What Is Graphic Communications Technology?
The primary objective of the Graphic Communications Technology curriculum at University of Houston is to prepare students for leadership roles (i.e., production management, quality control, sales, planning, customer-service, and estimating)in graphic communications businesses. Graphic Communications (GC) refers to the processes and industries that create, develop, produce, or disseminate products utilizing or incorporating words or pictorial images to convey information, ideas, and feelings. GC products facilitate learning, enjoyment, motivation, and commerce. Graphic Communications includes the family of market segments embracing the technologies of printing, publishing, packaging, electronic imaging, and their allied industries: they are often referred to as the graphic arts, print, or imaging industries. Effective contemporary graphic communication requires a mix of communications technologies: still and motion multimedia and web sites in addition to printed media. For this reason, the Graphic Communications Technology curriculum at UH can be thought of as a tapestry created by weaving together print, multimedia, and web design technologies.
The secondary objective of the Graphic Communications Technology degree program is to prepare students for technological careers in the graphic communications industries. The program prepares students for a variety of careers, including Digital Imaging Technician, Electronic Prepress Technician, Multimedia Specialist, Webmaster, and Offset Lithographic Press Operator.
The courses cover the specific subject matter outlined by the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF)in their GATF Imaging Skills Curriculum. Therefore,graduates of the program are prepared to take GATF âs certification examination. The curriculum also covers all the subject matter required to pass the certification examination for the General Requirements for Applications in Commercial Offset Lithography (GRACoL).There are also numerous vendor specific examinations,such as those offered by Adobe, which students will be able to pass should they choose to do so upon completion of the program.