Minor in Design

The Minor in Design consists of 19 units in the Visual Communication Design pathway and 20 units in the Product Design pathway. Students must meet with an advisor to declare their pathway and determine their course of study. All of the coursework for the minor must be taken at the upper-division level.

View the Minor in Design on the SF State Bulletin.

Two students work on a design prototype

All coursework used to satisfy the requirements of the minor must be completed with a minimum grade point average of 2.0.

Core Requirements (10 units)
Course Title Units
DES 200 Visual Design Literacy (formerly 323) 3
DES 300 Design Process 3
DES 356 A History of Design and Technology 3
DES 370 Introduction to Design 1

Guided Pathways (9-10 units)

Visual Communication Design Pathway
Course Title Units
DES 322 Computer Graphic Imaging 3
DES 325 Graphic Design I 3
DES 327 Interactive Design I 3

Product Design Pathway
Course Title Units
DES 305 Lab Safety Basics 1
DES 310 Product Design I 3
DES 320 Drafting and Sketching for Design 3
DES 321 Technical Drawing I: Introduction to CAD 3

All minors must meet with a Design Advisor.

Minor Pathways (pdf)

Minor Advising Contract for Visual Communications 2023 (pdf)

Minor Advising Contract for Industrial Design 2023 (pdf)

Declare your Minor in your Student Center

Laptop Requirement

Both majors and minors in Design are required to purchase a laptop with required software when they begin the major. Students accepted into the Design program will receive hardware and software recommendations for their particular course of study. Please follow the specifications for each major: Visual Communication Design (BSVCD) or Industrial Design (BSID_PDD). Educational discounts on both hardware and software are available through the SF State Bookstore, and through various online vendors. If you qualify for federal financial aid and have not already been awarded the annual maximum in federal student loans, you may request an increase in the federal student loan to assist you with the purchase of the laptop.

Note: All Design Majors and Minors are eligible for free Adobe Creative Cloud licenses. View additional details about the laptop initiative, and download the ID Laptop Specs here or the Vis Com Laptop Specs here. 

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