Communication Design Degree: Career Options for Graduates with Degrees in Communication Design

Published Sep 02, 2009

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Career options for graduates with degrees in communication design include positions in the advertising, publishing and graphic design fields. Typically, those with an associate's degree are qualified for production-related jobs, while graduates from bachelor's or master's degree program in communication design have more upward mobility and are more readily qualified for supervisory roles.

Associate's Degree in Communication Design Career Summary

An associate's degree in communication design will open up a variety of career options in the field of graphic art. Most communication design programs on the associate's level cover topics like typography and desktop publishing.

Graduates can pursue careers in advertising, publishing or other communication-related fields. Departments that hire communication design graduates include digital design, photography, print production and illustration. Typically, with an associate's degree, visual communication majors work in the production aspects of graphic and digital design and may need a minimum of a bachelor's degree to advance quickly.

Bachelor's Degree in Communication Design Career Summary

Graduates with a bachelor's degree in communication design are qualified to design magazines for publishing houses or work on the visual aspects of product campaigns for advertising agencies. They also might find employment doing consulting work with graphic design firms.

Professionals holding bachelor's degrees in communication design usually have more upward mobility than those with associate's degrees in the field, although they may find entry-level work in the same positions. A four-year Visual Communication program includes courses in subjects like branding and identity, animation and packaging design.

Master's Degree in Communication Design Career Summary

With a master's degree in visual communication, also called visual communication design, professionals can advance to high-level positions in media-related fields like publishing. They might work in supervisory positions with graphic design firms or as art directors for advertising agencies. In a visual communication master's degree program, students learn about theories behind the practices of digital and graphic design and gain advanced skills in the field.

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