Digital and analog designs have played a pivotal role in our daily lives as we know it for hundreds of years. In the modern design landscape, graphic design is used for everything from wayfinding in the subway to billboard ads, to clothing designs, to packaging, to website designs, and everything in between.
Graphic design, similar to other arts, has the power to inform, persuade, and entertain, among other things, and is an important part of our local and global communities.
If you’re interested in pursuing an education in graphic design, whether through a traditional college or university, online program, private graphic design lessons, or with non-certificate lessons, you have a lot of choices when it comes to developing your design skills!
While San Antonio doesn’t have a large amount of establishments providing degrees in graphic design, there are still a lot of different avenues to explore. Plus, there are plenty of other choices all over the great state of Texas!
The Best Graphic Design Schools Near San Antonio
Within and in proximity to San Antonio, you can find several choices for institutes of higher education offering degrees in graphic design or a similar course. If you’re looking for a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, check out these institutions for higher education.
The University of Texas at San Antonio (College of Liberal and Fine Arts & Southwest School of Art (SSA))
While there is no specific graphic design program at UTSA, students can pursue a BA or BFA in art with a concentration on new media. Students learn about universal art concepts and receive education about many different traditional art mediums like painting and ceramics, along with classes teaching animation and static digital art.
St. Mary’s University (College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences)
The Visual Communication Design minor concentration at St. Mary’s University allows students to pursue a major in a graphic design-supporting subject, like Public Health or teaching certification, while learning a helpful subject to complement their major.
University of the Incarnate Word (School of Media and Design)
With a comprehensive design school and graphic design program, UIW offers a great choice for students looking to study graphic design in San Antonio. The BFA graphic design program can even be combined with a minor in 3D Animation and Game Design, Broadcasting, Communication Arts, or Fashion Management for a more well-rounded education.
University of Texas at Austin (School of Design and Creative Technologies, College of Fine Arts)
UTA provides a well-rounded curriculum for a BFA and BA in Design, teaching students about art history and theory alongside studio art, capstone projects, and internships. There are also many minors in the College of Fine Arts that students can choose to pursue at the same time as their Design degree.
University of Houston (School of Art, Katherine G. McGovern College of the Arts)
UH offers a BFA in Studio Art with a Concentration in Graphic Design that combines lots of history and practical studio classes in various mediums with plenty of graphic design-specific classes as well. Students learn not only computer design but also physical arts typically associated with graphic design, like silkscreening and printmaking.
University of North Texas (College of Visual Arts and Design)
The competitive BFA in Communication Design with a concentration in Graphic Design requires prospective students to go through a candidacy and portfolio review process before being accepted into the program. There is a reason this comprehensive curriculum earned UNT a spot on the list of top design schools in GDUSA in 2022!
Effective Online Graphic Design Courses
Unless you want to also make specialized physical art with your graphic design skills like silkscreens, block prints, or other tangible media that requires specialized equipment, you can generally take graphic design courses online and learn everything you need to know!
There are multitudes of fantastic online graphic design programs out there. Here are just a few institutions where you can earn an online graphic design degree.
Bellevue University
Earn your graphic design degree online with Bellevue’s BA in Graphic Design. Its mixture of comprehensive design classes like typography, fundamentals of print and web design, and branding combined with a portfolio capstone course and a wide array of electives to choose from means students will be able to graduate with a well-rounded education. Students can also choose to minor in Print or Web design.
Lesley University
The BS in Design for User Experience is a great choice for earning a graphic design online degree. It may not sound like a graphic design degree, but by completing the course, students learn a lot about graphic design along with the bonus of an in-demand use for those skills in UX. The course includes required classes such as typography, user experience, and UX design business practices while the electives include choices like advanced web projects and digital culture. Students can also choose to minor in a variety of design-related subjects like game design & immersive technologies, user experience, web design, visual narrative, and design.
Maryville University of St. Louis
The 100% online BFA in Digital Media from MU prepares students for a career in web design, where the principles of graphic design are built into the program. Students take classes such as foundation design, graphic design history, digital illustration, web design, motion design, and game design, topped off with a multi-part capstone project. The supporting classes (Intro to New and Social Media, Marketing and Digital Media, and Psychology of Design) are especially helpful for upcoming graphic designers.
Where to Learn Graphic Design Skills - Single Classes, Bootcamps, Workshops, and Self-Learning
For those who don’t have the time, energy, or money to spend on a full-blown college program, there are less expensive and time-consuming options.
Perhaps you already have a degree, either in the arts or another subject, and just want to learn particular concepts to round out your skillset.
For individual classes, workshops, bootcamps, and other similar setups, you can find great local offerings as well as online options.
Online Programs
Here are some great choices of graphic design schools online where you can learn more about graphic design without committing to a full degree program.
American Graphics Institute - Graphic Design Certificate
AGI offers a 112-hr certificate in graphic design perfect for those who need a self-paced course, complete with career counseling and one-on-one mentoring.
The classes are live in Boston, MA, with the option of attending live via videoconferencing. A slightly shorter version of this certificate (which does not include career counseling) is also available and is called the Graphic Design Bootcamp.
When typography is on point, words become images.
Shawn Lukas
American Graphics Institute - 1 Day Graphic Design Course
Learn the basics of graphic design in this one-day course that teaches you everything from the principles of design to color theory and more. You can also repeat the class any time for one year to make sure you’ve absorbed all the information you can get! The AGI also offers many other courses pertaining to graphic design.
Noble Desktop
Find a variety of graphic design-related classes and bootcamps with online attendance options.
Shillington Education
Meant for both new and experienced designers, the certificate course at Shillington allows students to hone their skills and build their portfolios.
Springboard
Learn and practice graphic design skills in this 9-month program that also helps you get placed in a 4-week internship!
In-Person Programs
Finding in-person graphic design classes can be a challenge in San Antonio, but there are a few options to choose from. These types of classes are great for beginner graphic design.
Northside Independent School District - Adult Programs
The Adobe CC (Creative Cloud) class offered at the Northside ISD has limited enrollment, so make sure you contact the school for all the details.
UTSA PaCE (University of Texas at San Antonio - Professional and Continuing Education)
Check for design-related certificate courses at UTSA, such as Foundations in Design, Graphic Design with Photoshop, and Web Design Professional.
UTSA PaCE also has a variety of community art classes for adults, teens, and youths so you can learn about many different types of art including digital!
Alamo Colleges District - San Antonio College
Earn an Enhanced Skills Certificate, Level I Certificate, or AAS in Communication Design at San Antonio College.
SAMSAT (San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology)
For 6th-12th graders, SAMSAT offers a 4-day bootcamp on the basics of designing on the computer.
Earning a certification for an Adobe product is a great way to prove you know your stuff and have the dedication needed to complete a demanding program, especially if you don't have a formal degree.
Learn with Tutoring & Private Lessons
For personalized learning, the best way is to find in-person or online graphic design lessons. By learning with a private mentor, you can be sure to learn the basics and essential skills as well as more complex and detailed concepts. Private classes are great especially if you have specific skills you want to learn, since you can ask questions and receive detailed and individualized help from your teacher!
Find a professional graphic design teacher for graphic design classes easily when you search on Superprof! You can find a local teacher for logo design in San Antonio or search online for a teacher around the world.
Plus, personalized classes can also be much more affordable than a certificate program or workshop!
Learn on Your Own
As with many skills, you can also learn graphic design for free or for a very low cost when you teach yourself. Check out YouTube and sites like Open Culture, Open University, and Class Central for free instruction in a variety of design-related topics. The only downside to learning graphic design, however, is paying for industry-standard software programs like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
Getting Involved in the Graphic Design Scene in San Antonio
Learning from your peers, finding support amongst other artists, and honing your skills with fellow designers are important parts of being a professional in the graphic design sector. San Antonio offers a few different ways for you to keep up-to-date with what other artists are doing and/or learn on your own or with a mentor!
San Antonio is a bustling city with a notable tourist population, meaning there are great opportunities for small artists to appeal to travelers in search of meaningful souvenirs as well as locals who appreciate locals.
The design community may not be as robust as NYC or LA, for example, but even so, the local AIGA chapter is rather active, hosting events and more for San Antonians who want to network and meet with other professionals in the design field.
There are also several local art collectives, like the San Antonio Artists Collective and San Antonio Artist’s Club, where you can meet up with other artists in a more casual setting. You can get involved with galleries, local events that require designers, local businesses that need physical or digital designs made, and more when you get involved in your local town!
Becoming a graphic designer or picking up graphic design skills to help you succeed in a different career are great ways to live a more creatively fulfilling life. Break into this line of work with graphic design courses or private instruction with help from Superprof!
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