Minor in Visual Communication

The Minor in Visual Communication at American University in Dubai (AUD) is a one-year, 18-credit foundational program that allows students from any major (except Visual Communication BFA) to explore core creative and design principles used in visual communication. It suits students who want to broaden their visual literacy and artistic skills, offering exposure to 2D design, art history, and drawing while providing flexibility to focus on areas of interest within visual communication practice.

Curriculum structure

The Minor is designed as a compact foundational track rather than a multiyear major, so learning progresses through a small set of core and elective courses taken alongside a student’s primary degree.

Year (Foundation):
Although formally completed within a single foundation year, students immerse themselves in essential visual communication topics that lay the groundwork for creative practice. Core units such as History of Art I (ARTS 200) introduce students to artistic traditions and cultural contexts that inform contemporary visual media, while Basic Principles of 2D Design (VCCC 101) teaches compositional awareness, typography fundamentals, and visual problem-solving. Freehand Drawing I (VCCC 104) helps learners develop observational and sketching skills crucial for visual idea generation and design communication. On top of the core sequence, students select nine credits of Minor Electives drawn from foundational, core, major option, or professional elective lists in the Department of Visual Communication, allowing them to tailor their minor experience toward areas such as digital media, graphic design, or studio art.

Note: The minor is typically completed within the equivalent of one academic year (18 credit hours) integrated with the student’s main degree course load.

Focus areas (in a string):
Art history, 2D design principles, freehand drawing, digital media electives, visual communication foundations, creative concept development.

Learning outcomes (in a string):
Understand historical and cultural influences on visual media; apply fundamental design and drawing techniques; develop visual literacy and creative thinking; produce basic 2D visual work; and explore elective pathways within graphic, digital, or studio art contexts.

Professional alignment (accreditation):
AUD is accredited by the UAE Ministry of Education’s Commission for Academic Accreditation and by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in the United States, ensuring that the minor adheres to recognised quality standards in creative and liberal arts education.

Reputation (employability rankings):
American University in Dubai is a ranked and regionally recognised institution included in global academic listings such as QS World University Rankings; the Minor in Visual Communication enhances a student’s creative profile, complementing any major with visual communication competencies valued in advertising, design, media, and interdisciplinary professional fields.