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Colleges with good Graphics Design programs


TheAK47

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I've said it before and I'll say it again...

Doesn't really matter where you go. Its what you make of it. You could go to a crappy design school and be successful or go to a great design school and end up in a different field entirely. (heck you can not go to school at all and be successful...that's the great thing about our field...your skills and talent are so much more important than your educational history)

Yes, a good program is helpful, but I'd strongly recommend anyone looking at design schools to make sure that first, they want to be in design for sure. Because if you change your mind and want to take up psychology, you aren't going to find that at and design school necessarily. Second look at the school that fits you best irregardless of the quality of program.

The school I went to didn't have the best design program at the time I went. But it didn't matter. It was a little question in my interviews. They wanted to see my work.

I personally feel that a great designer can't be taught. You either have it or you don't. You're skills can be improved, they can be perfected with education, you can learn how to use programs regardless of talent, but you can't be taught to be a designer any more than you can be taught to be a fine artist.

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If your looking to go to a University and not one of those design schools, take a look at Middle Tennessee State University. I personally am majoring in Media Design, which is a concentration under the Journalism major in which I will be able to do logo, website, magazine, newspaper, and other kinds of design. I also am a pretty good writer, so thats why I chose this. We also have Graphic Design, which is a concentration under the art major.

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I attended Indiana State University...and it's program is not too shabby, my profs always raved about the following schools' design programs:

Iowa State

SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design)

NC State

IUPUI (Indian University-Purdue University Indianapolis)

Georgia State (not UGA...from what I've heard Georgia State has one of the most challenging graphic design programs after SCAD's)

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I graduated from San Diego State as a Graphic Designer and I really like our program. One of my instructors has a design firm and would bring in his team to help critique us during presentations. Our presentations were great because he treated them as actual presentations to clients. We also had another class where it was run like a design firm with and the projects were for actual clients.

I agree with PCGD that it doesn't matter where you go, its what you take from it.

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Look through this.

Sure it is graduate schools, but that may mean these schools are good for undergraduate fine arts programs too. Its just a list of some schools to look at and consider, a starting point. Also, my alma mater is listed at tenth on that list and I can co-sign for them. The teachers are great, classes are small, and the atmosphere of the art school will change your life. Also, they seem to be pretty good with financial aid, which is helpful to a lot of us.

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I attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth. They had a very good program when I was there. The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities also has a good program. Although you probably won't want to go this far north for college. Especially when you could go to SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design). My professors always told us that the Minneapolis-St. Paul area was third behind New York City and Chicago for having the most design firms and ad agencies per city. I'm not sure how much of that is true, but I do believe it. There are a lot of design firms and ad agencies in the Twin Cities. I didn't have problem getting a job after school.

I also strongly agree with PCGD that it doesn't matter where you go, its what you take from it. Good luck.

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I was thinking about this today during school. As some may know, I'm a junior right now in HS, and I'm really starting to look at colleges. I'm pretty sure I want to do graphic design (the only thing that's holding me back if anything, is how hard it is to make it as a good $ making job), so I figure it's best to look earlier. I'd much rather go to a university than an art-specific college, and in the northeast. I live in Rochester, and it's home of Rochester Institute of Technology (a college that actually visited my school today and I went to the meeting), which has one of the best graphic design programs in the country (so I've heard), so that's always an option, but I'm not sure if I want to stay that close to home.

Another question: how hard is it to make a decent amount of money in this field?

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One of my least favorite (but most respected, you all know the story) teachers advised us to go to undergrad school for the fun of it, and grad school for what you really want to do. I'm not sure I want to do graphic design for the rest of my life but I love fine arts in general such as film, but I don't know if I would want to spend 6 years of college doing that. I mean I'm pretty sure that's what I want to do but you never have stabilized income with that stuff and it's always a huge risk, plus I love other fields such as Economics, engineering, math, and computer science. I'd rather go to a "normal" undergrad school with some semblance of a fine arts program, (like BU which I am right next to or USC which would be a dream, but many others especially in my area) and figure out then if that's what I want to pursue and go to grad school for it. I don't know how I can be 100% sure of what I want to do with my life by two years from now and I'd rather learn about a wide range of things for a while and get the whole "college experience" and then settle down and focus on something. Because what if I realize something's not for me 4 years into it? What a waste that would be. My father went to Syracuse University for Marketing but realized quickly that he wanted to learn about computers as they were just coming out to the public -- what if he went to a specialized Marketing school? I think you get my point. I am also blessed to be in such a college-rich part of the US, I can't go wrong here. So, yeah. That's how I see it. Might be wrong but I'd rather not take such a big chance and just enjoy 4 years of freedom.

eRay did you go to grad school at Alfred or undergrad?

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eRay did you go to grad school at Alfred or undergrad?

Just undergrad so far. I am in the process of thinking about grad school right now. I'm unsure if I will go for it, but Alfred would certainly be my first choice. It's like my second home.

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I won't compare, but University of Illinois (at Urbana-Champaign -- it's the flagship Illinois) has been great for me. I've always loved the school and campus, so that was a good fit, but the school is so good at so many things that I feel well rounded as a design student and also know if I ever were to switch (though I'd be behind at this point--I'm a junior), I could get a good education in another field.

U of I's program strongly enforces typography, but does not leave image making behind.

The one drawback to the program (and this might be--in fact it probably is--something that's from the best, but it's not very well liked by the students) is that you have to go through a year of Foundation Art (drawing I, design I, drawing II, design II) before you can apply for your Art+Design major.

I'd recommend it, but I can't compare it to much else.

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As far as schools go, well I may be touting the school I just graduated from, but the best graphic school on the west coast is hands down Westwood College in Anaheim. Not all Westwoods, but the Anaheim campus. This past spring we walked away with 20 addies (awards given out by Orange County ad agencies) in the student competition. I think Cal State Fullerton had 4, and pretty much we cleaned house. Graphic design is taught at the school not by teachers, but by people who know the business and been in it, and graphic design can be taught. Sure it can be a talent, but 90% of the people don't have the talent and learn it. What other school can you go to with someone who owned his own agency and his goal is to teach people to be graphic designers? 20 addies says a lot since all the "big" schools brought home none. That was 20 this year and 8 the year before. If you want to go to a school for the school experience, then go someplace else. If you want to go to a school to learn to be a graphic designer, get out in the field faster, and have a school that you can return and take classes to freshen up on the newest program all for free, then you go to Westwood College in Anaheim. If you don't believe what I say, this is my portfolio of basically the last 6 months work and there's still stuff that's not not up yet. http://mjarviejr.carbonmade.com/

 

 

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Sure it can be a talent, but 90% of the people don't have the talent and learn it.

I can not begin to say how much I disagree with that statement.

If anything its the exact opposite. 10% might be able to learn how to be a graphic designer. And even those 10% probably discover talent they didn't know they had.

You're selling your own talents short if you think anyone can do it. Sorry but I've seen way too many people come in with that mindset, think that you just need to learn how to use Illustrator and do a couple photoshop filters and bam...you're a designer. Its not true.

You need talent, you need creativity, you need strong skin, an amazing work ethic, and the ability to make budgets stretch to their limits (both at work and in your personal life). Its just how it goes. You can't teach that stuff.

If you sent me to the greatest painting school on the planet, taught by the most influential painters of all time, I'd still suck at painting. Cause I don't have that talent.

I'm not saying Graphic Design is any different than any other profession. You need talent to be a Carpenter, a lawyer, an accountant, whatever. You could send me to school or just train me to be any of those things and although I may be able to perform the basic tasks required of each position, I wouldn't be moving up in the industry anytime soon.

I'm betting pretty strongly those of us that have been out there in the work force would agree.

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As far as schools go, well I may be touting the school I just graduated from, but the best graphic school on the west coast is hands down Westwood College in Anaheim. Not all Westwoods, but the Anaheim campus. This past spring we walked away with 20 addies (awards given out by Orange County ad agencies) in the student competition. I think Cal State Fullerton had 4, and pretty much we cleaned house. Graphic design is taught at the school not by teachers, but by people who know the business and been in it, and graphic design can be taught. Sure it can be a talent, but 90% of the people don't have the talent and learn it. What other school can you go to with someone who owned his own agency and his goal is to teach people to be graphic designers? 20 addies says a lot since all the "big" schools brought home none. That was 20 this year and 8 the year before. If you want to go to a school for the school experience, then go someplace else. If you want to go to a school to learn to be a graphic designer, get out in the field faster, and have a school that you can return and take classes to freshen up on the newest program all for free, then you go to Westwood College in Anaheim. If you don't believe what I say, this is my portfolio of basically the last 6 months work and there's still stuff that's not not up yet. http://mjarviejr.carbonmade.com/

I hate to say this, but you'd have to have a hell of an interview for me to hire you with that portfolio. I'm not sold on Westwood.

I didn't go to school for Design. I'm self taught. I keep a close eye on trends and try to stay away from them. I completely agree with what Pat said in reply to your post. Talent is something you are born with. It can't be taught, but theory can.

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As far as schools go, well I may be touting the school I just graduated from, but the best graphic school on the west coast is hands down Westwood College in Anaheim. Not all Westwoods, but the Anaheim campus. This past spring we walked away with 20 addies (awards given out by Orange County ad agencies) in the student competition. I think Cal State Fullerton had 4, and pretty much we cleaned house. Graphic design is taught at the school not by teachers, but by people who know the business and been in it, and graphic design can be taught. Sure it can be a talent, but 90% of the people don't have the talent and learn it. What other school can you go to with someone who owned his own agency and his goal is to teach people to be graphic designers? 20 addies says a lot since all the "big" schools brought home none. That was 20 this year and 8 the year before. If you want to go to a school for the school experience, then go someplace else. If you want to go to a school to learn to be a graphic designer, get out in the field faster, and have a school that you can return and take classes to freshen up on the newest program all for free, then you go to Westwood College in Anaheim. If you don't believe what I say, this is my portfolio of basically the last 6 months work and there's still stuff that's not not up yet. http://mjarviejr.carbonmade.com/

I hate to say this, but you'd have to have a hell of an interview for me to hire you with that portfolio. I'm not sold on Westwood.

I didn't go to school for Design. I'm self taught. I keep a close eye on trends and try to stay away from them. I completely agree with what Pat said in reply to your post. Talent is something you are born with. It can't be taught, but theory can.

Bingo.

Anyone can learn how to use computer software, just like anyone can be taught how to use a hammer and nail.

There are quite a few jobs out there that emphasize computer skills over design. Sadly, I've been doing one for 12+ years. It pays very well (thanks to a cushy union), but I'd be lying if I said it was creatively fulfilling. That's why I freelance, or do projects here.

I will say that the years of repetitive computer tasks have helped me become quite proficient at the software, allowing me to be more efficient at my job, which in turn gives me more time to try to put my own stamp on my work.

When you first start out during and after college, you are most likely going to find yourself in a production job. This is one that relie on your computer (not design) skills. You will mainly do typesetting, text corrections, or recreating someone else's idea for print or web. That's the nature of the industry. Unless you know someone, or have an amazing portfolio that shows an incredible cross section of composition, color, typography and computer skills, you will be doing production work.

It's also not enough to know if something looks good. You need to know why it looks good. Why does a logo look better in blue? Why does a poster look better in all reverse? Why does a lot of negative space catch your eye?

A good design program will help you understand these points, and challenge you to see things differently. A good design program will encourage you to question those critiquing you, so you understand them. It shows you want to learn, you want to get better. A good design program will require you to take Art History so you will understand where the execution of good ideas begins.

When you go to interview at some schools, ask questions about (or to) the head of the design department. The internet makes research a lot easier now, and you can check out the credentials of the professors. Maybe you can even find out their influences as well.

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You say you wouldn't hire me? Did I ask you to? Was this an interview? I was showing my portfolio to show what can be done. The fact that your not impressed, well, doesn't impress me. Art is subjective and what one person likes another doesn't, so I could really care less if you'd hire me. I could really care less. You talk about talent, and yet you started on the bottom and you learned things. Stop with you're "holier than thou" attitude because you're not doing production work. You started on the bottom when someone thought you had something and gave you a break, and learned the ropes just like everyone else. And for people who talk, where's your supposed "great" work that we should bow down to and revere? You're one designer and that's all you are and there are thousands if not millions out there just as good if not better than you!

 

 

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