2023

What are the top Maine graphic design school programs for 2023?

Top Maine Graphic Design School Programs - 2023 College Rankings
RankingSchoolCity
1Maine College of Art & DesignPortland
2University of MaineOrono

Our 2023 ranking of the top graphic design school programs in Maine. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.

1. Maine College of Art & Design, Portland, Maine
Maine College of Art & Design

Maine College of Art (MECA&D) has an interdisciplinary Graphic Design Program that explores methods in both analog and digital media. Areas explored include branding, motion, information design, interactivity, and narrative. Course examples for the program include History of Graphic Design, Letterform Design, Interactive Design, Typography I-III, Motive, Method, Making, Branding and Visual Systems, Information Design – Mapping, and Web Design.

Leading to a BFA, the MECA&D Graphic Design Program provides opportunities to focus in an area of interest through electives. Other program benefits include opportunities to engage in reality-based projects with local businesses; studio visits in NYC, Boston, Portland, and Montreal; collaborative projects and assignments; and internships with Portland Museum of Art, VIA Agency, Martha Stewart Publishing, American Eagle Outfitters, L.L. Bean, and Might & Main, among others.

During the final year of the MECA&D Graphic Design Program, students will complete Core Studio III, Professional Studio – Graphic Design, Senior Studio, Senior Synthesis, Senior Independent Projects, and several advanced studio electives. In addition, students will finalize a written, designed process book and professional portfolio, which will be presented at the Senior Exhibition.

Founded in 1882 as part of the Portland Society of Art, Maine College of Art & Design is a private, non-profit, four-year institution that serves nearly 600 degree-seeking students and 1,500 continuing students. Degree programs lead to a BFA, MFA, or MAT. Maine College of Art & Design is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

2. University of Maine, Orono, Maine
University of Maine

The Department of Art at University of Maine (UMaine) provides interdisciplinary programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Options for Designers include the Studio Art BA and BFA, the MA and MFA, and the PhD in Intermedia. In addition to Elective Studio work in Graphic Design, students in all programs may add the 18 credit-hour Minor in Graphic Design.

Across programs students have access to courses such as Graphic Design I-II, 2D Design, Digital Art, Visual Communication, Advertising, Media, and Society, Integrated Marketing Communication, 3D Modeling and Animation, Printmaking, New Media Design, Web Applications, Digital Photography, and Communication Theory.

Other features across programs in the UMaine Department of Art include internship opportunities with businesses, arts organizations, in communications, and in social services; the Guest Lecture Program and Lord Hall Gallery Program; participation in campus organizations such as Maine Journal, ASAP, and the Maine Campus; access to the Student Innovations Entrepreneurial Center; workshops and trips to New York and Montreal; and green initiatives.

The Studio Program at University of Maine houses one of the first Printmaking Studios to go green (in 1995) with nontoxic printmaking materials and processes, solvent-free Paint Studios; 3D Design focuses on adaptive design, and reusing and repurposing materials; and 2D Design works with the Climate Change Institute on coordinated projects and raising awareness of global warming through interactive campus design.

In the final year of the Programs in the UMaine Department of Art, students will complete a number of projects, a professional portfolio, and participate in an Exhibition. Graduates are prepared for graduate study and careers in all areas of Art and Design.

University of Maine was established in 1862 as the Maine College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts. The school opened on September 21, 1968 with just 12 students. Today, UMaine serves approximately 11,990 students from 50 states and 81 countries. Maine’s only public research university, University of Maine provides more than 100 undergraduate majors, minors, and academic programs, plus 140 graduate programs, across seven colleges and schools, and UMaine Online. University of Maine and its regional campus, the University of Maine at Machias, are accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) as part of the Commission's accreditation of the University of Maine System.

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