Graphic and interactive design merges creativity with technology. From designing innovative mobile apps to crafting eye-catching websites, this field offers you the opportunity to express your unique creative vision.
Interactive and graphic designers have more ways than ever to communicate visually with their audiences. We teach you theories of design as well as a broad range of practical skills — from design thinking to mastering industry standard software — that are needed to pursue a successful career in web design, UX/UI, motion graphics, and print and online publishing.
You’ll build a strong foundation in design, including understanding your audience, ideation methods, prototyping and implementation. With small classes, you’ll receive individual attention from your professors, all of whom maintain ties with the professional world that complement their teaching.
And you’ll hone your verbal and visual communication skills through group work and presentations. Our curriculum reflects current, real-world practices, and you’ll have the most up-to-date technology and software in several labs for both coursework and independent projects. Upon graduation, you’ll have a diverse portfolio of work to show potential employers.
Our graduates are either working or in a secondary education program 6 months after graduation. (2019 Graduates from Quinnipiac Survey)
UX design is one of the top 10 hard skills companies need most in 2020. Creativity is the number 1 soft skill. (LinkedIn)
The School of Communications is home to over 90 multimedia workstations to bring creative visions to life.
Number of new graphic design positions projected to be created from 2018 to 2028. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020)
The average salary for 2019 graphic and interactive design program graduates.
Web developers are ranked #23 on U.S. News & World Report‘s ”100 Best Jobs“ list.
Your experience in our graphic and interactive design program concludes with a capstone project, a culmination of all you have learned and the projects you‘ve worked on in the program. This portfolio-based learning process teaches you how to design for all mediums, from branding and print, to web and mobile app design, and gives you a solid way to market yourself to potential employers and clients.
As a student, you’ll design your own website as an extension of your personal brand. Your site is a place to store all of your work and will serve as a final display for your capstone project.
“My time at Quinnipiac could not have prepared me more for finding a job post-grad. From classes dedicated to a variety of subjects from freelancing to negotiating salary, the incredible professors I had made sure that I had all of the resources I needed for my transition out into the working world. Even after I graduated, my professors are still just a text or an email away if I have any questions.”
“One of my favorite things to tackle is learning new software. I will never forget leaving my Introduction to Design course and being overwhelmed by the number of tools we had to learn. Fast forward many years later, and the programs are completely different. But, I am so fortunate my professors encouraged us to learn the principles first, to exercise our design thinking, and always put pencil to paper. They taught me the important skill of learning how to teach yourself and to utilize training resources.”
As a School of Communications student, you can build your portfolio in real time with real clients at The Agency, our award-winning, full-service, student-run interdisciplinary firm. Students majoring in advertising, public relations, and graphic and interactive design work with real-world businesses, including Lego, Peanuts Worldwide Inc. and Sikorsky. The Agency is well-equipped to handle communications needs such as web design, app design, promotional materials, print collateral, marketing research, social media management, social media analytics, media relations, community engagement, data analysis, special events, strategic planning and branding.
Our undergraduate admissions counselors are here to answer any questions you may have and help you navigate the application process.