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What is the top illustration school in Kansas for 2021?
| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Kansas | Lawrence |
Our 2021 ranking of the top illustration school in Kansas. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
1. University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) welcomed its first class of 55 students in 1866. Today, KU serves around 27,620 students across five campuses. More than 400 degree and certificate programs are offered in 13 schools, including the only schools of pharmacy and medicine in the state.
The School of Architecture and Design at KU houses the Department of Design, which offers a BFA in Illustration & Animation. The 120 credit hour program “prepares students to develop and refine methodologies in image making while acquiring an effective use of visual language, and problem-solving skills,” says the school.
Course highlights include Advanced Animation, Advanced Concept Art, Book Arts, Bookmaking, Designing for Brand Identity, Digital Letterpress, Drawing for Design, Drawing Media for Illustration I-II, Ethics in Design, Foundations in Image-Making, Fundamentals of Animation, Illustration Concepts, Letterpress, Promotion and Marketing for Illustration I-II, Publication and Editorial, Sequential and Narrative Illustration, and Trends in Design. Students will complete a number of studios and a Portfolio course.
Other program highlights include “lectures and workshops with world-renowned designers, collaborations with industry partners, and opportunities to participate in short-term study abroad programs and semester-long internships in the US and abroad.” Also part of the program are the Hallmark Symposium Series (must be taken three times), independent study, and internship opportunities.
Graduates of the program are prepared for professional options that include Book Publishing, Motion Graphics, Entertainment, Fashion, Gallery Installation, Print Media, Surface Design, and Toys and Games, to name a few.
Illustration & Animation students have received local, regional and national recognition, including awards from 3x3 The Magazine of Contemporary Illustration, American Illustration, CMYK Magazine, and Creative Quarterly, as well as the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles and the Society of Illustrators of New York.