3 Types of Courses You Will Take in an Online Graphic Designer Bachelor's Degree Program

Online Graphic Designer Bachelor’s Degree Program Courses

Core Classes in Art
Digital Courses in Web Design
Hands-On Courses for Portfolio Development

For aspiring art and design professionals, the types of courses you take in an online graphic designer bachelor’s degree program can do more than enhance your natural skills. They can prepare you for a role in an exciting and creative career that combines art with digital technology. In a typical undergraduate program in graphic design, students take three main kinds of courses, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Core Classes in Art

To succeed as a graphic designer, you need creativity and artistic skills. While most graphic designers do have a natural artistic flair, you will need education and training to develop your creative abilities to their full potential. That’s why core art classes are among the main types of courses you take in an online graphic designer bachelor’s degree program.

Core courses are simply the classes that students in the program are required to take in order to graduate. For graphic design majors, core classes often include color theory, design principles and art history. Students also take core courses, such as concept development and corporate branding, that train them to apply these concepts to create designs that express information.

Digital Courses in Web Design

Digital courses are another type of courses you take in an online graphic designer bachelor’s degree program. Aspiring web designers should be comfortable using a variety of cutting-edge software and computer technologies to create website designs and interfaces for digital applications, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported. Courses such as Web design, digital illustration, media typography and interface design are important for aspiring graphic designers.

Changes in the job outlook for graphic designers make these digital courses particularly important. The role of graphic designer is evolving rapidly. The number of graphic design jobs in traditional industries like newspaper and book publishing is expected to decline by more than a third, the BLS reported. However, graphic designer opportunities will grow by an estimated 21 percent in the computer systems design industry, according to the BLS.

Hands-On Courses for Portfolio Development

Another type of courses you take in an online graphic designer bachelor’s degree program is hands-on design courses. Graphic designers need to prove their creative skills – not just their conceptual knowledge – to prospective employers and clients. To do that, they need samples of their work that illustrate their abilities. Graphic design majors create work for inclusion in their portfolios throughout their education. They may develop designs through studio courses such as drawing, illustration and advanced digital lab. Often, graphic design students also complete internships or capstone projects, during which they develop more work that can appear in their portfolios.

By covering design principles and website development – and how to apply these concepts – the types of courses you take in an online graphic designer bachelor’s degree program can help you launch your design career.

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