<p>Can anyone give me any feedback on the visual communications major? I'm interested in the magazine industry (art department in particular) but am nervous about receiving a BFA. How well does the education prepare you for the real world?</p>
<p>Hi! I’m currently a senior visual communications major at UDel. Recently we’ve been meeting with a lot of alum from the major to try and make contacts and figure out what part of the field we would like to go in to. All of the alum that we have met with have said that Delaware really prepares you for the real world, just because of how competitive the program is. Delaware has a really good network of alumni from the Visual Communications program in particular who are willing to reach out to current students for portfolio reviews, internships, and even jobs. </p>
<p>Typically students do an internship in the winter session of their senior year. I personally interned at an ad agency in NYC, but we have had students at Lucky, Vogue, and Details magazine.</p>
<p>M880354:<br>
Could you give any info on the VC major at UD - specifically I’ve read that you are accepted but you can still be cut from the program later on? My DD wants to major in graphic design and she has a good eye for color and design. She is looking at Drexel, Temple, RIT, Penn State. She is very interested in Drexel because of the co-op cuz she wants to get as much exp as possible. If there is a possiblity that she could be cut I don’t know if she would consider UD - though she is a hard worker and puts everything she has when working on a project.</p>
<p>My daughter posted that reply, she’s the senior VC major, but she’s traveling right now, so I can try to answer.</p>
<p>You are accepted into the Art program. Every freshman takes the foundation art courses. At the end of freshman year, you apply to the Fine Arts Program or the Visual Communications Program. This did cause some anxiety freshman year, but overall I think most students ended up in the program that they wanted to be in. </p>
<p>My daughter looked at RIT and Drexel also. I’m a Temple alum and though I’m sure Tyler has an excellent program, I didn’t want my daughter living there. Drexel was a bit too urban for her too. I think Drexel’s program is more technical, maybe a BS not a BFA. At the time, my daughter did not think that was what she wanted. Given the same choice today, she might reconsider. She is doing the interactive media minor at UDEL but I don’t think it is as technical as the Drexel program. She had a tough time deciding between UDel and RIT. But in the end, the only thing stopping her from choosing UDel was “the cut”. I told her that although there was no formal cut at RIT, if you weren’t doing well enough, you’d end up cutting yourself, that is, changing majors. And that I didn’t think there was another major at RIT that would interest her, where as, I thought she’d find something else at UDEL. Typically, UDel VC students do an internship during winter session of senior year. It’s a good experience, but 5 weeks probably isn’t long enough. There may be better opportunities for internships at Drexel and RIT which are “co-op” schools.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply M880354! Is there more than one “cut” and is it based on the grade the student is getting at that point?</p>
<p>I’m applying to enter UD as a junior transfer student. Would I still have to apply to VC once I’m there or would it work differently?</p>
<p>For my daughter, who’s art foundation year was Fall '08/Spring '09, there was one “cut”, the process of applying to get into the Visual Communications program, based on a portfolio review of the work they had done in the foundation courses. In previous years, I believe there was another “cut” after the first year of the VC program.
Thankfully, she didn’t have to go through that second cut. I don’t think they’ve reinstated that second cut, but I’m not certain.</p>
<p>You should probably talked to someone in admissions about the process for transfers. I think it’s possible to apply directly into the VC program as a transfer but generally as a Sophomore. They want you to take the 3 years of the VC program at UDel.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies! I guess our next step will be a visit. Any suggestions as to how to get to talk to someone from the VC dept?</p>
<p>At the bottom of this webpage [Academic</a> Programs, Visual Communications, Department of Art, University of Delaware](<a href=“http://www.udel.edu/art/academic-programs/undergrad/visual-communications/curriculum.html]Academic”>Academic Programs, Visual Communications, Department of Art, University of Delaware), there is a list of VC faculty with their emails.
I’m not sure if you should start with them or start with admissions.</p>
<p>Again thank you for your help!</p>