Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Graphic Designers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at John C Calhoun State Community College, Chattahoochee Valley Community College, and Auburn.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Auburn.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Chattahoochee Valley Community College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Chattahoochee Valley Community College, John C Calhoun State Community College, Spring Hill College, and Wallace State.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Samford University, Spring Hill College, Auburn, and Chattahoochee Valley Community College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Spring Hill College, Samford University, Auburn, and Wallace State.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Auburn and Samford University.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Spring Hill College.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Samford University, Spring Hill College, and Auburn.
Working as a Graphic Designer in Alabama
Graphic designers help companies build a better brand image by designing creative campaigns for them. They create visual appeal through the use of vibrant colors, fonts, images, sounds, artwork, and motion. Most of them are employed by private firms, creative agencies, and private individuals. They help to design brochures, logos, posters, packages, layouts and also other illustration assignments. Read a detailed job description and schools overview for Graphic Designers.
Graphic designers in Alabama can further their professional development, connect with peers, and get a variety of other benefits by becoming members of the American Institute of Graphic Arts' Birmingham, Alabama Chapter.
State Requirements
The State of Alabama does not regulate the practices of graphic designers. Nevertheless, for better employment opportunities candidates should ideally complete their graduation from a program accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
Major Industries
Most graphic designers work for creative firms, media houses, or for architectural or engineering support practices. Other industries employing these professionals in Alabama include:
- Printing and Related Support Activities
- Newspaper, Book, & Directory Publishers
- Advertising and Related Services
- Specialized Design Services
- Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing
- Management & Technical Consulting Services
- Architectural and Engineering Services
- Scientific Research and Development Services
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services
- Converted Paper Product Manufacturing
Major Employers
A few of the major employers of graphic designers in Alabama include:
- 21st Century Signs (Printing and Related Support Activities)
- 9th Street Creative (Advertising and Related Services)
- 2life Publications Incorporated (Newspaper, Book, & Directory Publishers)
- 1 Day Signs (Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing)
- 2 Sisters Designs Incorporated (Specialized Design Services)
- 2 Guys Publishing (Management & Technical Consulting Svc)
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
Sort Reviews By:University Of Alabama At Birmingham • Birmingham, AL
Studying Art Studio With A Concentration In Graphic Design (completion in 2011)
• 10/1/2011
"I am fairly satisfied with the education I received while at UAB. While there are areas that could be improved, overall it is an excellent program."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If you have the money to go to a name brand art school you should do so. The name of these well know schools will open doors for you that might not otherwise be available. However, schools like UAB provide an excellent graphic design education and you will be just as skilled graduating from a program like ours as from a brand name school. UAB is an excellent school if you are looking to live in a small city like Birmingham and you are more focused on learning the material than on football teams or fancy labs. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | The graphic design and art programs at UAB are not well know in the area. While the graphic design program is excellent, it is often thought of as lower quality than that of surrounding universities. This is often due to long standing opinions about certain universities that are no longer true. |
| Program Quality | 7 | The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has a good graphic design program. It is a small program, but the school has recently added new faculty members. While the graphic design program at UAB is not very well known, it has recently received several awards and is quickly gaining recognition in the surrounding area. |
| Instruction | 5 | I believe the graphic design program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) taught a relevant and appropriately paced curriculum. However, the program sometimes placed a stronger emphasis on projects that will earn students jobs instead of projects that build foundational knowledge. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The program is of slightly above average difficulty. The projects are graded critically, especially in early classes, in an attempt to weed out those students who will not succeed in the field. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The art department at UAB is very hands-on. This is especially true in the graphic design concentration. While occasional readings were assigned, they only served to further the project based curriculum. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | UAB has a long history of being a commuter school. While this is rapidly changing, there are still a large number of evening and summer classes within the art school to accommodate these students. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The graphic design professors at UAB are one of the school's most valuable resources. They provide excellent support for their students. The art school has an adequate amount of lab space and equipment. It is not as well equipped as it could be, though, and does not feature any screen printing or letterpress capabilities that you might find at a larger facility. The art school is building a new building within the next five years that should greatly increase the facilities available to students. |
| Social Life | 3 | I had a very low involvement in any sort of school activities. This was due to personal choice and not a lack of availability. |
| Placement Services | 2 | The career services at UAB are geared toward the other departments on campus. There is little to no university wide assistance for graduates in graphic design. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | While the school has an established alumni society, these associations are geared towards the business and medical programs. As a result, students graduating from the art program are not well supported. |
University Of South Alabama • Mobile, AL
Studying BFA: Graphic Design (completion in 2012)
• 3/3/2012
"It wasn't too expensive and for me it was local."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I'd never move here to be in the graphic design program. It's just lacking in too many areas. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I was able to get a local job, but I don't think my degree would mean too much outside of our area. |
| Program Quality | 4 | With 85 incoming freshmen each semester, but only 15 spots available in each class, there was incredible competition for classes. It takes most students 6 years to graduate because of scheduling issues. |
| Instruction | 5 | Two of the three professors are decent designers. The third is not only a terrible designer, she is a horrible teacher. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Most universities offer photoshop as a separate course. At USA, it is lumped in with Creative Suite. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There's a mix. We were required to take tests and quizzes based on the textbooks and handouts, but we also had to do hands-on projects. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | Each graphic design class is offered ONCE or TWICE per year. You either get in, or you don't. NO FLEXIBILITY. |
| Academic Facilities | 3 | We do have a lab with three printers, but considering we're the biggest department within Visual Arts, we've got nothing. |
| Social Life | 5 | I did play on the Art Department's intramural soccer league. Because I'm local and lived off campus, I think I may have missed out on a lot of the "college experience." |
| Placement Services | 2 | They were no help! I found my own job! |
| Alumni Network | 5 | They always want me to donate money. I'm not sure how they are with "networking and support." |
Bishop State • Mobile, AL
Studying Graphic Design (completion in 2011)
• 3/22/2012
"Considering the information I've obtained, the amount of time it took to obtain it, and the low cost of tuition, I think highly of my school."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Depending on the market for the industry at the time of enrollment I would recommend my school to others pursuing my career. With an increase in internet transactions, the industry is looking very promising. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | The program reputation was average, but had many job opportunities available. |
| Program Quality | 5 | Although the institution provided hands on experience with the programs used, it could have been more in depth the coding and general web design. |
| Instruction | 5 | Instruction was average due to the limited programs. Learning depends on the willfulness of the student. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The difficulty was also administered at the student's discretion. One's willfulness to learn outweighs the difficulty level of any subject. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The overall program was definitely text-book content, but with computers it's almost impossible to learn without being hands-on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Class flexibility was above average in many ways. Classes were offered online, day and nights which provide a comfortable way to adapt to work schedules and personal engagements. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The available resources were at the students' discretion. We had learning centers posted at every campus, filled with books and computers with search engines. |
| Social Life | 6 | The social atmosphere was depended on the students' willingness to communicate. |
| Placement Services | 5 | The school's job placement service was average, but if one considers the resources provided, they were above average. |
| Alumni Network | I wasn't involved in the alumni network, but I actively supported the sports and entertainment department. |
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