Graphic Design

Inspire with design.


20%
growth in digital and interactive design careers

First impressions matter, and graphic designers make those first seconds count for the businesses and causes they represent. Whether designing a company’s logo, creating a poster to promote an event, producing a website or laying out a newsletter, graphic designers help their clients put their best foot forward.

Graphic design influences our decisions, helps us relate to businesses and attracts us to brands. That’s why graphic design is more than art—it’s a key form of communication for the digital age.

Why study graphic design?

  • Use creativity and skill to solve visual problems and make a difference for your clients.
  • Work as a graphic designer, web designer, art or creative director, project manager, user experience designer, interactive designer, mobile app developer, prepress manager, freelancer, and more.
  • Participate in an evolving and competitive field that requires constant artistic and technical learning.

Through classes and on-campus opportunities, I learned how to take a project from an idea to a digital file to a professional-looking mockup. Working for a small company, I have the task of using that exact process for every piece of material required. Whether it is a web, print, or animated video project, the skills I gained from my years in the Union community have helped me come out on top.

Kristen Vogler
2013 graduate, graphic designer at Automated Systems, Inc. in Lincoln, Neb.
photo Kristen Vogler

Real experience starts long before graduation.


100%
of students complete internships

At Union, you will prepare for your design career with ample opportunities to make connections, show your work and get noticed before graduation.

Why study at Union College?

  • Discover a professor-to-student ratio that makes it easy for you to ask questions and get feedback.
  • Fine arts courses such as Drawing, Illustration Techniques and Color Theory supply you with a background in art that gives you a strong foundation to bring images to life on a screen.
  • Union’s Mac lab is open Sunday though Friday, so you don’t need your own equipment to start learning graphic design.
  • We put your skills to work making posters, logos
    and corporate identity campaigns for in-class projects,
    internships or as part of a team promoting events happening on campus.

I came to Union College with art as a hobby, but after four years in the graphic design program, I was able to turn my passion into a career. Each class taught me valuable lessons I was able to apply both to my homework and to on-campus opportunities, such as being the yearbook editor and interning for the Marketing Communications department. As my career has moved through multiple jobs in different areas of the design world, the foundation I received at Union continues to set me up for success.

Rachel Orrison
2007 graduate, graphic designer at Deloitte in Lincoln, Neb.
photo Rachel Orrison

Majors and minors

Union College offers the following degrees in graphic design:

Union offers the following degrees in art:

Art—Association of Science
Guides: 2022-2023 | 2023-2024

Interested in related fields? Check out these programs: 

The graphic design field is changing all the time. Union gave me a good base for the continual learning required in a design career. I also really appreciated the teachers who pushed me and didn’t just say they loved every project I presented. Hearing good feedback feels great, but getting personalized advice helped me offer my best.

Zack Posthumus
2015 graduate, designer for LiveBy and freelancer in Lincoln, Neb.
photo Zack Posthumus

Your career options

Graphic designer

Create visual concepts using computer software or by hand to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers.

Job outlook
3% growth (slower than average)

Median pay
$58,000

Art director

Responsible for the visual style and images in magazines, newspapers, product packaging, and movie and television productions.

Job outlook
6% growth (average)

Median pay
$105,000

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Meet the team

We are located in Engel Hall on the northeastern edge of campus. You can call us at 402.486.2553.