Graphic design college programs abound.
The field of graphic design is in the midst of a renaissance. Emerging digital technology is largely driven by the online and interactive media. The top graphic design schools must keep up with the relatively young mediums while trying to teach the traditional basics of graphic design. There are several hundred graphic design programs for students to choose from when making an enrollment decision.
Carnegie Mellon
While Carnegie Mellon is world-renowned for its science research, it is also home to one of the country's top graphic design departments. The School of Design in the College of Fine Arts offers several programs on the undergraduate and graduate level. Undergraduates have three degree options: a Bachelor of Fine Arts in communication design, an industrial design BFA and an interdisciplinary joint program degree. The joint program allows students to earn Bachelor of Humanities & Arts and Bachelor of Science & Arts degrees. Students majoring in other subjects also have the option of earning a minor in design.
Carnegie Mellon has three graduate programs including a Master of Design degree, a diploma in Interaction Design and a joint program with Carnegie Mellon's Department of Mechanical Engineering leading to a Master of Product Development degree.
Carnegie Mellon University School of Design
5000 Forbes Avenue
MMCH 110
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213-3890
412.268.2828
design.cmu.edu
Rhode Island School of Design
The Rhode Island School of Design is one of the oldest art schools in the country. Founded in 1877, the prestigious institution shares resources with its Ivy League neighbor Brown University. For undergraduates, the school offers a traditional Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a five-year Bachelor of Graphic Design degree. On the graduate level, students can choose from either a two year Master of Fine Arts degree or a three year MFA. The school's Summer Institute for Graphic Designs Studies hosts intensive credit courses for students and professionals.
Rhode Island School of Design, Department of Graphic Design
Design Center
30 North Main Street, First Floor, Room 103
Providence, Rhode Island 02903
401-454-6171
gd.risd.edu
Cranbrook Academy of Art
The Cranbrook Academy of Art is known for its unorthodox approach to arts education. It emphasizes self-directed study and does not have classes or assign projects to students. Instead, the highly-regarded school encourages studio time, student exhibitions and community critique. It does not offer undergraduate programs or continuing education courses but focuses its efforts on graduate students. The school offers an Master of Fine Arts degree and a Master of Architecture degree.
Cranbrook Academy of Art
Master of Fine Arts Program
39221 Woodward Avenue, Box 801
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303-0801
248-645-3300
cranbrookart.edu
