Peace College
Graphic Design students Peace College gain the art and technology skills needed for effective communication in the graphic design industry. Peace's location in the Research Triangle affords its students the opportunity to take part in an active art and design community. While taking foundations courses, students frequent the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, the Nasher Museum of Contemporary Art in Durham, various smaller galleries, and internationally-renowned exhibitions and have the chance to speak with designers and artists invited by the college. The core classes that make up the foundations curriculum provide students with the skills they need to become problem solvers. A comprehensive liberal arts program complements the design coursework so that students have a well-round perspective of the local, national and international issues that will influence their work.
Graphic Design majors become versed in using words, images and sound to create effective digital and print products like CD packaging, animation, web sites, brochures, books, magazines and corporate identities. Collaboration is a key part of being a successful designer, and to that end, Peace students have ample opportunities to work with clients on campus and in the Raleigh community. In upper-level courses, clients visit classrooms to talk about their needs for a project, thus enabling students to design for the industry. Seniors produce a professional portfolio while completing internships in nearby ad agencies, design firms, corporations and nonprofits. The design professors are industry professionals who bring practical experience into the classroom.
Peace College graphic design students utilize PowerMac workstations and the latest design software in the new graphic design lab. Software includes: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Director, Shockwave, GoLive, Dreamweaver, ImageReady, and SoundEdit. Additionally, Peace is one of only three North Carolina institutions with a student chapter of AIGA (the American Institute of Graphic Arts). This affiliation helps students meet designers and build professional networks.
