Department of Design
The Department of Design administers the Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Graphic Design and Interior Design, the Bachelor of Science degree in Design Studies, and a minor in Architectural Lighting Design.
A minimum of 81 semester hours is required for the BFA in graphic design; a minimum of 48 semester hours is required for the BS in design studies; a minimum of 81 semester hours is required for the BFA in architectural interior design; and a minimum of 18 semester hours is required for the architectural lighting design minor. Please see individual program pages for degree requirements:
Minimum Grade Requirement
All courses taken in the major or minor sequences must be passed with a "C" or better to fulfill graduation requirements. The Department of Design requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 at all times.
Departmental Requirements
A minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA in the major is a prerequisite to upper-division departmental courses. After entrance into upper-division courses, a minimum 2.5 GPA must be maintained to advance.
All students planning to pursue a major in this department start as either graphic design pre-majors (GDPM) or interior design pre-majors (IDPM). This status may only be changed to the major following qualification by portfolio examination.
Incoming students (including transfer students) must have declared the pre-major before orientation. It will not be available at orientation.
The optional admission portfolio is strongly recommended for Graphic Design Pre-Majors. Instructions can be found online at: https://finearts.tcu.edu/design.
The Qualifying Examination is conducted during the first-year sequence as outlined under each degree plan for the BFA in graphic design, the BS in design studies and the BFA in architectural interior design. Following qualification, the student will be invited to declare the major for which they qualified based upon the results of the Qualifying Examination and the Department’s resources.
This Qualifying Examination is a holistic assessment of the individual student’s aptitude for success in the department’s rigorous academic programs and in preparation for very competitive career paths. While every effort is made to be fair, above-average course grades do not necessarily predict success in the Qualifying Examination.