The Best Schools Offering Graduate Degree Programs in Graphic Design
Higher Education Articles May 8, 2017Overview of Schools offering Graduate Programs in Graphic Design
Graphic design students study visual communications in various mediums. Students may take three years to complete a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) or Master of Design (M.Des.) program; they would typically need to complete a thesis. Apart from design studios, enrollees in graduate level graphic design programs may complete courses in design research, history, and typography. In this article, we take a look at two of the best graduate programs in graphic design:
Yale University in New Haven, CT
The U.S. News & World Report accorded Yale 3rd rank on its 2010 list of best colleges and universities while Kiplinger rated the school 3rd best on its 2009 list of 50 best values in private universities. Only one degree, a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.), is offered at the school, including an option of four specializations. The graphic design specialization option entails the development of a thesis through presentations and lectures, individual writing sessions, small thesis groups, and design studios. The U.S. News & World Report rated the program second on its 2008 list of the best graduate schools for graphic design.
Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA
Philanthropist and entrepreneur Andrew Carnegie founded Carnegie Mellon University in 1900. The U.S. News & World Report accorded Carnegie Mellon University 22nd rank on its 2010 list of best national schools while Kiplinger rated the school 40th best on its 2009 list of 50 best values in private universities.
Two Master of Design (M.Des.) programs – with a focus on graphic design topics – are available through the Design Department at College of Fine Arts. Students enrolled in the communication planning, and information design program are trained for careers as visual communicators while the focus of the interaction design program is on interactive user interfaces and experiences. Business Week included the Design Department on its 2007 list of the world’s 60 best design schools. The U.S. News & World Report accorded it 5th rank on the 2008 list of the best graphic design graduate programs in the nation.
List of Schools offering Graphic Design Programs
| School Name | Location |
| Rhode Island School of Design | Providence, RI |
| Yale University | New Haven, CT |
| Maryland Institute College of Art | Baltimore, MD |
| Cranbrook Academy of Art | Bloomfield Hills, MI |
| California Institute of the Arts | Valencia, CA |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond, VA |
