Design (BFA)—Online: Sample Plans

The plan listed below is designed to provide suggestions for sequencing your major courses, but there are also other ways to sequence most majors. This plan is meant to provide aid in early, provisional planning. Please consult with your academic advisor to make strategic academic decisions about which courses to take each semester.

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Sample Four Year Plan: Art Design (BFA), ONLINE: Full-time

This plan provides an example pathway through the Online Design major, assuming a student is new to the program and will be completing the program on a full-time basis (taking at least 12 credit hours per semester).

Semester 1

- ART 101: Observational Drawing (3 cr)
- ART 201: Design, Software, and Process (3 cr)
- Dialogues Curriculum course (6 cr)

Semester 2

- ART 211: 3-D Design (3 cr)
- ART 220: Layout and Type (3 cr)
- Art History Requirement (3 cr) *
- Dialogues Curriculum course (3-6 cr)

Semester 3

- Art History requirement ( 3 cr)
- Design Elective (3 cr) **
- Dialogues Curriculum course (6 cr)

Semester 4

- ART 219: Digital Illustration (3 cr)
- Design Elective (3 cr)
- Art History requirement (3 cr)
- Dialogues Curriculum course (3-6 cr)

Semester 5

- ART 321: Concept & Design (3 cr)
- ART 312: Illustration with Figure (3 cr)
- JINS 3XX: WE/Junior Interdisciplinary Seminar (3 cr)
- Design Elective (3 cr)
- Elective(s) and/or Dialogues Curriculum course (3 cr)

Semester 6

- ART 420: Design and Message (3 cr)
- ART 340: Digital Graphics I (3 cr)
- Art History requirement (3 cr)
- Elective(s) and/or Dialogues Curriculum course (3-6 cr)

Semester 7

- ART 421: Professional Practices (3 cr)
- ART 425: Capstone Experience/Seminar (1 cr)
- Design Elective (3 cr)
- Elective(s) and/or Dialogues Curriculum course (6 cr)

Semester 8

- ART 488: Capstone Experience: Design (3 cr)
- Design Elective (3 cr)
- Elective(s) and/or Dialogues Curriculum course (6 cr)


NOTES:

  • (*) = Students must complete 15 credit hours of Design Electives for the major. A list of Design Elective options can be found in the University Catalog.
    (**) = Students must complete 9 credit hours of Art History courses. At least one (1) course must be at the 200-level, one (1) course at the 300-level, and another course (1) at either the 200- or 300-level.
  • WE = Writing Enhanced course
  • If you have not completed the Civics Exam, we recommend doing so in your first year.
  • Truman students are required to complete a Portfolio to graduate. We recommend starting to compile your work for the Portfolio sooner than later.
  • Students must complete their Application to Graduate the semester prior to graduating. Apply to graduate through TruView.
  • Graduating seniors need to complete their seniors test and questionnaire. We recommend reviewing the Assessment & Testing page to plan accordingly.
  • The Dialogues curriculum requires a certain number of courses/credit hours in the following Perspectives: Social, Arts and Humanities, STEM, Communications, and Statistics. The exact number of courses a student will be required to take during their undergraduate career varies individually according to the credit transferred in.

Department Chair: Please contact the Center for Academic Excellence with any updates to the plan above. Updated 12-10-2025.

This is a sample course sequence to illustrate class offerings for this major. The Office of the Registrar is responsible for certifying completion of degree requirements based on requirements specified in Truman's Official Catalog.

All Sample Four-Year Plans

The plan listed below is designed to provide suggestions for sequencing your major courses, but there are also other ways to sequence most majors. This plan is meant to provide aid in early, provisional planning. Please consult with your academic advisor to make strategic academic decisions about which courses to take each semester.

Download PDF

Sample Two Year Plan: Art Design (BFA), ONLINE: Full Time

The following plan is possible on the presumption that an incoming student has an Associate of Arts (AA) degree and has completed the equivalent to the following courses prior to enrolling at Truman State University. If the following course equivalents have not been completed, this plan will need to be adjusted accordingly. This plan also assumes you plan to completing the program full-time (taking at least 12 credit hours per semester).

  • ART 101: Observational Drawing (3 cr)
  • ART 201: Design, Software and Process (3 cr)
  • ART 211: 3D Design (3 cr)
  • ART 219: Digital Illustration (3 cr)
  • ART 220: Layout and Type (3 cr)
  • Art History course (3 cr)

Semester 1

AA Degree Satisfies Requirements

Semester 2

AA Degree Satisfies Requirements

Semester 3

AA Degree Satisfies Requirements

Semester 4

AA Degree Satisfies Requirements

Semester 5

- ART 321: Concept & Design (3 cr)
- ART 312: Illustration with Figure (3 cr)
- JINS 3XX: WE/Junior Interdisciplinary Seminar (3 cr)
- Design Elective (3 cr) *
- Art History Requirement (3 cr) **

Semester 6

- ART 420: Design and Message (3 cr)
- ART 340: Digital Graphics I (3 cr)
- Design Elective (3 cr)
- ART History Requirement (3 cr)

Semester 7

- ART 421: Professional Practices (3 cr)
- ART 425: Capstone Experience/Seminar (1 cr)
- Design Elective (3 cr)
- Elective(s) and/or Dialogues Curriculum course (6 cr)

Semester 8

- ART 488: Capstone Experience: Design (3 cr)
- Design Elective (3 cr)
- Design Elective (3 cr)
- Elective(s) and/or Dialogues Curriculum course (3-6 cr)


NOTES:

  • (*) = Students must complete 15 credit hours of Design Electives for the major. A list of Design Elective options can be found in the University Catalog.
  • (**) = Students must complete 9 credit hours of Art History courses. At least one (1) course must be at the 200-level, one (1) course at the 300-level, and another course (1) at either the 200- or 300-level.
  • WE = Writing Enhanced course
  • If you have not completed the Civics Exam, we recommend doing so in your first year.
  • Truman students are required to complete a Portfolio to graduate. We recommend starting to compile your work for the Portfolio sooner than later.
  • Students must complete their Application to Graduate the semester prior to graduating. Apply to graduate through TruView.
  • Graduating seniors need to complete their seniors test and questionnaire. We recommend reviewing the Assessment & Testing page to plan accordingly.
  • The Dialogues curriculum requires a certain number of courses/credit hours in the following Perspectives: Social, Arts and Humanities, STEM, Communications, and Statistics. The exact number of courses a student will be required to take during their undergraduate career varies individually according to the credit transferred in.

Department Chair: Please contact the Center for Academic Excellence with any updates to the plan above. Updated 12-10-2025.

This is a sample course sequence to illustrate class offerings for this major. The Office of the Registrar is responsible for certifying completion of degree requirements based on requirements specified in Truman's Official Catalog.

All Sample Four-Year Plans

The plan listed below is designed to provide suggestions for sequencing your major courses, but there are also other ways to sequence most majors. This plan is meant to provide aid in early, provisional planning. Please consult with your academic advisor to make strategic academic decisions about which courses to take each semester

ONLINE Course SequenceFall SemesterSpring Semester
1st YearDialogues Requirements
ART201: Design, Software and Process
Dialogues Requirements
ART 211: 3D Design
2nd YearDialogues Requirements
ART101: Observational Drawing
Dialogues Requirements
ART220: Typography
3rd YearDialogues Requirements
Design Elective
ART219: Illustration
4th YearART3XX: Illustration with Figure
Design Elective
Design Elective
ART340: Digital Graphics
5th YearDesign Elective
ART History Requirement
Design Elective
ART History Requirement
6th YearART321: Concept and DesignART420: Design and Message
ART History Requirement
7th YearART421: Professional PracticesART488: Capstone Design

NOTES:

The Dialogues curriculum requires a certain number of courses/credit hours in the following Perspectives: Social, Arts and Humanities, STEM, Communications, and Statistics. The exact number of courses a student will be required to take during their undergraduate career varies individually according to the credit transferred in.

Department Chair: Please contact the Center for Academic Excellence with any updates to the plan above.

This is a sample course sequence to illustrate class offerings for this major. The Office of the Registrar is responsible for certifying completion of degree requirements based on requirements specified in Truman’s Official Catalog.

The plan listed below is designed to provide suggestions for sequencing your major courses, but there are also other ways to sequence most majors. This plan is meant to provide aid in early, provisional planning. Please consult with your academic advisor to make strategic academic decisions about which courses to take each semester

ONLINE Course SequenceFall SemesterSpring Semester
AA Degree Satisfies Requirements
Dialogues Requirements
ART 101: Observational Drawing
ART201: Design, Software and Process
Art History Requirement
AA Degree Satisfies Requirements
Dialogues Requirements
ART211: 3D Design
ART220: Typography
ART219: Illustration

1st YearDesign Elective
ART History Requirement
ART History Requirement
ART340: Digital Graphics
2nd YearART3XX: Illustration with Figure
Design Elective
Design Elective
Design Elective
3rd YearART321: Concept and Design
Design Elective
ART420: Design and Message
ART History Requirement
4th YearART421: Professional PracticesART488: Capstone: Design

NOTES:

The Dialogues curriculum requires a certain number of courses/credit hours in the following Perspectives: Social, Arts and Humanities, STEM, Communications, and Statistics. The exact number of courses a student will be required to take during their undergraduate career varies individually according to the credit transferred in.

Department Chair: Please contact the Center for Academic Excellence with any updates to the plan above.

This is a sample course sequence to illustrate class offerings for this major. The Office of the Registrar is responsible for certifying completion of degree requirements based on requirements specified in Truman’s Official Catalog.

Design (BFA)—Online