Bachelor's
About Design Studies at CSUSB
Design Your Own Path
If you’re passionate about design but want the flexibility to explore your other interests, the B.A. in Design Studies at CSUSB could be the perfect fit.
This program teaches you how to use design as a powerful tool for communication and problem-solving, while giving you the freedom to shape your academic experience. You’ll build a strong foundation in design theory, history and practice — and discover how design influences culture and creates impact.
You’ll also have the opportunity to create work in areas like:
- Branding and graphic design
- Illustration and animation
- 3D modeling
- User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design
The Design Studies program empowers you to think critically, design responsibly and create with purpose — preparing you for a wide range of creative careers in today’s ever-evolving world.
Careers in Design Studies
These are just a few of the titles you might hold once you’ve earned your B.A. in design studies:
- UI/UX designer
- Graphic designer
- Branding specialist
- Animator
- Special effects artist
- 3D designer
- Illustrator
- Art director
- Industrial designer
- Commercial designer
- Web designer
- Digital marketer
- Motion graphics designer
- Game artist
- Production artist
Sample Courses
Fundamental Design Principles
Critical examination and theories on how to work with compositional space and interrelated basic principles, attributes, and elements of design.
Digital 3D and Time-Based Media
Integration of digital 3D, immersive-video, 2D or 3D animation, virtual reality, and/or motion graphics for communication. Applied research, project planning, scripting, storyboarding, and storytelling techniques to create contemporary projects for the field.
Design Thinking - Problem Solving & Critical Thinking in Visual Studies
Introduction to basic design and production techniques to transform initial concepts and ideas into various formats for concept presentation and user-experience testing.
Meet Professor Matthew Poole, MFA
Opportunities for Students
At Cal State San Bernardino, you'll have access to the Visual Resource Center (VRC) - a space designed to fuel your creativity and support your success in the Department of Art & Design.
Explore, Research, Create
The VRC is both a digital and analog resource library where you can:
- Access an ever-growing collection of 30,000+ digital images
- Browse books, journals and reference materials on art, design and visual culture
- Discover the Innovative Materials Library, featuring unique samples to inspire your projects
As a CSUSB art and design student, you'll also enjoy:
- Communal workspaces to collaborate with your peers
- A robust internship program allowing students to gain real world experience while still in school
- Access to digital fabrication tools and a virtual reality lab
Whether you’re exploring new techniques or producing a final portfolio, CSUSB gives you the tools to experiment boldly and create with confidence.
Similar to Design Studies
With more than 50 undergraduate degrees at CSUSB, we offer a variety of programs that reflect the Coyotes' passion for learning. Check out where your curiosity will take you at CSUSB.
