Online Graphic Design Bachelor's Degree
Overview
Through strategic color, text, and image choices, graphic designers can help set the tone for everything from a website to a product line or ad campaign—and even an entire business venture. An online bachelor’s degree in graphic design can teach students how to harness their creative energy to shape that tone, while creating a marketable portfolio in the process.
Coursework
| Example courses | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interactive design | |||||||||
| Typography | |||||||||
| Advanced digital imaging | |||||||||
| Color theory | |||||||||
| History of design | |||||||||
| Concept development | |||||||||
Students enrolled in an online bachelor’s program in graphic design should expect to take courses such as photography, drawing, and color theory, as well as classes such as concept development, corporate identity, and graphic symbolism.
Online programs should also equip students to work in the digital age, as the bulk of career opportunities for graduates involve designing for the Web and mobile devices. Courses such as digital imaging, animation, and Web graphics can help students develop the skills most employers are looking for.
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Job Outlook
| Median salaries* | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic artist | $43,900 | ||||||||
| Graphic designer, Web | $50,600 | ||||||||
| Art director | $60,900 | ||||||||
| Marketing manager | $73,000 | ||||||||
| Creative director | $87,400 | ||||||||
*per PayScale.com
Graphic design is a competitive field, and graduates should market themselves via Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites. An online portfolio is also a must for job-seeking graphic design grads, industry experts say.
"A website is a necessity for a graphic designer. Showing off the correct pieces [is] absolutely the difference between 'You’re hired' and 'I’ll pass,'" according to GraphicDesign.com, an industry news site.
The average starting salary for a graduate with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design is $35,500, and the mid-career median salary is $55,500, according to PayScale, an online salary database. Popular jobs for graphic design grads include graphic artist, Web designer, art director, and marketing manager.
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