Bachelor of Design: Visual Design

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Launching Fall 2026 pending HLC approval.

Turn Creative Talent into a Professional Design Career

Earn a Bachelor of Design: Visual Design

✅ Apply for Admission

The Bachelor of Design in Visual Design optimized degree focuses on building professional design skills used in today’s creative industries. Students learn how to communicate ideas visually, design for digital and physical environments, and create work that is clear, engaging, and purposeful.

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Design is everywhere—from the apps and websites people use every day to the brands, packaging, videos, and digital experiences they interact with. A Bachelor of Design in Visual Design prepares students for creative careers where problem-solving, communication, and technology come together. Designers are in demand across many industries as organizations rely on strong visual communication for websites, apps, marketing, media, and interactive experiences.

The program emphasizes practical experience, helping students understand how design decisions affect users, audiences, and real-world outcomes. Graduates are prepared to work across a range of design roles where creativity and technical skill are equally important.

The program is career-focused and hands-on. Students develop a portfolio that demonstrates their ability to think critically, solve problems, and produce high-quality design work across multiple formats. This portfolio prepares graduates for design positions and related creative roles in growing fields.

The degree is designed to be flexible and affordable. Students may enter as first-time college students or transfer in with prior coursework. The optimized structure allows many students to complete the degree in about three years full time, with part-time options available for working students. Transfer credits and approved prior learning may help students reach their goals even sooner.

Study at your own pace: The BDES optimized degree can be completed in three years for full-time students. Plus, 8-week course options allow students to accelerate their progress, with new sessions starting in August, October, January, March, and June.

✅ Fast Facts: 94-credit BDES optimized degree

🟢 Want more information?
Contact Lindsay Masten
Professor of Graphic Design and New Art
928-776-2279
lindsay.masten@yc.edu

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Degrees

  • SEMESTERS: 8
  • CREDITS: 94
  • LOCATIONS:
  • Prescott, Online
  • View courses

The Bachelor of Design in Visual Design prepares students for in-demand creative careers in industries that rely on strong visual and digital communication. Designers are needed in fields such as technology, marketing, media, tourism, and business, where organizations must communicate clearly across websites, apps, branding, video, and interactive experiences.

Students develop practical skills in visual problem solving, digital design, and user-centered communication. The program emphasizes how to turn ideas into professional-quality design work while considering audience needs, usability, and real-world goals. This prepares students to work across multiple formats and adapt to changing industry tools and platforms.

Labor-market research included in the program’s feasibility analysis and industry letters of support confirms that employers are actively seeking graduates with strong visual communication and digital design skills across many sectors, including technology, marketing, tourism, manufacturing, and product development. These careers offer creative work combined with stable, living-wage earning potential and opportunities for long-term growth.

Yavapai College’s Bachelor of Design in Visual Design is built to make these careers accessible. The program is affordable, flexible, and designed for both first-time college students and transfer students. Whether you are starting college or continuing your education, this degree provides a clear pathway into professional creative work that is both personally rewarding and economically sustainable

Additional Program Information

Start at Yavapai College - Finish at Yavapai College

Full tuition and financial aid information for Yavapai College students found here.

YC Pipeline Career Exploration

The YC Pipeline career development and job skills platform allows YC students and Yavapai County job seekers to explore in-demand careers that align with their passions, skills, and the region's economic demands. The platform gives students and job seekers advanced insights about the exact skills, education, or certificates they need to reach their career goals. Upon completion of their profile, users will then have access to a variety of career exploration opportunities and information, including job shadowing, service learning, field experience, research, apprenticeship, further education, and other opportunities specific to Yavapai County.

Visit YC Pipeline and complete your profile.

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