3 Careers You Can Pursue With a Graphic Design Degree

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Although choosing a career path can help you decide what to study in college, you may choose a college program before identifying your chosen occupation. Creative people with artistic abilities may expand their talents by earning a graphic design degree.

Graphic design degrees cover design elements, such as typography and color theory. Students also study design theory and learn how to use various design programs and create 3D animation. Graphic design skills benefit various professionals, and program graduates have many options to consider when they enter the workforce. Let’s explore careers you can pursue after earning a graphic design degree.

1. You can become a presentation designer.

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Companies and educators around the globe use presentations to relay information. Suppose an executive’s preparing a report for their board or a group of investors. They may turn to professional PowerPoint creators to produce compelling presentations to accomplish their goals. PowerPoint presentations can incorporate text, visual features, animation effects, and audio clips, making them practical tools for engaging audiences and conveying critical data.

PowerPoint design professionals make presentations for meetings and events. They work with clients to identify their goals, clarify their brand, and create custom digital illustrations suited to their needs. Presentation creators add transitions between slides and additional features to capture and retain the audience’s interest. They choose suitable fonts and color schemes to support the client’s brand image and use storytelling and animation to ensure the presentation makes an effective, lasting impression on the client’s audience.

2. A graphic design degree can prepare you for a career as an educator.

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Meeting with a college counselor is an excellent way to prepare for college. Google “college counseling near me” to find a college admissions counselor. Your counselor will help you clarify your academic and career goals, ensuring you identify programs suited to your interests and skills. They’ll work with you to ensure you have a robust college application. Your counselor can help you choose high school courses and extracurricular activities that impress college application review boards. They can also match you with internship opportunities.

You might decide to incorporate your artistic abilities into a career as an educator. You could pursue a career as an elementary school art teacher or teach art to middle school or high school students. There are also opportunities to teach adults. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that post-secondary art teachers should see jobs increase by 10 percent between 2020 and 2030. These professionals earned median annual incomes of more than $69,000 per year as of 2020. You’ll need a teacher’s certificate to teach in public schools and will need a graduate degree to pursue opportunities with postsecondary institutions.

3. You can become an artist.

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Graphic designers use their artistic talents and computer skills to produce art. They incorporate visual components and text to produce brochures and other printed materials. Graphic designers also create company logos and mascots. As of February 2022, the average median income for graphic designers in the United States was $98,256 per year.

Earning a degree in this discipline can also prepare you for a career as a video game artist. Video game artists use Photoshop and 3D Studio Max to create characters, armor, costumes, weapons, tools, and other in-game features.

Your training can launch a career as an animator. Film companies such as Disney create compelling animated feature films. Animators may also add animated characters to movies or TV shows or produce content for commercials and short films.

You can capitalize on your fine arts skills and create original art. Artists may sell works at galleries, online retail outlets, or conventions. Some artists also offer their services to produce original material, such as book covers.

A graphic design degree ensures you understand design principles and have computer-aided design skills. Earning a degree in this discipline can prepare you for a career as a professional presentation designer, an educator, or an artist.