15 Masters in Graphic Design Programs [UPDATED]

If you possess the talent to turn ideas into realities, a talent for project management and an eye for good design, a Masters in Graphic Designs Programs can provide the training and references you need to take your career to the next level.

Sit back, relax and carefully explore our up to date 15 Masters in Graphic Design Programs available for you.

The job market for graphic designers has been stable for years. According to employment prospects reported by the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, a 1% growth is projected over the next seven years.

We investigated schools that offered masters in graphic design programs or closely related disciplines. From our authentic cluster of 49 institutions, we narrowed down our ranking criteria and developed a list of 15 masters in graphic design.

In this read, you will discover whether or not a master in graphic design programs is the right career when choosing a graduate program, its program benefits before (undergraduate) and after graduation.

Can I get a Master’s Degree in Graphic Design?

The answer is a big “YES”. Typical master’s programs in the graphic design curriculum include a thorough study of design history and theory and an advanced study in design concepts such as typography and design research.

Some programs offer a three-year track for students without an undergraduate degree in graphic design. These tracks usually contain basic design courses during their first year.

Culminating courses usually include open studio time and a master’s thesis. Many graduate programs in graphic design also require an internship or a design fellowship.

This practical experience can help you build a credible design portfolio and stay ahead of the competition after graduation.

Online Masters in Graphic Design Online

Masters in graphic design online format are also available but may need a personal internship or thesis presentation. For this reason, students should seriously consider location when choosing a master’s degree in graphic design.

On-campus programs and internships offer students the opportunity to form a professional network and find potential career opportunities.

If you are considering moving to another region or city for a career, consider going to school there. All courses are delivered online and given by the same instructors on campus.

How do I choose a Master’s Degree in Graphic Design?

Graphic design master’s degree programs draw on a strong foundation in fine arts and a profound understanding of social and cultural influences on visual communication.

Graphic design is an interdisciplinary field, and many graduate students in graphic design have undergraduate degrees in complementary areas such as journalism, literature or cultural studies.

Some schools offer two graduate tracks: a two-year program for professionals with an undergraduate degree in graphic design, and a three-year program for those new to graphic designers who have to deal with basic design and theory.

When choosing a graduate program in graphic design, pay attention to the philosophy of each prospective program on the subject and its elective. Some degrees focus on the advanced study of traditional design elements such as typography and drawing, while others focus on digital and interactive design spaces.

What Do Graphic Designers Do?

Graphic designers develop visual ideas and turn them into digital and web-based products that educate and attract viewers. Designers can create brochures, infographics and brand logos, and many choose a specific niche, such as education or fashion.

Graphic designers can work in various settings, including nonprofits and large corporations.

What can I do with a Master’s Degree in Graphic Design?

The interdisciplinary nature of a master’s degree in graphic design opens up a number of career paths for graduates, including freelance graphic designer and industrial designer in manufacturing.

The most successful graphic designers are excellent communicators, have strong empathy for the needs and ideas of others, and complete their work efficiently and in a timely manner.

Some of the following positions require further study, but a degree in graphic design provides the aesthetic skills and techniques fundamental to these roles.

Masters in Graphic Design Salary

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a graphic designer can expect to earn up to $47,000 per year as a master’s degree in graphic design, and this is just for beginners. This is so because of society’s demand for advertising and web design is rapidly increasing. The more experience and training you have, the greater your salary potential.

In addition, while considering the master’s degree in graphic design salary, the employment of graphic designers is projected to grow from 4% by now to 2026. Many graphic designers also have the luxury of working remotely.

What are the requirements for a degree in Graphic Design Programs?

Many of the graphic design programs are very competitive and require that prospective students not only have experience in the field but a portfolio of work to prove it.

After being accepted into a program, you will have tons of hands-on experience and will probably need to complete a thesis or other comprehensive design project to get your degree.

Many people are attracted to graphic design programs because they allow a flexible work schedule and promote a creative lifestyle. Graphic designers often benefit from a greater reliance on a remote workforce.

This allows many graphic designers to have the freedom to work from home and set their own hours. In fact, one in four people in the emerging field of graphic design is autonomous.

Masters in Graphic Design Programs

Now that you are eagerly looking around, you may have noticed that there are many graphic design programs out there. Not just that, but there is a multitude of different areas of expertise.

Let’s explore the 15 masters in graphic design program and masters in graphic design schools and they are listed according to the latest rankings

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#1. Graphic Design History

A history of graphic design explores graphic communication from the earliest human forms to today’s evolving digital and evolutionary symbols and interactions.

This course typically examines the social, economic and political influences on graphic design and communication between epochs. Students build an understanding of how history does and can inspire current work in the field.

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#2. Typography

Postgraduate typography offers a deep dive into typographic elements – such as voice, composition, and grid systems – and emphasizes how these elements work together to affect the meaning of typography in media forms. Exercises and practical projects provide practice in designing and using several types.

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#3. Web and Mixed Media Design

The web-based design allows students to use and publish interactive projects online and on-screen. You’ll learn how to use universal programming languages, such as HTML and JavaScript, to create websites.

Students also gain experience with tools and techniques to incorporate interactive elements such as movement and dimensionality.

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#4. Publishing Design

This course offers students the practice of weaving together the technical, aesthetic and social elements of graphic design to produce a functional and beautiful product that communicates the desired message to a target audience.

This course can also focus on the cohesion of design, especially in relation to a brand in several publications.

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#5. Motion Graphics

Students enrolled in motion graphics learn the language, design, and sequencing workflow process, and software to produce graphics and animations. Students generally use Adobes After Effects software, which is considered an industry standard.

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# 6. Basics of web development and coding

Designs have gone from page to web in recent years, and that’s why every graphic designer should at least develop basic skills in creating and encoding web pages. This specialization may be available online at some universities and usually takes three months.

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#7. Adobe Certified Expert

The Adobe software package is the industry standard for design professionals, and to become a certified expert, you get evidence of your experience in these programs. Adobe offers several online supervised training courses and exams for certification.

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#8. Animation and Moving Media Certification

Some programs offer animation and graphics animation courses, but graphic designers who wish to stay ahead in a competitive industry may consider getting certified in this specific set of skills.

Students will find a variety of certification offerings, including individualized online modules and on-campus university programs, which can take up to two years to complete.

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#9. Mobile Application Development Specialist

The development of well-designed and easy-to-use mobile applications is another evolving expertise that can open career paths for designers.

Learning Tree and other industry-leading organizations offer different certification levels, typically requiring two or more courses and an associated exam.

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#10. Business Communication Certificate

Freelance graphic designers need excellent business sense and communication skills. Many college extension programs offer business communication certifications, typically requiring two or three courses and exams. These programs usually take a year and a half to complete.

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#11. Visual Literacy: A Crash Graphic Design Course

Graphic design, also known as communication design, is the art and practice of planning and designing ideas and experiences with visual and textual content. Visual literacy is a skill set that allows an individual to effectively find, interpret, evaluate, use, and create images and visual media.

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#12. Transmedia Type Laboratory

Transmedia narrative (also known as transmedia or multiplatform narrative) is the technique of telling a single story or story experience on various platforms and formats using current digital technologies, not to be confused with classic franchises, sequels, or cross-platform media adaptations but generally working with these other means.

From the point of view of production, the trans-media narrative involves the creation of content that involves an audience using various techniques to permeate their daily lives.

To achieve this engagement, a transmedia production will develop stories in various media forms to offer unique content on each channel.

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#13. MAGD

Media Arts develops an aesthetic sensibility and artistic design skills important in producing original and creative digital media content for interactive and time-based computer games, animation, websites, video, special effects, 3D graphics industry, and artistic productions.

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#14. Models and Processes of Ideation

Ideation is the creative process of generating, developing and communicating new ideas, where an idea is understood as a basic element of thinking that can be visual, concrete or abstract.

It comprises all stages of a cycle of thinking, from innovation to development, to actualization. Ideation is at the heart of the Design Thinking process. There are literally hundreds of ideation techniques, for example, brainstorming, sketching, SCAMP and prototyping.

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#15. Mediatecture

The course program, Mediatecture is the art and engineering of digitally enabled environments that respond to human needs and aspirations. Mediatecture is a multidisciplinary, top-level course that helped redefine the Graphic Design Department.

The lesson helps students explore the limits of new media, problem-solving, and human-centered design. The class is often associated with longer classes, where they can have space and time to innovate and try new ideas.

Instead of relying on a tool, students use a wide variety of tools, including Processing, Arduino + Sensors, Kinect, MadMapper, OpenTSPS, Projectors, and the Adobe suite.

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How long does it take to get a Masters Degree in Graphic Design?

Most master’s programs in graphic design require at least two years of full-time enrollment and 60 credits to earn a degree. Students in three-year programs may have to complete more credits. Internship requirements, which vary by school, can also extend the duration of the program.

Most programs explicitly require students to commit to full-time study in person, although some allow students to take part in part-time classes. Aspiring designers who can not attend classes during the day can find selected degree programs in graphic design that offer most or all online courses, except for one in-person placement requirement.

How much is a master’s degree in graphic design?

Graphic design graduate programs are relatively expensive, and you should invest $ 70,000 or more throughout your program. Out-of-state students often pay a lot more, as do part-time students.

Online and hybrid programs in graphic design may offer lower tuition. In addition to enrollment, students should plan to allow about $ 3,000 for books, materials, and other studio fees, although this amount will vary according to the program.

Students who plan to live on campus must also account for living expenses, meal plans, and student insurance costs. Many graduate students choose to live off campus, but still spend money to come and go from classes and buy food on or near campus.

Masters in Graphic Design Schools

Below are some of the many masters in graphic design schools where a student can study and get Masters in Graphic Design Programs; most of these Universities offering Graphic Design Programs have the technical manpower to offer the online format of the Graphics design and are centred in the United States.

Also, check out the Top 10 Online Schools for Graphic Design

YALE UNIVERSITY

Yale is a private Ivy League research university based in New Haven, Connecticut that offers a two-year M.F.A. program in Graphic Design through Yale’s School of Art. Students in this M.F.A. program must complete 42 credits to earn their degree.

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RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN

RISD is not only home to one of the strangest (unofficial) college mascots, Scrotie, but it’s consistently ranked among the world’s best art schools. Students in this program may choose between two or three-year tracks.

The two-year option is for those with an undergraduate degree in graphic design or another visual communication. The M.F.A. program at RISD is highly praised, not only for its faculty and courses but also for its state-of-the-art facilities.

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CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF THE ARTS

CalArts is a complex of six professional schools and a tight-knit community fostering creativity and collaboration. Check out the school’s two and three-year MFA programs.

If you already have an undergraduate degree in graphic design, then you will be ready for CalArts two-year MFA program. However, if you have no prior undergraduate experience, you will want to look into their three-year program.

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BOSTON UNIVERSITY

BU is an excellent place to form connections and pursue design and research in this ever-changing modern world. In fact, the Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design program at BU is one of the nation’s best.

This two-year, 60-credit M.F.A. program includes both modernist and postmodernist design theory.

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SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN

Home to mascot Art the Bee, SCAD is a private university with locations in Savannah, Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia, Hong Kong, and France. SCAD is a hub of innovation, offering over 40 majors and over 60 minors. The school offers an M.F.A. in Graphic Design and Visual Experience.

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ART CENTER COLLEGE OF DESIGN

The ArtCenter College of Design, Pasadena, CA is a private college that houses ten gallery and exhibition spaces for students to showcase their work. Now, current students can participate in the MFA Graduate Graphic Design program.

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UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

The University of Florida is the best choice for online schools for graphic design degrees. One of the top schools for graphic design degrees on our list is the University of Florida. The School of Art and Art History at UF offers graduate degrees in graphic design that may be completed entirely online.

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CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

The California University of Pennsylvania is one of the top online schools for masters in graphic design program. The California University of Pennsylvania makes our list of online schools for graphic design degrees because of its low student-to-faculty ratio of 21 to 1, highly affordable graduation tuition rate.

The school offers masters in graphic design that is designed to develop and enhance concepts and skills essential to careers in graphic design. The program also prepares students for other graduate school programs in graphics and media design or closely related degrees.

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ART INSTITUTE OF PITTSBURGH

The Art Institute of Pittsburgh features a low student-to-faculty ratio of 13:1 and affordable tuition for graphic design degrees, earning a spot on our list of top online graphic design degrees schools.

Major publications like U.S. News and World Report also recognized the school as a top art school. Interested students may earn a bachelor’s in graphic design by completing 180 credit hours–it may take all of which online.

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OTIS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN

Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles is a private art school that enrolled folks from over 20 different countries and offers just four Master of Fine Arts degrees, including programs in Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Public Practice, and Writing.

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Conclusion

Without a projected growth rate, graphic designers can face strong competition for available jobs. This means that without a bachelor in graphic design, access to the field may not be possible.

Earning a Masters in Graphic Design can also distinguish you from your competitors. To help you achieve your goals, online graphic design programs are available at some of the best schools.

We do hope you pursue your goals.

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