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2024-2025

Communication Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts

VCU

Community college:
Uniform Certificate of General Studies (Virginia Community College System)
Virginia Community College System
Associate degree

Uniform Certificate of General Studies (UCGS)

Associate of Fine Arts in Visual Arts (please consult with the VCU Transfer Center for additional course recommendations)
Completing the UCGS or associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.

Program description

Communication Arts is the program of narrative illustration and entertainment design. Students in Communication Arts explore the powerful and timeless relationship between art and narrative through drawing. A Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Arts will help to broaden your artistic skills and conceptual understandings while giving you the opportunity to explore and expand your interests in observational drawing, digital image making, concept design, comics and graphic novels, storyboarding, and mixed-media illustration.

Career opportunities

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Arts helps develop creative, flexible, and multidisciplinary artists who enjoy greater career possibilities in an increasingly competitive global job market. Our career markets span all opportunities involving narrative illustration and entertainment design including 3D modeling, storyboarding and comics, professional illustration, and visual effects.

Bachelor-level job titles
  • 3D Environment/Character Artist
  • Character Designer
  • Comic Book Artist
  • Concept Artist
  • Game Designer
  • Infographics Artist
  • Motion Graphics Artist/Animator
  • Scientific Illustrator
  • Storyboard Artist
  • Visual Effects Artist
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Consultant
  • Director of Communications
  • Editor
  • Public Relations Manager
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Guaranteed transfer admission requirements
  • No guaranteed admission. 
  • Apply for admission during first year at community college. 
  • Review deadlines and portfolio requirements for transfer applicants here.
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
  • Quantitative Foundations requirement only
Science required
  • Natural Sciences requirement only
Foreign language requirements
  • No
Additional tuition/fees
  • Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.0+ cumulative GPA to graduate, 2.0+ major GPA to graduate
VCU Major Maps

View VCU Major Map for Communication Arts with concentration in Scientific Illustration

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2024-2025

Communication Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts

Virginia Community College System (Uniform Certificate of General Studies)

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Schedule an appointment with your community college advisor to map out your course plan.
  • Enroll in the SDV student success course.
  • Prepare a portfolio as part of your application to VCU.
  • Complete your math and english requirements.
  • Explore community college financial aid resources and submit your FAFSA on time.
  • Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
  • Explore the School of the Arts website.
  • Review application deadlines and portfolio requirements for visual arts applicants.
  • Get involved with student clubs and organizations at your community college.
  • Volunteer for community service projects.
  • Register to vote.
  • Research housing options for next year.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on your community college campus and in your community (e.g., international festival).
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
Experience Year 2

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Schedule an appointment with your community college advisor to map out your course plan.
  • Enroll in the SDV student success course.
  • Prepare a portfolio as part of your application to VCU.
  • Complete your math and english requirements.
  • Explore community college financial aid resources and submit your FAFSA on time.
  • Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Explore the School of the Arts website.
  • Review application deadlines and portfolio requirements for visual arts applicants.
  • Get involved with student clubs and organizations at your community college.
  • Volunteer for community service projects.
  • Register to vote.
  • Research housing options for next year.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on your community college campus and in your community (e.g., international festival).
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2024-2025

Communication Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts

Virginia Community College System (Uniform Certificate of General Studies)

Virginia Community College System courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV 100 College Success Skills UNIV 101 1 Elective
ENG 111 College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning (or any other approved MTH course) MATH 131 3 General education
ART 101 History of Art: Prehistoric to Gothic (this course fulfills a requirement for the Art Foundation program at VCU) ARTH 103 3 Major (Art Foundation)
ART 102 History of Art: Renaissance to Modern (this course fulfills a requirement for the Art Foundation program at VCU) ARTH 104 3 Major (Art Foundation)
ART 121 Foundations of Drawing (depending on your portfolio and admission to VCU Arts, this courses will either transfer as an ARTS 1XX elective or as ARTF 131). ARTS 1XX OR ARTF 131 3 Major (Art Foundation)
ART 131 Two-Dimensional Design (depending on your portfolio and admission to VCU Arts, this courses will either transfer as an ARTS 1XX elective or as ARTF 132). ARTS 1XX or ARTF 132 3 Major (Art Foundation)
Social Science Select one of the following (UCGS Block III): ECO 150, ECO 201, ECO 202, GEO 210, GEO 220, PLS 135, PLS 140, PLS 241, PSY 200, SOC 200, SOC 211, SOC 268. VCU equivalent 3 General education
Lab Science Select one of the following (UCGS Block IV): BIO 101, BIO 102, BIO 106, CHM 101, CHM 111, CHM 112, ENV 121, ENV 122, GOL 105, GOL 106, GOL 110, PHY 100, PHY 201, PHY 202, PHY 241, PHY 242. VCU equivalent 4 General education
History Select one of the following (UCGS Block VI): HIS 101, HIS 102, HIS 111, HIS 112, HIS 121, HIS 122. HIST 3 General education
Community college credits transferred to VCU 32
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Art Foundation Program. Students must complete the Art Foundation program at VCU or equivalent courses at another institution to be eligible for admission to the Communication Arts degree.
ARTF 133 Space Research (ART 132 at community college will fulfill this requirement if admitted to VCU Arts) 3 Major (Ancillary)
ARTF 134 Time Studio (ART 130, ART 203, or ART 208 will fulfill this requirement if you are admitted to VCU Arts) 3 Major (Ancillary)
ARTF 139 or ARTF 138 Project Studio or Project Seminar 2 Major (Ancillary)
Communication Arts major requirements
COAR 201 Drawing Studies: The Figure Observed 3 Major
COAR 202 Drawing Studies: The Figure in Context 3 Major
COAR 203 Digital 3D Studio 3 Major
COAR 300 Illustration: Drawing and Painting 3 Major
COAR 320 Concept Drawing 3 Major
COAR 321 Sequential Imaging 3 Major
COAR 352 History of Visual Communications I 3 Major
COAR 353 History of Visual Communications II 3 Major
COAR 464 Senior Portfolio 3 Major
CREA 350 Piloting the Enterprise 3 Major
COAR 210 Visual Studies: Design 3 Major
COAR 211 Fundamentals of Typography 3 Major
COAR 332 or COAR 432 Digital Drawing or 3D Image and Movement 3 Major
COAR upper-division electives 18 Major
Arts upper-division electives 6 Major (Ancillary)
Upper-division electives 7 Major (Ancillary)
Open elective 10 Elective
REAL The REAL requirement may be satisfied by successfully completing a 300-level (or higher) course that has received a REAL attribute of Level 2, 3 or 4 or through an approved “REAL” co-curricular experience that has received a REAL attribute of Level 3 or 4. See VCU advisor for options. 0 Major
Credits completed at VCU 88
Minimum credits required for bachelor's degree 120