The goal of the Visual Communication program at AUD is to train students to be an integral part of the 21st century communication field, not only with practical skills and ability to do the actual production, but also with the conceptual skills to enable them to function and grow into innovative leaders in the Gulf Region and beyond. Achieving this goal requires a commitment to both academic excellence and advanced technology.
The Visual Communication program at AUD is designed to provide students with a comprehensive knowledge of visual expression as a means of communicating information. Students pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication have the option of concentrating in advertising, graphic design, illustration or photography. In the first year of study, the focus is on establishing the student′s visual vocabulary. This learning is achieved through a solid foundation course sequence that includes basic courses in drawing, color theory, and visual languages. The approach taken in these courses is divided between the practical, to develop the mechanical skills, and the philosophical to develop the intellectual skills. To complete the foundation component, the second year of study takes students through courses that expose them to the four areas of visual communication in our program: advertising, graphic design, illustration, and photography. During this foundation period, the focus is on the development of conceptual skills as opposed to technical skills.



In the third and fourth years, students embark on more specific course work to define their areas of concentration. It is at this stage where technology becomes the important means to execute and expand the strong analytical and conceptual skills already established. Practical applications assist students in fully understanding the theory and how it relates to real-world experiences. As the students progress through the curriculum, the projects become more complex and comprehensive. Industry professionals are brought in during the term to critique student projects and evaluate them on the professional standards they will face upon graduation.



Throughout the curriculum, a duality exists between the development of conceptual design problem skills and the mastery of technical information to facilitate the most effective message. To augment their course work, students have the opportunity to participate in our internship program. The internship program offers the experience of working with an existing design-related business while earning credit toward their degree.