Learning to Design
Students often have questions about going to college for career-focused learning in design. Design students have a passion for making, a desire to see their ideas made real, and a need to express themselves in ways that make a difference in the world. They’re not always traditional art students, though they might come to design from art programs, as their motivations are often to make socially and commercially viable products or campaigns. Design education develops skills in design problem recognition and solving, design option evaluation and selection, design outcome assessment, and other matters that go beyond taste or even aesthetics.
Graphic designers work with messages and images — posters, brochures, advertisements, books, Web sites, apps, commercials, package design, labeling, sign systems, maps, schedules, menus, catalogs, film and video — anything that engages readers and viewers visually.
Industrial designers work with real objects — cellphones, lamps, cars, tableware, toys, containers and product packaging, clocks, video and audio devices, furniture — almost anything in your environment that’s made by humans is a target for improvement and innovation by industrial designers.
Interior designers work with real space — stores, houses, apartments, offices, restaurants, kiosks, pop-up stores, private interiors and public spaces — enhancing them with fabrics and textures, furniture and color,
light and air, vistas and window treatments that make rooms and spaces pleasant and inviting for individuals and groups.
SASD design programs are built to emphasize the importance of practical, theoretical, and professional activities and practices in the various design fields. Students learn about the fundamentals and details of design; their application to real-world use; design’s impact on the user population; and the various means and methods needed to take their designs from concept to reality.
Careers in Design
There are many career possibilities for your students interested in design. SASD_Careers_in_Design PDF
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GRAPHIC DESIGN
Advertising Artist Advertising Photographer Animator Art Director Art Editor Art Teacher Art Therapist Book Designer Book Illustrator & Artist Broadcast Designer Calligrapher Cartoonist Color Operations Specialist Copywriter Corporate In House Designer Creative Director Department Store Artist Digital Pre-Press Specialist Display Designer Exhibit & Display Designer Exhibition Designer Environmental Graphic Designer Film Editor Gallery Owner Graphic Designer Graphic Arts Technician Greeting Card Artist Identity Designer Illustrator Interaction Designer Interface Designer Information Designer Lettering Artist Media Services Designer Motion Graphics Animator & Designer Museum Exhibition Designer Packaging Graphics Designer Point of Purchase Displays Designer Production Artist Public Relations Designer Publication Designer Signage Systems Designer Typeface Designer Typesetter Typographer Visual Communications Designer Web Designer Web Developer |
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Amusement Park Designer Aquarium Designer Architectural Product Designer Appliance Designer Automotive Designer Cabinetmaker Ceramicware Designer China Designer Color Consultant Computer Aided Designer Construction Equipment Designer Consumer Electronics Designer Consumer Products Designer Copywriter Designer for the Disabled Display Designer Draftsman Educational Program Designer Environmental Safety Designer Exhibition Designer Exhibit Systems Designer Food Processing Equipment Designer Furniture Designer Hardware Designer Housewares Designer Human Factors Designer Industrial Designer Instrument Designer Landscape Architect Leather Goods Designer Military Equipment Designer Medical Instruments Designer Metals Designer Metal Worker Moldmaker Museum Exhibition Designer Office Equipment/Computer Designer Office Furniture Designer Office Products Designer Optical Instruments Designer Packaging Designer Packaging Forms & Systems Director Plastics Designer Point–of–Purchase Displays Designer Product Design Illustrator Product Planner Product Development Designer Project Manager Product Manager Public Transportation Designer Recreational Vehicles Designer Robot Designer Scientific Instruments Designer Set Designer Special Events Coordinator Sporting Goods Designer Street Furniture Designer Transportation Environment Designer |
INTERIOR DESIGN
Acoustic Designer Architect Model Builder Architectural Design Staff Architectural Product Designer Cabinetmaker Color Consultant Computer Aided Designer Contract Designer Consultant Coordinator Construction/Project Manager Contract Interior Designer Corporate In–House Staff Designer for the Disabled Display Designer Domestic Interior Designer Draftsman Educational Program Designer Environmental Designer Exhibit & Display Designer Exhibit Systems Designer Exhibition Designer Fabric Designer Furniture Designer Greenhouse & Solarium Designer Historic Preservationist Human Factors Aging Designer Human Factors Designer Industrial Facilities Designer Landscape Architect Lighting Designer Kitchen & Bath Designer Medical Facilities Designer Model Home Designer Museum Exhibition Designer Office Designer Office Furniture Designer Project Manager Residence Designer Residential Environment Designer Residential Interior Designer Restaurant Designer Set Designer Showroom Designer Special Events Coordinator Textile Designer |
Applying to SASD at UB
At SASD, we want to be sure all students are informed about the application, admission, and registration processes as well as about the documents needed at each stage so that the processes are smooth and successful.
We can offer modest scholarships after portfolio reviews; the scholarships last while students are design majors.
Students or their counselors can contact us at SASD@bridgeport.edu for more information or clarification of the processes here.
Here are some Frequently Asked Questions about coming to study design at SASD and UB.
Do I apply through UB or separately through SASD?
What are SASD’s admission requirements?
What are the portfolio requirements?
What should I show in my portfolio?
Are there scholarships available? Are they from UB or SASD?
Are there scholarships available for portfolios?
How long is a portfolio scholarship good for?
Can I get a tour of the design program?
How do I apply, get accepted, and register?
When should I apply for the next Fall semester?
What application documents are needed to apply to UB and SASD?
What if I am a US citizen or resident?
What if I am not a US citizen or resident?
How do I transfer to UB and SASD?
How many credits can I transfer to UB?
I came from a term college. How do my credits transfer?
How do my credits and courses transfer to UB?
Who evaluates my transfer credits for use in the SASD and UB curricula?
UB or SASD?
Applications must be made through the University of Bridgeport Admissions Department and see application documents that are needed, below).
SASD can interview and recommend your application but cannot initiate many of the procedures needed for full admission to the University.
However, you should also let us at SASD know that you will be coming (and see portfolio scholarships, below) so that we can work more closely with Admissions to smooth your entry and registration for classes.
SASD Requirements
Portfolio
SASD is looking for a passion for art and design in a portfolio. We recommend that students choose from the following for inclusion in their portfolio: drawings, paintings, posters, photography or video, sculpture, ceramics, fashion, or work for a school yearbook or class.
If a student does not have art or design work or attends a school that does not provide art or design classes, he or she may contact SASD for an assignment to complete at home.
In these cases, we encourage students to visit SASD so a faculty member can provide both examples and materials.
Showing Your Portfolio
Applicants may arrange a visit to SASD or submit a portfolio by disc (CD, DVD) or by a URL to an online portfolio site.
Portfolio Works
Submissions should contain 10-12 samples of your work. Portfolios may be emailed, mailed in on CD or DVD, posted to a personal website, or hand delivered in hard copy form. Discs should be sent to SASD directly:
SASD, Arnold Bernhard Center
University of Bridgeport
126 Park Avenue
Bridgeport CT 06604
Do not send originals of your work; send scans, printouts, photos, or CDs/DVDs!
Graphic Design
Sketches, typography, drawing, lettering, painting, photography, Web or screen work, layout, editorial, experimental, packaging, posters, logo and identity, etc.
Industrial Design
Sketches, ideation, rendering, models, photography, concept realization, working drawings, etc.
Interior Design
Sketches, plans, color studies, lighting plans, site studies, furniture designs, etc.
Scholarships
UB has Merit Scholarships that are based on grades in high school or previous colleges. Apply for them when you submit your FAFSA. SASD has a small portfolio scholarship fund that is allocated by portfolio review and on a first-come basis.
Portfolio Scholarships
SASD has a limited amount of funds for Portfolio Scholarships.
This requires a review of your work in either a personal visit (if you are nearby) or online or by CD or DVD. Discs should be sent to SASD directly:
SASD, Arnold Bernhard Center
University of Bridgeport
126 Park Avenue
Bridgeport CT 06604
Do not send originals of your work; send scans, printouts, photos, or CDs/DVDs!
Scholarship Duration
Design Scholarships are effective during all semesters the student is at UB as a design major.
Other UB scholarships such as Merit Scholarships require the student to maintain a GPA, usually at or above a B (3.0).
Tours of SASD at UB
You can make arrangements with SASD to have a tour of the design school building during school hours and see the school in operation, or attend one of the many UB open houses.
Call 1-203-576-4222
E-mail sasd@bridgeport.edu
Application, Acceptance, and Registration
Apply early to avoid the registration crunch!
Early acceptance means that new students will be more likely to have access to important design electives. Registration for Fall semester begins in April for new and current UB students.
Although UB has rolling admissions, applications that are received in the Fall previous to the one you will be attending are more likely to be able to take advantage of our portfolio scholarship fund as well as to have access to popular courses University-wide.
Your academic advisor, one of the faculty members of SASD, will help you select and register for correct courses for your semesters.
Official Application Documents
Transcripts
Have your official high school transcripts or official transfer transcripts sent directly to the UB Admissions department. They must have official transcripts in order to admit you into the University.
UB Admissions requires high school transcripts for all new first year freshmen.
For transfer students coming from other colleges or universities, UB Admissions requires proof of HS graduation and official transcripts from all other colleges and universities attended.
Transfer Evaluations
Admissions will make a transfer evaluation of the official higher-ed transcript(s) and send the “eval” to us for verification or correction.
We in SASD can look at your unofficial transcripts from all previous institutions of higher learning to get an idea of how your transfer credits will fit the SASD curriculum.
FAFSA
Your FAFSA form is used to determine eligibility for financial aid. This document can be filled in and then filed on-line.
Health Papers
To insure that your and other students’ health is secure, all institutions of higher learning require verification of immunizations.
If you were at a previous institution within one or two years, you can sometimes have your health records forwarded to UB Student Health Services.
If you do not have current, up-to-date papers, you need to get papers from your physician or clinic.
Here is a link to a PDF with further info on what you need to get for the health clearance.
Health PDF
Registration might be delayed or prevented if health papers are not provided.
Domestic Admissions (US citizens and most US residents)
Use the link at
the domestic UB Admissions page.
International Admissions (non-US citizens and non-US residents; I-20 visas)
Use the link at
the international UB Admissions page.
Be sure to apply before July of the year you will be attending UB.
Transfer Admissions
Admissions has a general page with essential information for transferring to UB at
the Transfer Admissions page.
Transferring from a Previous College
Transfer Credits
Students coming from 2-year colleges (junior, community, or associates) can bring in up to 66 credits to UB.
Students coming from 4-year colleges (baccalaureate or above) can bring in up to 90 credits to UB.
A student with 60 community college credits and 30 baccalaureate credits can bring all 90 credits to UB.
Counting Credits
UB is a semester-based institution: 16 weeks of courses in two semesters.
Credits from semester-based institutions are applied one-to-one for transfer purposes.
When students come from term-based institutions of 10 weeks of courses in three terms, the credit count is different; one credit from a term-based institution will probably count as 2/3 of a semester credit (10/15 = 2/3).
Applying Credits
Credits must be relevant to the UB curriculum and to the SASD curriculum.
Core academic courses must meet UB standards.
Design courses must meet SASD standards.
Electives can be applied with some flexibility — but courses outside the design fields might be difficult to apply to design degree requirements.
Here are some links to PDFs of the SASD curriculum worksheets:
Graphic Design New Media Worksheet PDF
Industrial Design Worksheet PDF
Thes PDF forms are subject to change due to curricular adjustments, scholastic directions, availability, and other circumstances. Every effort is made to ensure that any resulting changes are in accord with the mission of SASD, UB, NASAD, and the CT state charter.
Transfer Evaluations
Have your official transcripts sent directly to the UB Admissions department. They must have official transcripts in order to admit you into the University.
Admissions will make a transfer evaluation of the official higher-ed transcript(s) and send the “eval” to us for verification or correction.
We in SASD can look at your unofficial transcripts from all previous institutions of higher learning to get an idea of how your transfer credits will fit the SASD curriculum.