Established in 1925, the College of the Arts at University of Florida (UF) houses four schools; two centers, and the Digital Worlds Institute. Accreditations include the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD); the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM); the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST); and the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD).
Among the schools in the College of the Arts is the School of Art + Art History, which provides opportunities for all students to work with clients on real-world projects. The school also provides access to state-of-the-art studios and labs; internship opportunities; and study abroad experiences in places such as France, China, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Brazil, the UK, and Spain.
For students seeking a graphic design program, the UF School of Art + Art History provides four paths. At the undergraduate level, students can enroll in the Graphic Design BFA, minor or certificate program. Graduate students can earn a Graphic Design/Design and Visual Communications (MxD) MFA.
The Graphic Design BFA explores art history; 2D, 3D, and 4D; design; and drawing. Course examples include Visual Methods and Processes; Design Technologies; Typography 1: Letterform; Image, Form and Meaning; Design and Professional Practice Studio; Graphic Design History I-II; Graphic Design: Visual Systems in Design; Design: Ideas and Styles; and Typography 2: Composition.
In the final semester of the program, BFA students will complete the Senior Design Studio; the Design Workshop; and a professional portfolio.
The Graphic Design minor and certificate are available to Art and Art History majors in the School of Art + Art History. Both curriculums explore graphic design thinking, methods, processes, and practices. Course examples across options include Design Studies; Visual Methods and Processes; Design Technologies; and Typography 1: Letterform. The minor requires 18 credit hours. The certificate requires 15 credit hours.
The MxD MFA at University of Florida is a 60 credit hour, terminal degree that launched more than 20 years ago. This design-centered, interdisciplinary program consists of studios, workshops, seminars, and practicums. In addition to opportunities to develop entrepreneurial, teaching, and other skills through electives, the program allows experimentation, collaboration, and field experiences.
Elective examples include Methods of Research in Art Education; Global Entrepreneurship; Seminar in Museum Studies; Creativity in Entrepreneurship; Arts, Advocacy and Public Policy; Teaching Art in Higher Education; Creativity and Health: Foundations of the Arts in Medicine; and Creativity in Entrepreneurship. The UF MxD MFA culminates with a thesis or creative project.
Graduates of the Graphic Design programs at University of Florida are prepared to pursue roles in all areas of design in industries across the U.S. and abroad. Some program alumni have gone on to teach or launch their own studios, while others have been hired at companies, studios, and organizations such as Walt Disney Imagineering, Apple, Google, Microsoft, IBM, L’Oréal, Verizon, Twitter/X, R/GA, West Elm, IDEO, Fossil, Viacom, JetBlue, Kate Spade, Facebook/Meta, and the Miami Heat.
Graduates who have gone on to teach have been hired at UF, University of Colorado–Boulder Northern Alabama University, Auburn University, Ball State University, University at Buffalo, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Illinois State University, among others.
University of Florida traces its founding to 1853, when the East Florida Seminary opened as the state’s first state-supported institution of higher learning. Today, University of Florida is a top 10 public, comprehensive, land-grant research university with professional campuses in Gainesville, Jacksonville, and Orlando, Florida. UF serves 60,795 students enrolled in more than 300 programs across 16 colleges and schools. University of Florida is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).