Kirkwood Community College’s visual communication and design program will merge with the digital arts program, Dean of Arts and Humanities Jennifer Cunningham confirmed on Feb. 20.
The degree program will no longer be available to new students starting in the fall of 2026. However, the classes that are part of the program will continue as part of the digital arts program.
The decision to merge the two programs was the result of “changing needs” in the arts industry, said Cunningham. One example given by Cunningham was how the rise of artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the digital arts industry.
“Students need to be well-versed in not just graphic design, but other forms of art such as photography and videography,” said Cunningham.
Merging the two programs will provide the best way for students to be more successful in the field, she added.
Students who are currently enrolled in the program will have until the spring of 2027 to complete their degree. Students who do not complete their degree by that time will have several pathways to continue learning, including finishing their degree in the digital arts program.
Visual communication and design major McKenzie Siska said that she received an email one week after the fall semester ended stating that the program would be discontinued next fall. While Siska was “bummed” by the discontinuation, she is glad that she will be able to finish her degree instead of having to “start over or take any additional classes.”
In response to Cunningham’s comments regarding the program, Siska stated that all of the arts fields encompass each other, giving the example that one learns in the arts programs how to both take and edit photos.
However, she noted that there were differences in both the digital arts and visual communication and design programs. She also said that the visual communication and design program had more classes in visual layout and graphic design. She hopes that the digital arts program will absorb these courses as the two programs merge.
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