| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland Institute College of Art | Baltimore |
| 2 | University of Maryland | College Park |
| 3 | Towson University | Towson |
| 4 | University of Maryland, Baltimore County | Baltimore |
Our 2024 ranking of the top graphic design school programs in Maryland. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) provides several paths to study graphic design. At the undergraduate level, students can earn a Graphic Design BFA. At the graduate level, MICA has MA (GDMA) and MFA (GD MFA) degrees in Graphic Design.
The Graphic Design BFA begins with the First Year Experience (FYE). A requirement for all undergraduates, the FYE allows students to explore various MICA’s programs and build foundation-level art and design skills. The FYE is also designed to prepare students for upper-level study within the school’s Undergraduate Studies (UGS) programs. FYE courses include Ways of Writing; Form I-II; Color Design (2D); Drawing (Fundamentals); Fabrication (3D); Modernisms; and New Media (4D).
After completing the FYS, students will move into the major, where they will have the opportunity to customize an area of specialization through electives and thesis projects in environmental graphic design, branding, UI/UX design, motion graphics, advertising, product design, package design, visual design, and font design. To enhance the degree, BFA students may also choose a minor from more than 20 options or focus in an additional area.
Minor examples include Illustration, Animation, Sequential Art, Printmaking, Interactive Arts, Creative Entrepreneurship, Photography, Film and Video, Game Design, and Sustainability and Social Practice.
Courses for the program are led by 25 faculty from all areas of design. Major course examples include Advanced Design I-II; Graphic Design I-IV; Flexible Design Studio; Typography I-II; and Senior Seminar. Upon completion of the program, graduates are prepared to pursue positions in fields such as publishing, UI/UX design, advertising, marketing, entertainment, public relations, retail, app design, multimedia, architecture, and social media.
The graduate programs at Maryland Institute of College and Art serve more than 300 students from nearly every state and 20 countries. Housed in a loft-style studio space with dedicated computers and workspaces, the 60 credit hour Graphic Design MA prepares students for career advancement or entry into an MICA GD MFA program. Course examples include Design Theory and Practice; Transmedia Type Lab; Typography Intensive; and Graphic Design MA Studio I-II.
Program features include courses taught by industry professionals; participation in seminars; internship opportunities; and the GDMA Workshop. This three credit hour workshop provides the opportunity to create and exhibit a self-directed design project and professional portfolio.
Also consisting of 60 credit hours, the GD MFA program at MICA features studio courses, seminars, and independent work. Elective options in print, digital media, and video allow students to create an area of specialization. Course examples include Advanced Publication Design; Visiting Designers I-II; Design Studio I-IV; Visiting Thesis Critics; and Thesis Writing.
The graduate Graphic Design programs at MICA can be completed in two years, full-time. Graduates are prepared for leadership roles across industries. MICA alumni have been hired at places such as Google, Adobe, Morehouse College, Netflix, and Under Armour. Program alumni have also presented their work at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA), The Smithsonian Institution (Smithsonian), and The Whitney Museum of American Art (The Whitney).
Founded in 1826, Maryland Institute College of Art is the nation’s oldest independent, continuously degree-granting college of art and design. The school serves nearly 3,500 undergraduate, graduate, and open studies students from 49 states and 52 countries. Programs at MICA lead to a BFA, MA, MFA, MBA, MPS degree, or post-baccalaureate certificate. Maryland Institute College of Art is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
University of Maryland (UMD) is home to the College of Arts and Humanities, which houses the Department of Art. Within the department are five areas of concentration including Graphic Design, Digital Media, Printmaking, Sculpture, Drawing, and Painting.
Across all areas, students benefit from the Visiting Artist Lecture Series, with recent artists such as Chakaia Booker, Laurie Anderson and Oliver Herring; study abroad experiences in places such as Hong Kong, Spain, Jordan, Sweden, and the UK; the opportunity to work in the student-run Herman Maril Gallery; and internships with local and national companies.
UMD Department of Art students have interned (or worked on projects for) the Discovery Channel, USA Today, the American Red Cross, AOL, the American Film Institute, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, The Washington Times, the Humane Society of the United States, Girl Scouts of the USA, the Smithsonian Institution, the Kennedy Center, and just about every major Maryland television network.
Course examples for the Graphic Design concentration include Intermediate Graphic Design Principles; Advanced Interactive Design; Directed Studies in Graphic Design; Three-Dimensional Graphic Design; Advanced Graphic Design Principles: Design in Society; Motion Design; Graphic Design Processes; Design Literacy; Decoding Our Visual Culture; and Advanced Graphic Design Studio. The program culminates with a final project and portfolio of the student's best work.
Graduates of the Art Studio: Graphic Design program at University of Maryland are prepared to pursue careers in advertising, publishing (books, magazines, newspapers, comics), marketing, public relations, television and film, corporate brand development, packaging, web design, museums and art galleries, social media management, education, research, and consulting.
UMD Department of Art alumni have been hired at places such as HBO, Marriott International, Google, National Geographic, The Washington Post, AARP, Discovery, Shakespeare Theater Company, Inc. Magazine, SiriusXM, VICE Media, General Assembly, Voice of America, and University of Maryland.
Founded in 1856, University of Maryland in College Park is the flagship campus of the University System of Maryland. This public research university enrolls approximately 40,815 students served by nearly 15,000 faculty and staff. UMD provides over 250 academic programs across 12 colleges. University of Maryland is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
Towson University (TU) is home to the College of Fine Arts & Communication (COFAC), which provides programs in art, electronic media and film, communication studies, dance, theatre arts, mass communication, and music. With seven departments, the COFAC is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD), the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), and the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST).
Among the COFAC’s seven departments is the Department of Art + Design, Art History, and Art Education. Within the department is an Art + Design BFA and a Studio Art MFA. Both programs provide concentrations in Graphic Design.
Students who would like to major in graphic design at the undergraduate level must first declare the Design Studies BS/BA concentration in the first semester and apply to the Graphic Design BFA concentration at the end of the term, when screening prerequisites will be completed.
Once admitted to the program, students will enjoy benefits such as access to state-of-the-art studios and labs; small class sizes with courses taught by design professionals; opportunities to complete an internship at a graphic design studio, advertising agency, or in-house design department; career services; participation in Towson University’s own AIGA Chapter, which hosts field trips, workshops, and networking events; and study abroad programs in 60 countries.
All Graphic Design BFA students at Towson University will complete 3-5 design projects per course, allowing for a wide variety of works for final portfolios. Note that the Graphic Design concentration requires 60 units of study. Course examples include Graphic Design I-III; Digital Object Design; Typography I-II; Exhibit Design; Design for the WWW I-II; Package Design; Animation: Motion Design; Letterpress & Bookbinding; Programming for Designers; Digital Art: Experimental; History of New Media; and Illustration Concepts for Designers.
In the final year of the program, students will complete a Final BFA Project, which culminates with a presentation of work. Graduates are prepared to pursue design roles across industries. Some graduates go on to pursue graduate study at TU or other schools such as Howard University, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), New York University (NYU), Fordham University, and Pennsylvania State University (Penn State).
The Studio Art MFA at Towson University requires 60 credit hours of study. Program features include small class sizes; 24/7 access to private, individual studios with access to state-of-the-art labs and equipment; graduate assistantships; studio visits with visiting artists; access to four galleries including Holtzman graduate thesis gallery and the MFA student gallery; weekly critiques; and full- or part-time schedules.
Course examples for the program include Graphic Design III; New Directions in Printmaking; Designing for Production; Lithography Process II; Artist Books; Illustration II; Art Topics; Design and Social Entrepreneurship; Interactive Media; Directed Readings in Art History; and Photo Imaging.
The Studio Art MFA program at Towson University culminates with the MFA Project and Exhibition. Graduates are prepared to pursue leadership roles in design, consulting, research, and education.
Across programs, TU graduates have been hired at places such as Target, UPS, Aerotek, State Farm, TEKsystems, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Geico, Maryland State Government, Enterprise Holdings, Stanley Black & Decker, NewDay USA, and Sherwin-Williams.
Towson University was founded on December 8, 1866 as the Maryland State Normal School. With just 11 students on the first day of classes, the school became the state’s first institution dedicated exclusively to training teachers to work in the public schools of Maryland. Serving approximately 19,530 students today, Towson University is now the largest university in the Baltimore area, and the second largest in the University System of Maryland.
More than 200 programs are provided across seven colleges and dozens of departments. Towson University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
The College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) houses the Department of Visual Arts (VART). With programs leading to a BA, BFA or MFA, the VART Department focuses on collaboration, independent study, and internships. Students have interned at places such as the Smithsonian Institution, Stanley Black+Decker, Zinnia Films, the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts, Maryland Public Television, Renegade Productions, VueCare Media, Image Factory DC, and Maryland Art Place.
All VART students also benefit from faculty mentors; lectures; immersive workshops and seminars; critiques; and portfolio preparation.
The UMBC Department of Visual Arts also provides a Design BFA with a Graphic Design concentration. All students in the department are required to complete the Visual Arts Core. Consisting of 27 credit hours, the core includes Visual Concepts I; Introduction to Art and Media Studies; Visual Concepts II: Camera Vision; Studies in Visual Culture (Prehistory through the 1750s); Visual Concepts III: Three Dimensional Form, Space and Interaction; and Drawing I/Beginning Drawing.
Students will also select six credit hours from upper-level art courses. Examples include Seminar in Art History and Visual Culture; Museum Practice; and Space and Place in Public Art and Urbanism.
When all foundation courses have been successfully completed, Design BFA students can begin taking studio electives, graphic design concentration courses, and other requirements. Course examples include Origins and Issues in Design; Graphic Design I-III; Professional Practices in Graphic Design; Typography I-III; Motion Design; Digital Design I-II; and Design Thinking Methods.
The Professional Practices course functions as a seminar and studio. During the course, students will create a professional portfolio, develop an online presence, complete a cover letter and resume, and learn about basic business practices related to junior designer level positions, and freelance work.
The UMBC Design BFA culminates with a final body of work. Each year, graduating seniors have the opportunity to exhibit their collections at the Senior Exit Exhibition, held at the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture. During the opening reception, Awards for Excellence are presented to select students.
Graduates of the Design BFA: Graphic Design program at University of Maryland, Baltimore County are prepared to pursue graduate study or careers at advertising agencies, web design studios, publishing companies, in-house design departments, public relations firms, marketing firms, film studios, networks, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and post-secondary institutions.
University of Maryland, Baltimore County is part of the University System of Maryland. Established as a member in 1966, UMBC serves approximately 14,150 students enrolled in more than 200 degree, minor, and certificate programs across seven colleges and schools. University of Maryland, Baltimore County is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
