<p>Well I know these aren't exactly major schools but I know Chapman, the University of the Pacific, and USC offer the graphic design major. I have a friend at Chapman, and I can tell you that the art department there is imparticularly good. </p>
<p>Out of that list, USC may be the only one to offer Spanish.</p>
<p>Here is a link to an interesting article in today's Boston Globe regarding fashion design at MIT. Who knew?</p>
<p>cama, the link you posted didn't work for me... is this the one you meant to post?
<a href="http://www.aiga.org/resources/content/6/2/7/documents/NASAD_student_brochure.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.aiga.org/resources/content/6/2/7/documents/NASAD_student_brochure.pdf</a></p>
<p>another interesting link of schools that offer the BFA in graphic design:
<a href="http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/design%5Fschools%5B/url%5D">http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/design%5Fschools</a></p>
<p>Thanks, Portraitartist. The link that Cama posted did work at the time she posted it (I know because I downloaded that file). Evidently, they changed the url.</p>
<p>awesome!!! the links are very useful, thanks!</p>
<p>fabre, i just had a nice talk with my high school art teacher and her husband, who also happens to be a (college level) art teacher, and i thought of your situation. we were talking about art school when they both started making fun of some of their friends that ended up studying art at ivies; from the sounds of it, the work was much more focused on theory rather than studio work. as they put it, it doesn't make too much sense to teach someone HOW to do something and then not make them do it when you're talking about a VISUAL trade!</p>
<p>now, given they were talking about your more traditional art major (painting, printmaking... etc), but even so, i'm not sure how many ivies actually offer a graphic design major.</p>
<p>on the flipside, my teacher mentioned that she did her graduate work at columbia, but it didn't really occur to me to ask her more, as i don't know the first thing about getting a graduate degree in art or what one looks for in a school in that case. i think that she mentioned some sort of co-op type thing with one of the major art museums nearby, which would make sense being as it's NYC (and i'm assuming would make-up for the lack of studio courses), but again, i'm not sure. </p>
<p>anyway, it's not really anything too earth-shattering that hasn't already been mentioned in this thread, but i found it interesting to hear two artists' takes on an ivy-art-education.</p>
<p>I thought you might be interested to know that I went to CMU (almost 20 years ago) and majored in graphic design. It's a really strong program. I also wanted a graphic design program at a major university, and looking back, I'm so glad I went that route. As it turned out, I graduated during a recession and NO ONE was hiring in the field. Long story short -- I ended up going to law school! That was only possible because I went to CMU. Believe it or not, I feel my graphic design courses better prepared me for working as a lawyer than my law school classes did (because of the problem solving involved). So, my advice to you is to go to the best all-around university you can that has a good graphic design program (like CMU, Wash U, Cornell, Syracuse, etc.) It gives you a lot more options in the future -- and you never know what the future holds. When I was in high school I never dreamed I would be a lawyer!!!</p>
<p>Blackeyedsusan, not to denigrate your obvious accomplishments, however, I believe that anyone can into law school from any college or stand alone art program if they have good grades and good LSATs. In fact, I know someone who got into U Penn veterinary school from University of the Arts.</p>
<p>I don't disagree with you -- it is possible to be accepted to law school from any type of school; however, it is my understanding that law schools take into account the quality of the academics at the school from which you graduate. For example, an A average from CMU is going to be viewed as superior to an A average from Houston Community College.</p>
<p>Blackeyedsusan, I can't say you are right or wrong. There was a thread on CC several months ago on this. Based on what some law school admission's officers have said, it is mostly about GPA and LSAT. If it is close, they may give preference to certain schools. This is especially true for IVY law schools.</p>
<p>There is an associate at Wachtell Lipton Rosen and Katz ( top law firm in country) that went to Kansas Insistitue for Art and Design (BFA) and then went on to Cornell for law school. I believe there is an associate who went to RISD undergraduate as well. Info is on there website.</p>
<p>Blackeyedsusan, thanks for posting your story!! lol :P I enjoy reading about people's different experiences as I continue to figure out which schools I want to apply to.</p>
<p>Sorry I haven't been logging onto the boards lately, I'm currently visiting different schools in NY!!!</p>
<p>Speaking from experience in the midwest, the college you attend may help you get your foot in the door for an interview, but it is your portfolio and you that will land the job, not the prestige of the school you attended. My husband went to a stand alone art school and regrets not getting an all around liberal arts education. Maybe it's different at RISD and some of the other schools mentioned above but it is something to consider. </p>
<p>In graphic design and art direction it helps to have a broad education - something to draw ideas from, no pun intended. I'm also an art director and attended a midwest public university. When my daughter is ready to start looking for colleges she may be interested in graphic design and I would recommend a university setting or LAC before I'd send her to any of the art schools ,including RISD or Art Center. Graphic design and art direction are not solitary pursuits like being a fine artist and I think it helps to be surrounded by a broader group of interests and majors. </p>
<p>Look up the leading art directors in CA (Communication Arts)magazine and find out where they went to school. Graphis used to be the leading graphic design mag and I'm pretty sure PRINT is still around. I'll bet they don't come from any one place in particular. In Minneapolis, some of the national award winning art directors went to the U of Minnesota.</p>
<p>Lizchup,
Once, long long ago, you helped me out comparing information on Wash U. I could use your advice again -- but can no longer send a message through CC. Any chance you can PM me? I didn't know you were in the arts!. Your experience and advice would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Anyone else is free to chime in as well !!!</p>
<p>General Questions:
My son was interested in the sciences. My daughter is interested in the arts. So, I feel as if I'm starting from scratch and don't know the best place to start.</p>
<p>She definitely wants a general college or university setting (rather than an arts school), and your advice helped confirm that. She also thinks she likes languages, psychology, writing, photography, history, and doesn't want to limit herself to an art school. </p>
<p>She seems to be more interested in the "practical" arts but these seem to be hidden in various departments, and I'm confused about the different slants of such programs. I have seen such titles as: graphic design, advertising, visual communications, media arts, marketing (with a graphic component), industrial design (maybe), and others. Sometimes these programs are found in the Fine Arts department, sometimes in Communications, sometimes they are just hidden, and I stumble across them.</p>
<p>To date, the Visual Communications program at OU looks promising, albeit EXTREMELY selective. The school is also larger and a bit more remote than preferred. She loved Wash U., but again, it is probably too selective. CMU? Again, extremely selective. These will definitely be stretches for her, and we'll need more matches and safeties. Syracuse looked promising, until we found out that the art, design & architecture programs would be isolated from campus. I was very disappointed, knowing that students in studios often work to the wee hours of the morning. </p>
<p>She also prefers a small to medium school environment, but we've found in general, that most LAC's only have Studio Art or Art History. Any we have not yet discovered? Since she has not determined her exact direction, some variety and cross-registration in other departments would be necessary. I've been warned that Art classes are often limited to art majors.</p>
<p>Once again, thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Kjofkw. I do understand your disappointment with Syracuse. I also felt that way until I saw where they are moving to. They will be about 8 blocks away by bus in a very nice area and artsy area of the city. There will be 24 hour security and the bus, which will run every 20 minutes or so will stop in front of the building. Thus, it isn't as bad as it sounds.</p>
<p>However, as to other schools with good art programs and decent liberal arts. Check out Rochester Institute of Technology, UMass Dartmouth, VCU, CMU ( they are much easier for art students then it appears since the portfolio counts a lot), UMBC( Univ. of Maryland at Baltimore Campus), Towson University, SUNY at Purchase, East Carolina State University, Northeastern University and Boston University ( both of which are NOT NASAD accredited) and Skidmore college. Two other very good choices are Pennsylvania State University in the school of Art and Architecture, and University of Cincinnati Department of Art, Architecture, and Planning (DAAP). My daughter will be applying to the last two and RIT, Syracuse, CMU. Umass Dartmouth and two art schools.</p>
<p>Kjofkw,
I turned my PM's off because I found it kept me too addicted to this website. </p>
<p>Taxguy seems to know a lot, probably more than I do about specific programs. I was just trying to offer an alternative point of view. I can tell you more about jobs in graphic design or advertising but beyond that I don't have specific knowledge of programs that are good in either one. As others have pointed out in the past, drawing and painting skills are a great foundation for any of these majors. Learning to design on the computer is a given but having those basic skills will make your daughter a much better designer. I'll turn on my PM's tomorrow and try to write a follow up then.</p>
<p>kjofkw, I think youre correct in your assessment of LAC art departments they tend more toward fine arts than toward design or graphic arts. Having said that if you look at a course catalog you will see that over four years a student can get a fair sampling of most media and technique and its fairly easy to get a representational exposure to different disciplines. This is a very different approach from attending an art/design school, however. </p>
<p>My son was interested in both art and art history. The LACs that he considered based on their studio art offerings were Williams (his ultimate destination) Wesleyan, Skidmore, Kenyon, Hamilton and Conn College. I can only speak for Williams but for sure the art courses are NOT limited to art majors. Kids are encouraged to cross boundaries in their course selection.</p>
<p>My son realizes that if he chooses to pursue an art related field (right now hes thinking architecture) hell require a graduate program, but he felt that he wanted to go for the liberal arts education first. </p>
<p>Lizschup wrote My husband went to a stand alone art school and regrets not getting an all around liberal arts education. Exactly the same situation at our house! I work in fashion retail and interact with many young designers. This is a different field from graphic design but many of these kids have attended the same arts schools. Id say the success rate of those who have gone the design school route versus the liberal arts school + supplemental training is exactly the same. </p>
<p>The design kids tend to be more creative, the liberal arts kids better communicators. It's a trade off.</p>
<p>hey everyone... thanks so much for posting... all the posts are super long and informative!! lol. i was gone for the whole summer at pratt so i didn't go on the forums!</p>
<p>after some first hand experience... i think i'm really leaning towards the graphic design at a major university route rather than an art school... but... it's still up in the air :S</p>
<p>Fabre, most people, even at CMU, acknowledge that RISD is number one in graphic design. They also have, to my knowledge, the only 5 year program that leads up to a Bachelors in Graphic Design (BGD). In addition, you can take much of your liberal arts courses at Brown under a formal program with Brown. In fact, both Brown and RISD kids get a "Brown-RISD) ID card, which allows use of each facility. This is why my daughter, who also doesn't want a stand alone art school per se, is considering RISD.</p>
<p>"Fabre, most people, even at CMU, acknowledge that RISD is number one in graphic design."</p>
<p>This is the type of "Factual" comment that people respond to negatively; it simply isn't true. People, "even at CMU", DON'T acknowledge that RISD is number one in graphic design, nor do people at CMU or RISD or any other school generally consider themselves "number one" in anything. Most people are good at understanding that the school search is not black and white, and that NO school is "number one" in something as vague as a design profession.</p>