Visual Communication Information 2001-02

School of Visual Communication

Seigfred Hall

Larry Nighswander, Director

The College of Communication offers an interdisciplinary visual communication degree with four specialized sequences. The school has been twice recognized as a Program of Excellence in photography and visual communication by the Ohio Board of Regents. Students can earn a Bachelor of Science in Visual Communication degree.
The program is designed to provide students with realistic and thorough broad-based professionally oriented training in visual communication while providing the necessary liberal arts and cultural background for a strong educational foundation.
Intensive training is offered in informational graphics/publication designs, interactive multimedia, photo journalism for newspapers and magazines, and photo illustration (advertising and commerical photographs).

Goals of the School

The goals of the School of Visual Communication are:

To equip students with the necessary skills to be successful in the media, and the background and motivation to enable them to compete for leadership roles in the field.
To provide assistance and professional guidance in visual communication to working photographers, editors, and other personnel,newspapers, press services, magazines, industrial photographic departments, trade associations, multimedia and educational media production units, and cultural and scientific visual communicators.
To set high standards for visual integrity and communication ethics
To foster and promote scholarly research and creative activities.

Internships

In an effort to provide practical training, the school requires students to work at least one paid internship for 10 weeks during their college career. Any qualified student may compete for an internship. Many students have several internships before graduation.

In recent years, Ohio University visual communication students have worked on paid internships at newspapers and magazines and in advertising, photo illustration, and audiovisual production. Internships have been available in almost all states and several international locations, including Brazil, France, Japan, and Norway.

Many Ohio University visual communication students are active members of the Ohio News Photographers Association and other state press photographer groups and are student members of the National Press Photographers Association, the Society for News Design, and the American Society of Media Photographers. Ohio University students have been highly successful in state and national photography competitions.

Bachelor of Science in Visual Communication

Admission Requirements - B.S.V.C. The School of Visual Communication admits a limited number of students and the selection process is very competitive. The school has an application deadline of December 15. All application materials including an application essay must be received by that deadline. After the application material has been reviewed, you will be notified if you have been selected for an admission interview, which will be scheduled in January of the year you wish to enter the school. The interview process includes a review of the applicant's portfolio.

Student applicants usually rank in the top quarter of their high school class and/or have outstanding SAT or ACT scores. In addition, students who demonstrate notable talent or experience or are members of a historically under-represented group will be given additional consideration for admission.

For this career-oriented professional program you will need professional equipment to complete assignments and eventually compete in the job market. Ensuring every opportunity for students to excel in a very competitive field, we require use of certain basic levels of equipment.

All students are required to have access to a 35mm SLR camera with a 35mm f/2 lens or a 50mm f/2 lens. The camera should permit full manual control over aperture, shutter speeds, film speed settings, and focus. An automatic "point and shoot" camera will not meet the requirements of any VICO photographic class. Please contact the school for current equipment recommendations.

It is highly recommended that all students in the school have their own computer for use in completing class assignments. Students majoring in Interactive Multimedia and Informational Graphics/Publication Design are required to have access to a computer with appropriate software by the time they enter VICO 314. Please contact the school for current hardware and software recommendations.

Photojournalism students entering VICO 390 should own at least one professional-level 35mm SLR camera, two lenses, and necessary accessories. One lens should have a 35mm or wider focal length with an f/2.8 or faster aperture. The second lens should be in the135 to 200mm f/2.8 range. Zoom lenses are also acceptable if they meet the fixed aperture requirement of f/2.8.

Photo illustration students entering VICO 321 should own a professional-level medium-format camera with interchangeable film backs, a Polaroid back, one wide-angle lens, one telephoto lens, and an electronic flash meter.

You should expect to spend approximately $300-$500 per photography course for materials.

Transfer Students

The following policy has been established by the School of Visual Communication as a means of selecting the best qualified students for the program. The academic quality of the curriculum depends in part on maintaining enrollment at a number that may be effectively served by faculty and facilities. The school is dedicated to top-quality instruction, and this policy is one means through which that goal is achieved.

Very limited transfer openings are available in each major sequence each academic year.

The School of Visual Communication will accept transfer students only when openings are available. Please call the school to determine the current status of transfer openings.

Students transferring with over 90 hours of credit will find it difficult to complete the school's curriculum in two years.

Transfer applicants from outside Ohio University must also follow the procedures for admission to the University.

You must be enrolled for one academic year (three consecutive quarters) or the final 48 hours in the school to earn a degree.

Transfer requirements for Ohio University students:

Transfer students will be considered only when they have completed at least 48 quarter hours of study.
Students must have a minimum 3.0 g.p.a. at the time of transfer.
Current Ohio University students must have completed VICO 120 with a grade of C or better (VICO 120 is offered only in fall quarter).
Current Ohio University students must have completed Journalism 133 with a grade of C or better.

Students applying for transfer must submit to the school an application packet that includes the following material:

Copy of the applicant's most recent DARS report or transcript. This information must reflect grades from your most recent quarter or semester.
Written statement explaining reasons for applying for transfer to the School of Visual Communication. Please indicate your desired major sequence. Academic goals should be included in this statement of purpose.
Resume.
Three letters of recommendation (two should be from University professors).
Portfolio.
Completion of an interview meeting with a faculty committee in the school (schedule a transfer informational meeting by calling the school office at 593-4898).

Transfer applications will be considered once a quarter only if openings are available. Deadline for transfer application materials: Noon on the first Friday of the quarter that you are requesting transfer.

Transfer requirements for students in the School of Visual Communication:

Students with 45 to 90 earned credit hours may apply for transfer within the school. Requirements include: a written request by the student to the school, approved by faculty committee, and openings in the requested major sequence.

Students with over 90 earned hours seeking an internal transfer must meet the same transfer requirements as those students seeking admission to the school.

General Requirements - B.S.V.C.

School of Visual Communication majors are required to meet all General Education Requirements of Ohio University, including Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III.

The general education requirements provide a liberal arts and sciences core for all students with the following courses:

Anthropology 101 (1 qtr)

History (2 qtrs)

Philosophy 120 and 130 (2 qtrs)

Political Science (2 qtrs)

Psychology 101 (1 qtr)

Sociology 101 (1 qtr)

A thoughtful selection from the Tier II list will enable you to meet the school requirements while fulfilling many of Ohio University's Tier II requirements.

Specialization Area Requirements

Visual Communication students must complete a minimum of 20, school-approved hours of related study in advanced courses (200 and above).

No course may be counted for more than one type of school requirement. For example, a course used to meet a general requirement may not also be applied to a specialization area or sequence requirement.

Visual Communication Core Requirements

All visual communication majors complete a basic core of seven courses totaling 29 hours:

ART 116 Drawing I 4 AH 337 Photography History Survey 4 JOUR 133 Precision Language for Journalists 4 VICO 120 Intro to Visual Communication 4 VICO 221 Intro to Visual Communication Skills 4 VICO 314 Desktop Publishing 4 VICO 471 Digital Imaging 4

Total core requirements 29

Standards

You must earn a C (2.0) or better in JOUR 133 and in all professional courses (VICO, JOUR, ART, and TCOM), including professional electives, to graduate. A grade of C- does not meet this requirement.
To qualify for admission to JOUR 231, you must achieve at least 25 words per minute on a typing examination administered on the first day of class.
Failure to achieve a C in a professional course after 2 attempts will result in the student being dropped from the program.

Visual Communication Sequence Requirements
Informational Graphics/Publication Design
Major code BS6924

Two of the following three courses:

ART 250 Graphic Design Principles 4 ART 251 Typography 4 ART 254 Lettering 4 ART 113 Three Demensional Design 4 ART 117 Drawing II 4 JOUR 231 News Reporting 4 JOUR 233 Information Gathering 3 JOUR 235 Picture Editing 3 JOUR 336 Adv. Picture Editing 3 JOUR 411 Communication Law 3 VICO 311 Informational Graphics 4 VICO 323 Publication Layout and Design 4 VICO 361 Intro to Web Design 4 VICO 412 Adv. Informational Graphics 5 VICO 426 Adv. Publication Layout and Design 4

Total sequence requirements 56

Interactive Multimedia
Major code BS6923

JOUR 233 Information Gathering 3 TCOM 110 Production Writing/Planning 4 TCOM 200B Audio Production 4 TCOM 200C Video Production 4 TCOM 223 Computer Animation 4 VICO 311 Informational Graphics or 5 VICO 320 Topic Seminar 4 VICO 361 Intro to Web Design 4 VICO 462 Advanced Web Design 4 VICO 473 Interactive Media 4 VICO 488 Interactive Media II 4

Total sequence requirements 40

Photo Communication
Major code BS6922

JOUR 231 News Writing 4 JOUR 233 Information Gathering 4 JOUR 235 Picture Editing 3 JOUR 411 Communication Law 3 VICO 222 Visual Comm. Tools VICO 390 Intro to Photojournalism 4 VICO 327 Photo Illustration-Fashion 4 or VICO 328 Photo Illustration-Still Life or VICO 393 Intermediate Photojournalism III VICO 391 Intermediate Photojournalism I 4 VICO 392 Intermediate Photojournalism II 4 VICO 486 Advanced Photo Reportage I 4 VICO 487 Advanced Photo Reportage II 4 or VICO 421 Documentary/Essay or 5

Total sequence requirements 41-42

Photo Illustration
Major code BS6925

JOUR 250   Advertising Principles                          4

VICO 222   Visual Communication Tools                      4

VICO 321   Intro to Photo Illustration                     4

VICO 327   Photo Illustration-Fashion                      4

VICO 328   Photo Illustration-Still Life                   4

VICO 427   Adv. Photo Illustration (Business Practices)    5

University Advancement and Computer Services revised this file (http://www.ohiou.edu/catalog/01-02/colleges/viscom.htm) on July 16, 2001.

Please E-mail comments or suggestions to "ucat@www.ohiou.edu."