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As a graphic design major at Grace, you’ll learn how to apply principles of art to design processes. You will create engaging designs that effectively communicate for clients.

Following graduation, you could create and design brochures, websites, and more as a creative director, a freelance graphic designer with your own studio, or another graphic design position. 

In your courses, you’ll explore what makes professional-level designs compelling and how art informs the best design. The work you create will be evaluated not only on its visual appeal but also on how well it serves the communication goals of a design brief. 

Foundational courses of the graphic design program cover art and design fundamentals. The majority of your following courses will focus on applying and practicing the principles of art and design in studio classes. During your senior year, you will complete your degree by creating a final thesis project and portfolio, and curating a presentation of your work for a public gallery exhibition. 

The majority of your classes will be project-based graphic design classes, such as Introduction to Graphic Design, Visual Identity Design, and Typography. You will also take two art history classes for your major to deepen your understanding of art across time and around the world. 

As a graphic design major, your courses will emphasize an in-depth design process, teaching you to research, explore, sketch, and use programs such as Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign to bring your ideas to life. At Grace, you’ll also have access to scanners, a photography lab, and a dark room to enhance your studies.

At Grace, you’ll develop well-rounded knowledge including print design methods, identity design, motion graphics, t-shirt design, and illustration. As a graphic designer, you will have the skills to create and design book covers, websites, apparel graphics, information graphics, and other visual communication forms. A wide range of businesses hire graphic designers, from advertising firms to photography studios. 

Building a professional portfolio is a top priority in Grace’s graphic design degree. To prepare and create your own portfolio, you’ll create a capstone project in the Advanced Visual Practicum class. Then, you’ll curate a professional-level portfolio during the Senior Art/Design Portfolio classes. 

We believe that client-designer relationships are incredibly important and the most effective way to meet a client’s communication needs. Students are taught to help clients think deeply about what they are communicating, and then design materials that speak to a defined audience in a meaningful way.

An average annual salary for a graphic designer is around $61,000, according to , but it will vary depending on your location and level of experience. 

After you graduate with a bachelor of graphic design, you’ll be ready to begin your career as a junior designer anywhere. Graphic design graduates at èצӰ��have worked in production design, print and digital design, user experience design, and mural design. After gaining experience, students have moved to senior-level roles such as art director and creative director. Some have even gone on to start their own creative businesses. Read the stories of graphic design graduates, Ethan and Mitchell, to learn about their work at èצӰ�� and beyond. 

If you’re worried about the growth of AI design and you’re asking, “Is a graphic design degree worth it?”, we understand that concern. Professor Aaron Winey answers some of the common questions about this development in his faculty blog, The Benefits and Downfalls of AI and Art.

Yes, your professors will have professional experience to back up their teaching. For example, Aaron Winey has been designing professionally for over 20 years, and has worked independently since 2014. Since starting his own studio, , he’s designed more than 150 logos and more than 75 identity systems for companies, including The Village at Winona, Wildman, Pottery Bayou, Oak and Alley, B+B Courthouse Market, Rocksteady Pizza Parlour, and Clearly Kosciusko. Read the Q + A interview with Professor Winey for more information! 

Creativity offers us a chance to emulate the artistic excellence of our Creator. At Grace, we present design from a Christian perspective, and discuss how Christian designers can approach design both ethically and relationally. All of our classes are built around four faith-based learning outcomes that guide how our faith can influence our artistic practice:

• Experience a Life of Curious Inquiry (Romans 12:2)
• Embrace Feedback-Driven Iteration (Colossians 3:12)
• Develop Attention to Detail (Luke 16:10)
• Foster Empathy for Our World (Romans 12:15–16)

At Grace, we believe that practice and feedback cultivate artistic excellence, which is why all students are required to complete an internship where they gain on-the-job experience and learn from active designers in the field. During your internship, you’ll engage in client-focused work, provide a rationale for your design choices, revise your work, and give and receive constructive feedback.