Degrees of Success

2020.06.16

At this time every year, many young people begin to think about the colleges and universities they might like to attend and what degree they might like to pursue post-graduation. It is can be both an exciting time dreaming of the possibilities and an intimidating one at the same time. With the rising cost of education in the United States many are asking themselves, is high education still worth it?

For some professions, it's a resounding yes while others it becomes a little less clear and harder to navigate what course of action to pursue. Especially in professions such as graphic design where a degree is not a prerequisite to a successful career. Although it is possible to have a successful career without a degree, there is a lot of truth in the statement: the degree gets you in the door, the portfolio gets you the job. Each individual must use their critical thinking skills and evaluate their options. In doing this the individual can select the best course of action to achieving their goals.

For many young people, their life has always been a series of tangible milestones often directed by others. Therefore their inexperience in directing their own future can be a daunting task. So here is my advice and the process I would use if I were making the decision on becoming a graphic designer.

The first series of questions the individual seeking a career in graphic design must ask themselves is what are my career goals? What kind of design work do I want to do? Do I want to work as a digital designer or am I more interested in working with printed designs? What skills will that require? These are just some questions that can begin to help you shape an image of the career you want and help point you in the right direction.

Now that you have formed an image in your mind of the type of career you want, start by making a list of the necessary skills you need to learn in order to pursue your desired career. This list will help you in assessing the opportunities available to you. These opportunities may include both academic, degree-seeking pursuits, or self-study options.

For those who want to try the self-study route, I encourage you to check out The Futur’s video: How You Can Learn Design Without School. For everyone else, start by reading the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) article “Degree Programs and Professional Preparation.” This article does an excellent job outlining how different types of degrees and how each is generally viewed in the industry and what kind of doors they will open for you.

From this point onward in the decision-making process, there are different angles to look at and your decision is going to come down to what you value most. Do you value academic programming or is cost affordability higher priority concern? If academics are more important start by researching institutions and academic programs. Dive deep into them by looking at course descriptions and find the best matches to your goals. Then look at the cost as the secondary factor. If the cost is more concerning to you will do the opposite. You’ll want to find institutions that fit your price range and then evaluate the academic programs. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and consider what minors might help supplement any holes missing from your main degree program.

Another factor you may want to consider is to think about what where you might want to live and work. What are the expectations and what requirements does the industry expect in that area? I recommend taking, looking at the atmosphere of the industry in both your present local community as well as the one you dream of working in. Where you currently live often has a built-in network of family and friends while your dream location may be harder to break into without that support network.

No matter what path you decide to take to accomplish your goals it is going to take a lot of hard work and dedication.