2025-2026
Interdisciplinary Studies - Entrepreneurial Design (NEXT STEP Pathway)
VCU
Community college:
Associate of Applied Science: Web Design G3 program (Brightpoint Community College)
Associate degree
Associate of Applied Science: Web Design (G3 program)
Completing the associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.
Program description
The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies: Entrepreneurial Design pathway combines coursework in Human-Centered Design through the da Vinci Center, Creative Practices, and the minor in Entrepreneurship with BIS core courses. This pathway positions students for careers in web design and/or other digitally creative fields. By combining this coursework with instruction in interdisciplinary methodology, BIS students will understand how to design effective websites for businesses and/or to run their own businesses. The curriculum is flexible. Students, in consultation with their BIS advisor, can make changes to the recommended courses taken at VCU. Upon graduation, students will be awarded the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies and a minor in Entrepreneurship.
Career opportunities
BIS graduates with a focus in Entrepreneurial Design are well prepared to seek employment in corporate, nonprofit and government agencies. Additionally, graduates will be well-equipped to begin the process of forming their very own web design business.
Bachelor-level job titles
- Front-End Web Developer
- Junior Web Designer
- Junior Web Developer
- Product Designer
- UI Designer
- UX Designer
- Web Designer
- Web Developer
Graduate and professional level job titles
- Full Stack Web Developer
- Senior Web Designer
- Senior Web Developer
- Web Marketing Manager
Contact information
Telephone: (804) 827-1349
Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu
VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist
Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638
Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.
Guaranteed transfer admission requirements
Students are guaranteed admission to this degree program with:
- Completion of associate degree
- Minimum GPA of 2.5
- All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
- Quantitative Foundations requirement only
Science required
- Natural Sciences requirement only
Foreign language requirements
- No
Additional tuition/fees
- No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
- 2.0+ cumulative GPA, 2.0+ major GPA
VCU Major Maps
Transfer major map
2025-2026
Interdisciplinary Studies - Entrepreneurial Design (NEXT STEP Pathway)
Brightpoint Community College (Associate of Applied Science: Web Design G3 program)
| MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING | GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY | DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY | EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS | PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE | ||
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| Explore | Year 1 |
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| Experience | Year 2 |
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Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Register for SDV 100.
- Schedule an advising appointment with your Brightpoint advisor.
- Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes and use tutoring to get ahead.
- Cultivate relationships with your professors.
- Explore financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Explore the VCU Interdisciplinary Studies department website.
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations.
- Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
- Find out if you are eligible for the NEXT STEP VCU program.
- Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Attend cultural events at community college and VCU to celebrate diversity.
- Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
- Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Familiarize yourself with Handshake and explore Career Pathways .
- Browse careers related to entrepreneurial design in Career Coach.
- Explore iGrad to look into building a career and financial future.
- Create LinkedIn profile.
- Take a career assessment to explore job options.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
- Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
- Create a weekly and monthly budget.
- Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Schedule an advising appointment with your Brightpoint advisor.
- Meet with your NEXT STEP advisor or submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
- Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
- Be prepared for academic challenges. Use tutoring to get ahead.
- Submit the FAFSA on time.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
- Research housing for next year.
- Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU Interdisciplinary Studies department, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
- Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
- Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or department-related events.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Find out about VCU REAL and learn about VCU's REAL graduation requirement.
- Use Handshake to explore jobs and internships that match your interests and skills.
- If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
- Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
- Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
- Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
- Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
Recommended courses
2025-2026
Interdisciplinary Studies - Entrepreneurial Design (NEXT STEP Pathway)
Brightpoint Community College (Associate of Applied Science: Web Design G3 program)
| Course | Title | Equivalent course | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDV 100 | College Success Skills | UNIV 101 | 1 | Elective |
| ENG 111 | College Composition I | UNIV 111 | 3 | General education |
| ART 250 | History of Design (or ART 101 or ART 102) | VCU equivalent | 3 | Elective |
| ART 180 | Introduction to Computer Graphics | ARTS 1XX | 3 | Elective |
| ART 121 | Foundations of Drawing | ARTS 1XX | 3 | General education |
| ART 131 | Two-Dimensional Design | ARTS 1XX | 3 | General education |
| ENG 112 | College Composition II | UNIV 200 | 3 | General education |
| MTH 154 | Quantitative Reasoning | MATH 131 | 3 | General education |
| ART 130 | Introduction to Multimedia | ARTS 1XX | 4 | Elective |
| ART 141 | Typography I | ARTS 1XX | 3 | Elective |
| ART 203 | Animation I | ARTS 2XX | 3 | Elective |
| PSY 200 or SOC 200 | Principles of Psychology or Introduction to Sociology | PSYC 101 or SOCY 101 | 3 | General education |
| ART 116 | Design for the Web I | ARTS 1XX | 3 | Elective |
| ART 263 | Interactive Design I | ARTS 2XX | 3 | Elective |
| ART 217 | Graphic Design I | ARTS 2XX | 3 | Elective |
| ART 117 | Design for the Web ll | ARTS 1XX | 3 | Elective |
| ART 264 | Interactive Design II | ARTS 2XX | 3 | Elective |
| ART 208 | Video Techniques | ARTS 2XX | 3 | Elective |
| ART 296 or ART 298 | On-Site Training: Web Design Internship or Web Design Seminar and Project | UNIV 493 or UNIV 492 | 3 | Elective |
| Select two of the following electives: ART 204, ART 220, CST 114, CST 228, PHT 105, PHT 135, PHT 164, ITP 140, ITP 150 | VCU equivalents | 6 | Elective | |
| Brightpoint credits completed for AAS degree | 62 | |||
| Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| IDST 301 | Interdisciplinary Theory and Practice | 3 | Major |
| IDST 303 | Interdisciplinarity in the Professional World | 3 | Major |
| IDST 499 | BIS Senior Capstone | 3 | Major |
| HCDN 351 | Introduction to Human-centered Design | 1 | Major |
| HCDN 352 | Human-centered Design Methods | 1 | Major |
| HCDN 353 | Human-centered Design Through Service Learning | 2 | Major |
| VNTR 300 | Venture Creation Skills | 3 | Major |
| Select one upper-level Human-centered Design elective (see VCU advisor for course options) | 3 | Major | |
| MGMT 303 | Creativity and Ideation | 3 | Major |
| MGMT 321 | Survey of Entrepreneurship | 3 | Major |
| MGMT 435 | New Venture Strategy and Initiation | 3 | Major |
| MGMT 436 | New Venture Strategy and Initiation | 3 | Major |
| Select two Entrepreneurship electives (see VCU advisor for course options) | 6 | Major | |
| CREA 202 | Creative Coding | 3 | Major |
| CREA 330 | Interdisciplinary Web Design | 3 | Major |
| CREA 300 or CREA 350 or CREA 391 | Idea Accelerator or Piloting the Enterprise or Topics in Creative Practices | 3 | Major |
| Open electives Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. | 12 | Elective | |
| Credits completed at VCU | 58 | ||
| Bachelor's degree total | 120 | ||