Massachusetts College of Art and Design | Continuing Education | Certificate Programs

Graphic Design Certficate Program

About the program

MassArt’s Graphic Design Certificate Program (GDC) provides working adults with evening classes, learning experiences, and the skills and competency to advance into a career in graphic design.

MassArt’s GDC program is a rigorous program with an excellent reputation in the design community. Graduates of the program compete for and obtain jobs in all areas of the industry including design studios and agencies with the highest design standards and reputation.

The program consists of 12 courses totaling 38 credits, and usually takes 3 years to complete. Courses are generally taken at the rate of one or two courses per semester (fall and spring), with summer coursework optional. Two portfolio-building classes are included, one taken mid-program and the other as the final course in the sequence.

Course sequence

* as of Sept. 08, Foundations of Graphic Design replaces Drawing for Communication and Communication & Form, which will no longer be offered. For students applying to the program in April or November 08, completing BOTH Drawing for Communication and Communication & Form can count to fulfill the Foundations of Graphic Design requirement.

** new courses required for students accepted to the program April 08 and later.

*** new course required for students accepted to the program April 08 and later. Students admitted to the program prior to April 08 must take Interactive Communications for Advanced Design Students instead.

Overview of the Program

The first six 3-credit courses in the sequence provide students with basic-to-intermediate level skills in graphic design concept development, typography, and the manipulation of visual form to effectively engage an audience and communicate a message in a variety of media. Intermediate Portfolio (4.0 credits) is the culmination of this work, where presentation and professional job search considerations are introduced into the process of building a body of design work. The Intermediate Portfolio course results in a presentation by each student to a panel of professionals who provide real-world feedback and determine whether the student has the skills to proceed to the advanced courses of the program.

Students must complete 9 credits in advanced design—an advanced design elective, Graphic Design 3, and Advanced Interactive Projects (for students admitted 4/08 or after; students prior to 4/08 must take Interactive Communication for Advanced Design Student instead)—before enrolling in Final Portfolio (4 credits). In Final Portfolio the student builds his/her entry-level job search portfolio and makes a presentation to a panel of professionals who provide real-world feedback and determine whether the student has the skills to be graduated from the program. The program also includes two technically-oriented 1.5 credit courses—Print Production and Interactive Development (required for students admitted 4/08 and after)—which provide students with hands-on skill building in the practical realities of what's needed to bring a design to fruition in a professional work environment.

In addition to the required courses, the GDC program offers students opportunities to learn more about the design profession and job opportunities in the field through various activities and resources outside the classroom. GDC students and faculty are invited to attend an event each semester that gives students the chance to see the portfolios of advanced students in the program; to meet informally with other program students, faculty, and the GDC Coordinator; to learn about upcoming courses; share student work; or hear from visiting alumni of the program about their job search process and career paths. GDC students are offered the opportunity to tour a printing press to see how design work gets printed and produced, and to tap into Career Services internship and job listings. Because program faculty are well known in the area’s vibrant design community, they are often valuable sources of job leads and job search suggestions. The GDC Coordinator and GDC Advisors are happy to review and critique student work and provide additional information and advice about job search.

Are You Ready to Start the DC Program?

The courses that begin the GDC program sequence are equivalent to sophomore level courses in an undergraduate graphic design program. Therefore, if you have no background in art-making, you’ll need to spend a little time developing some visual language skills before you can be admitted to and begin the program sequence. A rigorous 3-credit drawing course, such as Drawing for the First Time or Drawing Fundamentals, or a basic design course such as Elements of Design, is recommended for preparation. Elements of Design or a drawing course can also provide you with work to include in your application portfolio. Working knowledge of Adobe InDesign (or Quark XPress), Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator are also required for the program. If you do not have these skills, the 3-credit introductory course Intro to Computer Design with the Adobe Creative Suite is recommended before enrolling in Typography.

Planning Your Program

ADVISING: Advising is available to help individual students plan out their course of study, taking into account the course sequence, course workloads, flexibilities/limitations of the program schedule, and individual preferences and scheduling challenges.

COURSE SEQUENCE: Courses MUST be taken in sequence, although some can be taken concurrently (see Course Sequence above).

COURSE SCHEDULES: All required courses are offered each fall and Spring. Most are offered in summer, except Intermediate Portfolio, Graphic Design 3, and Final Portfolio. Students can progress through the program in three years by taking four courses every year, although many prefer a varying arrangement (such as 5 courses the first year, 4 the second year, and 3 the third year), since course workloads become more demanding as the sequence proceeds.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Although the program can be completed in three years, it is not required that students complete within that time-frame. GDC students are required to register for at least one course every fall and spring or apply for a leave of absence. Students are allowed a leave of absence for up to one year. Summer coursework is not required. Students wishing to take summers off from school are not required to file for leave of absence.

COURSE WORK TIME OUTSIDE OF CLASS. Students who commit the time required to produce high-quality work, will find a wealth of opportunities available to them. Instructors and design professionals who visit classrooms, sit on review panels, and otherwise view students’ work have been impressed by the level of sophistication, originality, and skill of MassArt’s GDC student body and have served as resources to students after graduation. Time required outside the classroom to complete assignments varies by instructor and student. The following numbers are only approximations and not guaranteed.