Graphic Design BA Degree

Your creative energy and purposeful designs can amplify big ideas.

• What Is Graphic Design BA?

  Graphic design focuses on the intersection of visual communication, cultural context, and critical thinking, pairing creative and visual design with areas like business, communication, and emerging media. In a world shaped by media and visual messaging, organizations need designers who can craft compelling visuals, think critically, and communicate across platforms.

• Why earn a BA in Graphic Design at Champlain?

  Champlain’s Graphic Design program is designed for students who want more than technical skills. It’s for students that want to think like designers and communicate like strategists. From day one, you’ll dive into hands-on design courses and have the freedom to tailor your path with electives, or even a double major.

  • Start in your major from day one with our Upside-Down Curriculum
  • Build your own pathways with flexible, interdisciplinary studies
  • Gain real-world experience through our Creative Studio Experience
  • Small class sizes and expert faculty who help mentor your growth
  • Build a portfolio and network before graduation

  Our program is officially accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)—a credential that employers recognize and respect.

• What’s the difference between a BA and a BFA in Graphic Design?

  When choosing between a BA or a BFA in Graphic Design, think of it like choosing between becoming a specialist or a well-rounded player. Champlain’s BA in Graphic Design teaches you graphic design but allows room in your schedule for other classes like business, marketing, or psychology, making you more well-rounded and flexible.

  Champlain’s BFA in Graphic Design & Visual Communication requires 15 extra art classes, giving you more studio experience and a deeper dive into the fine arts of graphic design—perfect if you want to be a professional designer or work at a creative agency where you need to be a design master.

  Both BA and BFA lead to great careers—it just depends if you want to specialize heavily in art and design, or if you want to combine design skills with other interests for broader career options.

• What will I learn studying Graphic Design?

  By the time you graduate, you will…

  • Interpret and Analyze Visual Work – learn how to critique and analyze with attention to evolving social and technological contexts.
  • Communicate Ideas Effectively – use visual, verbal, and written forms through different mediums and disciplinary contexts to communicate across audiences.
  • Design for Visual and Business Communications – develop skills across design and understand their influence on business.
  • Build Compelling Visuals and Stories – create engaging visual content that effectively communicates ideas across different platforms.
  • Present Your Work Professionally – learn to explain your thinking and sell your ideas
  • Demonstrate Proficiency in Industry-Standard Design Software – develop expertise with professional design tools to create high-quality visual solutions.

You might also be interested in these…

Based on your interest in the Graphic Design BA degree, we thought you also might like to check out these other academic programs and opportunities.

• Majors

  • Creative Media Degree (BFA) 

    Develop your self-expression in our Creative Media major, and learn the business side of interdisciplinary production, digital creation, and entrepreneurship.

  • Digital Humanities Degree (BS) 

    Be a digital pioneer. Bring the fullness of your human self to the study of emerging technology, including Artificial Intelligence, and make sure the digital future is humane as well as human.

  • Graphic Design?& Visual Communication BFA Degree (BFA) 

    Be a design thinker. Harness your creativity through print and digital graphics. Start building your portfolio right away.

  • Marketing Communication Degree (BS) 

    Businesses run on stories and data. Tune in to emerging marketing strategies and graduate ready for your career, with impressive industry-standard certifications.

  • User Experience & Interaction Design Degree (BS) 

    Tomorrow’s technology requires good design to be usable. Specialize in user experience (UX) or user interface (UI) design at Champlain, and create new intersections between human minds and digital spaces.

• Minors

  • Graphic Design Minor 

    Perfect your technical skills while learning how design impacts messaging and vice versa. Explore the latest digital-image software and learn how to create professional communication materials.

• Areas of Study

  • Creative Arts & Communication 

    With many majors to choose from, you decide how to bring your ideas to life and communicate them to the world.

  • Humanities & the Sciences 

    The born educator, the team player, the change maker, the advocate. Which of these human-centered majors fits you career goals?

  • Individualized Studies & Undeclared 

    Learn what you love, and love what you learn with one of these professional pathways.