Advertising Art
About this program
Your path to a future in advertising design begins at Penn College. Here, you’ll find a community of creators. Students and instructors, alike, determined to inspire your finest work. Nurture your creative spirit and challenge you to reach new heights. This career-defining program cultivates strong foundational skills, builds proficiency in graphic design for print and interactive media, and employs a rigor that turns out motivated, real-world ready artists.
Join the Penn College Graphic Design Community 
Next steps...
You're on your way to becoming a tomorrow maker.
Seamless Associate-to-Bachelor Degree Pathway
24/7
Access to Mac Labs with Adobe Suite
Unparalleled Foundation Focused on Formal Design Principles
Careers
- Production artist
- Production designer
- Advertising artist
- Layout artist
Courses
At Penn College, we believe your educational experience should go beyond specialized skills. Real-world ready means taking a broader approach that builds communication skills, inspires collaboration, and encourages exploration of arts, history, and science.
Specialization requires in-depth knowledge and high-level proficiency. Students learn and apply major-specific concepts, skills, and methods.
- Visual Literacy for Designers (ART107)
- Drawing (ART180)
- Digital Photography (PHO150)
- Two-Dimensional Design (ART102)
- Design & Color (ART109)
- History of Graphic Design (ART145)
- Introduction to Three-Dimensional Design (ART202)
- Type Design I (ART225)
- Computer Graphics I (ART270)
- Introduction to Web Page Development (BWM150)
- Introduction to Graphic Design (ART210)
- Type Design II (ART235)
- Computer Graphics II (ART275)
- Introduction to Graphic Design for the Internet (ART285)
- Portfolio (ART295)
Perspectives are points of view, offering a variety of ways of understanding, interacting, and influencing the world. Students identify, explain, and utilize the approaches used by academics and professionals to study, analyze, or understand problems, and offer solutions.
- Science Elective (SCI)
Tour Schedule
Seeing is believing.
Think Penn College might be a good fit for you? Make plans to visit and discover what hands-on learning is all about.
Mar 1
Undergraduate Open House
Saturday, March 19 AM - 3 PM
Apr 6
Undergraduate Open House
Sunday, April 69 AM - 3 PM
Related Programs
Follow your passion
Facilities
The Dr. Welch Workshop: A Makerspace at Penn College
Take hands-on learning to the next level. Explore your creativity. Collaborate with others. Bring your ideas to light. Tomorrow is in the making. The makerspace is a workshop where you can collaborate with students, faculty, and staff, or work independently to test theories, explore ideas, and gain real-world skills to power your career.
Student Life
Lead and put your skills to the test
American Institute of Graphic Design (AIGA)
The AIGA encourages students to get involved in the local design community, create a community of their own, and build leadership skills that will be valuable as they move into the professional world.
Zone V Photography
This club encourages members to explore the photographic medium for artistic growth and develop a personal artistic vision. Students also acquire and strengthen the skills used in analogue photographic methods and techniques.
Student Organizations at Penn College
Your college experience is about more than the classroom. Join one of 65+ clubs and organizations, or create your own.
Penn College News
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Graphic design faculty present at San Diego conference
Friday, November 22, 2024
Students' masks on display through Tuesday
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Penn College classes add global travel to students’ education
Study Abroad
Gain global experience
See the world via Williamsport. Take your education abroad and get hands-on experience learning about your industry on a global scale.
Student Experience
The community as their classroom
Graphic design students sweep awards
All that hard work pays off when student projects take their place in the spotlight. Our graphic designers often receive awards when judged alongside national competition.
More Information
Students must earn a grade of 'C' or better in all courses with an ART and PHO course designator to receive credit for their completion. Students earning a 'D' or below must retake courses in which they are deficient before those courses can be considered as meeting the prerequisite requirements for more advanced courses. Failure to achieve a grade of 'C' or above in a course, after the maximum attempts allowed by College policy, results in withdrawal from the major in which the course is required.
This major is subject to the transfer standards established by the College (see http://www.pct.edu/catalog/TransferringCredits ). Exceptions must be approved by the school dean.
Alternative Credit refers to academic credits earned through means other than traditional college course completion, including: credit by exam, articulation, proof of competency gained in high school, work/life experience, and advanced placement.
Visit the Alternative Credit Options page in our Course Catalog for general requirements and procedures and for information on credit through Advanced Placement.
View the Advertising Art Tool List
Uniforms and tools are available for purchase through The College Store.
Penn College has state-of-the-art facilities with an abundance of current computer technology for training in design and production. Along with computer skills we feel it is important to continue to educate students to use their hands in disciplines such as design, drawing, painting, and photography. This process provides a tactual and perceptive approach to visual problem solving. Using traditional media provides direct and physical engagement; the process requires a necessary interval for the development of concept, image, techniques, and evaluation.
Students become involved in a process that nurtures creativity and stimulates conceptual performance. The freshman, foundation year focuses on developing students’ visual thinking and hand skills. In subsequent years, students concentrate on applied art courses directed toward design and production in many media.
The art faculty encourage students in the objective pursuit of excellence. Individualized critiques provide structure for the creative process and are essential to the ultimate quality of the artwork.
Students are encouraged to attend exhibitions and artists’ talks as part of their education. The Department and College promote exhibitions at the resident gallery.
- Sister Alma Mary Anderson, CSC, Professor, Graphic Design, Indiana State University
- Mr. Ric Jones, Creative Director, MoJo Active
- Ali Petrizzi, Ms., 2020, Senior UX Designer, Microsoft
- Mr. Dan Rowland, President/Owner/Director, Rowland Creative
- Mr. John Saal, '00, Principal, Untuck Design Studio
- Mr. Ryan Starr, '00, Creative Director, Saint John's University
- Ms. Marjaneh Talebi, Director, Graphic Design Program, Harrisburg Area Community College
- Mr. Todd True, Principal / Creative Director, True Geist
