Graphic Design Degrees in Pennsylvania (A-M)

Cabrini College

Graphic Design and Fine Arts Department

Cabrini’s Graphic Design and Fine Arts Department offers students an excellent combination of art history and modern technology. The department oversees its own computer lab full of the latest Apple technology, which is absolutely essential for those going into digital graphic design or animation. It further oversees campus art education, art galleries, and even the institution’s radio station. With instructors that offer some of the best occupational experience in the Philadelphia region, this private, liberal arts institution is an excellent fit for many local graphic designers.

B.A. in Graphic Design

The Bachelor of Arts in graphic design at Cabrini College blends a liberal arts heritage with a forward-thinking, high-tech program. Students will be exposed to all the liberal arts core studies: Mathematics, world and art history, composition, and the sciences. They’ll also learn a great deal about Apple design software, Mac and Windows hardware, and today’s best practices for web design, print material design, and much more. As part of the degree program, all students will create a physical portfolio and a PDF version for electronic distribution. The school will also work with students to coordinate internships along Philadelphia’s Main Line or in nearby Center City Philadelphia.

Contact

Cabrini College
Graphic Design and Fine Arts Department
610 King of Prussia Rd.
Radnor, PA 19087-3698
Phone: 610-902-8100
Email: donald.dempsey@cabrini.edu
Link 

California University of Pennsylvania

Department of Art and Design

The Department of Art and Design at California University of Pennsylvania oversees the graphic design program and several other majors, including art history, traditional art, physical design, and much more. The school maintains an on-campus gallery of student work and regularly opens shows to the public so that current students can gain real-world exposure for their work. As part of department’s commitment to better on-campus education, the Department of Art and Design maintains its own major-specific computer labs equipped with Apple and Windows hardware, several essential graphic design software applications, and breakout rooms for group design work. The department is part of western Pennsylvania’s largest, fastest-growing and most affordable public university, which is certainly an added bonus for students and graduates.

Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design

The unique thing about the graphic design program at California University of Pennsylvania is that it’s actually offered as a joint venture between two of the school’s most advanced departments. Part of the degree is offered through CalU’s Department of Art and Design, while the other part of the program originates in the university’s Department of Applied Engineering and Technology. As a leader in online education, students will have the chance to take many of their general education or major-specific courses using an all-online or hybrid format, which can make this program even more accessible to those who are already employed full-time or part-time in the field.

Contact

California University of Pennsylvania
Department of Art and Design
250 University Ave.
California, PA 15419
Phone: 724-938-4000
Email: harrison_g@calu.edu
Link

Carnegie Mellon University

School of Design

Carnegie Mellon University might not be an official member of the Ivy League, but its programs and its reputation are both prestigious enough to have the same benefits for graduates. It is with that reputation in mind that the School of Design offers extensive coursework for those looking to design digitally or using other mediums. Graphic design is a key part of CMU’s School of Design, with students taking rigorous courses that teach today’s most popular design applications, best practices for digital and print publication, and much more. With the Pittsburgh business community just a few steps off campus, the School of Design is also instrumental in connecting students with both internships and permanent graphic design positions as they enter the workforce.

Bachelor of Design

Master of Design

Both the undergraduate and graduate programs in design at Carnegie Mellon University have been designed to be exceedingly broad and inclusive of more than just graphic design. While the fundamentals of the program center on graphic design for websites, computer and mobile applications, and print materials, students will also learn how to design numerous other things. Whether it’s a magazine, a printed brochure, or a pure work of art, it’s covered by these two programs. Instructors are real-world designers, many of them having completed at least part of their education at Carnegie Mellon. This allows networking opportunities right in the classroom, giving students an enhanced ability to market themselves and land a job after graduation. The prestigious Carnegie Mellon University reputation doesn’t hurt those efforts, of course.

Contact

Carnegie Mellon University
School of Design
5000 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: (412) 268-2828
Email: info@design.cmu.edu
Link

Community College of Allegheny County

Department of Arts and Humanities

The Department of Arts and Humanities at the Community College of Allegheny County is one of the most fundamental institutions for the broader Pittsburgh community. Instead of just educating students in a variety of arts-related fields, the department promotes and encourages inclusion of student work in both physical and digital art galleries. Those galleries are open to the public, and they’ve become a particularly popular and affordable way for Pittsburgh residents to see up-and-coming artists throughout the year. When combined with a sterling academic reputation, this two-year program and its department are an asset for local students.

A.A.S. in Graphic Communications

The graphic communications degree at the Community College of Allegheny County produces an associate’s degree in applied science, which actually allows students to study more career-related subjects than a regular associate’s of arts degree. The program requires only a few general education courses, while the rest of the 60 required credits emphasize design fundamentals, Mac and Windows software applications, and Pittsburgh graphic design internships. It’s a career-focused program that allows students quick entry into this growing field.

Contact

Community College of Allegheny County
Department of Arts and Humanities
8701 U.S. Route 19
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Phone: (412) 237-3100
Link

Drexel University

Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design

Drexel University’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design might be the single most compelling program for aspiring graphic designers. In addition to a prestigious reputation of its own and an exceedingly high job placement rate, the school offers Drexel’s unique co-op employment program that sees students maintain part-time or full-time employment in a degree-related position while they pursue the program on campus. Though it extends virtually all Drexel degrees to five years in length, this allows graphic design students to race ahead of their peers when seeking permanent employment after graduation.

B.A. in Graphic Design

Drexel University is no stranger to technology, with some of the country’s highest-ranked engineering and tech programs for undergraduates and advanced learners. Students in the graphic design program benefit from this, with access to the very latest computers and software applications, as well as some of the most compelling instructors in the field. With a solid liberal arts foundation, a rigorous quantitative requirement, and exciting graphic design courses, Drexel students will get the best money can offer when pursuing this B.A. in graphic design.

Contact

Drexel University
Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design
3141 Chestnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 215-895-2000
Email: kmc474@drexel.edu
Link 

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

Art Department

East Stroudsburg University is the most largest and most affordable public institution in northeastern Pennsylvania, making it a hub of activity for students pursuing graphic design. Though the Art Department offers several unique programs, those interested in graphic design will want to major in Art and Design. The department awards a Bachelor of Arts degree to those students who complete the required general education courses as well as the core courses required of all design students.

B.A. in Art and Design

The bachelor’s degree program at East Stroudsburg University gives students the chance to learn the fundamentals of digital design for mobile applications, websites, and printed materials. Elective courses are available to teach students more in-depth methods for signage, advertisements, and a wide array of other common areas where digital design skills are routinely used.

In addition to an extensive core curriculum in design, the degree enforces a mandatory internship of all students. These internships are designed to give students networking opportunities after graduation, with jobs that can be found in the nearby Pocono Mountain region, the city of Scranton, and even nearby New York City. At the completion of the program, students will be equipped with the degree, a successful internship, and a professionally prepared portfolio approved by a panel of students and faculty members.

Contact

East Stroudsburg University
Art Department
200 Prospect St.
East Stroudsburg, PA 18301
Phone: (570) 422-3216
Email: jbenintende@esu.edu
Link 

Marywood University

Insalaco College of Creative and Performing Arts

Like so many art departments at Pennsylvania universities, the Insalaco College of Creative and Performing Arts has long tried to intertwine itself with the local community. In this case, that means bringing together students and their artwork with the surrounding city of Scranton and its residents. To that end, the school regularly hosts art galleries, opens dance performances and recitals to the public, and involves graphic design students in community projects, tutoring, and more.

B.F.A. in Graphic Design

Marywood’s graphic design program is one of the few that eventually grants students a bachelor’s in fine arts, rather than the standard B.A. While it’s a small distinction, it’s one that indicates a more intensive, arts-focused education and that might resonate with employers a bit more strongly when looking for jobs. The program is one of the few in the state that has been fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. This optional accreditation is a testament to the school’s innovative coursework, high-tech classroom environment, and comprehensive approach to design both in print and digital arenas.

Students at Marywood will be able to pursue internship opportunities with the school’s help during their time as an undergraduate, and they’ll be heavily involved in the creation of a final portfolio of their work in advance of graduation. This portfolio will be presented and evaluated, and students must pass that evaluation in order to receive a conferred degree. With a focus on graphic design, print materials, and signage, students are certain to have one of the most diverse portfolios among the pool of new graduates in the state.

Contact

Marywood University
Insalaco College of Creative and Performing Arts
2300 Adams Avenue
Scranton, PA 18509
Phone: (570) 348-6278
Email: art@marywood.edu

Link

Mercyhurst University

Art Department

The Art Department at Mercyhurst University has long been a center of culture for the Erie metropolitan area in northwestern Pennsylvania. The school maintains several galleries for both students and community members, and has increasingly moved to publish digital design works via its social media sites, its Art.Mercyhurst.Edu website, and several other, more nontraditional channels. The department’s deep roots in Erie, developed over several decades of instruction, further allows for excellent internship and networking opportunities for students.

In addition to traditional classroom opportunities, the Art Department gives students the opportunity to extend their education overseas, in classrooms that span from Costa Rica to Western Europe and beyond. Each of these study abroad settings offers students a unique, local perspective on design practices and developments that may help them quite a bit as they seek success in their job search after graduation.

B.A. in Graphic Design

Like so many of today’s best graphic design programs, the graphic design major at Mercyhurst University is designed to give students a well-rounded perspective on the field. That means teaching the importance of not only sound digital design, but also excellent design for printed materials, traditional publications, presentations, and more. During their time at Mercyhurst, students will design for large-format publications, websites, mobile applications, desktop applications, printed materials like magazines and memorandums, and smaller materials like brochures. As they learn these skills, they’ll do so using Mac programs like Aperture, Windows mainstays like Adobe Photoshop, and several newer applications from smaller developers.

Students at Mercyhurst receive a well-rounded education and, as part of the B.A. in graphic design, they’ll be required to pursue a rigorous general education program. This program will see students taking mathematics, English, social science, and other courses that give them access to the school’s liberal arts heritage. Students can also choose a concentration in an art, design, or communications-related field to add value to their degree.

Contact

Mercyhurst University
Art Department
501 East 38th Street
Erie , PA 16546
Phone: (814) 824-2000

Montgomery County Community College – Central Campus

Arts and Humanities Department

Founded in 1964, Montgomery County Community College has always had a central focus on educating students for the fastest growing occupations in the broader Philadelphia region. That’s why this suburban Philadelphia institution maintains a large and growing art department that regularly works with the school’s STEM programs in creating high-tech, arts-minded degrees.

The graphic design program at MC3 is designed to give students an art background, a digital design prerogative, and a well-rounded liberal education at the same time.MC3 also has a robust relationship with nearby Drexel University, allowing students to seamlessly transfer into that school’s four-year program in the same field when they complete their Associate’s of Fine Arts.

A.F.A. in Graphic Design

Students who enroll in Montgomery County Community College’s graphic design program will take a number of classes that emphasize both technology and traditional design fundamentals. They’ll learn about the best practices for digital design, the foundations of both historical and modern art, and quantitative reasoning central to computer use. They’ll work with both Apple and Windows design applications in the process, preparing them for real-world career success.

Students who enroll at Montgomery County Community College will be required to take most of their courses offline, in the school’s cutting-edge computer labs and traditional classrooms. Increasingly, however, the institution is offering its general education coursework and introductory graphic design courses using a web-based interface. Students can enroll in purely online classes for at least some of their credits, which might help them seek and enjoy a job in the field even as they complete their degree in graphic design.

Contact

Montgomery County Community College
Art and Humanities Department
340 DeKalb Pike
Blue Bell, PA 19422
Phone: (215) 641-6300
Link

Moore College of Art and Design

Graphic Design Department

Moore College of Art and Design is one of the most prestigious art schools in the broader Philadelphia region, and its location in the heart of Philadelphia’s Center City neighborhood means that students and graduates will have access to the largest job market in the state when they complete their degree. A prestigious department at Moore promises a whopping 91 percent job placement rate to students, driven largely by Philadelphia’s explosive growth in the tech sector in recent years. With a curriculum that hinges on Apple design programs and universal best practices, those who attend will be well rounded enough to succeed in a variety of occupational settings.

B.F.A. in Graphic Design

Moore College of Art and Design has always lived at the intersection of classroom theory and real-world preparation, and that’s exactly where their graphic design program succeeds. In pursuit of this BFA, students will enroll in graphic design classes as well as those that teach art history, quantitative reasoning, and a variety of liberal arts subjects. In the process, they’ll create both physical and digital portfolios, actively preparing for post-graduation job searching. Students will be required to present this portfolio to graduation, and they’ll be required to take at least one internship or design-centric work-study position during their time at MCAD.

Contact

Moore College of Art and Design
Graphic Design Department
20th Street and The Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 965 – 4000
Email: webmaster@moore.edu
Link 

Numerous Excellent Opportunities for Aspiring Graphic Designers in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania universities have a long reputation of producing some of the nation’s most successful graduates in a wide variety of fields, and graphic design is certainly no exception. Whether it’s the affordable program offered by a local community college or the sheer number of in-depth courses offered at the undergraduate and graduate levels, today’s students in Pennsylvania have opportunities that will connect them with the skills, software, employers, and portfolio materials needed for long-term success. Without a doubt, the graphic design degrees in Pennsylvania offer a clear blueprint for long-term occupational success across both digital and print media.

Graphic Design Degrees in Pennsylvania (N-Z)