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Graphic Design Schools - Choosing the Right One

Posted: Saturday, January 1, 2011

Choosing the right graphic design school can mean the difference between enjoying your time at school and dreading every day of it. Thankfully most graphic design schools are so well organised and planned these days that it is hard to pick a dud. Graphic design is receiving much more attention now than ever before and the increasing demand in graphic design related education has led to a new wave of educational facilities opening up solely dedicated to this burgeoning field of work.

So what are the main points you should look for when choosing a graphic design school?
1. Cost and fees
2. Facilities on site
3. Class sizes
4. Location
6. Online or offline
7. Qualification level
8. Work placement opportunities
9. Experience of teachers
10. Subjects covered

These 10 points should all be focused on when you are choosing a graphic design school to go to. Your chosen school may not meet your desired criteria for each point but as long as most of your desires are met you will get a lot out of going to a graphic design school.

Online vs. Offline Graphic Design Schools
There are an increasing number of online graphic design courses becoming available. You also miss out on the social aspects of college however many online schools conduct regular chats, teleconferences and provide student forums for interaction and help.

Once you have qualified from graphic design school you can start looking for work. Ideally you will want to be working part time whilst studying to gain practical experience. Whatever the case, your degree or certification from graphic design school will make your resume stand above those who are unqualified.

A. Graphic Design Schools - Everything You Need To Know
A successful future in the new media industry (and specifically, graphic design) depends on choosing the right school. In my case, they asked for a portfolio of work as part of the admission process. If, however, you have already completed a similar program, you may wish to take a new program merely to upgrade your skills (because the field of new media is always changing). If you can, it really, really, really helps if you take a freehand drawing course prior to learning how to draw using a computer.

1. Recognition
- Does the school participate in any graphical arts competitions?
- Have students accomplished anything of reknown in the industry?

2. Teachers
I have never encountered an instructor that wasn't immensely knowledgeable about the subject area.

3. Job Placement
100% make sure that you get into a program that incorporates on-the-job experience.

4. Curriculum And Tools
You must assess whether the curriculum is relevant to you field of study. You may want to compare the curricula of different schools to see which offers the best form of education. As it so happens in my case, the administration did something they have never done before: changed the curriculum halfway through the program. Don't just oogle at the computers, snoop around and see the programs directory and make note of what programs are installed, and if they are the latest versions.

5. Student to Teacher Ratio
Graphic design is kind of an industry that more or less demands personal contributions on every project.

6. Accreditation
Accreditation means the school has passed a certain standards of educational quality. If you can, ask for literally one minute of the head departments time and find out a listing of companies that students have been hired into.

7. Cost
A full education in graphic design can cost anywhere from 13,000 to 16,000 dollars for an intensive one-year program (120 credits). Let's face it, Harvard University will look a lot better on your resume than Texas Community College. Three great recognized schools in are BCIT located in Vancouver Canada (Vancouver is the equivalent of Hollywood for graphic designers, web designers, and all new media experts), the Art Institute (with locations worldwide), and the Vancouver Film School (VFS) that has graphic design programs that are very specialized.

8. Scholarships
Some schools offer scholarships based on academic performance. Some offer them based on art competitions they hold regularly. You should qualify for a national student loan either way, and repayment is extremely affordable.

B. The Advantages Of Getting A Graphic Design Degree
Graphic design could be a great career opportunity for you. If you are considering college or thinking about making a career change, you might consider getting a degree in graphic design.

Why get a degree?
For one thing, there's the whole college experience. You learn about professional resources, literature and research. Most importantly, you learn how to learn. These are skills that you will need when you start to work as a graphic designer.

Another advantage of going to school and getting a degree is that it gives you an opportunity to build your professional portfolio and develop your resume. You will have worked with teachers who are respected designers and with professional designers who are working in a variety of industries.

What will you learn?
Obviously, you'll learn about graphic design, but that's only the beginning. You'll take both general education and graphics design classes, and you'll develop important professional skills.

General education: A lot of people think general education requirements are a waste of time, but don't blow them off and don't underestimate how valuable they will be to you professionally. People who earn a degree in anything are generally assumed to be educated, and there are basic things educated people should know. It's important to be an educated person; it helps you to communicate with other educated persons. Graphics design: You'll probably enjoy your graphics design classes the most. You will learn about art and about computer technology. Composition, design principles, photography, animation and CGI are all examples of the kinds of things you will learn.

Graphics design is a rapidly changing field, and, even though it's necessary to learn the fundamentals, much of what you learn in school will be outdated within a few years of graduation. Professional skills: In school, you'll have opportunities to work on projects with other student designers and with professionals. These projects will help you learn professional skills that you can only acquire by doing the work. You'll learn how to work with other people, how to be a team member and a team leader, how to work with clients, and how to work under pressure. You'll learn about budgets and timelines and business practices. These "hands-on" skills will make you ready to enter the job market as a professional graphics designer.

We are a media culture, and graphics design is used in nearly every industry, corporation, job and school and home in the world. As a professional graphics designer you can work in the publishing, music or television industries. You could work for a design firm, or start your own firm. You could do anything from producing corporate reports to designing magazine layouts to creating corporate brands. You might create logos or signage or graphics. You may work with audio-video media or print media. You could help design computer games or animated movies.

The employment future for graphics designers is good. Graphics design is a great profession, and getting a degree in it could be the beginning of a rewarding career for you.


1 comments:

  1. Unknown May 17, 2013 at 2:07 AM

    The blog is very informative wlci offers graphic design courses for graduate and undergraduate also offering graphic design courses.

    More information http://www.wlcidesign.in/programmes.php-0

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