Graphic Design Degrees in Utah

Western America is home to both beautiful scenery and many universities and college programs including the opportunity to earn an accredited graphic design degree in Utah. Graphic design is a modern and innovative degree program that can open the door to many creative fields like marketing, design and artistry as well as the ability to work as a freelance artist. The state of Utah houses many great learning institutions that foster creativity including the University of Utah and Brigham Young University.

Brigham Young University

College of Fine Arts and Communications

The College of Fine Arts and Communications aims to teach students about all the elements of the creative process as well as provide the skills expected of art students in higher education such analysis, discipline and integrity. Many of the faculty are people who have had a professional career in the arts and who are actively creating, writing, researching or performing. They provide valuable insight to students who want to make a career in performance, art or art education. The overall goals of the school aim to develop a student’s aesthetic sense and to help them experience their own artistic sensibilities and learn from others.

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design

A Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design will teach students the skills required to become an experienced designer. The program focuses on teaching analytic and creative thinking abilities. Many of the assignments given to students are work they would be required to create in the professional world. It is the intended learning outcome of the program for students to learn how to solve communication issues through art and creative design. Students will learn from teachers who are actively working in the field and can relay their professional experiences to the student. The program aims to provide an open area for students to learn in and a space where they can discuss their work, the implications of their work and receive advice from their peers as well as visiting artists.

Accreditations

  • Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Contact
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
801-422-4636
http://dva.byu.edu/

Southern Utah University

College of Performing and Visual Arts

The College of Performing and Visual Arts aims to provide students who want a career in the arts with the professional training required to have a full career in any field of the arts alongside a general artistic education. The programs offered by the college also aim to prepare students for further education, as well as specializations in a variety of artistic fields including illustration, graphic design, museum studies and art education. The college aims to provide intelligent degree programs and encourage students to become involved in extracurricular activities. The faculty aims to encourage professional work and create pathways for students to create projects and teach values that will be useful in their professional lives.

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design

A graphic design degree from Southern Utah University features intensive and practical work in art and design and also provides a general studies program to provide its students with a well-rounded and full education. The goal of the degree is to teach not only art, but skills that are applicable in the professional world like problem-solving and analysis. The degree maintains its arts background in that it also encourages experimentation and growth of the students and their art. The students will undertake classes in a foundation of arts as well as classes specifically devoted to graphic design, modern art and the technological and IT skills necessary to work professionally within the field. Teachers who are actively working within the field can provide insightful and useful feedback to the students not only in terms of their art as a whole but of its place in a modern graphic design context.

Accreditations

  • Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Contact
Southern Utah University
351 W. University BLVD
Cedar City, UT 84720
435-586-7700
http://www.suu.edu/pva/index.html

Stevens-Henager College

School of Graphic Arts

The School of Graphic Arts at Stevens-Henager College is a skills and career based program that aims to teach students the skills they need to have a long and successful career in graphic design or similar fields. The school provides a degree in graphic arts as well as in web design. Both provide a pathway to work in advertising, design, production or even to go it on as a freelance artist or developer.

Bachelor of Science in Graphic Arts

The graphic arts degree is a practical and skills-based degree that aims to guide you through the world of modern art and media. The skills included in the degree include illustration, animation, photography and other kinds of arts that are commonly used by professionals in the field. The degree offers a wide variety of courses that are both career-relevant and useful for general knowledge. The classes include introductions to graphic design as well as classes in professional development. General classes include sociology, history, mathematics in addition to classes in marketing management and strategy. The degree aims to teach you the skills you need for an entry-level position in a design firm or agency or to become a freelance designer. With a heavy focus on practical skills and communications, this degree is a practical pathway into the professional world. The Graphic Arts degree is fully available online, and it is also available at certain Utah locations of Stevens-Henager College including Provo, Salt Lake City and St. George.

Accreditations

  • Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges

Contact
Stevens-Henager College – Provo/Orem
1476 Sandhill Road
Orem, UT 84058
1-800-622-2640
https://www.stevenshenager.edu

The University of Utah

College of Fine Arts

The College of Fine Arts at the University of Utah provides an education in the field of arts including art history, film and media, dance and music. The college aims to provide an immersive experience for aspiring artists that will successfully prepare them for a long and rewarding career in their field. The faculty in the program are well-known and successful in their field and provide both the passion and insight to inspire their students to push themselves further every day in pursuit of their artistic goals. Alumni of the college have gone on to do impressive things the college both celebrates their students and supports them.

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art with Graphic Design Emphasis

All students working to achieve a bachelor’s degree in art will take core courses during their first two years of studies that include the familiarization of themes and materials in art. Graphic Design is available as a minor in this program, and the class offerings rotate regularly to allow time to refresh them and to cater for a variety of interests. The minor offers class in communications, design process, packaging design, graphics, a history of graphic design and several classes in different design practices.

Accreditations

  • Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Contact
The University of Utah
201 Presidents Circle
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
801-581-7200
http://www.finearts.utah.edu/

Utah State University

Caine College of the Arts

The Caine College of the Arts at the University of Utah strives to create a collaborative community in the University in which the arts can thrive. The school represents several artforms and provides the values of a traditional art school while transforming and celebrating each of its artists and students. The school aims to provide an artist’s training and foster creativity while preparing students for life as a professional artist whether it is on stage or behind the scenes. The school and its faculty are passionate about their students and work hard to provide them with opportunities to collaborate with each other and display their work.

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art with a focus on Graphic Design

Students who are accepted to study art with a focus on graphic design will spend their first two years learning the basics of drawing and design, as well as the history of western art. They can then move into their graphic design program, which is designed to teach them how to use and harness different tools and abilities in the graphic design field. This degree combines visual elements and materials, and the program provides training in the latest drawing and design software as well as hardware. Classes may include instruction in typography, learning about brand identity, visual continuity, concepts in illustration and motion design. Students may also choose to take an internship for credit, and they will also create a senior project to best display their range of work and the skills the have obtained over the previous three years. This degree provides room for specialization as well as providing a solid artistic foundation that covers both techniques and history of art.

Master of Fine Arts in Art with a focus on Graphic Design

The master’s degree in art with a focus on graphic design is a three-year program that includes work in the classroom, to expand your art outside your specialization. There is also a thesis exhibition that is the combination of both an art show as well as written materials and documentation that are required by the thesis and examination committee. The classes include issues in professional practices, critique and research. The ideal candidate has both professional competence as well as a developed personal artistic vision. Both art programs offer benefits such as instruction from visiting artists as well as staff who support and challenge the students.

Accreditations

  • Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Contact
Utah State University
Logan, UT 84322
437.797.1000
http://www.cca.usu.edu/

Utah Valley University

School of the Arts

The School of the Arts was established in 2008 when Utah Valley University acquired university status. The school hosts several departments including dance, music, theatrical arts and visual communication. The staff work to both identify and assist potential artists and students who have both the creativity and capability to study arts at an advanced level. The department encourages imagination and innovation while teaching skills that are essential for working in the professional field of the arts.

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art and Visual Communiations with a Graphic Design emphasis

The degree in art and visual communications with a graphic design emphasis is designed to help students learn the skills that are needed in today’s job market. Through practice, students learn how to use the latest software and tools in the industry, which will help prepare them to enter the professional fields available to those who are interested in graphic design. The courses include both general education requirements and specializations in design and art. Emphasis classes may include typography, production design, motion graphics, branding, illustration, as well as internships to practice the skills learned in the courses. Students can also learn about the history of design. The degree prepares students for employment at agencies, studies, in-house designed departments as well as work with gaming developers and for freelance work. This degree is also well suited as a pathway into higher education and graduate programs.

Accreditations

  • Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Contact
Utah Valley University
800 West University Parkway
Orem, UT 84058
801-863-4636
http://www.uvu.edu/arts/

Weber State University

Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities

The College of Arts and Humanities at Weber State University offers five degree programs in the arts. With a focus on either communication, English, foreign languages or performing and visual arts, the college hosts 2,000 undergraduates and 200 graduate students. The college aims to produce graduates who are active and creative global citizens and artists. The college’s communication focus aims to teach its students the values of communication across several different formats including both language and different forms of art.

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art in Graphic Design (graphic design in print/interactive media)

The degree in art in graphic design from Weber State University aims to teach both a professional education alongside and art-centric education. With a focus on design history, this degree teaches students to put their professional and artistic skills within both a historic and contemporary context. The degree encourages practical professional skills, but it also encourages experimentation as well as learning the skills of self-discipline and problem-solving.

Accreditation

  • Northwest Commission on Colleges sand Universities

Contact
Weber State University
Ogden, UT 84408
801-626-6000
http://www.weber.edu/cah/

For students who are interested in entering the innovative and creative world of art and graphic design, there are few better places than Utah. The state is home to many universities that offer a wealth of accredited graphic design degree programs in Utah.