Frequently Asked Questions

No. Students are directly admitted to the program upon being accepted to Virginia Tech.

Many of our students find jobs as traditional print designers, branding and logo designers, UI/UX designers, or pursue a career in teaching by continuing their education in graduate school.

We require that students purchase an Apple laptop. It’s an industry standard and works best with Adobe products. Students must also purchase an annual subscription to the Adobe Creative Suite. Educational discounts are given to both Apple products and Adobe products.

Our courses are all studio-based with enrollment ranging between 15-24 students per class.

Throughout their freshmen and sophomore years, students take introductory graphic design courses that cover essential topics such as design and typographic principles, form-making, symbology, and layout design. These courses serve as a solid foundation for students to build upon as they progress to more advanced topics in their junior and senior years.

In their junior year, students take intermediate core courses that delve into more advanced topics such as packaging, hand lettering, web and app design, and data visualization. Additionally, they can enroll in special topic electives catering to their unique interests and career aspirations.

As students approach their senior year, the program focuses on preparing them for a successful career in the industry. This includes discussions on studio practices and portfolio preparation topics. Furthermore, students are required to enroll in an internship during their junior and/or senior year. Faculty members help students secure internship opportunities, including working at FourDesign, our program's faculty-led student-run design agency.

Check out our individual faculty pages!

• Awarded at many regional, national, and international design competitions, such as Graphic Design USA (GDUSA), the American Advertising Federation’s ADDYs, Communication Arts, and Hiiibrands (to name a few).
• Selected works have been published in quarterly magazines as well as esteemed design books like GDUSA, Logolounge, and Graphis.
• Presented at significant design conferences such as AIGA, AIGA Design Educators Community, and UCDA Design Educators Summit (to name a few).

Yes, but Graphic Design is a restricted major. For more information, start here.