Associate Degree in Communication Design
Bring your eye for design and problem-solving skills; we’ll bring our collaborative environment, experiential learning opportunities, and top-quality connections to transfer institutions. The Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Communication Design degree at Northampton Community College equips you with background knowledge and robust skills to succeed as a graphic designer for digital, print, and social media.
This 2-year Communication Design degree is offered on our Bethlehem campus in Pennsylvania. Upon completion, our graduates often start their careers as graphic designers or transfer to competitive 4-year bachelor’s degree programs at institutions like Kutztown University, the Savannah College of Art and Design, and the Pratt Institute.
Two track options: Choose the New Media program track to focus on digital and leading-edge design skills, or study the Print/Web program track to become well-versed in traditional media and physical product development.
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Credits: 68
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Campus: Bethlehem
Develop creative, conceptual, and technical skills in all types of modern media. Building on a foundation in topics like drawing, art history, computer graphics, and website design, you’ll specialize your skills in 3-D animation, new media theory and production, and interactive design.
Credits: 65
Program Map: Download PDF
Program Details: View More Information
Campus: Bethlehem
Cultivate creativity, technical knowledge, and conceptual thinking for digital, print, and social media. Study fundamentals of design and color, computer graphics, digital design, and typography, then focus on print media website design skills like digital photography, package design, and web animation.
Program Information
Reach new creative horizons through classroom and computer lab learning paired with real-life experiences. In preparation for your career, you’ll collaborate on group projects and display your creative designs in our Communications Hall and on the NCC Art Department website. Through the capstone experience in the program, you’ll assemble a design portfolio that you’ll showcase to Lehigh Valley industry leaders.
Why choose NCC? This hands-on, 2-year graphic design program equips you to start your career or transfer to a 4-year institution to complete a bachelor’s degree—at a much lower overall cost!
Starting your education at NCC is a savvy investment: here, you can save up to $40,000 per year over your first two years of the Communication Design major, then transfer to a four-year institution to pursue a bachelor’s degree in visual communications, graphic design, digital media, marketing and more.
Learn more about how NCC prepares you to transfer.
Common NCC Communication Design transfer destinations:
- Cedar Crest College
- Kutztown University
- Moravian College
- School of Visual Arts (NYC)
- Pratt Institute (NYC)
- Tyler School of Art at Temple University (Philadelphia)
- University of the Arts (Philadelphia)
- Savannah College of Art and Design (Savannah, Georgia)
- Ringling College of Art and Design (Sarasota, Florida)
- Academy of Art University (San Francisco, CA)
- Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY)
NCC’s associate degree in Communication Design is one of the most affordable of its kind in Pennsylvania. Our tuition and costs help you focus on what matters most: learning the tools and skills that you’ll use to advance your career. You’ll also gain access to one of the most generous financial aid and scholarship programs among community colleges in Pennsylvania!
Career Opportunities in Graphic Design
With a Communication Design degree, you will create visual concepts, by hand or using computer software, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform or captivate consumers. Use color, images, or logo designs to represent particular ideas or identities in advertising and promotions.
Most graphic designers work in specialized design services, publishing, advertising, or public relations, and the demand for experts is projected to remain consistent.
NCC’s career services office can help you navigate internship opportunities, networking events, job applications, and other avenues to success as a student and after you graduate.
Future Career Paths
- Assistant Art Director
- Newspaper/Magazine Layout Designer
- Pre-Press Technician
- Web Designer
- Graphic Artist
- Package Designer
- Illustrator
- Corporate Communications Designer
Need help deciding which major might be right for you? Explore our Focus2 tool and zero in on what programs suit you best, then start building your network by creating a profile on our Handshake App!
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Learn More about NCC’s Communication/Graphic Design Program
Nourish your creativity and expand your career potential in the low-cost Associate in Applied Science in Communication Design program at NCC. Through classroom learning, real-world design practice, and the capstone experience, you’ll assemble a professional portfolio to launch your graphic design career and prepare to transfer to a four-year institution.
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