Fort Hays State University

Studying Graphic Design at Fort Hays State University

Fort Hays State University appears in our ranking of the Top 20 Affordable Web Development Online Degree Programs.

The Department of Art and Design at Fort Hays State University offers programs for students with an interest in both art and design. Its Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program is available with a concentration in graphic design. Students must complete the art and design core, which includes 10 courses such as Basic Design, Figure Drawing, Survey of Art History and Figure Drawing. They will also take a minimum of 34 credits of graphic design classes. Those classes can include History of Graphic Design, Professional Development in Graphic Design, Typography and Book Design. The university has a portfolio class and allows students to do a graphic design internship also.

Through the Department of Informatics, a BA or BS in Information Networking and Telecommunications is offered with a concentration in Web and Mobile Application Development.  This is an online program requiring a total of 124 credit hours, 39 of which are web development concentration courses.

Fort Hays State University also offers a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) with a concentration in graphic design. Students have up to eight years to complete the program, and they must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 to graduate. The university will review the work that students did after they take nine credits of courses. Students will also go through two different oral exams to remain in the program. The MFA program allows students to show their work too.

Though the university has a Master of Liberal Studies program, it includes a concentration in general design rather than graphic design. Available through its Virtual College, this is an online program that includes 18 credits of design work and 10 credits of required classes. Students can also earn bachelor’s degrees in interior design, studio art or studio art with teacher certification. Fort Hays State University has several certificate programs available too, including those in art history and interior design.

About Fort Hays State University

Fort Hays State University is a university in Kansas that the Kansas Board of Regents oversees. Established as the Western Branch of the Kansas State Normal School in 1902, it sat right on top of the original Fort Hays base. During the early days of the west, the school trained teachers who would stay in and around Kansas as well as those who kept moving west across the frontier. The school moved to a new location a few years later but picked the name Fort Hays State University to pay homage to the location of its first campus. Some call the university Fort Hays State or FHSU today.

FHSU is now a separate institution that offers full degree programs for both undergrads and graduate students as well as some doctoral students. It has a campus in Fort Hays will more than 200 acres available for students. That campus is home to the Sternberg Museum of Natural History, which is open to the general public. That museum has more than three million specimens on display and in its archives. There are now 79 different programs for students, including nearly 20 options for grad students and 60 undergrad degree programs. Fort Hays State University has an enrollment of more than 15,000 students, which makes it one of the largest public institutions in Kansas.

Fort Hays State University Accreditation Details

The primary accreditation that FHSU has is that from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Not only does HLC accreditation allow students to apply for and get government financial aid, but it also gives the university the right to accept the credits that students earned from other schools with regional accreditation. Some of the programs available from the university that have specialty accreditation include those in nursing and music.

Fort Hays State University Application Requirements

FHSU has admissions requirements for Kansas residents who are under the age of 21. Those students must have a grade point average of at least 2.0 and complete the Kansas college prep curriculum. The university will accept students with an ACT score of 21 or higher and those who scored 1080 or higher on the SAT as well as those who graduated within the top 1/3 of their high school classes. It has similar requirements for those who graduated from a high school in another state. Incoming freshmen will complete and submit the FHSU application and then send in their high school and/or college transcripts and their test scores.

Students applying to an FHSU MFA program must have a bachelor’s degree in an art field. They should also take at least 36 credits of art classes in college with at least 10 of those hours in the studio. The university has a graduate school application that they can use. Once they submit this application online though, they must make sure that FHSU receives all the documents that it needs. The university asks for official transcripts, a statement of purpose and three letters of recommendation. Students have the chance to talk about why they picked FHSU and what they want to do with their graduate degrees. Grad students must also supply a resume and a portfolio that shows 20 different pieces of work that the individual did.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Undergrads attending FHSU pay $5,133 per year to take up to 30 credits of classes if they are also Kansas residents. The cost for nonresidents is $15,200 per year. FHSU also takes part in the western exchange program that allows undergrads from other western states to get a tuition discount. This program reduces their tuition to $7,132 per year. Students pay close to $8,000 for room and board each year and a few thousand dollars on books and other expenses. Grad students pay $237 per credit hour as a Kansas resident, $605 as a nonresident and $337 per credit hour as a resident of another western state.

Incoming freshmen and transfer students can apply for FHSU scholarships. Its presidential scholarship awards $3,500 to students with a score of 1350 or higher on the SAT or at least 29 on the ACT. Other scholarships go to those with a lower test score. Some of its departments have scholarships of their own, and students can also qualify for athletic scholarships. Graduate students can apply for one of the university’s assistantships and make money as they work for the school. Both graduate students and undergrads can use the FAFSA to apply for traditional government financial aid. Students applying to Fort Hays State University should look at its Department of Art and Design to see if they qualify for any art or design scholarships.