Graphic and Interactive Design Major

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic and Interactive Design

Learn how to develop design concepts, create images, work with typography and master a wide range of new and traditional media with the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic and Interactive Design in Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture. In this 126-credit undergraduate degree program, you’ll learn to create memorable experiences, gain the ability to communicate effectively to solve complex problems, and use your visual voice to open minds and address social and cultural issues.

Graphic and interactive design is the communication of information and ideas through visual language—to serve commerce, culture and the public good. The Graphic and Interactive Design BFA program, known for its rigor, puts an emphasis on creative intelligence and skill, and is extremely competitive. Students are evaluated by exacting standards of the design profession, preparing them for the first jobs in the field or graduate-level studies.

Mentored by a passionate, award-winning faculty, Graphic and Interactive Design Major students experiment and develop original, research-driven concepts across all areas of visual design, including branding, digital media, illustration, packaging, typography, virtual reality and more. Students find and hone their unique voices and have opportunities to flex their design skills in a city that is a living laboratory for design-driven solutions. Philadelphia hosts a booming design community with one of the largest national chapters of the American Institute of Graphic Arts.

Student work from Tyler has been featured in numerous national and international design competitions and publications, and students have won numerous awards and honors. They are sought out by recruiters from studios and agencies and are highly successful in finding employment after graduation.

Graduates are employed by studios and agencies around the country and abroad. They work in print and web design studios, advertising agencies, publishing companies, film and television, music packaging and promotion, product design and packaging, in design departments of major corporations, and as freelance illustrators.

Entrepreneurial Studies

In partnership with Temple University’s Fox School of Business, Tyler offers BFA students an entrepreneurial studies option for students who want to learn skills for entrepreneurship—from innovative thinking to how to start a business—as part of their art education. Program coursework is a focused and interdisciplinary blend of art, art history, business, entrepreneurship and other courses as well as open electives. The BFA with Entrepreneurial Studies gives students the skills needed for success as entrepreneurs in the studio discipline of their choice and the necessary preparation to pursue graduate studies in their studio discipline, entrepreneurship or related professions upon graduation.

Learn more about Entrepreneurial Studies at Tyler.

Foundations

All undergraduate first-year students at Tyler begin with a yearlong immersion in our foundations program. Foundations is a multidisciplinary curriculum through which students gain knowledge in essential concepts and theories; established principles and practices; and time-honored skills and techniques in the study of art, design and the built environment. Students develop a global understanding of artistic traditions and the role of art and design in society before choosing a major in their second year at Tyler.

In the art programs, including graphic and interactive design, students begin with focused study of drawing, 2D design and 3D design. They explore diverse materials, processes and perspectives—from the traditional and low-tech to the innovative and experimental. This bachelor's degree program is highly structured and intensive, and imparts fundamental studio practices for all visual art. Through the foundations coursework, students gain an academic grounding in the forms, techniques, styles, subjects and symbolism represented in art, architecture and design. Faculty members from across the art and design areas teach the foundations courses, assuring a broad range of experience and diverse viewpoints.

Learn more about the foundations program at Tyler.

GAID students working on laptops in class.

Classes & Curriculum

As a student in the graphic and interactive design program, you’ll work closely with faculty to understand the fundamental concepts of design, master design software and other tools, as well as find your unique voice and wield it in ways that address complex social challenges. A few courses you can anticipate taking include the following.

Advanced Graphic Design
Digital Narratives
Illustration
Interactive Design
Typography
Web Design

Learn more about the program curriculum.

Concentrations

You can focus on Graphic and Interactive Design or you can take one of the following concentrations.

Art Education

Prepare to qualify for the Pennsylvania Teaching Certification in art, kindergarten through 12th grade. Students complete the BFA requirements along with 32 credit hours in art education, education and specified liberal arts courses. Education-related studies begin in students’ second year. Students generally take five years to fulfill all requirements or the 155-credit degree.
View Concentration Details

Related Graduate Degree

Graphic and Interactive Design MFA

Tuition & Fees

In keeping with Temple’s commitment to access and affordability, the Bachelor of Fine Arts offers a competitive level of tuition with multiple opportunities for financial support.

Tuition rates are set annually by the university and are affected by multiple factors, including program degree level (undergraduate or graduate), course load (full- or part-time), in-state or out-of-state residency, and more. You can view the full Cost of Attendance breakdown on the Student Financial Services website.

These tuition costs apply to the 2024–2025 academic year.

Pennsylvania resident: $25,848.00 per year
Out-of-state: $43,032.00 per year

Our Academic Advisors

Tyler’s academic advising team offers every Tyler student one-on-one, personal and academic guidance, beginning at Orientation right through to graduation. The academic advisors help you chart your course through your degree program and major, and ensure you are on a clear educational path.

Advisors are available to discuss registration, study abroad and staying on track to graduate, as well as policy and procedures and navigating other available resources across the university.

Appointments with the advising team can be made by visiting the Student Tools tab in TUportal. General questions can be submitted to the team’s virtual front desk during regular business hours, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Academic Advising Office
Tyler 212
2001 N. 13th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19122

Program Contact

Student Clubs and Organizations

Joining a student organization can enrich your coursework, help you build meaningful networks with peers and gain leadership experience. Below are examples of student clubs and organizations that can help you grow academically, creatively and professionally.

American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) is an independent, nonprofit, student-run organization. AIAS provides unmatched programs, information and resources on issues critical to architectural education.
National Organization of Minority Architecture Students at Temple University serves minority architecture students, enhancing their educational experience by providing them with ample opportunities to explore facets of design and community-building outside of the classroom.
American Society of Landscape Architects, Student Chapter at Temple’s Ambler Campus works to advance landscape architecture through advocacy, education and fellowship.

See a full list of student organizations.

Study Away

Exposure to diverse cultures, environments and mindsets is essential for art, architecture and design students. At Tyler, you are encouraged to broaden your perspective and explore unique environments through study away programs.

Programs to study in Rome, Tokyo and Venice are offered throughout the year.

For a half-century, Temple Rome has been a center for hands-on, interdisciplinary learning, where the “Eternal City” is the classroom, the studio and the campus. It offers extensive experiences for art and architecture students, with courses in architecture, art history, drawing, liberal arts, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture.

Temple University Japan offers a Bachelor of Arts in Art with a Digital Media concentration. Students may also take individual digital photography, art history and architecture courses on the Japan campus.

The Education Abroad and Overseas Campuses office is available to answer questions.
Email: study.abroad@temple.edu
Phone: 215-204-0720

Accreditation

Tyler School of Art and Architecture’s degree programs are accredited by the following accrediting bodies.

Tyler School of Art and Architecture’s architecture and environmental design programs are accredited by the following accrediting bodies.

National Architectural Accrediting Board (Master of Architecture)
Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture)
Planning Accreditation Board (Master of Science in City and Regional Planning)
International Facilities Management Association (Bachelor of Science in Facilities Management)

TA-GID-BFA

Additional Program Information

School/College Site

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