When discussing an arts degree, it’s very important to see what the academic journey is like to get to the final product. In many different universities, all the academic journeys you take to get to the main degree are very different. My journey was a bit unique and a bit difficult, to say the least, as many of the classes were my first time ever interacting with different mediums of art, and seeing how art serves many different purposes outside of physical. Seeing how many different universities and programs lay out the necessary requirements for you to obtain graphic design knowledge is very interesting and it really shows you the different perspectives of how people view graphic design and media. Some programs put a huge emphasis on writing other programs put a huge emphasis on the communication aspect verbally and others really enjoy hands-on projects to teach you all of the nooks and crannies of design.
My journey:
Personally, I had to take classes such as art history from ancient to modern as well as foundations of drawing and color and design as beginner classes for graphic design and media. These fine arts courses, according to my academic institution, were truly the core of figuring out graphic design, and have the necessary background knowledge to move forward with modern art and mediums. I personally struggled in these classes, but I can understand why they were necessary, especially with classes like color and design that teach you complementary, primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. I went on to take classes such as typography, interactive media design, and digital illustration and imaging. All these classes overall really helped shape my love for graphic design and I feel like I have an excellent basis with graphic design experience. You can view the curriculum in depth here: SUNY Potsdam
NYIT:
While thinking of this, I decided to research other other universities, and what their curriculum states are important classes to complete for their graphic design degrees at the New York Institute of Technology. Some classes the students are required to take in the graphic design degree are Computer graphics, motion graphics, package design, book design, and they’re even required to take three art history classes. Our history was one of the most difficult classes for me, I definitely would’ve struggled with this degree. However, the curriculum makes perfect sense to get a fully well-rounded view of what it’s like to be a graphic designer. I’m especially interested in their classes about visual identity and advertising design. Read more here: NYIT
Pratt:
The next university I checked, was Pratt Institute. I have always looked up to Pratt, as an institute, seeing as they are a really good school for artists, and their curriculum does not disappoint. They include classes on UI/UX interactive media, as well as pre-press and print production. They also offer light, color, and design and communication design. These classes to me sounded very exciting and they were very eye-opening to the possibilities of what these classes could teach students about graphic design. Even though this specific degree at Pratt is only for the associate’s degree, it still gives the student a unique foundation to get started in a graphic design career. You can read more here: Pratt
Overall, seeing the different classes that you can take as a graphic design major really makes me miss my undergraduate years. The diverse routes you can take to become a graphic designer have always been one that I have enjoyed the most because it opens up the door to endless possibilities. I know that I’ve made some of the best memories in my classes and I still use a lot of the things I’ve learned to this day. Your graphic design, major, or planning to be one follow me on Instagram and please share with me your thoughts on all the graphic design classes that are offered and which sound the best to you!