Bachelors In

Design Degrees

The complete guide on what you’ll learn, job prospects, university programs, and saving time and money.
Table of Contents

Why We Love It

  • $51,640
    Potential Avg. Salary*
  • Growing Demand
    Job Outlook

* Salary & growth data is based on the recent Bureau of Labor and Statistics data published at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes271024.htm for 27-1024 Graphic designers 11/2021. Based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary.

If you’re considering a career in a design-oriented field—anything from architectural design to web design—a bachelor of design may be the right degree for you.

A bachelor of design is an alternative to a bachelor of fine arts degree that allows students to embark on an intensive study of art but from a pure design perspective rather than a broad approach to painting, sculpting, and other fine art forms.

What is a Degree in Design?

In many art degree programs, including fine arts, art, and visual art—students study art broadly in all of its forms. But if your career goals are focused more on design than traditional artistry, you may not be interested in studying the history of portrait art painting or learning sculpting techniques.

Instead, you may want to consider enrolling in a bachelor of design program—a specialized counterpart to a bachelor of fine arts program that’s focused purely on design, its different forms, and its subject matter.

Most bachelor of design programs require students to choose a specialization, such as architecture, interior design, graphic design, web design, industrial design, or fashion design.

Bachelor of design students learn how to use computer-aided design programs, study the history of design within their area of specialization, and learn about important topics like color theory. Most programs also have lab components where students work in groups in a physical lab using the tools of their desired trade.

Recommended Schools

What Courses Would I Take For a Major in Design?

  • Survey of Design
  • Collaborative Visualizing
  • Form & Context
  • Design for Interactions
  • Prototyping Lab
  • Color Theory
  • Typography
  • Industrial Design

What Jobs Can You Get with a Degree in Design?

Talented designers can find work in many different industries, so there shouldn’t be any shortage of opportunities for graduates of a bachelor of design degree program.

Students should make sure to take coursework both in their specialty of choice and in general design so that they can find work in alternative design positions if they struggle to find work within their specialty. Many students even go on to work for themselves and offer their design services on a freelance or contract basis.

How Long does it take?

A bachelors in Design will have a typical length of 4 years in a full time schedule. That said, there are many ways to speed up the timeframe by either taking more units via online coursework, community college, or taking free classes at OnlineDegree.com that could transfer to universities in the US.

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Best Jobs for Design Degrees

Graduates of a design degree program can find work in many different careers. Depending on your specialty in college, you may work as an architectural designer, interior designer, graphic designer, costume designer, or fashion designer.

You may also become an entrepreneur, opening your own design business or agency, or offering your services to different businesses on a freelance or contract basis.

How to save time and money

Our mission is to help you to avoid paying full price for college. We want your Design degree to be affordable and accessible. Here’s how you could save:

Create Your Free SmartPlan

There are many ways to make college affordable and accessible.

That’s why we created a helpful tool called SmartPlan.

It’s free, and helps you find potential ways to save and tons of information about each school you’re considering

Think of it as your “college blueprint”, to help you instantly craft a path to your degree:

  • Which Colleges Match Your Needs
  • Ways You Could Save Time & Money
  • Free Courses You Could Take for Credit
  • Valuable Data and Insights on Each College
  • Detailed Steps You Should Take!

See what’s possible for you and generate a free plan within just a few minutes

Create My SmartPlan

You Might also be Interested in

Many visitors who look for a degree in Design are also interested in the following degrees.

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