GDUSA
Design Retrieval
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Top Design Schools 2025
The programs educating the next generation of American graphic designers — honored by GDUSA and connected here to their students' award-winning work.
Academy of Art University
Academy of Art University’s School of Graphic Design is an immersive, dynamic environment that will help you maximize your unique creative potential. We teach traditional, foundational skills infused with cutting-edge technology and the spirit of constant innovation. Along the way, you’ll gain a deep understanding of the transformative power of design, build an exceptional portfolio, and position yourself for incredible opportunities at top-tier companies, agencies, and design studios. Our curriculum mirrors the real world; we explore communication design, branding, typography, and much more. Our instructors are industry professionals who know the value of practical experience and the importance of having a professional-quality portfolio coming out of school. As a student in graphic design, you’ll also be part of the School of Brand Communications, which includes the Schools of Advertising, Interaction & UI/UX, and Communications & Media Technologies. You’ll have access to a wide range of classes and exciting intra-school collaborations. We believe that AI will be a driving force in the future of design, a vision reflected in our 17 AI-infused design classes. You’ll learn to use tools like Midjourney, ChatGPT, and Adobe Firefly for rapid prototyping and concepting. We even offer the world’s first MA degree in AI Design. Whether you’re pursuing a full degree, brushing up on existing skills, or just exploring design one class at a time, you’ll benefit from our extensive business network and alumni connections that can lead to internships and jobs. Join us at the Academy and design your future. academyart.edu/art-degree/graphic-design Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Arizona State University
design.asu.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
ArtCenter College of Design
ArtCenter College of Design educates designers to excel in craft and develop a unique vision. We believe design is critical to business, our communities, and society. We research, strategize, develop concepts, prototype, and execute to create sublime solutions that move the viewer. In our Undergraduate Graphic Design Program, we foster the highest standards of creativity and critical thinking, visual and cultural literacy, craftsmanship, professionalism and collaboration, leadership and ethical purpose, and a readiness to be lifelong learners. We offer five areas of emphasis that can be combined together, allowing students to develop unique skillsets: Motion, Visual Interaction Design, Print, Package Design, and Transmedia (design systems explored through traditional and emerging media). Our Graduate Graphic Design program focuses on skill, leadership, and strategic thinking across all media with a goal of practical professional improvement and creative vision. In 2022, we launched our MDes in Brand Design and Strategy online program, focusing on brand strategy and innovation, in which students explore the broader constructs of successful brand strategy, building, and management. This program fosters the designer’s ability to be a chief decision-maker, with the skills and tools to lead teams and create change. artcenter.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Auburn University
The Graphic Design Program at Auburn University prepares students to practice visual communication in a competitive global environment. Auburn’s nationally regarded BFA is NASAD accredited and concentrates on interactive media and mobile app design, user experience design, strategic branding, typography, publication design, packaging, illustration, image-making, and fine arts. Students receive hands-on design instruction in a professional studio environment accented by a strong sense of community among students and faculty. Courses emphasize a systemic approach to design through cross-disciplinary collaborations, cultivating students to become versatile designers and art directors. The program hosts exhibitions, design symposiums, and guest lectures by industry leaders while supporting an internship program that facilitates experiences in professional practice and opportunities for networking. Students build a strong portfolio of work across their overall experience in design and education. cadc.auburn.edu/design/programs/graphic-design Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Ball State University
Founded in 1918, Ball State University is a research-intensive, residential institution located in Muncie, Indiana, serving approximately 22,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The School of Art at Ball State offers state-of-the-art facilities that rival the best in the nation. Our faculty and staff are highly accomplished artists, creators, scholars, and designers with active national and international profiles. With an enrollment of over 600 students, our NASAD-accredited programs (BA, BS, BFA) provide a diverse range of opportunities in areas such as Graphic Design, Animation, Game Design, Illustration, Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, Sculpture, Photography, Ceramics, Glass, Metals, Intermedia, Graphic Arts Management, Art History, and Art Education. The Graphic Design program emphasizes a rigorous interdisciplinary education that fosters cultural awareness and prepares students for real-world professional demands. Students develop strong problem-solving abilities, technical expertise, and digital competencies across multiple disciplines. Our program features top-tier facilities equipped with industry-standard computers, software, and equipment, allowing students to excel in both traditional and emerging media. Graphic Design students collaborate closely with faculty and peers to build a strong foundation in design concepts and professional practices. They also have the unique opportunity to join Studio 165+, an award-winning student-run design studio, where they work on local, regional, national, and international design projects. bsu.edu/art Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. The Department of Art and Art History at Baylor offers an emphasis in graphic design within the studio art major. The studio art major provides students the opportunity to develop their hand and aesthetic skills and conceptual development. In addition to foundation courses, students take graphic design courses in Conceptual Development, Typography, Identity Design and Branding, Advanced Typography, UX/UI design, and Portfolio. An elective internship course is also available for those students wishing to take advantage of professional practice in the field. Graduates have gone on to work in design studios and major advertising agencies, and some have also started design studios and advertising agencies of their own. art.artsandsciences. baylor.edu/areas-study/graphic-design Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Belmont University
Located near the heart of thriving Nashville, Tennessee, Belmont University has nearly 9,000 students from every state and 33 countries. The University is nationally recognized for its innovative approach and commitment to undergraduate teaching (U.S. News & World Report). As a Christ-centered, student-focused community, Belmont’s mission is to develop diverse leaders of purpose, character, and wisdom who possess a transformational mindset and are eager and equipped to make the world a better place. Belmont’s Watkins College of Art at Belmont University offers Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees and post-graduate programs accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. These programs include Art Studies, Art Education, Art History, Design Communications, Experiential Design, Illustration, Photography, Photographic Studies, and Studio Art. The Design Communications (B.F.A.) program features a portfolio-based graphic design curriculum that equips students with a broad spectrum of skills, focusing on information, communication, and a deep understanding of end-user needs. Graduates of Belmont’s Design program become positive contributors to the local, national, and international media landscape, competing effectively in any market. Watkins College of Art’s mission is to educate purpose-driven artists and designers with a global perspective and an entrepreneurial mindset, thereby making them valuable contributors to their communities. The college also offers opportunities for studying abroad, internships, and community education programs. https://www.belmont.edu/watkins/ Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Boston University
The Graphic Design program at Boston University College of Fine Arts School of Visual Arts takes a studio-driven approach to design thinking and visual communication. With an emphasis on process and critical design thinking, the program sets itself apart as a maker-based design department within an art school and a R1 University. The design faculty are leaders in the field who work closely with students to develop their technical and conceptual skills, challenging them to think creatively and strategically, and placing them at the forefront of entrepreneurial thinking in the business world. bu.edu/cfa/academics/degrees-programs/graphic-design Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Bowling Green State University
For more than 111 years, Bowling Green State University has been a public university for the public good, always moving forward. BGSU is a high-research, nationally ranked, comprehensive university, always proud to be public. The BGSU Graphic Design program educates and mentors its students to become independent and collaborative innovators and leaders in the field of graphic design. Our award-winning program is dynamic, enterprising, and responsive, and leads to a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Graphic Design. Our multi-faceted curricula merges design ideologies and research with appropriate aesthetic and communication methods through intensive critical analysis, exploration and experimentation. Students are taught and trained to be mindful professionals and socio-politically aware stewards for the profession and the world. Our practical and theoretical approach to foster and guide clarity of communication is the foundation for a progressive and fluid curriculum— one that graduates thinkers with curious minds. https://www.bgsu.edu/academics/graphic-design.html Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University (BYU) is a large private religious university in Provo, Utah, serving 34,000+ students from over 100 countries and all 50 states. The BYU Graphic Design program has a history of producing award-winning work and enjoys an established international reputation. The major simulates a professional studio experience with students working to solve complex visual problems. As members of a small cohort group, students complete a variety of individual and collaborative projects under close faculty direction. BYU’s Graphic Design BFA program aspires to prepare students with the skills, knowledge, and intellect necessary to be excellent visual communicators and to foster innovation through problem solving, collaboration, and design thinking. The program aims to cultivate designers that encourage human flourishing, foster charitable interactions, and promote societal and ecological well-being today and in the future. BYU emphasizes experiential learning on and off-campus, both in its extensive study abroad programs and our program’s national internship placements. designdept.byu.edu/graphicdesign Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
California College of the Arts
www.cca.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
California Institute of the Arts
The CalArts Graphic Design Program fosters the next generation of graphic designers through rigorous inquiry, fearless exploration, and innovative making. Students develop formal and critical thinking skills to establish their own unique approaches and individual perspectives with the support of faculty and the studio community. The Graphic Design curriculum integrates the Institute’s critical approach, placing practice within the context of history, theory, interdisciplinarity, and broader cultures. Graphic design classes are small, intimate, and critique-driven. Studio and lecture courses include print, web, UI/UX, motion, typography, branding, history, and theory. Graduates are prepared for design careers and opportunities in professional, independent, and entrepreneurial pursuits. Graphic Design students work in year-level studios where individual and collaborative learning is encouraged. This dynamic environment includes art and media labs, galleries, the library, performance spaces, the cafe, outdoor spaces, and proximity to the five other schools. https://calarts.edu/academics/programs-and-degrees/bfa-graphic-design Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Carnegie Mellon University
design.cmu.edu/design-cmu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
College for Creative Studies
Located in the heart of Detroit and integrated into its cultural life, CCS educates artists and designers to be leaders in creative professions. A private, fully accredited college, the school enrolls nearly 1,400 students pursuing BFA, MA and MFA degrees. It also offers non-credit courses through its Continuing and Precollege Studies programs and opportunities for youth through its Community Arts Partnerships programs. CCS’s innovative Communication Design program encourages students to create imaginative work that engages users in new and unexpected ways in print, motion, and user experience design. Integrated into the Communication Design program, Graphic Design studies strengthen students’ design and research skills, and develop their ability to use a variety of media in creating engaging and strategic communications across emerging media platforms. https://www.ccsdetroit.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/communication-design/ Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago offers two programs in graphic design, a BFA and BA. Both degrees give students the tools and experience needed to launch a career in graphic design within a broader program of foundational studies in art and design. Students also gain a strong business foundation, which will prepare them to join a design firm, an agency, an in-house corporate design team, or launch their own freelance business. A second Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design is also available. The BFA is a rigorous, professionally focused degree in graphic design. The BFA requires stu dents to learn multiple disciplines and has fewer opportunities to choose electives. The BA provides a foundation in design but allows students to choose a general concentration one in Web Design or Publication Design. All Graphic Design students develop a professional portfolio of work as part of the requirements of the degree programs. colum.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
DePaul University
DePaul University’s BFA in Graphic Design prepares students to communicate to diverse audiences through a wide range of design practices, integrating emerging media and contemporary technologies, including typography, interaction design, branding, illustration, motion graphics, package design, programming, artificial intelligence, and digital fabrication. Located in the heart of Chicago, our program offers a vibrant design community and creates opportunities for collaboration, networking, and internships. Housed in the Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media, students have access to cutting-edge equipment and lab spaces, including a print lab, two well-equipped makerspaces with facilities for fabricating wood, metal, plastics, soft goods, and electronics; recording, film, stop-motion animation, and motion-capture studios; and several VR and AR production spaces. The Jarvis Student Center for Innovation and Collaboration brings together students and faculty from across the college and provides a media lounge for lectures and presentations, an XR creative studio, and private spaces and conference rooms for meetings. We also offer significant funding opportunities for students, including the Design IMPACTGrants, Jarvis Challenge, and research assistantships. Award-winning faculty oversee a host of initiatives, design labs, and research programs that foster student learning, engagement, and community. Students also lead their own initiatives, including our DePaul Design Club, maker space, Print Lab, and digital fabrication studio. Design-related study abroad programs in Japan and Scandinavia provide our students with a global context for their practice. www.cdm.depaul.edu/design Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Drexel University
The creative heart of Drexel University, the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design trains the next generation of scholars, thinkers, makers, and doers in the fields of media, entertainment, design, and the visual and performing arts. Westphal offers 17 undergraduate and eight graduate majors, housed in award-winning facilities that encourage collaboration across creative disciplines. The Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design educates students to inform, persuade, educate, and entertain through the creative use of word and image. The program prepares students with diverse backgrounds to enter the field of graphic design with a competitive edge as skilled design practitioners, creative problem solvers, and multi-talented team members. https://drexel.edu/westphal/academics/undergraduate/graphic-design/ Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Fashion Institute of Technology
The Graphic Design BFA Program of the Communication Design Pathways Department educates creative, socially responsible, and worldly professionals who are well positioned for a broad range of art and design fields. It challenges students to generate problem-solving and culture-making design, through experimentation and collaboration attuned to social, environmental as well as commercial challenges. It is an intensive, professionally oriented course of study that relies heavily on typographic craftsmanship, design authorship and motion design. The program presents an annual lecture series for its design students and multiple student curated exhibitions. It facilitates Study Abroad, internships and professional interaction opportunities. Courses are taught by accomplished practicing designers and scholars. fitnyc.edu/academics/academic-divisions/art-and-design/ graphic-design/index.php Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Full Sail University
Full Sail University is an award-winning educational leader for those pursuing careers in entertainment media and emerging technologies. Founded in 1979, Full Sail has received numerous accolades throughout its 45-year history, including being named a Graphic Design USA Top Design School. Full Sail University is a graduate and undergraduate degree-granting institution offering on-campus and online degree programs in areas related to Art & Design, Business, Film & Television, Games, Media & Communications, Music & Recording, Sports, and Technology. With over 100,000 graduates worldwide, Full Sail alumni have worked on countless award-winning projects with individual recognition including Oscar®, Emmy®, Grammy®, Addy® and The Game Award honors. Located in Winter Park, FL, Full Sail University’s 210+ acres campus is home to 110+ studios and labs, 75+ classrooms, and 880,000+ square feet of real-world media production facilities. The university’s art and design degree programs are designed to equip serious artists with a comprehensive toolbox, combining traditional skills with digital techniques. Art and design degree programs at Full Sail include: Computer Animation, Digital Arts & Design, Game Art,Graphic Design, User Experience, Media Design (MFA), 3-D Arts,and Visual Design. www.fullsail.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Iowa State University
T he Graphic Design Department at Iowa State is situated in the College of Design, one of the most comprehensive institutions for art and design education, which leads to a strong multidisciplinary network of design thinking for our 300+ students. The department includes an undergraduate BFA in Graphic Design, a Masters in Experiential Graphic Design, and a Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. The curriculum emphasizes how to design through organization of visual and verbal information. Our concept-based approach can be applied to printed material, digital media, motion, and environmental graphics. Students learn to create designs based in a solid understanding of the history and fundamentals of graphic design. They hone their skills through elective studios in a variety of topics including UX design, 3D animation, digital media, motion graphics, exhibition design, packaging design, wayfinding, typography, publication design and branding. They enhance their education with internships or study abroad, including a semester in Italy with our Rome Program. Our mission is to educate experiential communicators who enrich our ethical, social, cultural, and environmental future. We prepare students to be adept in the ever-evolving graphic design discipline in the creation of communication artifacts and systems that inform and inspire in virtual and physical environments. https://www.iastate.edu/academics/majors-minors-certificates/design Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Kansas City Art Institute
KCAI is a college of art and design awarding the B.F.A. degree in 13 majors. We recruit top talent from across the country and equip them with a versatile skill set and the fearlessness to pursue their craft. KCAI’s Graphic Design department takes a wide-ranging view of the possibilities for visual communication, introducing students to the principles of print, interaction, motion, environment, experience, information, and advocacy. Our approach to design problems can best be described as exploratory, systematic, and transmedia. We recognize the complexity of contemporary design and seek to foster critical and surprising responses through a rigorous process of research, thinking, form-making, and connection to various external communities. https://kcai.edu/academics/Majors_Minors/majors/Graphic-Design/ Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Kennesaw State University
Graphic Communications is one of the largest programs in the School of Art and Design at Kennesaw State University. This vigorous, progressive program supports students in advancing their technical and creative skills, with visual literacy and technology serving as the foundation. Students embody competencies and relevance for a multicultural, global marketplace. The School of Art and Design (SOAAD) is accredited by NASAD and offers students challenging and exciting degrees, including the BFA in Art, a BFA in Digital Animation, and an MA in Art and Design. SOAAD and the City of Atlanta are a powerful combination providing educational and professional opportunities that launch careers into local and international creative industries. arts.kennesaw.edu/visual-arts Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Kent State University
kent.edu/vcd Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Maryland Institute College of Art
mica.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Massachusetts College of Art and Design
massart.edu/academics/programs/communication-design Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Mercer University
Mercer University Department of Art & Design offers a comprehensive curriculum that encourages the investigation of contemporary directions in art, imaging, and visual communication, housed within a vibrant liberal arts program. By working in a wide range of print and interactive media, students develop cohesive portfolios appropriate for the pursuit of graduate studies or professional practice. Theory, methodology, and industry-standard technology are taught by award-winning faculty members to prepare students for success in this continually evolving field of study. liberalarts.mercer.edu/academic-programs/majors-and-minors/graphic-design/ Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Michigan State University
Michigan State University, founded in 1855 as a pioneering land-grant institution, is one of the top research universities in the world — on one of the biggest, greenest campuses in the nation — and is home to a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, scientists and leaders. Within the Department of Art, Art History, and Design, students in the Graphic Design Program are exposed to a series of experimental and intellectual exercises that prepare them for a wide range of professional careers in design. Notable alum, such as Katherine and Michael McCoy, Sam Landers, Doug Kisor, and Ellen Bruss, have made historic contributions to design history and continue to give back to our students in lasting and meaningful ways. Real-world experience is gained through internships, the client-initiated coursework of Design Center, and the AIGA student group. Inspiring lectures demonstrate the wide scope of the profession, as renowned designers are brought in as part of the annual Visiting Artist & Scholar Lecture Series. Past lecturers include Massimo Vignelli, Martin Venezky, Ben Fry, Nancy Skolos & Tom Wedell, James Victore, Andrew Blauvelt, Jim Sherraden, Stuart Bailey, Jan Wilker, Hans Allemann, and Karen Cheng. art.msu.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
www.mcad.edu/academics/undergraduate/majors/graphic-design Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
North Carolina State University
The Graphic and Experience Design Program at NC State University’s College of Design blends user experience and user interface design (UX/UI) with traditional graphic design practices like branding, typography, service design, and exhibition design. Through project-based assignments, graphic & experience design students acquire strong formal and conceptual skills framed by a human-centered approach. Students progress to advanced studios that enable in-depth exploration of special topics such as data visualization, branding, accessible design, and artificial intelligence. The NC State Graphic & Experience Design (GXD) program is consistently recognized as one of the top NASAD-accredited design programs in the country. Students are embedded in a College of Design which allows them to thrive in a creative culture alongside fellow graphic & experience designers, industrial designers, landscape architects and architects. design.ncsu.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Otis College of Art and Design
otis.edu/index.html Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Parsons School of Design
Parsons School of Design at The New School is one of the leading institutions for art and design education in the world. Based in New York but active around the world, the school offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the full spectrum of art and design disciplines, as well as online courses, degree and certificate programs. Critical thinking and collaboration are at the heart of a Parsons education. Parsons graduates are leaders in their respective fields, with a shared commitment to creatively and critically addressing the complexities of life in the 21st century. The Communication Design BFA is the oldest undergraduate program of its kind in the United States. In this major, students learn the theory and craft needed to combine words, images, and ideas to visually transmit information and project human experiences in print, on screen, or in space. newschool.edu/parsons Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
At Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, we are makers and dreamers, designers and entrepreneurs. Here students learn to make creativity their careers. Located in the heart of Lancaster city’s thriving arts community, inspiration is found around every corner. It’s the personal attention and guidance from our faculty of working artists, coupled with internships and hands-on experiences, that set us apart. A hallmark of our Graphic Design program is our annual Designathon event, a day-long push of brainstorming, designing, refining, production, and presentations, as students and faculty create free marketing materials — logos, websites, brochures, and branding — for local nonprofits. This deadline-driven adrenaline-filled experience prepares students well for their futures as they learn to design under pressure. https://pcad.edu/degrees/graphic-design/ Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Portland State University
pdx.edu/art-design/bfa-graphic-design Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Pratt Institute
pratt.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Pratt Munson College of Art and Design
Within the intimate and supportive atmosphere of our upstate campus, the Graphic Design program at Pratt Munson stands out as a transformative learning experience. Here, students acquire the essential skills to visually communicate ideas, explore cutting-edge tools, and shape perspectives within a dynamic and interconnected culture. The faculty, committed to fostering ambitious ideas, ensures a robust foundation in traditional practices while offering guidance and support. Our multidisciplinary approach to Graphic Design encompasses coursework in visual communication, typography, design procedures, and illustration. Through simulated professional projects, students gain hands-on experience in preparing artwork for publication, emphasizing real-world relevance. Pratt Munson prioritizes a supportive environment where world-class faculty provide personalized guidance and feedback, fostering a sense of community and creativity. Join us at Pratt Munson to embark on a journey that combines the prestige of Pratt Institute with the intimacy and affordability of our upstate campus. www.prattmunson.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Purdue University
cla.purdue.edu/academic/rueffschool/ad/vcd/ Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Rhode Island School of Design
Graphic Design at RISD pushes on the boundaries of the discipline. At RISD you learn how to communicate ideas visually, play with the tools of the field, frame points of view and messages, build community and embrace a fluid, networked culture. Faculty support students and encourage ambitious ideas along with a mastery of traditional practices. RISD (pronounced “RIZ-dee”) is a creative community founded in 1877 in Providence, Rhode Island. Today, we enroll 2,567 students hailing from 60 countries. Led by a committed faculty, they are engaged in 44 full-time bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and supported by a worldwide network of over 31,000 alumni who demonstrate the vital role artists and designers play in today’s society. Beyond facts and figures, what is the spirit of this community? Through a cross-disciplinary curriculum of studio-based learning and rigorous study in the liberal arts, RISD students are encouraged to develop their own personal creative processes, but they are united by one guiding principle: in order to create, one must question. In cultivating expansive and elastic thinking, RISD seeks to activate a critical exchange that empowers artists, designers and scholars to generate and challenge the ideas that shape our world. RISD’s mission, at both the college and museum, is not only to educate students and the public in the creation and appreciation of works of art and design, but to transmit that knowledge and make global contributions. https://www.risd.edu/academics/graphic-design/ Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Ringling College of Art and Design
Since 1931, Ringling College of Art and Design has cultivated the creative spirit in students from around the globe. The private, not-for-profit, fully accredited college offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 11 disciplines and the Bachelor of Arts in two. The College’s rigorous curriculum employs the studio model of teaching and immediately engages students through a comprehensive program that is both specific to the major of study and focused on the liberal arts. The Ringling College teaching model ultimately shapes students into highly employable and globally aware artists and designers. For more information, visit www.ringling.edu and follow the College on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Ringling College’s Graphic Design program gives students a deep understanding of the design thinking process and how to apply it to a broad spectrum of 2D, 3D, and screen-based media. Students learn strategies for creating concepts and designing interfaces that entice, inform, and surprise the user. Their work is regularly submitted to the ADDY Awards, and they have the opportunity to intern at the Ringling College Design Center. Ringling’s Graphic Design degree graduates work as graphic and product designers, creative and art directors, visual and interactive designers, or as freelancers with the freedom to hand-pick their projects. ringling.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Rochester Institute of Technology
https://www.rit.edu/artdesign/school-design Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
San Diego State University
art.sdsu.edu/ Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
San José State University
San José State University’s Graphic Design Program was formalized in 1969 and remains the only program in a public university in Silicon Valley. Because of its accessible location in the Bay Area, students can work with design and technology industries and professional and service organizations to connect with broader communities. These experiences, coupled with the required internships (BFA GD majors only), will arm students with the skills and confidence that make them effective contributors to the professional graphic design world. sjsugd.org Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Savannah College of Art and Design
SCAD is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering more than 100 graduate and undergraduate degree programs across locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and online via SCADnow. The innovative SCAD graphic design curriculum is rooted in creative processes, problem-solving methodologies, and visualization concepts designed to connect users to brands. Each year, SCAD graphic design students earn illustrious accolades, including Applied Arts Student Awards, GDUSA, and International Design Awards. In 2024, SCAD was named No. 1 in the U.S. in Art & Object’s Best Art Schools ranking. Career success is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni employment rate. A 2024 study found that 99% of recent SCAD graduates were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 12 months of graduation. SCAD provides students and alumni with ongoing career support through personal coaching, alumni programs, a professional presentation studio, and more. Through SCADpro, the university’s in-house design studio, students join forces with luminaries of design, draw inspiration, and form lasting connections with industry powerhouses. The combination of advanced instruction and unrivaled portfolio-building opportunities leads to elite internships and careers with iconic companies such as Apple and IBM. scad.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
saic.edu/visual-communication-design Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
School of Visual Arts
SVA has been a leader in the education of artists, designers, and creative professionals for seven decades. With a faculty of distinguished working professionals, a dynamic curriculum, and an emphasis on critical thinking, SVA is a catalyst for innovation and social responsibility. Comprising 7,000 students at its Manhattan campus and more than 40,000 alumni in 128 countries, SVA also represents one of the most influential artistic communities in the world. Our BFA Design program focuses on visual communication problem-solving. In addition to a distinguished faculty, we offer a wide range of course options tailored to each student’s strengths and needs by offering more studio courses than any institution in the world. Our BFA Advertising program is a soup-to-nuts proposition: we ground students in the basics — typography, digital production, 3D design, motion graphics, and graphic design while broadening their visual literacy and sharpening their voice. Many of SVA’s advertising classes are held right at the agencies of faculty members, where students can mingle with executives, media planners, and copywriters. sva.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Sessions College for Professional Design
Sessions College for Professional Design is a fully online school of visual arts offering a range of degree programs and certificate programs in Graphic Design, Web Design, Digital Media, Illustration, Advertising Design, Digital Photography and Fine Arts. The Sessions College Associate and Bachelor’s degree programs in Graphic Design offer an accessible, affordable path for students seeking to enter careers in print and interactive visual communication. Designed for high school graduates and adult learners, the programs offer a powerful foundation in visual design and a working knowledge of contemporary design practices and media. Talented, passionate experts teach the artistic, digital, and critical thinking skills required by dynamic creative fields. sessions.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Susquehanna University
Founded in 2002, the Graphic Design program at Susquehanna University has spent two decades training and developing some of the nation’s top designers. The foundation of the program is simple—process and concept are king. Hard work is the reality, talent is the illusion. See everything. Solve the problem. Give a damn. These ideals fuel a community of designers that are changing the landscape of design every day through deadline-driven real word projects with the goal of creating competitive, industry ready portfolios. The School of the Arts’ award winning, nationally known graphic design program offers two degree options; the BFA for those looking for a career in the creative and fast-paced world of graphic design or advertising and the BA for those wishing to augment their first-choice major with professional design skills. Students will graduate with in demand skills, the industry knowledge that employers seek, and a widespread and supportive alumni network working professionally for some of the top agencies and companies throughout the country. Pairing true artistry with professionalism, doors open to thrilling creative opportunities and a career that’s durable, exciting, and satisfying. https://susqu.design/ Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Syracuse University School of Design
The School of Design is an inquisitive community of students and faculty that addresses firsthand the issues of the world around it. State school officials: “We take pride in our professionally oriented programs, many of which have a long history at Syracuse University. Concern for sustainable design practices, social issues, and excellence in professional practice forms the core of our programs.” The School of Design’s first-year experience is a prerequisite, providing a design-studio-based education focused on the fundamental elements of the design disciplines. Students learn basic visualization and making skills as well as an ability to apply iterative thought and action processes to a given problem. In addition, students receive a focused introduction to the ethical and philosophical grounding of each of the design professions. School of Design faculty are active professionals dedicated to ensuring that students reach their potential and provide one-on-one instruction in studio classes. The School maintains a special relationship with the Syracuse community through the activities of various student groups (including chapters of professional design organizations) who work on projects with not-for-profit agencies as well as funded research design collaborations. vpa.syr.edu/academics/design Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Syracuse University School of Public Communications
The Visual Communications department at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University embraces emerging and traditional forms of visual storytelling. Its design program emphasizes strategy, problem solving and human-centered design to create smart, intentional, innovative solutions in print and pixels, including motion, 3D, UI/UX, XR, brand identity, product packaging, typography and publication design. The Visual Communications department values designing for social good, cross-media partnerships, workshops and collaboration. We encourage students to let their passions drive their focus and academic path and are proud to support and foster the individuality of its students and their unique voices and vision. Graduates of the design program have gone on to work at places such as IDEO, Google, Adobe, IBM, Facebook, Amazon, Mapbox, Washington Post, New York Times, Sports Illustrated, National Geographic Magazine, Herman Miller, Trip Advisor, U.S. State Department, and their own businesses. The program offers both a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design and a Master of Science in Multimedia, Photography, and Design degrees. https://newhouse.syr.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Temple University
Located in Philadelphia, the Tyler School of Art & Architecture’s Graphic & Interactive Design and Illustration & Emerging Media programs offer some of the nation’s most respected BFA and MFA degrees in visual communication. Students develop skills in typography, image-making, UX/UI, motion design, AR, AI, and digital storytelling, preparing them for careers across print and digital media. Mentored by award-winning faculty, students take a conceptual approach to design while engaging in research, human-centered problem-solving, and social impact projects. Tyler now offers a range of majors and minors: BFA in Graphic and Interactive Design – a foundation in design with cutting-edge tools for branding, UX/UI, AR, AI, and motion graphics. An MFA in Graphic and Interactive Design – advanced design research and creative practice for students pursuing leadership roles. A BFA in Illustration and Emerging Media – traditional and digital storytelling techniques for books, games, animation, and interactive media. And a BFA in User Experience and User Interface (UX/UI) Design – designing seamless, human-centered digital experiences. Minors in Graphic and Interactive Design, Illustration and Emerging Media, and UX/UI Design allow students from other disciplines to integrate creative skills into their studies. Students gain expertise in Adobe software, animation, prototyping, type design, AR, game development, and more. Philadelphia’s vibrant creative scene and one of the nation’s largest AIGA chapters offer students real-world design opportunities, internships, and industry connections. Graduates work in top design studios, UX/UI firms, publishing, motion design, Fortune 500 companies, and entrepreneurial ventures. Based at Temple University, Tyler School of Art & Architecture provides access to more than 300 academic programs and the resources of an affordable, world-class art & design city. tyler.temple.edu/programs/graphic-interactive-design Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Texas State University
The Communication Design Program is one of the largest public programs in the country and is one of the best in the Southwest United States. The program’s curriculum is oriented around the preparation of a superior portfolio with a focus on enabling students to become excellent critical thinkers, fearless makers, and effective communicators as they enter the professional field of communication design. Courses in interactive design, typography, art direction, corporate identity, sustainable packaging, brand experience, human-centered design, environmental graphics, and design research prepare the student for professional practice. Students may further their education with independent study courses, job shadowing, and professional internships. Communication Design students have received recognition in numerous prestigious design journals by having their work published in Communication Arts, CMYK, Step Inside Design, Graphis New Talent Annual, LogoLounge, and PRINT. Students have also received recognition in national, regional, and local competitions such as: The One Show, American Advertising Federation Awards, AIGA Flux, The National Show, Creative Summit, Art Director’s Club of Houston, Austin Addy Awards, and San Antonio Addy Awards. finearts.txst.edu/Art Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
The Cooper Union
The School of Art at The Cooper Union has a mission to educate artists in the broadest sense, both as creative practitioners engaged with a wide range of disciplines in the visual arts and as enlightened citizens of the world who are prepared to question and transform society. The program is structured around an integrated curriculum that fosters connections between disciplines, as well as between traditional and new media. The Foundation Program consists of a series of prerequisite courses taken during the first year. Following completion of the Foundation Program, disciplines offered are graphic design, drawing, film and video, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture. Students may choose to focus on one or more areas of specialization and are encouraged to follow an integrated approach. The graphic design curriculum includes courses on typography, web design, game design, information design, motion graphics and more. cooper.edu/art Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
The Modern College of Design
The Modern College of Design is a nationally recognized design college in Ohio. The Modern transforms students passionate about art, design, photography, and technology into exceptional designers and future leaders in design. The Modern’s unique residential and online programs provide an innovative education in design, marketing, business, and leadership, and students complete internships and co-ops at agencies across the country. Modern students are creative problem solvers and are recognized nationally for their work. Faculty are industry experts and provide one-on-one education and mentorship. Alumni have access to The Modern’s vast network of employers and work for some of the world’s leading brands, including Apple, Nike, and Disney. themodern.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
The Ohio State University
The Ohio State University’s design undergraduate offerings fall into three major programs, each leading to the Bachelor of Science in Design (BSD) degree: Industrial Design, Interior Design, and Visual Communication Design. The Visual Communication Design program was recently ranked third among the 25 best bachelor’s degree programs by CollegeRank. Our undergraduate degree programs provide comprehensive, professional training in the design disciplines, while also emphasizing collaboration between each of the areas of study. Students develop projects that demonstrate their abilities to create solutions that meet or exceed professional expectations. The Department of Design also offers two complementary design-led and research-oriented areas of emphasis in Design Research and Development or Digital Animation and Interactive Media, both leading to the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree. Ohio State is the highest-ranked public university in Ohio and ranked in the top 50 of US universities. design.osu.edu/ Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
The University of Alabama
The BFA in Graphic Design program at The University of Alabama (UA) resides in the department of art and art history in the College of Arts and Sciences. UA’s graphic design program is NASAD accredited and prepares students to be technically versed, critical thinkers who create forms of visual communication that are dynamic, and functional, and address the design goals of the contemporary world. The program offers courses on package design, publication design, brand and visual identity, illustration, video art and animation, UX/UI, typography, production, and more. Throughout the curriculum, students gain real-world experience with internships and classroom collaborations with businesses and organizations, have access to state-of-the-art technology and equipment, and finish with a competitive professional portfolio upon graduation. art.ua.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
The University of Texas at Austin
The School of Design and Creative Technologies (SDCT) at The University of Texas at Austin aims to produce diverse, creative students who are the best technical creators, designers, and problem solvers with exceptional job opportunities. SDCT comprises two academic departments: the Department of Arts and Entertainment Technologies (AET) and the Department of Design. The Department of Design empowers students with a multi-faceted educational experience that poises graduates for careers in the design profession, professions with a design component or a strategic focus, and entrepreneurial endeavors. In addition to a BFA and BA in Design, the department offers an MFA in Design and an MA in Design focused on Health, a first-of-its-kind program equipping a new generation to be change agents in healthcare using design methodologies and practices. designcreativetech.utexas.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
The University of Utah
art.utah.edu/graphic-design/ Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
University of California Los Angeles
design.ucla.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
University of Central Oklahoma
The School of Design at UCO places student-centered excellence at the program’s core. This philosophy and practice are captured in a quote by former design student Emily Falls, “When I joined the School of Design, I knew virtually nothing about design. Now, three years later, I have found my calling as a designer, and I am proud of my work and accomplishments. There are plenty of challenges in the School of Design, and it is wildly rewarding in the end. The School of Design has shaped me into the person I am today, and for that, I’ll always be grateful.” At the UCO School of Design, students learn to be change-makers and social innovators while engaged in real-world work experience outside the typical design classroom. The School of Design is deeply committed to the university mission, which states we exist to help students learn by providing transformative education experiences so that they may become productive, creative, ethical, and engaged citizens and leaders serving our global community. https://www.uco.edu/cfad/academics/design/ Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
University of Cincinnati
At the University of Cincinnati, communication design students receive a foundation in visual problem solving. The core of the curriculum is a series of sequential design studios. These courses help students develop critical and visual thinking along with essential design processes. Students also have opportunities to further develop in the specific areas of graphic design, interaction design and motion design. Students reinforce their skills in the field through several co-ops. Professional communication designers build careers wherever communication is important. Designers often work for design firms, internal design teams, or as independent freelancers. They have career opportunities in branding and corporate identity, digital product design, exhibit design, interface design, motion graphics, package design, service design, user experience design, and web design. Today’s designers may be found working in the healthcare system improving health, or for governments and NGOs impacting society. daap.uc.edu/academic-programs/school-of-design/communication-design.html Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
University of Florida
arts.ufl.edu/academics/art-and-art-history/programs/design-and-visual-communications/ Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
University of Georgia
art.uga.edu/academics/graphic-design Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
University of Hartford
At the Hartford Art School, students build the skills that will enable them to successfully enter the professional world. The School offers eight studio majors leading to the BFA — including in Visual Communication Design — a BA program in Art History, and three MFA programs. Students have the best of both worlds, pursuing rigorous studio-based disciplines with a liberal arts university environment. Visual communication design students learn how to design static and interactive work, which can include motion graphics, product packaging, and advertising pieces. The program encompasses all visual languages used to communicate, and classes on design theory, methods, and history align with practical work with real clients by senior year. Designers in this program are able to think critically about how to tell a story using design elements rather than words, and to consider not only how work looks, but also about how people will interact with it. hartford.edu/academics/schools-colleges/art/default.aspx Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
University of Illinois Chicago
The School of Design at the University of Illinois Chicago is an established leader in design education. Grounded in studio culture and investigating the human experience, UIC Design programs reflect and advance developments in the field. Led by a faculty of renowned professional designers who are committed to teaching, UIC Design students are introduced to contexts of culture and meaning as they develop the formal, conceptual, and technical skills necessary to confidently enter a professional setting. Students at the UIC School of Design learn formal design principles, acquiring the skills necessary to engage these principles in practice. At the undergraduate level, students are immersed in the aesthetics, mechanics, and systems of typography, while also developing experience in motion literacy, user-interface, and web-based design. At the graduate level, students engage in project-based learning that fosters analytical competence in research, writing, design history, and image theory, cumulating in a public exhibition of the master’s research paper and project. We take great pride in the fact that many ideas initiated in UIC Design classrooms expand and live beyond the university to bring about positive change in the world. Chicago is a global design center, and through engagement with industry partners, national design associ ations, employment in professional internships, community engagement, and critical exposure to design practices and exhibitions, our students become active in the real world of design as they pursue their professional design degrees. design.uic.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
art.illinois.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
University of Kansas
arcd.ku.edu/department-design Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
University of Minnesota
design.umn.edu/academics/programs/about-graphic-design Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
University of North Texas
The College of Visual Arts and Design (CVAD) offers a rigorous and thoughtfully crafted Communication Design curriculum that prepares students for successful careers in graphic design. CVAD is one of the nation’s most comprehensive visual arts schools and a leader in the Southwest, with state-of-the-art facilities that include studios, a fabrication lab, and a visual resources library. The program begins with a foundational year, during which students develop visual problem-solving and critical-thinking skills while exploring art, culture, history, and interdisciplinary practices. Admission to the Graphic Design track is a competitive, two-step process. In their first year, students participate in a candidacy review, submitting a 6–10-piece portfolio, completing a design-thinking worksheet, and completing an in-person interview. This work is evaluated by the Graphic Design faculty, and approximately 60 students advance to the introductory ComDes courses. At the end of this course, students undergo a second portfolio review, with the top 40 candidates officially admitted into the Graphic Design track. Graduates of UNT’s Communication Design program are highly sought after, earning positions at leading design firms, advertising agencies, and corporate studios nationwide. Located in Denton, a vibrant college town with a thriving arts and music scene, UNT is just 40 miles north of Dallas, a major hub for design and cultural opportunities. Established in 1890, UNT is a Carnegie Tier One research university with more than 40,760 students. cvad.unt.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
University of Southern California
The USC Roski School of Art and Design has a noteworthy history as a supportive environment for talented students to explore creativity, experimentation, and collaboration with renowned faculty. Roski’s graduate programs are housed in a state-of-the-art facility located in the vibrant Los Angeles Arts District, a thriving community for art and design. The MFA Design program, in particular, instills a critical understanding of the issues, theories, and ideas relevant to contemporary design. Roski’s open approach offers myriad opportunities for interdisciplinary research and collaboration across the various other professional schools at USC, a leading research institution. This provides Roski design students with the extraordinary ability to integrate diverse pathways into their contemporary design practice. The faculty comprises a diverse group of internationally recognized artists, designers, and scholars dedicated to their students and their professional work. Small class sizes ensure close, personal instruction with abundant access to faculty. Additionally, students engage with visiting designers through lectures, classes, and portfolio reviews, facilitated by the Visiting Designer and Designer-in-Residence programs. roski.usc.edu/design-areas-of-study/ Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
University of Southern Mississippi
Established in 1910 the University of Southern Mississippi is a tier one research institution that has provided a quality education in visual arts for 110 years. As 1 of only 43 institutions in the nation accredited in all major art forms it is considered the flagship university for the arts in the state of Mississippi. The graphic design program has a rich history dating back to 1946 and has produced distinguished alums which include an AIGA Medalist, and numerous design industry leaders. The design program continues to develop this rich tradition of success which can be seen through our students’ award-winning work that has garnered over 300 awards in the past 5 years. Our BFA curriculum focuses on visual literacy; development of conceptual, aesthetic, and visual skills; and creative problem solving. In addition to traditional course work students can experience design in one of 2 student lead agencies: Rise Creative, and SPVA Design and Marketing. Our students also enjoy a rich culture and active community within our program with large, active student organizations that travel to design conferences, portfolio reviews and competitions.” usm.edu/performing-visual-arts/index.php Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
University of Washington
art.washington.edu/division-design Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Vermont College of Fine Arts
VCFA is the only college devoted exclusively to graduate fine arts education, VCFA offers artists and writers a transformative and progressive educational experience. We are a global community of artists continuously redefining what it means to be an arts college. We measure success by our ability to foster the excellence of emerging and established practitioners. https://vcfa.edu/mfa-graphic-design/ Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Virginia Commonwealth University Brandcenter
brandcenter.vcu.edu/ Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts
The Department of Graphic Design champions agency through the competencies of collaboration, research, making and cultural literacy. The department believes in responding to the reality of our time and that design is activated by content, condition and impact. Further, that design exists in a continuum: The study of the historical past as it informs the now strengthens design’s ability to strategically speculate on future forms, languages and systems. The department provides an education that values the inclusion of diverse backgrounds, skill sets and experiences. Students develop acuities to communicate effectively through visual and verbal representation, and are prepared — as individuals and collaborators — to be practitioners not limited by the confines of current professional practices. arts.vcu.edu/graphic-design/ Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to prepare students to be leaders and problem-solvers. As a leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers about 280 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 34,000 students. The Graphic Design program offers a unique and innovative approach to design education, empowering students to become dynamic problem-solvers and leaders in their fields. With a focus on experiential learning and future-focused research, the program fosters a culture of inclusivity and collaboration, embodying the institution’s motto Ut Prosim: (That I May Serve). Through a combination of conceptual thinking, user-experience design, and problem-solving tactics, the program equips students with the tools they need to excel in a variety of design fields. With a strong emphasis on developing both aesthetic abilities and individual creativity, students gain essential teamwork and adaptability skills for success in today’s competitive job market. Graduates work in app design, motion design, product and packaging design, web and interaction design, advertising, and other related fields. Virginia Tech engages alumni as vital and contributing constituents of the community. The school serves the public sector through events, exhibitions, internships, competitions, workshops, and courses that nourish and renew the vitality of art and design. sova.vt.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Washington University in St. Louis
The Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts is a leader in architecture, art, and design education. We advance our fields through innovative research and creative practice, excellence in teaching, a world-class university art museum, and a deep commitment to addressing the social and environmental challenges of our time. We offer 15 unique degree programs, supplemented by several creative research centers and resources, including the Office for Socially Engaged Practice, Island Press, and the D.B. Dowd Modern Graphic History Library, featuring a comprehensive archival collection of periodical illustration. Undergraduates in design may pursue a BFA or a BA as well as second majors and minors in diverse academic fields. Students are free to explore drawing, typography, graphic design, illustration, book arts, and interaction design (and everywhere in between). The MFA in Illustration & Visual Culture (MFA-IVC) program combines studio practice in illustration and writing with the study of visual and material culture. With a focus on illustrator authorship, this two-year, fully residential program is made for illustrators, comic artists, and designers interested in popular visual matter. samfoxschool.wustl.edu/academics/college-of-art Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Woodbury University
Woodbury University’s Graphic Design Program is housed in the School of Media : Culture : Design and grants a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design. The program holds accreditations from NASAD, the National Association of Schools of Art and Design as well as WSCUC, Senior College & University Commission. The Graphic Design program has been recognized among the top thirty design programs nationwide during the last eight years. Located in Burbank, California and recognized for its high-quality education, it has provided unique opportunities for Graphic Design students to take internships in major entertainment, marketing, and interaction design companies and studios. These opportunities have led GD graduates to start their professional careers within a few months after graduation. GD students consistently win international and national design awards, and have achieved recognition in entertainment design, web design, advertising design, package design, identity design and environmental graphics. Program coursework includes studies of traditional and experimental typography, levels of web, app, UX and interaction designs, levels of graphics and information design, Packaging design, Environmental design, Entertainment design, Experimental Design, Motion Graphics, Professional Practice, Senior Portfolio Presentation, and Senior Thesis Project. Founded in 1884, Woodbury University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Southern California. The university offers bachelor’s degrees from the School of Architecture, School of Business, School of Media : Culture : Design, and College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, along with a number of graduate studies in Business and Architecture. woodbury.edu Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight
Yale University
art.yale.edu/about/study-areas/graduate-study-areas/graphic-design Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do We Want To Hear From You! GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026 FEATURE Highlight