Schools aim to answer demand for graphic designers with new degree programs

on Tuesday,March 09,2010 00:03

In response to an expected increase in the need for graphic designers, some colleges are creating programs that will prepare students to enter this fast-growing industry.

For example, Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, has announced it will begin offering a bachelors degree program in graphic and web design for the fall 2010 semester, Quad-Cities Online reports.

Coursework will examine topics such as art, communication, business administration and computer science in addition to a focus on graphic design. Students will learn both print and web-based applications of the craft, and complete a liberal arts-centered curriculum that is intended to enable graduates to work as agency-based designers, professors or entrepreneurs.

Megan Quinn, an art professor and department chair at the school, said school officials created the program to give students "a specialized skill set that will enable them to find employment in today's job market."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the demand for graphic designers who have completed similar bachelors degree programs is expected to grow by 13 percent over the next eight years.