Is an art degree with a focus on graphic design as good as a graphic design degree?
November 13, 2009 by
Filed under graphic design degree
My son has an associates degree in fine arts. He has been accepted to wou for a bachelors in art with a focus on graphic design. I was wondering if the art degree would be looked at in the same way as a graphic design degree, any Idea’s?
A fine arts degree is probably more highly regarded than an arts degree with a major. Arts requires you to take more general subjects that fit into core units and that sort of stuff, where as fine arts focuses specifically and to a greater degree on the subject, say, graphic design.
In most universities (in Australia that least), entry into a fine arts degree requires a portfolio, audition, interview, submission of past work etc, where as an arts degree is one of the easier ones to get into, because there are so many more paths you can take it down. For example, a fine arts film and television course requires you to submit a showreel and example of past work to show you have aptitude or potential in the subject, and they then go onto to handle more specific pieces of equipment and learn the nitty gritty of film an tv. An arts course, however, majoring in film and television studies, is more theory based, and requires a normal submission only.
in a word – yes. Just make sure your son has the best design portfolio he can. That is more important than the degree. When it comes to design, employers don’t care where you went to college. It’s not like business or some other types of majors. It’s pure skill that’s important, and the portfolio is the measure of skill. In fact someone can easily be as qualified to beat him out of a job with a better portfolio and NO education.