Liberty University

liberty-university

Graphic Design Degrees Offered at Liberty University

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Liberty University offers two undergraduate and two graduate degree programs in graphic design. The degree programs are Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Graphic Design, Graphic Design Degree Online – Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design (MFA) and Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design (MFA) Online. The requirements and courses in each bachelor and each master programs are the same, but the programs themselves are separate and distinct. The on-ground degree programs offer some online options for students attending the physical campus, but the on-ground degree programs focus on classes held on the physical campus. Undergraduate programs require 120 credit hours for completion. The graduate programs consist of 60 credit hours.

Liberty University’s graphic design programs prepare students for careers in creating both functional and creative art within digital media. After program completion, students find positions in illustration, branding, package design, user interface, textile design and more. The graduate programs build on the undergraduate foundation. Graduate students also have the freedom of being actively involved in designing a personalized course of study, allowing them to focus on the areas of graphic design in which they have greatest interest.

Both of the bachelor programs share commonalities in their content. The primary difference between the two bachelor programs is the method of delivery in that one is an on-ground program at the physical campus and the other is an online program. Incoming students must complete 18 credit hours in foundational art before being considered for admittance into the formal graphic design degree program. Students compile professional portfolios as they complete those specific art courses. Those professional portfolios serve as each student’s competitive entry into the formal graphic design program. Some of the foundational courses are Introduction to 2D Design; Introduction to 3D Design; Art History; Drawing 1; Drawing 2; Art, Culture and Technology; Introduction to Graphic Design; Introduction to Typography; Vector Illustration; Digital Imaging; and similar topics important in art in general and specifically important in graphic design.

Liberty University states that its Master’s programs in graphic design are terminal degrees representing the highest degree possible to attain in graphic design. Liberty University allows each graduate student to have great freedom within the student’s individual program. Rather than requiring a core of specific classes, Liberty University provides faculty guidance in developing a program of study of greatest interest to the student. The school offers ten graphic design courses and 20 subject areas from which to choose when designing the individual master program. Courses available at the graduate level include typography, character design, vector illustration, 3D graphics, and digital imaging and photography.

About Liberty University

Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, Liberty University is a private Christian school founded in 1971 by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell. It is a well respected and high-quality institution that strives to positively influence moral and ethical values in all areas, including taking those values into business, education and every other area in which graduates work. The name changed to Liberty Baptist College in 1976; in 1980 it achieved full accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Liberty was an early pioneer of distance learning in 1985, long before the public Internet existed. Jerry Falwell Jr. became chancellor in 2007 after the passing of Dr. Falwell. Today, Liberty University is Virginia’s largest university both in physical size and student enrollment. Its physical campus has 7,000 acres, 380 buildings, and structures totaling more than 6.6 million square feet of interior building space. Total enrollment is well over 100,000, most of which is in Liberty’s many online degree programs. At a population of 30,000, nearly one-third of enrolled students are military students. There are 17 colleges and schools, 300 residential programs and 400 online degree programs. U.S. News and World Report ranks Liberty University as number 230 of 301 on its list of Best Colleges among National Universities, Tier 2.

Liberty University Accreditation Details

Liberty University has been continuously accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges since 1980. Its accreditation was reaffirmed in 2016 and will be reassessed in 2026. Several schools and programs hold additional accreditation in areas of business, nursing, engineering and more.

Liberty University Application Requirements

Liberty University has no specific minimum requirements for incoming freshmen, but admission is competitive. Admission to the school does not guarantee admission to the graphic arts program, however. Rather, new students seeking admission into the Bachelor of Fine Arts program complete 18 hours of prescribed art classes, building a professional portfolio as they progress through those specific courses. Those seeking admission into the graphic design program then compete for acceptance into the program using the portfolio they have built through those specific art classes.

Admission to the school is based on cumulative high school GPA, GED scores if applicable, academic performance consistency, test scores from ACT, SAT or CLT, plus an admission essay. Liberty’s website states that 50 percent of admitted students fall into mid-ranges that it defines to provide guidance in likelihood of acceptance:

High school GPA between 3.15 and 3.83
Old SAT math and critical reading prior to March 2016 scores from 950 to 1170
New SAT math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores between 1020 and 1220
ACT composite scores of 20 to 27

Transfer students certainly are welcome. Undergraduate students may transfer up to 90 credit hours from other accredited schools. Graduate students may transfer up to 30 graduate credits.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Liberty University is a private school so there is no cost distinction for in-state students or those from any other area. Annual tuition for traditional on-ground students is $23,800. Fully 57 percent of all undergraduate students attending physical classes live on campus, so those costs also must be considered in total annual costs. Part-time students attending physical classes pay $815 per credit hour. On-ground Master’s students pay $545 per credit hour.

Liberty University actively pursues and recommends all applicable financial aid sources available. Though the annual undergraduate tuition is $23,800, the school demonstrates on its website that financial aid in the form of internal discounts, Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG), Military Aid where applicable, outside aid and Federal student loans can provide as much as $14,896 of that $23,800.

Students enrolled in online programs can choose to pay on a per-credit basis. Full time online undergraduate students pay $390 per credit hour. Full time online graduate students pay $565. The per-hour fee increases with part-time study. Part-time online undergraduates pay $455 and part-time graduate students pay $615.

Liberty University offers a solid range of both undergraduate and graduate degree programs in graphic design.