Best Online Master’s in Graphic Design Programs 2021
| TBS Staff
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Graduates with master's in graphic design online degrees can pursue leadership roles such as art director, marketing manager, and product designer. These professionals enjoy the possibility of earning good salaries.
For instance, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that art directors earned a median annual salary of $97,270 in 2020.
Earning a master's in graphic design online gives students the flexibility to balance their studies with personal and professional obligations. Online learning also allows students to attend the top programs in the country without relocating.
The Best Online Master's in Graphic Design Programs
A private university founded in 1978, SCAD offers a master of arts in graphic design and visual experience through its innovative eLearning department. Students finish 45 credits and may require additional coursework depending on their background.
Required courses include ideation models and process, visual analysis of static content, professional practice of visual design, and typographic voice and visual narrative. Students also complete electives and can opt to complete an internship.
Applicants must possess a bachelor's degree and a portfolio for review. Students do not need to send GRE scores to apply.
A private Christian university, Liberty offers an online master of fine arts in graphic design. Students complete 60 credits and can transfer in up to 50% of the credits required to graduate.
Required courses include visualization illustration, advanced digital photography, vector illustration, and digital imaging. Students take a course sequence in art history to ground their practice and a field experience for hands-on training.
Applicants need a bachelor's degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and a professional portfolio for review. The program also requires an artist statement.
Online Master's in Graphic Design Programs Ranking Guidelines
We ranked these degree programs based on quality, curricula, school awards, rankings, and reputation.
Our Methodology
Here at TheBestSchools.org, we take the trust and welfare of our readers very seriously. When making our school and program rankings, our top priority is ensuring that our readers get accurate, unbiased information that can help them make informed decisions about online education. That's why we've developed a rigorous ranking methodology that keeps the needs of our readers front and center.
Our proprietary, multi-criteria ranking algorithm analyzes key data indicators — as collected by the federal government — for each school or program. What data we use depends on the focus of each specific ranking, but in all cases, our ranking methodology is impartial: Schools cannot buy better rankings at TBS.
While specific criteria under consideration can vary by ranking, there are a few data points that we value most highly. They are affordability, academic quality, and online enrollment. Below, we break down our algorithm to help you understand what you're getting when you use one of our rankings.
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Online Enrollment
Data Sources
The data used in TBS rankings comes primarily from the federal government, and much of it is provided by the schools themselves. We aggregate and analyze this data to build our rankings.
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) is our primary source. Its data comes from annual surveys conducted by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Every college, university, or technical school with access to federal financial aid must participate in these surveys, which include questions about enrollment, graduation rates, finances, and faculty qualifications. This is publicly available data, which you can access yourself through the College Navigator.
Additionally, because we value a personal touch and the professional experience of our staff and Academic Advisory Board, we vet all results and adjust rankings as necessary based on our collected knowledge of schools and degree programs. Depending on the ranking, we may obtain additional input from AcademicInfluence.com, subject matter experts, prior TBS ranking lists, or other sources we deem relevant to a particular ranking.
Breakdown of Our Rankings Methodology
About Our Ranking Factors
Here at TBS, we value what you value: quality education, affordability, and the accessibility of online education. These factors guide all of our program rankings.
Each of these factors are further broken down into weighted subfactors. For example, retention rates are weighted more heavily than availability of program options because they are a better indicator of student success.
We chose the following factors for our rankings because of their influence on learning experiences and graduate outcomes. However, students should always balance our rankings against their personal priorities. For instance, a learner who needs a fully online program may prioritize online flexibility more than our rankings do. Our rankings are designed to help you make a decision — not to make a decision for you.
In all our school rankings and recommendations, we work for objectivity and balance. We carefully research and compile each ranking list, and as stated in our advertising disclosure, we do NOT permit financial incentives to influence rankings. Our articles never promote or disregard a school for financial gain.
If you have questions about our ranking methodology, please feel free to connect with our staff through contact page.
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Featured Online Master's in Graphic Design Programs
Choosing an Online Online Master's in Graphic Design Program
Why do you want to earn your online graphic design master's degree? To answer this question, first examine a the prospective programs' concentrations. Concentrations such as brand development appeal to students interested in managerial jobs at large marketing agencies. Others, such as exhibition design, attract students preparing for careers as independent artists. Choosing one or two concentrations that interest you automatically creates a shortlist, which you should later analyze in closer detail.
Once you create a shortlist, focus on each program's courses and educational experience. Most programs stress advanced design courses alongside those that teach interpersonal, leadership, and business skills. Finally, the online graphic design master's degree program you select should meet all your online learning needs. With so many online options, you do not need to sacrifice quality for convenience.
What Else Can I Expect From an Online Master's in Graphic Design Program?
While virtually all online graphic design master's programs teach similar skills, they offer unique curricula. Some focus on one graphic design subfield, while others present a more holistic approach. Keep this in mind as you explore the sample courses below. Courses at programs you consider may use similar titles or course descriptions but a different curriculum.
Curriculum for an Online Master's Degree in Graphic Design
- Brand Redevelopment: Students learn about graphic design's role in advertising products and services. Class activities include analyzing famous brand development examples and developing graphics for new products. Students interested in marketing take one or more brand development courses.
- Design Integration: Students develop new ways to use design in their projects as they critique each other's work. Most master's students take this or a similar course during their first year.
- Defining Client Needs: This course conveys crucial interpersonal skills all graphic designers require to work with clients. Course topics include interview and communication skills and relationship–building.
- Design Research: To stay successful, graphic designers must learn new technologies and collaborate with peers. This course introduces students to research methods and latest graphic design tools.
- Thesis: Most master's programs include a thesis course wherein students research and craft their thesis. Some programs may require students to write a lengthy research essay, while others programs ask students to complete a design project that includes a presentation to faculty and peers.
Careers With a Master's in Graphic Design
Online graphic design master's degree programs prepare graduates for managerial–level positions that oversee entire projects. Some graduates use these skills as classroom teachers, while other graphic designers use their graduate educations to launch their art and design careers as self-employed artists. The three positions below represent a few jobs you can explore after earning your degree.
Postsecondary teachers instruct students at colleges and universities. They create lesson plans and rubrics, evaluate students' work, and mentor students' development as artists. Nearly all postsecondary teaching positions require a master's or doctoral degree. Most professionals who enter this position also have at least five years of work experience in the graphic design field.
Art directors lead teams of artists to create unique visual products for their clients. For example, they manage the development of movie posters, product packaging, and commercials. As managers, they control their projects' every aspect and mentor less-experienced graphic designers. A master's degree teaches the managerial and interpersonal skills required for this position.
Multimedia artists use digital tools to create original artwork and animations for advertisements, games, and movies. Many artists and animators specialize in fields like facial animation, making them highly valuable employees. A master's program allows students to develop specialized skills.
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