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 student standing next to their work.

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

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 2023–2024 academic year.

Pennsylvania resident: $24,960.00 per year
Out-of-state: $41,496.00 per year

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Additional Program Information