Academics

School of Graphic Design

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The School of Graphic Design prepares you for careers at top studios, agencies, and global brands. Communication Arts, GDUSA, and Graphis have recognized our students. Our professors and alumni have won Emmys, Clios, and D&AD Pencils while working at Apple, Google, Meta, IDEO, Williams Sonoma, and Tolleson Design. From branding and packaging to UI/UX and AI-driven design, you will graduate with both the skills and the portfolio to step directly into professional practice.

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Fast Facts

    More To Know

    You’ll build a foundation in typography, layout, and visual communication, then expand into branding, packaging, digital, and motion. Training in UI/UX and AI tools will keep your work current and competitive. Professors bring their own professional experience into the classroom, connecting coursework to real-world expectations. Student collaborations add another layer, giving you the chance to test ideas, work as part of a team, and develop projects that often grow into award-winning work.

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    Undergraduate
    AA
    BFA
    Certificate
    Graduate
    MA
    MFA
    Other
    Upskill Classes
    Pre-College

    Student Experience

    Your courses run like a working studio, with critiques, work sessions, and clear deliverables that mirror professional timelines. Professors share process, case studies, and practical feedback drawn from active practice. Guest talks from studios, agencies, and tech companies happen live and on Zoom, focused on workflow, pitching, and career paths. In addition to individual projects, student collaborations create opportunities to connect across classes and produce portfolio pieces that often grow into award-winning work.

    Careers

    Alumni hold roles as Creative Directors, Senior Designers, and Founders shaping culture worldwide. Alumni Johnny Selman launched his New York studio after a Clio Award, while alumni Manuela Santos, now Design Lead at IDEO, has been featured in Communication Arts. These individual successes add to a collective record of Emmys, Clios, D&AD Pencils, Graphis Golds, and consistent student wins in Comm Arts, GDUSA, Graphis, and Spring Show. With graduates leading in UI/UX, product design, and AI strategy, the program equips you to thrive in professional practice and help shape what comes next.

    • Graphic Designer
    • Art Director
    • Creative Director
    • Brand Designer
    • User Experience (UX) Designer
    • User Interface (UI) Designer
    • User Interface (UI) Designer
    • Web Designer
    • Motion Graphics Designer
    • Visual Designer

    Student Work

    See More Student Work

    Bryant Zhang

    Bryant Zhang

    Luisa Manukyan

    Study with Industry Professionals

    Faculty

    Online Graphic Design Program

    Design for the Real World — and the One That’s Coming
    In Academy of Art University’s flexible STEM-designated online Graphic Design program, you’ll train with the same professional instructors and creative toolkit as on-campus students. You’ll master the fundamentals—and sprint into the future. Work with Adobe Creative Cloud, explore AI-powered design workflows, and build digital, print, and UX projects that push the field forward.

    Inside Future Agency, you’ll collaborate with real-world clients—Adobe, VinFast, Apple—translating bold ideas into live campaigns and getting feedback that counts. This isn’t hypothetical. It’s hands-on, career-shaping, and built to get you in the room. Art. Tech. Strategy. This is where they converge—and where your creative future begins.

    Online Learning Program

    COMPANIES THAT EMPLOY OUR STUDENTS






    Students & Alumni

    Always Creating. Always Moving Forward.

    At the Academy, creativity doesn’t pause at graduation. It accelerates. From day one, students bring bold ideas and leave with portfolios that speak louder than résumés. And when they graduate, they launch into creative careers.

    This is where passion meets purpose—on campus, in studios, and on global stages.

    Our alumni are out there now winning awards, leading teams, and shaping culture.

    Read More Success Stories
    Richard Jennings BFA Graphic Design Senior VP at Warner Bros Discovery Academy of Art University Alumni

    Richard Jennings

    “I absolutely love my experience at the Academy of Art. Anyone who ever asks me about it, I always say: if you really want to become a working designer, go to the Academy of Art. That’s where you’ll learn the fundamental skills that apply to every avenue of creativity and design.”

    MFA Graphic Design Alumni, Senior Vice President at Warner Bros. Discovery

    Johnny Seldman

    Johnny Seldman

    “The industry insight and thesis development at the MFA program set me up for a successful career in graphic design. The faculty helped me develop my formal and conceptual skills , and also the practical skills like presenting to groups, critiquing work, and writing a design proposal.”

    MFA Graphic Design Alumni, Founder and ECD of Selman Design

    Zach Zacobsen

    Zach Zacobsen

    “The Academy has taught me that the difference between professional work and amateur work is night and day. It’s something you can’t learn until you have the right professors and mentors to guide you.”

    BFA Graphic Design Graduate, MFA Graphic Design Student

    Sadie Williams

    “The Academy challenged me to really think about why I design, not just how. I got to experiment a ton, refine my process, and learn how to communicate ideas with clarity and purpose. It helped me build a design voice I’m proud of.”

    BFA Graphic Design Alumna, Designer at Linktree, previous designer for Meta, Airbnb, and Eventbrite

    Related Programs

    Interaction & UI/UX Design

    Interaction & UI/UX Design will help you gain a comprehensive skillset in contemporary interaction, user experience, and user interface design that will prepare you for careers in many industries including, the tech industry—one of the most vibrant, multifaceted, and expansive industries in the world.

    Communications & Media Technologies

    Learn how to tell stories that inform, entertain, and engage on every multimedia communications platform. Our curriculum moves beyond training for traditional jobs in broadcasting to drive students towards a world of online digital content. We provide a hands-on approach with a dual emphasis on interpersonal and mass communication, and a focus on skills that are immediately employable. You will produce your own content, including online series, music videos, podcasts, broadcast productions, and motion graphics.

    Advertising

    Step into the future of advertising at the Academy of Art University. Our facilities and dynamic online platforms are tailored to equip you with the skills for a successful advertising career, blending traditional methodologies with advanced AI technologies. Whether onsite or online, our environment promotes a hands-on learning experience that mirrors a real-world advertising studio.

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