Graphic Design Major...?

Question

i am currently pursuing an associate degree of applied science in graphic design at a community college. once i have the degree under my belt, i was thinking about going to a private art school to pursue my bachelors. i was thinking about columbus college of art & design, but they offer a Bachelors degree of fine arts in advertising and graphic design. Is it the same thing? im just confused with all of the different names that they have for the major...

Answer 1

Well I don't see why it would be different in the US, but in Canada a BFA is a BFA, regardless of your major. Graphic Design is used for the most part in the Advertising field, but it's pretty much the same thing right across the board. If you have a major in Advertising (as opposed to, say, Art History) you'll be better off if you're aiming toward a commercial art career.
Hope that helps...

Answer 2

Don't worry about the money you'd be making. Currently I'm finishing my graphics design major, however, I doubt I'll be continuing that route since it's not my passion. I'm taking a year off to just think and decide what I'm going to do, and I'll be working as a graphic designer to see if it's as bad as I thought it was. Now if you're already drawing, goofing around in photoshop or whatever, and you KNOW that you like it and everything that orbits it, then go ahead. Otherwise, don't bother. All the people I know who have succeeded in graphic design are the ones who breathe, eat and sweat graphic design. I used to fiddle around with it, it's a cool hobby and all, but I wouldn't be able to make a living off it, mainly because of constant pressure (tight deadlines), the superficiality of it, being the customer's "slave" etc. Now on the positive side, the job is diverse so you get to research a lot of different subjects (more or less interesting), and you develop your creativity. To sum it up, if you're not talented, average, aren't into the whole corporate lifestyle and/or don't have the passion, don't bother. If you enjoy it right now and do artsy stuff in your spare time and have been doing it forever (which I have, but figured out it's just a hobby), go ahead. My classmates that excel in the area are graphic design nuts who don't go out to parties with us and stay at school all day doing that type of thing and I'm sure they'll do fine and get good money.

Answer 3

Yup, they are pretty much the same thing. Although my alma mater, Savannah College of Art & Design, offers Advertising as a seperate degree from Graphic Design. It seems from what you say that you'll probably be getting more bang for your buck with a BFA in Advertising & Graphic Design. (Especially, seeing as you already have an associate in design, you'll be a double threat!)

Either way, you can't go wrong.

The only difference I can think of is that in Graphic Design, you are actually the one designing the logos & typrography, but in Advertising you have to put it all together to make the brand, you know? A tad less studio art time and more kind of like marketing. You ever see that movie "What Women Want", with Helen Hunt? Advertising is like the job she had in that movie; she didn't design but she came up with ad campaigns. But again, either way, you cannot go wrong. Good luck with your art career!