menu
  • Academics
    • (MFA) Design
    • (BA) Art History
    • (BFA) Graphic Design
    • (BFA) Interior Design
    • (BFA) Painting & Printmaking
    • Art Foundation
    • Liberal Arts & Sciences
    • Honors Program
    • Fashion Design
    • Academic Advising
    • Career Services
    • Art & Design Library
    • Innovative Media Studios
    • Materials Library
    • The Writing Center
    • Student Affairs
    • Alumni
    • Academic Calendar
    • Booking Tool
  • Admissions
  • Research
  • News & Events
    • News
    • Events
    • The RAM UP
  • About
    • At a Glance
    • Leadership
    • Publications
    • People
    • Students
    • Campus Safety
    • Careers
    • Contact
  • More
    • Community Education
    • Library
    • Students
    • Faculty & Staff
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • Flickr
    • Vimeo
  • Graphic Design
  • Overview
  • Philosophy
  • Gallery
  • BFA Thesis
  • dept gallery image1
  • dept gallery image2
  • dept gallery image3
  • dept gallery image4
  • dept gallery image5
  • dept gallery image6
  • dept gallery image7

BFA Graphic Design

  • VCUarts Qatar's four-year BFA Graphic Design program is guided by a talented and committed faculty wanting to work with students to go beyond simply teaching them professional skills but also to cultivate young creatives who are able to design relevant processes and functions of visual languages and interactions.

    Each student determines how he or she progress through a new and forward-looking curriculum of core studios, seminars, electives, and dialogue modules designed to support their learning through reflectively inquiring and actively investigating the potential social and cultural value of visual ideas, materials, and methods.

  • Why study Graphic Design? Students are prepared to be innovative and entrepreneurial graphic designers within a field that is rapidly opening up beyond being solely a client-driven professional service of providing conventional communication products. Each student is made ready to enter an area of diverse creative practices of synthesizing new technologies, traditional crafts, and knowledge sets from scientific and technical disciplines into contextually responsive strategies of visual representation and communications.

    Students graduating from the VCUarts Qatar Graphic Design BFA program are set to follow their own aspirations and values in navigating the unfolding creative potentials of contributing to the economic and community development of their society by working within the business, governmental, cultural, and community sectors.

Why study Graphic Design?

  • MFA in Design image1

    Graphic designers seek to understand the communication problem

    Graphic designers are excellent critical thinkers and creative problem solvers, their role is to understand, create and disseminate information.  Trained to understand the client’s needs, graphic designers will ask questions to bring to light the attributes of the audience, then build a process to explore options for the design of the communication.

    They manage, structure and embed information in the most engaging manner while delivering the appropriate information to elicit the desirable response from the audience.

  • MFA in Design image2

    Graphic designers like working with multiple mediums

    Graphic designers will work with numerous mediums including print, web, interactive design, video and various forms of three-dimensional experiential design to deliver a precise and targeted communication. All mediums have some factors in common - typography, time, color and form are just a few common elements in a graphic designer’s toolbox.

  • MFA in Design image3

    Graphic designers are skillful and knowledgeable

    Because they work across so many mediums graphic designers are talented print, web and multimedia specialists who can apply their strategic thinking skills to a number of professional careers where visually communicating to an audience is required. Our alumni are proof of this as they work across a number of design related fields, why not read their stories below.

  • MFA in Design image4

    VCUarts Qatar - a rigorous, rewarding, multi-cultural experience

    All graduates complete a liberal arts and science core curriculum in addition to their major program; these courses enrich a student’s understanding of the world and help them frame their art and design studies into a broad intellectual context. High achieving students will also be invited to follow our Honors program to enhance their education.

Curriculum

Degree requirement descriptions, including general education requirements, collateral requirements, Major requirements and electives can be found at this link:
http://bulletin.vcu.edu/undergraduate/arts/school-arts-qatar/graphic-design-bfa-graphic-design/#degreerequirementstext

Semester plans can be found at this link:
http://bulletin.vcu.edu/undergraduate/arts/school-arts-qatar/graphic-design-bfa-graphic-design/#planofstudytext

Course descriptions can be found at this link:
http://bulletin.vcu.edu/undergraduate/arts/school-arts-qatar/graphic-design-bfa-graphic-design/#coursestext

Faculty

  • Astrid Kensinger

    Chair of Graphic Design

    .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

    see full profile

  • Peter Martin

    Assistant Professor

    P +974 4402 0693
    .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

    see full profile

  • Basma Hamdy

    Associate Professor

    P +974 4402 0692
    .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

    see full profile

  • Hind Ghanim S Alsaad Al-Kuwari

    xLab Research Resident

  • Law Alsobrook

    Associate Professor

    P +974 4402 0687
    .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

    see full profile

  • Leland Hill

    Assistant Professor

    P +974 4402 0688
    .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

  • Levi Hammett

    Associate Professor

    P +974 4402 0689
    .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

    see full profile

  • Maryam Al-Homaid

    Assistant Professor

    P +974 4402 0697
    .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

    see full profile

  • Michael Hersrud

    Associate Professor

    P +974 4402 0690
    .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

    see full profile

  • Nishi Arlyn Rafols

    Administrative Business Specialist

    P +974 4402 0698
    .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

  • Astrid Kensinger

    Chair of Graphic Design
  • Peter Martin

    Assistant Professor
  • Basma Hamdy

    Associate Professor
BIO

Astrid Kensinger has pursued her art and design practice internationally, spending much time in Japan, Singapore, Australia and the USA. She uses her personal practice to inform her multidisciplinary research collaborations. Astrid interweaves information visualization, cartographic performance and performance art with graphic design to visually articulate site specific narratives, intangible heritage, contemporary issues and the...

Contact


.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

see full profile

BIO

Peter Martin holds a BS in Design and Environmental Analysis from Cornell University and an MFA in Graphic Design from Virginia Commonwealth University. He has worked in a range of jobs including wooden boat building and coaching rowing. He currently is an assistant professor at VCU’s branch campus in Qatar where he began...

Contact

P +974 4402 0693
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

see full profile

BIO

Basma Hamdy is a research-based designer, author and educator producing work that bridges historical, political and social issues with archival, documentarian, participatory, and critical mechanisms. She is an advocate for collaboration and participatory practices, believing that design must promote multiperspectivity. She has collaborated with historians, photographers, designers, activists and cultural organizations to create work that...

Contact

P +974 4402 0692
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

see full profile

  • Hind Ghanim S Alsaad Al-Kuwari

    xLab Research Resident

  • Law Alsobrook

    Associate Professor
  • Leland Hill

    Assistant Professor

    P +974 4402 0688
    .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

BIO

Law Alsobrook is an artist, poet, writer, graphic designer and multi-disciplinary educator in the Graphic Design department at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar.  www.makingandthinking.com...

Contact

P +974 4402 0687
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

see full profile

Contact

P +974 4402 0688
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

  • Levi Hammett

    Associate Professor
  • Maryam Al-Homaid

    Assistant Professor
  • Michael Hersrud

    Associate Professor
BIO

Born in a cabin without electricity in the forested mountains of northern California, Levi Hammett developed a deep appreciation for the dynamic unpredictability of the natural landscape. This appreciation evolved into a creative practice that uses design to explore the relationship between humans and their physical environment in terms of space and sense of place...

Contact

P +974 4402 0689
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

see full profile

BIO

Maryam Al-Homaid is an interdisciplinary designer holding a Bachelor degree in Graphic Design and a Master degree in Design Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University - Qatar. She previously was a Graphic Designer at RasGas working for the Public Affairs department managing different design projects and events within the company. Maryam comes from a family where...

Contact

P +974 4402 0697
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

see full profile

BIO

Michael Hersrud is a multidisciplinary designer combining haptic and digital processes using print, typography, photography, interactive & time-based media. In his visual research and inquiry, Michael investigates methods, processes and form generation in design praxis; time-based & interactive design pedagogy; digital tools and the influence of technology in design communication; and the vernacular of &lsquo...

Contact

P +974 4402 0690
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

see full profile

  • Nishi Arlyn Rafols

    Administrative Business Specialist

    P +974 4402 0698
    .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

  • Pornprapha Phatanateacha

    Adjunct Faculty
  • Shima Aeinehdar

    Creative Manager TypeAraby

    .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Contact

P +974 4402 0698
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

BIO

Most recently Ms Pornprapha Phatanateacha was the conceptual leader and co-chair of the Tasmeem Doha International Design Conference 2011, and creator of the conference concept: to demonstrate and explore the expanding role of design and designers as a link across disciplines, ideas, and culture, and between the past, present and future. Throughout her career as a...

Contact


.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

see full profile

Contact


.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Alumni

  • Maryam Yousef Al-Homaid

    MFA Student, VCUarts Qatar
    Class of 2010

    Maryam Al-Homaid’s career as an artist began with her father, renowned Qatari artist Yousef Ahmed. She grew up surrounded by paintbrushes and colored markers and knew back then that she would be painting and drawing for the rest of her life.

    see full biography

    Alumini image1

  • Nada Al Saadi

    Graphic Designer, Al Jazeera English
    Class of 2009

    In the midst of the Arab Spring and at a dynamic crossroads for current events in the region, VCUarts Qatar alumna Nada Al Saadi has found herself a place in the center of the story. Working in the Creative Department at Al Jazeera Arabic as a graphic designer, this native Qatari is one of the architects of change, helping the station to discover its new identity in this country, the region, and the world at large.

    see full biography

    Alumini image1

Campus

  • Campus image1

  • Campus image2

  • Campus image3

    Our studios are equipped with printers, scanners, digital projectors, sound systems and media players.

  • Campus image4

    Turn your designs into a book using the book-binding equipment.

  • Campus image5

    Capture your work by using our photography and video studios equipped with green screen room.

  • Campus image6

    Our unique Materials Library offers a huge range of materials from across the world.

  • Campus image7

  • Campus image8

  • Campus image9

  • Campus image10

  • Campus image11

  • Campus image12

  • Campus image13

  • Campus image14

  • Campus image15

  • Campus image16

  • Campus image17

  • Campus image18

  • Campus image19

  • Campus image20

Fieldtrips & Workshops

  • Italy

  • Spain

  • Cambodia

  • Italy

  • Spain

  • Cambodia

Italy

March 2011

The Graphic Design department spent Spring Break of 2011 in Italy. Four faculty and sixteen students from all levels of our program visited several major northern Italian towns (Verona, Venice and Florence), and participated in a myriad of activities. Amongst other trips, students visited Graphicom Press in Verona to learn about the high-end printing and pre-press, a library devoted to print, a monastery devoted to books and printing and a cheese factory. The aim of the field study trip was to provide the Graphic Design students with the opportunity to observe new culture, interact with it, learn from it and bridge this learning to their own experience that would shape their own learning curve.

Spain

March 2012

The Graphic Design Department organized a nine-day field study to Spain during the spring semester break. Sixteen students and four faculty arrived in Barcelona in time to attend a match of the Qatar Foundation sponsored Barcelona Football Club at the impressive Camp Nou Stadium. Also in Barcelona the students explored street markets, museums and famous architectural sites such as the La Sagrada Familial. On the fourth day we visited the Elisava School of Design to have a tour of their facilities, see student work and listen to presentations by instructors about the history and current state of design in Barcelona. Then after a fast trip on the high-speed rail the group settled into Cordoba to visit the Mosque of Cordoba, explore the old neighborhoods that featured inspiring examples of the Islamic influence on architecture and design. A day trip was also taken from Cordoba to Grenada to visit the exquisite Alhambra Palace that features well-preserved Berber Islamic architecture.

Field trip image

Cambodia

May 2012

This Field Study trip was offered as a scholarship to Graphic Design students who exhibited excellence in the academic, department service and leadership arenas. In May 2012, eight students and three faculty were on a journey of discovery to Cambodia. The journey was based on individual growth, shared observation, learning and group experiences whilst addressing the potential for service learning.

Field trip image




Opportunities

Internships

Internships are a great way for students to gain hands-on experience in a professional design environment. VCUarts Qatar’s internships form part of the core curriculum and all students are expected to undertake a 120-hour placement often in their Senior Year. Internships are generally unpaid but may lead to sponsorship or employment after graduation. All placements are managed by the faculty internship coordinator with contracts, reporting documents and timesheets to ensure the highest professional standards are maintained.

Here are just some of the corporations that have offered valuable internships to our Graphic Design students:

Adabisc, Al-Jameela Magazine, Al Jazeera, Alotch Beauty and Cosmetic Center, Al Raya Newspaper, Assouline Gulf, Barwa, Fitch, Grey Advertising, Islamic Heritage Library, JWA Group,  Ministry of Interior, Offspring A Very Small Office, Qatar Foundation, Q-Tel, Saatchi and Saatchi, Shell Qatar, Techno Kids, Vivid, Waqif Art Center.

Visiting Artists

Each year VCUarts Qatar welcomes visiting artists and designers to campus to share their expertise and experiences. Drawn from across the globe, these artists, designers, educators are highly accomplished and recognized within their respective design fields. They share their knowledge through lectures, conferences or specific workshops, broadening our students’ creative experiences and complementing our multi-cultural approach to design.

Here are just some of the visiting artists and designers who visited our Graphic Design program:

Aly Khalifa, Bruce Mau, Chris Jordan, David Gibson, Dawn Hancock, Ida Vesterland, Irma Boom, John Kortbaoui, John McMillan, Jonathan Barnbrook, Mario Gagliardi, Mikon Van Gastell, Mohammed Harib, Nicholas Blechman, Reza Abedini, Robert Bringhurst, Sadik Karamustafa, Saki Mufundikwa, Stefan Sagmeister, Stephen Banham, Suna Kjems, Thomas Milo.

Inquiries

VCUarts Qatar
Al Luqta Street
Education City
Doha, Qatar
+974 4402 0555
vcuqinfo@vcu.edu

Map to vcuarts QATAR

Newsletter

choose options

© 1998‐2023 Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar


Privacy Statement

  • Academics
    • (MFA) Design
    • (BA) Art History
    • (BFA) Graphic Design
    • (BFA) Interior Design
    • (BFA) Painting & Printmaking
    • Art Foundation
    • Liberal Arts & Sciences
    • Honors Program
    • Fashion Design
    • Academic Advising
    • Career Services
    • Art & Design Library
    • Innovative Media Studios
    • Materials Library
    • The Writing Center
    • Student Affairs
    • Alumni
    • Academic Calendar
    • Booking Tool
  • Admissions
    • Undergraduate
    • Graduate
  • Research
  • News & Events
    • News
    • Events
    • The RAM UP
  • About
    • Dean's Letter
    • At a Glance
    • Leadership
    • People
    • Student Affairs
    • Campus Safety
    • Careers
    • Contact
  • More Links
    • Community Education
    • Library
    • Alumni
    • Students
    • Intranet
    • Google Email for Students
    • Google Apps for Faculty & Staff
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • Flickr
    • Vimeo