# Applied Art and Design—Illustration (AA or AS Degree)

Sierra College · 2026-2027 Catalog · Department: Applied Art and Design

Source: https://catalog.sierracollege.edu/departments/applied-art-design/#illustration-aa

The Illustration degree offers a comprehensive set of courses in Illustration, animation and gaming, digital imaging, art foundations, digital art, and 3d modeling. This option prepares students for transfer to a four year university in illustration, graphic design, animation, and other related fields. The program stresses the design thinking process as well as the professional production currently used in the industry.

In all cases, students should consult with a counselor for more information on university admission and transfer requirements. Students must fulfill the following major requirements with grades of “C” or better, complete a minimum of 60 degree-applicable semester units (12 of which must be completed at Sierra College) with a grade point average of at least 2.0 and complete one of the following three general education patterns:

-   Sierra College Associate Degree Requirements (Local General Education)
-   California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)

**Required Courses**

| Course | Title | Units |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Select 9 units from the following:** | | 9 |
| ↳ AAD 0012 | Visual Communication (also COMM 0012) |  |
| or ↳ AAD 0013 | History of Graphic Design |  |
| ↳ AAD 0044 | Sketching for Design |  |
| or ↳ ART 0004A | Drawing I |  |
| ↳ AAD 0060 | Graphic Design I: Principles and Process |  |
| ↳ AAD 0070 | Graphic Design II: Introduction to Digital Design |  |
| **Select 15 units from the following:** | | 15 |
| ↳ AAD 0055 | Illustration (also ART 0055) |  |
| ↳ AAD 0062 | Digital Illustration |  |
| ↳ AAD 0071 | Introduction to Digital Painting (also ART 0071) |  |
| ↳ AAD 0073 | Digital Art Studio: Concepts and Practices (also ART 0073) |  |
| ↳ AAD 0075 | Introduction to Photoshop (also PHOT 0075) |  |
| ↳ AAD 0083 | Introduction to Three-Dimensional Modeling |  |
| ↳ AAD 0094 | Digital Animation |  |
| ↳ AAD 0096 | Portfolio Design |  |
| ↳ ART 0004B | Drawing II |  |
| or ↳ ART 0005A | Figure Drawing I |  |
| ↳ ART 0006C | Color Theory |  |
| ↳ ART 0007A | Oil Painting I |  |
| or ↳ ART 0008A | Watercolor Painting I |  |
| **Total Units** | | **24** |