A Nationally Recognized Program of Excellence.

The Academy of Graphics and Publication at Santa Susana High School is a nationally recognized program of excellence. Top yearbook in the nation five times. 100% AP Studio Art pass rate for 14 years!

Student have gone on to Art Center, Cal Arts, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Otis, School of Visual Arts NYC, Cal State Northridge, FIDM, Gnomon, and San Diego State University. Former students have also found employment at Disney Imagineering, Sephora, Urban Outfitters, and Jakks Pacific doing design work.

Academy Course List

(Total 70 Credits)

Honors Graphic Design ROP/CTE (10 Credits)
The capstone course for the Academy of Graphics and Publication. This is an honors credit class which is for college credit (3 units) if you receive an A, B, or C in the class. We work with Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign to create Cereal Boxes, Packaging, Vector Art, Tee Shirt Design, Silk Screen, Album Design, Posters and Advertising, Typography, Yearbook Cover Design, Currency Design, Logo Design, Business Card Design, Corporate Branding, Menu Design, Billboard Artwork, Magazine Covers and Layouts, and Computer Animation. There are also internship opportunities.

Honors Yearbook (Annual) (10 Credits)
This is a yearlong class designed to create the school yearbook and supplement. Five times our book has placed #1 in the Nation in the American Scholastic Association National Yearbook Competition in New York. As a class we create a theme, design spreads, cover and utilize photography. We cover events through journalism and photography, place content in layouts, and proof our work. At the end of the year we create a supplement to the book which has been either an interactive interactive app, or interactive PDF.  
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AP Studio Art 2D (Digital Photography)
(10 Credits)
This is a yearlong Digital Photo class which covers how to use a professional camera, and identify elements and principles in your work. This leads to working with studio strobes, reflectors, and doing fashion shoots, which include modeling, styling, hair, and makeup. These images are then post processed in Photoshop for use in Graphic Design related projects. In the past twelve years, 100% of our students who have turned in a portfolio to the College Board, have received college credit, totaling over  400 students.
Portfolio requirements.

Graphics and Publication (5 Credits)
In this semester course we learn professional design programs, such as Adobe Photoshop (Editing Images), Adobe Illustrator (Illustration), Adobe InDesign (Layout), Adobe Premiere (Video), and Adobe Animate (2D Animation). We then cover typography, and do graphic design projects such as designing advisement's, posters, and more.  

Digital Photography (5 Credits)
Students learn to use an SLR camera at an advanced level. Covering ISO, Aperture, Shutter Speed, and Manual Modes. We learn composition, shoot elements and principles, editing techniques in Photoshop, and use reflectors for fashions shoots.

‍Basic Design (10 Credits)
Basic Design is a course which covers drawing, painting, and sculpture, all through the lens of learning and using the elements and principles of art and design. This is a hands on class where students have the opportunity to imagine, create, and problem solve. This class is a prerequisite course for most academies.