Certificate of Completion in Illustration

Digital Arts
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Course Sequence

Field of Interest

Field of Interest: Visual and Performing Arts

The Certificate of Completion (CCL) in Illustration develops knowledge and skills in creating visual narratives through traditional and digital media. The program emphasizes art principles, knowledge, and skills needed to solve design and compositional problems. Focus areas include graphic arts, publications, and storyboarding for animation, video, and media. This certificate prepares students for employment and upgrades the skills of persons employed in occupations such as freelance artist-designer, concept artist, visual development artist for gaming/film, and storyboarder. Students may also pursue an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Illustration and Sequential Art.

Details

Details icon Important information you’ll need when applying for admission:

Field of Interest
Visual and Performing Arts
Type
Certificate of Completion (CCL)
Academic Plan
Illustration (CER)
Academic Plan Code
5174
Total Credits Required
31
Catalog Year
2024-2025
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

What You’ll Learn

This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:

  1. Create images to project specifications, demonstrating professionalism in research, planning, production, and presentation.
  2. Apply critical thinking skills, the creative process, and historical and visual literacy to solve visual, technical, and conceptual problems.
  3. Analyze images to evaluate their effectiveness.
  4. Apply industry standard tools and research to develop effective images and workflows.
  5. Demonstrate collaborative practices.
  6. Communicate visual ideas that recognize cultural and individual differences.
  7. Create a collection of works (e.g., capstone, internships, and/or portfolio) that reflect professional competency.

Career Opportunities

Successful completion of this certificate may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Maricopa County-based annual median wages* for this certificate. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Art Directors

$58,370

Commercial and Industrial Designers

$75,867

Graphic Designers

$47,702

Painters, Sculptors, Illustrators, and Other Fine Artists

$20,731

Postsecondary Art, Drama, and Music Teachers

$72,944

Special Effects Artists and Animators

$58,835

There are additional career opportunities associated with this certificate that do not have occupational data available for Arizona at this time. These occupations are listed below, with links to salary information for the United States as a whole (if available):
  • Artists and Related Workers, All Other
* Career and wage information provided by Lightcast using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources and Lightcast’s proprietary analytical processes. Lightcast’s data covers multiple classes of workers including QCEW, non-QCEW, and those who are self-employed. Disclaimer

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

Note: Because you are viewing this pathway map on a mobile device, some columns below have been hidden. To view all columns, please rotate your device or view this page on a device with a larger screen.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AVC100 Introduction to Digital Arts 1
AVC177 Digital Photographic Imaging I Critical course Gateway course 3
ART111 Drawing I 3
ART113 or
AVC114		 Color or Digital Color 3
ART116 Life Drawing I 3
AVC169 2D Media Design 3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AVC178 Digital Arts Studies Critical course 3
AVC248 or
ART255		 Design Self Promotion or Art Marketing Critical course 3
AVC289 Computer Illustration 3
RE Restricted Elective 3
RE Restricted Elective 3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

Note: Because you are viewing this pathway map on a mobile device, some columns below have been hidden. To view all columns, please rotate your device or view this page on a device with a larger screen.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AVC100 Introduction to Digital Arts 1
AVC177 Digital Photographic Imaging I Critical course Gateway course 3
ART111 Drawing I 3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ART113 or
AVC114		 Color or Digital Color 3
AVC169 2D Media Design 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ART116 Life Drawing I 3
AVC178 Digital Arts Studies Critical course 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AVC248 or
ART255		 Design Self Promotion or Art Marketing 3
AVC289 Computer Illustration 3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
RE Restricted Elective 3
RE Restricted Elective 3

Restricted Electives

Students must select six (6) credits from the following list of courses. Students may select from one emphasis or may select from different emphases to fulfill the six (6) credit requirement.

Animation Emphasis
ADA/ART/MMT184 Digital Animation I 3
ART/MMT185 3D Modeling for Animation I 3

Drawing Emphasis
ART117 Life Drawing II 3
ART118 Art Anatomy 3
ART122 Drawing and Composition II 3

Painting Emphasis
ART165 Watercolor Painting I 3
ART166 Watercolor Painting II 3
ART167 Painting I 3
ART168 Painting II 3
ART263 Figure Painting 3

Ready to get started?

Follow one of the options below to get started on your personal career pathway.

Become a Student

Click here for MCC’s easy-to-use Enrollment Steps.

Program Information

Learn more about and find contact information for the Digital Arts program.

General Help

Ask general questions over the phone at 480-461-7400 or via online chat.

Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, meet with an academic advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm11?id=184876).

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Certificate of Completion (CCL) in Illustration