Graphic Design (BFA)

Liftoff! is the spring exhibition for the School of Design, showcases student work from our four programs: Graphic Design, Illustration, MDes in Product Design, and MFA in Museum Exhibition Planning and Design. Each year, it takes place in Philadelphia’s Center for Architecture. 

With support, expert knowledge and instruction provided by exceptional faculty and staff, UArts School of Design students create work that distinguishes them as artists and designers of the highest caliber. This online exhibition marks not the end of our students’ academic years but the beginning of their professional careers.

Explore Liftoff!

Faculty Spotlight

UArts Graphic Design BFA faculty are successful, award-winning designers from a range of disciplines, from corporate branding to typeface design to emerging media, in New York and Philadelphia. In addition to teaching, many provide students with mentoring, internships and job opportunities. Our faculty have founded their own agencies and worked for major national magazines, global corporations, and branding firms, as well as not-for-profit organizations and cultural institutions. Students in the Graphic Design program receive one-on-one support and professional guidance as they develop their individual creative voices.

See More Faculty

Student Spotlight

Students in the Graphic Design program are innovators, collaborators and visual thinkers. Our students benefit from small class sizes and hands-on experiences that prepare them for a career in graphic design.

The Graphic Design floor is a relaxed, friendly environment where all students mingle to become a supportive community and each other’s best resources. Working in airy, open double studios, our students learn and draw inspiration from each other. A spirit of collaboration in the department, as well as with other programs at the university and the larger creative community of Philadelphia, creates a unique atmosphere where everyone is welcomed and heard and ideas flow freely.

Alumni Spotlight

“I had always been drawing, painting, animating or designing something. It was only natural that I stumbled upon UArts. What I didn’t know was that I was fortunate enough to end up at a university with a Graphic Design program with a 50-year tradition of success.” - Nijel Taylor

About the School of Design

University of the Arts’ School of Design redefines what it means to educate a 21st century designer. We celebrate the reality that the boundaries between all sorts of contemporary design practices are more open than ever before and that a modern designer needs a greatly expanded skill set at their disposal. With this new reality in mind, the School of Design initiates innovation and empowers you to pursue your passions, build core values, broaden your design exposure and become a design leader of the future.

The School of Design strongly believes in collaboration, self-expression and professional preparation through its undergraduate programs in Graphic Design and Illustration, with Product Design and Interaction Design launching in 2023. The School of Design consists of programs that work together, providing depth in your discipline while expanding your understanding of design. This academic model best prepares you to respond flexibly to change and future career opportunities.

Learn more about the School of Design.

Facilities

Graphic Design students have access to studios, labs, print shops and more on campus.

• Digital Imaging Lab
  • 6 copier/printers
  • 6 or 7 iMacs in hub 1328
  • 2 scanners 1328 hub location
  • 1 color copier hallway 13th floor outside print services
• Print Center
• Printmaking Studio
• Photography Lab
  • specially designed high-ceiling photography shooting studio
  • daylight studio with north-facing windows
• Design Hub Computer Lab
• Albert M. Greenfield Makerspace
  • 3-D printers and scanners
  • a router and a mill
  • laser, vinyl and substrate cutters
  • printed circuit board (PCB) and decal printers
• The Center for Immersive Media
  • Optical motion capture system for full body performance capture and location-based VR applications
  • a four-channel audio system, multiple video projectors and lighting, as well as a control station
  • 16-station computing classroom with PCs optimized for real-time graphics rendering
  • two large project rooms with ceiling grids for development of installations and virtual environments

Interships & Careers

UArts’ Graphic Design program positions students for professional success through portfolio development opportunities, career prep from faculty and guest speakers, and internships. With faculty guidance for career preparation, students can intern at professional venues in a wide range of design disciplines including print, branding, packaging, digital design, and more.

The Graphic Design program prepares graduates for careers as graphic designers, web designers, UX (user experience) designers, creative directors and other careers. 

As a UArts Graphic Design graduate, you’ll know how to analyze what you see, speak about it eloquently, develop meaningful concepts, and generate compelling design narratives and solutions. You’ll learn to promote yourself and your work and how to land jobs that excite, challenge and nurture you throughout your career.

Our students and alumni have worked for:
American Museum of Natural History • Apple • Bloomberg • Burson-Marsteller • Buzzfeed • Cloud-Gehshan Associates • Comcast • Dazed Digital • Facebook • Fast Company • The Franklin Institute • Fullscreen • Google • Huffington Post • IBM • The Intuitive Company • King & Partners • Jefferson Health • Lippincott • EMO-NY, • Men’s Health Magazine • Microsoft • MOD Worldwide • Monument Lab • Morningstar • MTV • Pentagram • Philadelphia Museum of Art • Publicis Media • Red Antler • Red Sky Interactive • Sagon-Phior • Siegel + Gale • Situation Interactive • Spotify • Stag and Hare • TracyLocke • Two Twelve Associates • University of the Arts Marketing & Communication • Urban Outfitters • Use All Five • Vanguard • Vimeo • WGBH

Internships provide professional opportunities for students to experience design in the real world and in real time while earning course credits. Our students have interned at Ideas on Purpose, P’Unk Ave, AAJ Design, Red Antler, King & Partners, URBN and many other top firms and studios.

Additionally, UArts encourages students in the exploration of the borderless and timeless language of the arts. Immersion in a new culture provides students with historical, intellectual and technical enrichment as they discover their individual role in the global narrative. With a variety of locations and areas of study, UArts has study-abroad opportunities that will help you meet your artistic and academic goals. 

How to Apply

UArts offers recommended priority deadlines; students who apply and submit all required materials by the priority deadline will receive first consideration for scholarship aid from UArts. Applications received after the priority deadline will be reviewed on a rolling, space-available basis. 

International students requiring an F-1 visa for study in the U.S. might be subject to earlier deadlines to provide time for completion of the visa process. Contact Admissions for guidance if you are an international student who wishes to apply after the priority deadline.

Spring 2024 priority deadline: Oct. 15, 2023

Fall 2024 priority deadline: Feb. 15, 2024

We cannot accept spring 2024 applications after Jan. 8, 2024, and cannot accept fall 2024 applications after Aug. 16, 2024.

The following materials are required for your application.

• Start or resume your application. 

  • The application includes two required short-answer questions: What excites you about UArts? What inspires you?

• $60 nonrefundable application fee

  • If you qualify for a fee waiver from NACAC, CollegeBoard, UArts or another source, indicate that on your application. If the cost of the application fee is a barrier, contact Admissions to request a fee waiver code.

• Official high school transcript

  • Official transcripts must be sent directly from your school by mail, email or a secure electronic document-delivery service. 

  • International transcript requirements 

    • If you’ve attended high school outside the U.S., read the additional guidelines for international transcripts. 

  • Transfer student transcript requirements

    • High school transcripts may be waived for transfer applicants who have completed a minimum of 24 credits of college-level coursework, including a minimum of 18 academic, non-studio credits.

    • Official college transcript(s)

      • Official transcripts must be sent directly from all the colleges you have attended by mail, email or a secure electronic document-delivery service. 

      • If you’ve attended college outside the U.S., you are required to have an official course-by-course evaluation of your college coursework sent to UArts. Additional guidelines for international transcripts are available. 

• International applicants must submit a test of English proficiency

  • Learn more about the test of English proficiency requirements.

• Portfolio 

  • A portfolio is required for all Art, Design, Film and Writing programs. Your portfolio may be uploaded during the application process or via your applicant status portal after submission. You must confirm when your submission is complete via the linked electronic form before your portfolio can be reviewed for admission. View a full list of portfolio requirements by program.

• Optional letters of recommendation

  • Letters of recommendation from teachers or mentors are optional and may be submitted by the recommender via email to undergradcredentials@uarts.edu or by your high school through a secure electronic document-delivery service. 

Scholarships and Financial Aid

UArts recognizes the extraordinary talent of our students through a range of merit-based scholarships. All applicants are automatically considered for such scholarships — no special application is necessary.

Nearly 80 percent of UArts’ undergraduate students enrolled on a full-time basis are eligible for some type of need-based aid. Additionally, some scholarship opportunities take need-based criteria into account. All students who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens and are enrolled in a degree program are encouraged to apply by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

There are a variety of scholarships and financial aid available to incoming students. In addition to general scholarships, there are several scholarships available to students pursuing their BFA in Illustration.

Learn more about financial aid.

Learn more about tuition and fees.

GDUSA Students to Watch Competition

Each year two of our students are honored by being accepted into the prestigious GD-USA Students to Watch competition. Faculty members nominate candidates based upon creativity, quality of work, and willingness to explore new design territory.