Major Monday – Graphic design

Almost everything that we come in contact with today has an element of design incorporated into it. Whether it be a magazine cover, a poster on the wall or even your coffee cup, graphic design is everywhere. If you enjoy the creativity behind design and have skills with a computer and graphic imaging then a major in graphic design might be right for you.

Education

According to the College Board, a major in graphic design is most often earned at the bachelor’s (4-year) level. Typical courses that students will take in this major include graphic design studio, graphic design techniques, history of graphic design, production design, Photoshop basics and typography. Most of the course work is done in a lab or studio and requires the use of software to develop certain designs. Students will most often experiment in making logos, websites, posters and other sorts of graphic images. While a art prerequisites are not mandatory, a creative mind and the ability to invision new design is essential in order to be successful in this major.

What to know before you apply

As graphic design is both technological and artistic, students should know whether the department is within its own field or if it’s part of the larger art department. Students should also be aware of who is teaching the courses and whether or not the professors have actually worked in the field of graphic design outside of the courses that they are teaching. Since almost all of the learning will be done in the art labs and studios, students should examine the facilities of the particular schools they are looking into to make sure that they use only the most  up-to-date equipment and software and provide the ability to print and display projects that students work on throughout the semester.

Salary

Graphic design is a field that is open to many different job opportunities and can either focus on the more creative and artistic side of design or more so in marketing. Students more interested in art can pursue careers as graphic designers or illustrators who earned an average yearly salary of $48,690 and $53,400 in 2011, respectively, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If students are more interested in marketing, they can pursue a career in advertising, marketing and public relations management which averaged a yearly salary of $111,743 as of 2011.