His Excellency the UQU President, Prof. Abdullah Bafail, has issued an administrative decision changing the name of the College of Designs to the College of Designs and Arts. His Excellency's decision also entailed creating the Department of Graphic Design in the College of Designs and Arts, and transferring the Department of Art Education from the College of Education to the College of Designs and Arts with a new name: "Department of Visual Arts".

The Dean of the College, Dr. Rania Abdul-Rahman, referred to the importance of the decision in defining the tasks of the departments of the college and developing its scientific and educational courses and programs in the field of publishing and advertising design. This is possible after a new department for graphic design has been created to join its four already established departments, contribute to the implementation of educational quality standards, and better align the college's outputs with labor market needs.

She explained that the college's programs are subject to continuous assessments leading its departments to undergo several changes with regard to their names and educational and training programs. Such steps keep pace with the university plans aimed at qualifying the young cadres in the different fields.

The department seeks to empower the graphic designer in the world of professional creativity and entrepreneurship through acquiring creative thinking skills, learning theories of color and the history of art, organizing standing and mobile exhibitions, and gaining technical and professional skills in montage, press publishing, and advertising design.