She helped along the way with feedback and guidance that helped point me in the direction that I want to go in life. I now have a love for design that I didn't know about before attending TC. 


    What were your extracurricular involvements at and how did they contribute to your college experience/future aspirations?

    I spent time in Outdoor Adventure Club and then in Phi Theta Kappa. It wasn't a club but an extracurricular activity I often participated in – designing and creating art in Room 141 with my friends. That was a huge contribution to my learning as I spent time learning with people I enjoyed being around, and they had other approaches to projects that I hadn't even considered. I've spent many hours in Room 141 after class, before class, and on the weekends. It was my safe haven.


    What are your next steps after graduation and how did the College prepare you for that?

    I was going to transfer to a four-year college in the Spring of 2021 after a small break, but due to the pandemic my plans have changed. I plan to attempt to get an internship through Iron Design, or a job through Tompkins Workforce. I plan to work through the summer and through next year until everything settles. Christine Shanks helped me develop my professional brand, and I now have a website, a PDF portfolio, a business card, a letter head, and a resume all designed under my own brand, Nuthatch Creative. I also now have experience working in a job-like setting with my designer peers as I'm the Student Creative Director of the Ke'lab Magazine. I also have experience through the many projects I've completed, and I've sharpened my Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign techniques. This helped me put together a portfolio, which in a creative field is what often gets you interviews.