With this degree, you’ll learn all about the most-used graphic design platforms and the techniques that allow graphic designers to succeed in the field. Graphic designers create visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers. Digital designers develop, create, and test website or interface layout, functions, and navigation for usability. They are responsible for the look and functionality of the website or interface.

Degree Benefits:

  • Increasing your creativity and finding your personal style, as well as being able to meet the needs of clients and employers
  • Improve your visual literacy in terms of design and graphics as well as typography, composition, and color
  • Learn from professors and staff that have real-world experience in the design world

Career Options Include:

  • Marketing Manager
  • Industrial/Product Designer
  • Art Director
  • Graphic Designer

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average median salary for Graphic Designers in 2020 was $53,380 per year. Web Developers and Designers average median salary for 2020 was $77,200 per year according to BLS and Special Effects Artists and Animators in 2020 was $77,700 per year.

Find an online bachelor's or master's degree:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What you need to understand about online or campus learning is that the amount of time it takes to complete courses entirely depends on your commitment to studying.


A typical bachelor's degree requires 120 to 129 credits to complete the course, which can take around 4 years for full-time students. Students that already have an associate’s degree, could complete this within 2 years depending on the amount of courses and classes they take each semester. Online training usually takes 4 years but can take up to 7 years since most students only study part-time. In fact, most online schools have a time limit to complete programs, where they give you 7 years to complete the program and if you don't finish in that time you will lose credits earned toward your degree.


Another example is studying for a master's degree full-time on campus can take 2 years to complete, where studying online for the same course can take 3 to 4 years depending on how many courses you complete each semester. However, you should also be aware that, if you devote more time to studying than most on-campus students; if you complete courses during the summer and maintain a full course load each year, you will be able to finish your degree in less than 4 years.

Before choosing a major there are some important facts you should know about.


Design & Technical Graphics is a wide-ranging field with many different specialties. If you have a specific career you are hoping to enter, make sure the school either offers a major in that field or a variety of classes pertaining to your field of interest. You may be able to find employment information for graduating students, which can show you how many students were able to enter the Design & Technical Graphics you're looking at upon graduation.


This is a very important question to ask yourself. Your major should play a big part in the schools you are considering. Not every college may offer the major of your choice, so doing your homework is the first step of the selection process.

Courses required to obtain a bachelor's degree in Design & Technical Graphics consist of general core courses that Freshman and Sophomores take and Junior and Senior level courses focus more on the major concentration classes. Associate degrees, on the other hand, normally prepare grads for entry-level with the basic skills and expertise required in a field. Affiliate's levels can likewise allow students to finish general education and learning demands with a two-year program, then later transfer right into a four-year program. There are two major titles of bachelor's levels: BA (Bachelor of Arts) and BS (Bachelor of Science). There are bachelor's degree programs in a wide range of majors, consisting of STEM subjects, social sciences, arts, and all kinds of specific subjects. You can find some sample major concentration courses that you may be required to take below:

  • Fundamentals of Graphic Design
  • Graphic Design Elements for Non-Designers
  • Interactive Computer Graphics
  • Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation
  • The Language of Design: Form and Meaning
  • Innovation Through Design: Think, Make, Break, Repeat
  • Use Canva to Create Social Media Marketing Designs
  • Introduction to Typography

Currently, students enrolled in four-year universities have less than a 50% chance of graduating within four years. Statistics vary from university to university, but many students are graduating closer to the 6-year range.


If you want to be one of the lucky 40% who do graduate in your fourth year, you'll need to make a few sacrifices. First, you'll have to take more than the minimum 12 credit hours per semester. Take 15 credits per semester, because you'll finish earning the required credits in around four years.


Go to school each summer session. Take at least one class per summer semester. Not only will you be sure to graduate on time, but you may also benefit with lower per-credit tuition charges, as well.


Declare a major as soon as you can. You won't be moving from major to major this way. If you have to work for gas or rent, work for the fewest number of hours per week that you can. Your studies are vital.

Accreditation is an important part of selecting a school for Design & Technical Graphics education. Much depends on accreditation and the type of accreditation. There are two main types of accreditation; regional and national. Regional accreditation agencies work with research-based schools, private schools, public schools, and some for-profit schools. National accreditation works primarily with for-profit and career-related education.


Regional Accreditation


There are two types of regional accreditation; they are Design & Technical Graphics program accreditation and institutional accreditation. Institutional accreditation uses a group of states as the base to compare the school with other colleges and universities; the group of states comprises the region assigned by the Department of Education.


Programmatic Accreditation looks at specific programs or parts of a college or university. This type of accreditation has the same type of respect and acceptance as regional accreditation for institutions. Regional employers and other educational institutions regard regional accreditation as proof of high-quality education.


National Accreditation


National accreditation has a Faith-based branch and a career- related education branch. Faith-based institutions have a different set of standards that recognize the role of faith in instruction. The for-profit branch of national accreditation covers the special purpose and non-traditional schools such as vocational schools. The career-related education requires standards that place appropriate weight on general knowledge and education. Some regionally accredited schools do not accept credits from career-related schools.


Did you know that your salary is not always just based on what level of degree you received, but it also could be based on what school you attended? Many employers actually have their own rankings and rating systems of schools. That is to say, if you received your degree from a college that was accredited by a low rated agency, your salary may actually be decreased by a certain percentage where a high-ranked, well-known, accredited school, can raise that mark significantly.

It can cost $8,000 to $60,000 a year for a bachelor's in Design & Technical Graphics . This includes tuition, room and board, books, and supplies.


For a doctoral degree, the cost ranges from $7,000 to $40,000 per year.


Then there are license fees that range anywhere from $500 to over $1,000, which includes application and exam fees as well as the cost for the initial license.


If you attend a brick-and-mortar college in-state, it will cost you much less than it would for out-of-state attendees, while it usually doesn't matter what state you reside in when studying for a B.A in Design & Technical Graphics online.


Moreover, when attending a brick-and-mortar school you will have to pay for room-and-board or transportation, books, and other supplies, while online students don't require such things. However, they do have to pay technology fees usually on a per-credit-hour basis, but some may offer tiered rates. Technology fees include tech support, technology improvements, and online training management systems.

We recommend that students make a specific inquiry about job placement assistance programs at any school they consider for a Bachelor of Arts in Design & Technical Graphics degree program. Advanced institutions incorporate career planning into the two or four-year course of study for a bachelor's or master's degree in Design & Technical Graphics . The school may host job fairs, business community awareness communications, and host interviews for employers from across the region.


The school of Design & Technical Graphics, college, or university is a broad community of alumni, business sponsors, and corporate partners. Both new and established schools often have extensive local, regional, and national networks. The overall resources of the Design & Technical Graphics School and the larger schools can potentially assist in producing high levels of job opportunities and hires for recent graduates.


Some schools pair students with advisers, career counselors, and job coaches at various stages of their academic careers. Observers can see the results in annual satisfaction surveys, and the numbers of students that get interviews and offers of employment.