What is a visual strategy minor?

We spend our days in a sea of messages. From social media channels to TV to radio to web sources to print media and more, we are bombarded with content. As a branding expert, campaign manager or art director, how do you break through the clutter to reach your audience? A minor in visual strategy is a course of study that complements your academic major and helps you develop the tools to deliver the right visual message, in the right space, at the right time.

Why minor in visual strategy at Furman?

Many students in today’s marketplace want to develop their knowledge in visual marketing, message creation, brand design and strategic communication. Blending hands-on studio skill development grounded in the theories behind successful graphic design, the visual strategy minor is perfect for students interested in advertising and promotion, marketing, branding and art direction. Even if you don’t consider yourself a strong “art person,” you’ll come away from the minor as a message-crafter, building a portfolio of visual ideas built on the foundational elements that make them work.
As a private liberal arts and sciences university, Furman provides an exceptional environment for interdisciplinary studies, allowing students to find connections between myriad areas of interest. Explore the power of visual messages through coursework in the interconnected fields of visual studies, persuasion, narrative and creative arts, and integrated strategic communication found in the departments of art, English, business, communication studies, and philosophy.

How will you learn?

Reveal your inner maker with a minor in visual strategy, where creativity meets best practices in communication studies. Your portfolio is the vehicle for learning both the aesthetic and theoretical underpinnings that make visual communication impactful. Understand the “why” in your strategy, and glean driving principle from multiple disciplinary vantage points to create messages that are at once attractive and on point.

Small class sizes give students greater access to professors who are among the best in their fields. Our focus on engaged learning leverages Furman’s strong undergraduate research, internship and study away opportunities. Visit our campus or request information to learn more.

Want to take visual strategy even further? Furman’s Master of Arts in Strategic Design is a 21-month graduate program that will propel your design-thinking to new heights.

Featured visual strategy courses

Train a multidisciplinary lens on your creative sensibilities with courses offered by the departments of art, business, communication studies, English and philosophy.

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  • 90%
    Art majors who have had an internship by the time they graduate
  • No. 6
    Furman’s rank among National Liberal Arts Colleges in the Southeast – U.S. News and World Report
  • 94.6%
    Full-time faculty at Furman with the highest degrees in their fields
  • 9:1
    Student to faculty ratio in the Department of Art

What our students say

“I knew from the beginning that the studio art and communication studies combination was strong and something I was passionate about. Both experiences helped me gain a strong knowledge base and practical experience through internships or research. So, I think the visual strategy minor does two things – it gives students creative outlets, and more importantly, gives them the resources and underlying reasoning to be successful.”
- Anne Heaton Sanders ’22, B.A., studio art and communication studies

Our faculty

Sarah Archino

Department Chair, Associate Professor of Art History

Darren Hick

Assistant Professor, Philosophy​

Ross McClain

Professor of Art and Design

Adam Richards

Associate Professor, Communication Studies

Jeanine Stratton

Associate Professor, Business and Accounting

Mary Sturgill

Media Specialist/Instructor

Sarah Worth

Professor of Philosophy
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Visual Strategy Minor F.A.Q.

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