| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah |
| 2 | University of Georgia | Athens |
| 3 | Kennesaw State University | Kennesaw |
| 4 | Augusta University | Augusta |
Our 2024 ranking of the top illustration schools in Georgia. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) has an Illustration program that provides degrees at all levels. Across options, students have opportunities to gain skills in an additional area of interest and/or a specialized area of Illustration through a minor or single courses. Minor examples include Animated Illustration and Publication Design; Storyboarding; Illustration for Surface Design; Fashion; Themed Entertainment Design; Visual Effects; Advertising and Branding; Scientific Illustration; Animation; Illustration for Entertainment; Graphic Design; Design for 3D Action Figures; and Game UX.
Specific degree programs for students seeking an Illustration program include a Visual Communication BA with an Illustration concentration (available at the Atlanta and Savannah campuses); BFA in Illustration (Atlanta, Hong Kong, Savannah); Illustration MA (Atlanta, Savannah, eLearning); and Illustration MFA (Atlanta, Savannah, eLearning).
All BA and BFA students will complete the SCAD Core before entering the major. Consisting of general education coursework and foundation studies, the SCAD Core includes courses such as Drawing I/II (Form and Space/ Composition and Media); The Geometry of Physical Space; Speaking of Ideas; Digital Communication; Design I/II/III (Elements and Organization/3-D Form in Space/Time); Applied Physics; Color: Theory and Application; Creative Thinking Theories and Processes; Psychology of Group Processes: and Visual Culture in Context: Making Modernites.
Course examples across the BA and BFA programs include Color with Intent; Animated Illustration; Illustrating Beyond the Page: The Narrative Experience; Digital Illustration; Materials and Techniques; Speaking of Ideas; Creative Concepting for World Building; Book Illustration; Illustration Business Strategies and Entrepreneurship; Advertising Illustration; Contextual Character Design; and Editorial Illustration.
The SCAD Illustration BFA also has four concentration options including Animated Illustration and Publication Design; Illustration for Entertainment; Concept Design for Animation and Games; and Illustration for Surface Design. This professional degree program includes 15 hours of electives and advanced courses such as Illustration Business Strategies and Entrepreneurship; Career Strategies for Illustration; and Professional Portfolio for Illustrators.
Both programs require 180 credit hours to graduate, including 20 credit hours of free electives for the BA Program. Across options, students have the opportunity to participate in the SCAD internship program.
The Illustration MA at Savannah College of Art and Design features a required graduate internship, the Directed Projects in Illustration course, and a final project. The program requires 45 credit hours to graduate. The SCAD Illustration MFA consists of 90 credit hours and features two graduate internships and the following courses: Directed Projects in Illustration; Advanced Studio Techniques; Illustration for Publications, Professional Practices in Illustration; and Illustration Markets. Students in this terminal degree program may develop additional skills in a specific area through the program’s four required 500- to 700-level electives.
All SCAD students have the opportunity to spend a quarter abroad at SCAD Lacoste or other study abroad locations. All SCAD students also benefit from access to studio classrooms, state-of-the-art labs, production studios, drawing rooms, and cutting tables; creative collaborations between departments and with global brands; participation in competitions and exhibits; access to Adobe Creative Cloud and master classes; visiting artists and speakers; panel discussions; and participation in SCAD’s Annual Sidewalk Arts Festival.
Graduates of the Illustration programs at Savannah College of Art and Design are prepared to pursue positions across the entertainment industry, advertising, publishing, games, architecture, design, and many others. Program alumni have been hired at places such as Walt Disney Imagineering, Comedy Central, ImagineFX, Bento Box Entertainment, A&E, The New York Times, Converse, Game Informer, and Revolver Studios.
Savannah College of Art and Design has more degree programs and specializations than any other art and design college in the U.S. In 1979, the school opened in the renovated Savannah Volunteer Guards Armory with just one classroom, an administration building, and 71 students. Today, SCAD serves more than 17,500 students across campuses in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and SCADNow. Programs include 100+ degrees and more than 75 minors and certificates.
Savannah College of Art and Design is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), and the National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB).
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences at University of Georgia (UGA) is home to Lamar Dodd School of Art, which serves more than 1,000 students. Founded in 1937 and renamed the Lamar Dodd School of Art in 1996, the Dodd School is one of the largest university art programs in the U.S. The school also has a year-round Studies Abroad program in Cortona, Italy, that has served more than 4,000 students since its inception in 1969. Past Cortona students have come from 400 institutions across the U.S.
In addition to the Cortona program, the Dodd School of Art provides the opportunity to study and live in New York for three weeks during the month of May. Known as the UGA New York MAYmester program, this experiential learning opportunity also features study abroad in places such as Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand.
All Dodd School of Art students also have the opportunity to study in other locations during the summer, winter, or spring breaks through UGA Study Abroad. More than 100 options are available across 75 overseas locations. Examples include Tuscany, Italy; Ghana, West Africa; and Costa Rica, Central America.
Other School of Art features include access to state-of-the-art production facilities, labs, and studio spaces; the opportunity to work and learn in dedicated classrooms and studio spaces; and hands-on experience through the internship program.
For students seeking an Illustration degree, the Dodd School has an Art BFA with a concentration in Scientific Illustration. This program prepares students for careers in traditional, biological, and medical illustration. Students may select nine credit hours or more in electives from areas such as Studio Art & Design; Communications & Media; and Interaction & Computing.
Course examples include Drawing I: Observation and Visual Language; Drawing and Visuality; Introduction to Visual Media; Figure Drawing/Anatomy; Computer Animation for Dramatic Media; Color Techniques in Scientific Illustration; Drawing and Visuality; Three-Dimensional Design; Ideation and Methodologies; Proseminar in Studio Art; and Color/Composition.
The Art/Scientific Illustration BFA program at University of Georgia culminates with the Studio Art Capstone; Capstone Exhibition and Professional Practices; or the Graphic Design Senior Capstone.
Graduates are prepared to work in the entertainment, medical, scientific, education, and many other fields. They have been hired at advertising agencies, publishing firms (books, journals, magazines), animation studios, software and app developers, serious games studios, legal firms, device and biotech companies, medical education firms, research institutions, the U.S. Military, science communication studios, hospitals and clinics, veterinary schools, and medical practices.
Chartered by the State of Georgia in 1785, University of Georgia is the nation’s first state university. The school serves approximately 40,115 students enrolled in more than 400 programs and options across 17 colleges and schools. University of Georgia is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). The school is also accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
The School of Art and Design (SOAAD) at Kennesaw State University (KSU) provides 12 undergraduate degree programs, two minors, and four graduate programs to more than 1,200 students. As part of the SOAAD, all programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
Options for Illustrators include the Art BFA with concentrations in Illustration and Comics and Sequential Art. Program features include access to state-of-the-art resources and brand new computer studios in the Visual Arts Building; interactions with visiting artists; participation in summer art intensives; and internship opportunities.
BFA students also benefit from KSU’s partnership with ESA Saint-Luc in Bruxells, Belgium. This long-running study abroad program provides unique opportunities such as the Comics curriculum at ESA St. Luc Brussels.
Consisting of 120 credit hours, the interdisciplinary BFA emphasizes Studio Art Practice and Fine Arts. Students in both concentrations will complete general education and beginning courses such as Drawing I-II; Renaissance Through Modern Art; Computer Applications in Art; and English Composition.
Course examples for the Illustration concentration include Illustration I-II; 2D Design and Color Theory; Electronic Illustration; Printmaking; Computer Applications in Art; Advanced Illustration and 3D Design. Course examples for the Comic and Sequential Art concentration include Sequential Art I-II; Figure Drawing; Illustration I; Storyboarding and Composition; Electronic Illustration; and 3D Design.
All BFA students have the option to enhance the degree by adding an additional concentration in an area such as Graphic Communications, Painting and Drawing, Art History, Photography, Printmaking, Textile and Surface Design, Art History, Ceramics, or Art Education.
The Art BFA program at Kennesaw State University culminates with the Senior Exhibition. Graduates will leave the program with a professional portfolio of their best work. Program alumni go on become Illustrators for Animation, Television, and Film; Book Designers; Product and Packaging Illustrators; Multimedia Artists; Art Directors; Storyboard Artists for Animation and Games; and Advertising Illustrators.
Founded in 1963 as Kennesaw Junior College, Kennesaw State University serves approximately 43,270 students, making it the third largest university in Georgia. More than 180 degree and certificate programs options are provided across 11 colleges, KSU Journey Honors College, and two suburban campuses in Kennesaw and Marietta, Georgia. Kennesaw State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Augusta University (AU) has several paths to study Illustration, beginning with the Art BA and the General Art BFA. Housed in the Katherine Reese Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences’ Department of Art & Design, the programs allow students customize a focus area through studio art electives; other concentrations such as Animation, Drawing and Painting, Graphic Design, and Digital Storytelling; and/or free electives.
Across programs, students have access to courses such as Illustration: From Traditional to Digital Media; Drawing I: An Introduction to Techniques and Methods of Expression; Two-Dimensional Design; Color Experience and Theory; Painting I-V; Three-Dimensional Design; Drawing II-IV; Short Format Storytelling; Writing Short Fiction; Water-Based Media Painting; and Printmaking I-II.
The Final Project, Senior Exhibition, and Portfolio requirements for the BA and BFA programs can be Illustration-based. Other program features include opportunities to complete an internship; participation in workshops and seminars; access to state-of-the-art labs, studios, and equipment; and the AU Study Abroad Program in Greece.
Graduates of are prepared for careers in areas such as traditional publishing, film and animation, advertising, game design, children’s book publishing, cartooning, newspaper and magazine publishing, graphic novels, comic book publishing, package design, toy design, architecture, and education.
Sample job titles include Book Illustrator, Advertising Illustrator, Comic Book Illustrator, Multimedia Illustrator, Art Director, Digital Illustrator, Cartoonist, Technical Illustrator, Illustrator for Animation, TV, and Film, Storyboard Artist, Editorial Illustrator, and Freelance Illustrator.
Another program option for students interested in the growing field of Medical Illustration is the Medical Illustration Graduate Program (MIGP). Established in 1948, the MIGP is oldest graduate program at AU and one of just four programs of its kind in the U.S. Program features include hands-on learning; seminars and lectures; collaborations with peers; and participation in project critiques. Students will have also opportunities to complete an internship, and study abroad.
Course examples for the AU MIGP program include Medical Illustration techniques IA, IIA, IB, and IIB; Electronic Media I-II; Multimedia I-II; Human Gross Anatomy I-II; Surgical Observation and Sketching I-II; Medical Sculpture; and Business & Resource Management I-II.
Throughout the program, students will also explore computer technologies and digital techniques for animation, multimedia, print, and projection. Other areas explored include interactive communication media, rendering styles, and cell biology. Graduate-level science courses are housed in The Medical College of Georgia at AU.
The MIGP at Augusta University leads to a Master of Science in Medical Illustration (MSMI) granted through The Graduate School. AU is the only institution in the world to offer the MSMI. Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), the program can be completed in just 21 months, full-time.
Graduates are prepared to pursue advanced roles across the medical, scientific, publishing, legal, and entertainment industries. Program alumni have been launched their own private practices (PP) or accepted positions at a wide variety of facilities, labs, hospitals, and research centers. Examples include The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Westwood Medical Communications (PP), Cleveland Clinic, Vessel Studios (PP), Mayo Clinic, MediVisuals, Inc. (PP), Elsevier Publishing, Nucleus Medical Media (PP), Duke University School of Medicine, Microverse Studios (PP), Barrow Neurological Institute, Amicus Visual Solutions (PP), A.D.A.M. Images (PP), and iSO-FORM, LLC. (PP).
Augusta University was founded in 1828 as the Medical College of Georgia. Today, Augusta University is a public research university and medical school with locations throughout Augusta and satellite campuses in Athens, Albany, Rome, and Savannah, Georgia. The school serves approximately 10,545 students enrolled in 152 degrees and majors across ten colleges and schools. Augusta University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
