Visual Design and Multimedia (Associate)

Visual Design and Multimedia Training in 2 Years*

The Associate of Science degree in Visual Design and Multimedia prepares students for a multi-faceted career in visual design, including graphic design, visual development, video game development, feature film animation, and visual effects creation. The goal of the program is to help students develop the creative and technical skills essential to pursuing a successful career as an artist, designer, generalist capable of working in a multitude of design industries.

Students will be given the opportunity to acquire fundamental and advanced techniques used throughout visual design industries by conducting research, practical application, and self-development. Students will use industry standard software to explore different techniques used to conceptualize, develop and produce digital works of art used to visual communicate purpose, intent and function

3D modeling

Texturing

Rigging

Animating

Rendering digital works of art

...and much more!

*Program length when completed in normal time

Visual Design and Multimedia Courses

The goal of this Associate Degree program is to help students develop the creative and technical skills essential to pursuing a successful career in the computer animation industry. Students will be given the opportunity to acquire fundamental and advanced techniques used throughout the computer animation industry by conducting research, practical application, and self-development.

Students in this course are exposed to basic issues in starting a business. Topics may include capitalization, staffing, subcontracting, permits, facilities, and basic business planning. The course offers students practical exercises to begin strategic development of a business and offers practical problems and issues in the startup phase of building a successful organization.
Credits: 5

This course prepares students to develop and implement project plans when working to complete assigned projects. Topics in this course may include defining project goals and objectives, specifying tasks or how goals will be achieved, establishing needed resources for project completion, and associating budgets and completion timelines. Students study the major phases of project management including project feasibility, planning, implementation, evaluation, and support. Project management software will be used by students to gain an understanding of how to best organize and delegate their project. Students gain an understanding of how to manage projects and how these skills may be applied to an individual project or a group project.
Credits: 5

This course serves as an introduction to the necessary core skills needed to be successful at an academic, professional and personal level. Students will identify core skills, values and interest to assist in their path to success. Topics covered in this course may include time management, effective study skills, written and oral communication, improving critical thinking to enhance problem-solving skills. Other topics may include job search techniques and job etiquette, and on-the-job behavior. Students will work towards building their professional development through various assignments and topics throughout the course. Students will explore Laurus College resources for success inside and outside the classroom.
Credits: 5

This course introduces design theory and practices used in visual design and communication. Topics focus around developing the fundamental knowledge of design elements and design principles and their application in visual communication. These design fundamentals are universal across all forms of visual design; allowing their use in a verity of industries to aid in visual design solutions.
Credits: 5

This course expands on design theory and practices used in visual design covered in previous courses while introducing additional design components. Topics focus on developing knowledge of; design elements, design principles, gestalt principles, color theory, typography, and conceptualization. Project throughout the course will guide students on utilizing a verity of design components through practical application of 2D and 3D design solutions.
Credits: 5

This intensive course introduces students to the Maya software and will cover the basics of 2D and 3D animation, and how Maya software is used to create animation in video games. This course familiarizes students with the menus, panels, and tools they will use in the Maya software. Students grasp the basic concepts of Maya and will use knowledge gained in this course as the foundation for future courses in this program.
Credits: 5

This course will introduce students to the world of drawing and design within a digital work environment. The course focuses on foundation skills found in traditional drawing and painting as well as digital image creation techniques used throughout the design process today. Topics covered in the course may be found in multiple art disciplines giving students a wide range of skills also an understating of techniques used to create some of the world’s greatest art pieces.
Credits: 5

This course will take students through the process of understanding how light works to create color. In this class students may uncover the science behind color and how light allows us to see color. This course may cover topics on color spectrum, the behavior of light as it is reflected, refracted and absorbed, value, hue, saturation, color harmony, and contrast.
Credits: 5

This course will take students through each step of modeling a character from head to toe, from the first polygon to the final hair. Students study creating and modifying curves, and the principles behind creating curves and surfaces. Students study the differences in character modeling and hard surface modeling, as well as the tools used in Maya for creating each technique and effect. Students examine creating an organic model using curves and surface tools. Students work with modifying tools such as rebuilding curve/surface; attach/detach curves and surfaces, project tangent, and free form fillet. Students also study the various polygon tools available in Maya and how they are used in modeling and creation. Students will also sample the Paint Effects tool in Maya to create and modify textures used in character modeling.
Credits: 5

In this class students will look at Animation software and learn basic concept of animation. Students will learn how to plan, create, and refine animations. Furthermore, students will also learn about the history of animation.
Credits: 5

In this class we will look at Motion Graphics tools and the Motion Graphics Industry. Students will learn how to create eye-catching motion graphics projects.
Credits: 5

This course further expands the student’s proficiency with the Maya software as they examine the tools and techniques for rendering using this program. Students in this course learn to produce realistic environments and images through use of various shading, camera, lighting, and layering techniques. Students explore how various objects, materials, and environments are affected by lighting, textures, and shadows. This course includes how to use the rendering tool of Ray tracing to produce realistic reflections and refractions and how to integrate 2D and 3D images to create innovative environments and scenes. Providing students with the skills to optimize rendering quality and to troubleshoot common rendering problems is the focus of this class.
Credits: 5

This course teaches students how to develop skeletal and muscular controls for animated 2D and 3D characters. Students examine primary and secondary motion for animated characters, as well as how to apply various motions to a created figure. Students explore ways to create realistic figures, as well as fantasy based characters with outrageous proportions and features such as wings and multiple appendages. This course demonstrates to students the techniques involved in modeling, detailing, optimizing, texturing, rigging, binding, and animating characters using Maya. This course takes students through the process of designing, modeling, and setting up animation controls for complex 3D characters. Students study how a character’s skin and joints move through various motions.
Credits: 5

This course will take students through the fundamentals of Zbrush. From building a basic mesh in Maya and exporting the mesh into Zbrush for final detail work. The class may be covering topics on interface layout, digital sculpture, texturing in Zbrush, and exporting normal maps, and displacement maps back into Maya.
Credits: 5

English provides students with the basic rhetorical foundations to prepare them for the demands of academic and professional writing. Students in this course will learn and practice the strategies and processes that successful writers employ when communicating information. These strategies include reading analytically and strategically, improving reading comprehension, writing persuasively, writing for investigative purposes, problem-resolution, evaluation, explanation, and refutation.
Credits: 5

English provides students with the basic research foundations and skills to prepare them for the demands of academic and professional writing. Students in this course will learn and practice the strategies and processes that successful writers employ when researching topics and information to prepare reports and arguments. The course will culminate with a written research paper and the presentation of the student’s research for peer response.
Credits: 5

This course introduces tools used by sociologists to explore and understand society. Social relationships, social structures and processes are explored.
Credits: 5

Psychology is the science of behavior and mental processes. In this class, students will dive into what makes themselves and others behave the way they do. Topics covered in this class include Neuroscience, Sensation and Perception, Learning, Memory, Thinking and Intelligence, Developmental Psychology, Personality Theories and Assessment, Social Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and Workplace Psychology. This class will be focused more on behavior as it pertains to the workplace rather than the clinical side of Psychology.
Credits: 5

This course provides students with a conceptual understanding of algebra by using problem solving applications in context to real-world application. Students will integrate meaningful applications with relevant data, graphs, tables, charts, colors, and diagrams.
Credits: 5

This course introduces students to the World Wide Web. Students examine the history of the web and how its development has shaped the ways people do business and advertise. Students gain an understanding for the complexity of the web and how servers, users, and databases all work, search, access information, and download simultaneously. Topics in this course may include the basics of HTTP, FTP, HTML language and tags, coding styles, links, image placement, and image maps. Students learn the importance of web page appearance and navigation. Students are introduced to the basics of initial web page planning and production, and learn key terminology applied to web page creation and implementation.
Credits: 5

* General Education Course

Career Opportunities

The Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system is used by Federal statistical agencies to classify workers into occupational categories for the purpose of collecting, calculating, or disseminating data. The Visual Design and Multimedia, Associate of Science Degree (A.S.) program offered at Laurus College can help prepare graduates for a variety of careers that include, but are not limited to the list of careers that may be listed under the following SOC codes (for more information on a particular SOC code, visit www.onetonline.org).

With so many professional opportunities available to people with the right qualifications, Laurus can prepare you for a career that will take you to that next level in life.

Here's How You'll Grow with Us

As part of the curriculum, students will have the opportunity to develop skills in:

Illustration
Concept Art Creation
Color Theory
Polygon Modeling
Digital Sculpting
Texture Painting
Lighting
Animation
Animation Rig Development
Rendering
Compositing
Developing Scripts
Modifying 3D Scan Data
Working with Game Engines

Students will use industry standard software to explore different techniques used to model, texture, rig, animate, and render digital works of art.

Students will be expected to develop a portfolio that can be used to seek employment within the computer animation industry.

Learning Goals

Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills; communicate concisely, professionally, and accurately in various professional modes, including emails and presentations.

Conceptualize, develop and publish acute design strategies that exhibit purpose, intent and function for a variety of design problems in, but not limited to graphic design, illustration, film, and or video games.

Demonstrate proficiency in the use of software, tools and technology used to create visual content for graphic design, Illustration, film, and video games.

Analyze professional standards and practices, found within a multitude of industries centric around visual communication.

Explain the design and development process.

Use critical thinking skills to conceptualize, develop and produce digital works of art used to visual communicate purpose, intent and function.

Create a professional portfolio of work that demonstrates evidence of the skills, knowledge, and abilities to begin a computer graphics career or transfer to a four-year program for additional study.

Program Information

Program Length

The Visual Design and Multimedia, Associate of Science Degree (A.S.) program is 100 quarter credits and can be completed in two (2) years if the student attends all terms consecutively.

Instructional Methods

The Visual Design and Multimedia, Associate of Science Degree (A.S.) program is practical application and involves intense online interactive learning. All classes are lecture based with learning activities and practical application laboratory for students to enhance their skills and abilities. Interactive virtual classrooms are part of the instructional process at Laurus College. Instruction may be supplemented with guest speakers in class.

Communication and Critical Thinking Skills

Students in the Visual Design and Multimedia, Associate of Science Degree (A.S.) program complete challenging projects and assignments by using creative problem solving skills. Students communicate ideas through written and oral presentations in various courses throughout the program.

Completion Requirements

Students wishing to obtain the Visual Design and Multimedia, Associate of Science Degree (A.S.) from Laurus College need to meet all program completion requirements. Students must have completed a minimum of 100 quarter credits, and be in good academic standing with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better to be eligible for the Visual Design and Multimedia, Associate of Science Degree (A.S.).

Visual Design and Multimedia

Get Started Today

Visual Design and Multimedia Training in 2 Years*

Visual Design and Multimedia Courses

Where You Could Be After Completing This Program

Career Opportunities

Meet the Visual Design and Multimedia Faculty

Al Williams

Chris Koehler

Conrad Garcia

Is a Rewarding Career as a Digital Artist Right for You?

Here's How You'll Grow with Us

Is a Career in Digital Arts Right for You? Find Out!

Learning Goals

Book a Tour

Program Information

Program Length

Instructional Methods

Communication and Critical Thinking Skills

Completion Requirements

Our Programs

Why Choose Laurus?

Important Links

Visual Design and Multimedia (Associate)

Visual Design and Multimedia

Get Started Today

Visual Design and Multimedia Training in 2 Years*

Visual Design and Multimedia Courses

Where You Could Be After Completing This Program

Career Opportunities

Meet the Visual Design and Multimedia Faculty

Al Williams

Chris Koehler

Conrad Garcia

Is a Rewarding Career as a Digital Artist Right for You?

Here's How You'll Grow with Us

Is a Career in Digital Arts Right for You? Find Out!

Learning Goals

Book a Tour

Program Information

Program Length

Instructional Methods

Communication and Critical Thinking Skills

Completion Requirements

More Information

Our Programs

Why Choose Laurus?

Important Links

Social Media Links