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GDSN Home | Courses Offered | Faculty | Student Work
Degrees & Certificates | Employment | Events & Projects
Click here for a downloadable PDF
for more info on this exciting Graphic Design program!
Have you declared your major?
Do you need to change your major?
How about majoring in graphic design?
It’s never been easier!
Fill out the Change of Major PDF form
Use the Major Program code: GDSN-S to become a graphic design major!
This form needs to be filled out and downloaded, then emailed to Admissions and Records
at admissions@riohondo.edu from your Rio Hondo email address.
If you do not submit your petition through your Rio Hondo email,
you are required to send a snapshot of a photo ID along with your request for it to be processed.
Declare your major today!
Note: Some graphic design majors are being advised to transfer as a Studio Art major with an AAT.
While this may be the best option for some students, it is NOT the best option for most students as
it does not guarantee a specific campus or major. Studio Art transfers may have to take
additional studio art classes before they can change their majors at the transfer institution. This
may lengthen the time it takes to earn your undergraduate degree and may incur extra costs.
We advise ALL transfer students to speak with multiple counselors and faculty at Rio Hondo, and
the targeted transfer institutions to develop the best strategy that fits their unique circumstances.
Don’t just follow the advice of a single person.
Get all the necessary information and make an informed choice.
Rio Hondo College
Graduation Information Page
(Click here to start your Graduation Petition!)
You MUST ALSO fill this out to earn a Certificate and/or a Degree!
Please contact a counselor for help if needed!
Fall: First Friday in November
Spring: First Friday in April
Summer: Third Friday in July
PDF instructions showing how to apply
for the following Degrees & Certificates!
Degrees | Certificates of Achievement
ASSOCIATE OF SCIENCE DEGREE in
GRAPHIC DESIGN
This degree is a broad comprehensive series of Graphic Design courses
and related programs in the Arts Division.
Acquiring this degree is a great achievement!
It will assist in transferring to a four-year university
and/or in gaining employment in Graphic Design and related fields.
Click the Employment link to see how many jobs a Graphic Designer can have!
As we have been busy building and refining our program, we’ve updated
our AS Degree to reflect these changes which is why you may see different versions.
Note: We have been updating this degree as we have added courses to the program.
If you began here at Rio Hondo during these updates, you are eligible to apply for this
degree as it originally appeared in the College Catalog during the update period.
See a counselor for all information pertaining to the recent AS Degree versions.
Course requirement-substitution may be made
for students wishing to obtain the AS Graphic Design degree.
Please consult with Professor Gardos in S302 for details
agardos@riohondo.edu
Course requirement-substitution may be made
for students wishing to obtain the AS Graphic Design degree.
Please consult with Professor Gardos in S302 for details
agardos@riohondo.edu
ASSOCIATE OF ART DEGREE in
GRAPHIC ART and DESIGN
Designed for students interested in visual arts and graphic design.
This degree combines traditional visual art topics with
practical graphic design skills.
Acquiring this degree is a great achievement!
It will assist in transferring to a four-year university
and/or in gaining employment in Graphic Design and related fields.
Click the Employment link to see how many jobs a Graphic Designer can have!
| AA: Graphic Art and Design (Spring 2019) |
||
|---|---|---|
| Course No. | Course Title | Units |
| ART 106 or ART 106H |
Survey of Western Art: Renaissance to Contemporary | 3 |
| ART 120 | Two-Dimensional Design | 3 |
| ART 124 | Color Theory | 3 |
| PHTO 185 | Introduction to Digital Photography | 3 |
| GDSN 110 | History of Graphic Design | 3 |
| GDSN 150 | Typography | 3 |
| GDSN 162 | Introduction to Web Design | 3 |
| GDSN 164 | Digital Illustration Design | 3 |
| GDSN 178 | Digital Imaging Design | 3 |
| Total Units: | 21 | |
Course requirement-substitution may be made
for students wishing to obtain the AS Graphic Design degree.
Please consult with Professor Gardos in S302 for details
agardos@riohondo.edu
As of Fall 2016, course prefix changes are as follows:
ART 164 class is now GDSN 164 | ART 165 class is now GDSN 165 | ART 178 class is now GDSN 178*
*For ART 164 students, You may need a PreReq Waiver Form to enroll in GDSN 165
*For ART 178 students, You may need a PreReq Waiver Form to enroll in GDSN 179
The GDSN prefix courses will count the same as the previous ART prefix courses towards the degree.
CERTIFICATES OF ACHIEVEMENT
Click here for a PDF!
Start taking the courses below and they will count towards earning the certificates.
These “bite-sized” certificates share courses and are easy to earn.
They are a good way to show employers your expertise & experience.
The certificates also build toward the Graphic Design AS Degree
Collect them all!
Course requirement-substitution may be made
for students wishing to obtain any of the
above 12-unit the Graphic Design COAs.
Please consult with Professor Gardos in S302 for details
agardos@riohondo.edu
| COA: Graphic Design: Branding & Identity Design |
||
|---|---|---|
| Course No. | Course Title | Units |
| GDSN 164 | Digital Illustration | 3 |
| GDSN 165 | Branding & Identity Design | 3 |
| GDSN 162 | Introduction to Web Design | 3 |
| GDSN 150 | Typography | 3 |
| Total Units: | 12 | |
| COA: Graphic Design: Web Design |
||
|---|---|---|
| Course No. | Course Title | Units |
| GDSN 162 | Introduction to Web Design | 3 |
| GDSN 163 | Web Design: Interactive Design | 3 |
| GDSN 178 | Digital Imaging | 3 |
| GDSN 150 | Typography | 3 |
| Total Units: | 12 | |
| COA: Graphic Design: Advertising Design |
||
|---|---|---|
| Course No. | Course Title | Units |
| GDSN 178 | Digital Imaging | 3 |
| GDSN 179 | Adv. Digital Imaging | 3 |
| GDSN 164 | Digital Illustration | 3 |
| GDSN 150 | Typography | 3 |
| Total Units: | 12 | |
| COA: Graphic Design: Publication Design |
||
|---|---|---|
| Course No. | Course Title | Units |
| GDSN 164 | Digital Illustration | 3 |
| GDSN 172 | Publication Design | 3 |
| GDSN 150 | Typography | 3 |
| GDSN 151 | Typographic Design | 3 |
| Total Units: | 12 | |
| COA: Graphic Design: (Spring 2019) Packaging Design |
||
|---|---|---|
| Course No. | Course Title | Units |
| GDSN 150 | Typography | 3 |
| GDSN 164 | Digital Illustration | 3 |
| GDSN 174 | Packaging Design | 3 |
| GDSN 178 | Digital Imaging | 3 |
| Total Units: | 12 | |
| COA: Graphic Design | ||
|---|---|---|
| Course No. | Course Title | Units |
| GDSN 110 | History of Graphic Design (online) | 3 |
| GDSN 150 | Typography | 3 |
| GDSN 162 | Web Design | 3 |
| GDSN 164 | Digital Illustration | 3 |
| GDSN 172 | Publication Design | 3 |
| GDSN 178 | Digital Imaging | 3 |
| Total Units: | 18 | |
Course requirement-substitution may be made
for students wishing to obtain any of the
above 12/18 unit Graphic Design COAs.
Please consult with Professor Gardos in S302 for details
agardos@riohondo.edu
CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT
ENTREPRENEURIAL GRAPHIC DESIGN
The curriculum in this certificate provides foundational entrepreneurial
preparation for students entering a freelance graphic design career
and/or starting a small graphic design business.
The certificate combines the entry-level small-business management
and marketing skills and intermediate/advanced graphic design
skills needed to participate as an entrepreneur in the graphic design profession.
Click the Employment link to see how many jobs a Graphic Designer can have!
| COA: Entrepreneurial Graphic Design |
||
|---|---|---|
| Course No. | Course Title | Units |
| Required Courses & Units | ||
| MGMT 130 | Small Business Management-Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| MRKT 174 | Small Business Marketing and Advertising | 3 |
| GDSN 290 | Directed Study in Graphic Design | 3 |
| Choose a minimum of 9 units from the following: | ||
| GDSN 110 | History of Graphic Design | 3 |
| GDSN 151* | Typographical Design | 3 |
| GDSN 163* | Intermediate Web Design | 3 |
| GDSN 165* | Branding & Identity Design | 3 |
| GDSN 174* | Packaging Design | 3 |
| *Prerequisite | ||
| Total Units: | 27 | |
Course requirement-substitution may be made
for students wishing to obtain the Entrepreneurial Graphic Design COA:
Please consult with Professor Gardos in S302 for details
agardos@riohondo.edu
Badges! They have arrived!
Click here for the PDF flyer!
To receive your badge(s):
Send an email to Prof. G. (agardos@riohondo.edu) indicating which badges you qualify for.
Include the following:
For the GDSN Major and/or the GDSN Outstanding Student badges:
An optimized PDF copy of your unofficial or official transcript that shows your declared
major is graphic design and/or shows that you have received a 3.0 or above for all classes.
For any GDSN Certificate of Achievement (CoA) and/or
either the GDSN AS or AA Degrees:
An optimized PDF copy of your Certificate and/or OR an email from a counselor or
Admissions & Records stating that you have not yet received your CoA and/or Degree
but have submitted paperwork and will be receiving it.
Remember, if you are short a class for a CoA and/or a Degree,
we may be able to work with you. Contact us!
Please submit all required paperwork by
the end of the second to last week of the term.
Questions?
Send us an email!
agardos@riohondo.edu
We look forward to having you in class!
Our Spring ’25 GDSN Schedule now available!
Download a PDF version
GDSN Home | Courses Offered | Faculty | Student Work | Degrees & Certificates | Employment | Events & Projects
