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Learn to Speak a Powerful Visual Language
Graphic and media designers use color, line, shape, texture, images, motion and more to tell stories, share ideas and create emotional connections with the world.
Introduction
As a student in Russell Sage College’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program in Graphic + Media Design, you’ll study print production, interactive design, video, animation and digital imaging as you develop your own authentic style. And you’ll add to your portfolio, resume and professional network at an internship and year-long, self-designed capstone project.
We are excited about our curriculum that offers you the flexibility and time to focus on the area of design that most interests you, along with interdisciplinary opportunities to broaden your education.
A course called Colab is a great example of the interdisciplinary experiences in Russell Sage College’s Art + Design department. In spring 2020, Colab students from our Graphic + Media Design, Art + Extended Media and Interior + Spatial Design programs worked in teams to develop a concept and designs for a boutique hotel. The class ran like a professional project in a busy design studio, and students ended the semester with strong work samples for their portfolios and relevant teamwork experience for their resumes.
Faculty
Art + Design faculty members write and illustrate books, participate in juried art exhibitions and contribute to attention-getting commercial projects — but you will find that they are supportive teachers, first.
Russell Sage College’s Graphic + Media Design program is small, so your professors get to know you personally. They’ll brainstorm projects with you, offer constructive critiques as you grow as a graphic and media designer and advise you on freelance assignments and other career opportunities. The design field is always evolving and our faculty members are well-connected in the design community — they can even help you get ready for jobs that don’t exist yet.
Create, Exhibit, Publish and Connect
As a BFA student at Russell Sage College, you’ll have easy access to equipment like 3-D printers, a laser cutter, large format printers, Wacom Cintiq displays, scanners, audiovisual equipment, a vacuum former and more at the Art + Design Technology Center.
Two on-campus galleries — Opalka Gallery and the Little Gallery — attract prestigious exhibits and provide a professional venue for students’ work. You may also serve on the editorial board or publish your work in Vernacular, a student-run art, design and literature publication and eagerly-anticipated annual campus tradition for more than 50 years.
And you’ll have plenty of opportunities to network with members of Albany and Troy’s creative communities at department-sponsored Artist Lectures, portfolio reviews and special events held in conjunction with professional organizations like AIGA.
“It’s really great to have a gallery related to a school and one that’s accessible … ”
Leah Rico, MFA
Assistant Professor of Graphic + Media Design
Spotlights
Read more from BFA students, faculty and alumni.
Your Future
You will graduate from Russell Sage College’s BFA program in Graphic + Media Design with an authentic artistic style and a portfolio suitable to pursue professional opportunities or an advanced degree.
Careers
Our graduates get great jobs in a variety of settings, including large communication agencies, boutique design firms and in-house marketing departments. Recent graduates are working as graphic designers at Brawn Media, Trampoline Design and Jane Iredale Mineral Cosmetics; as a creative director at Mohawk Fine Papers; and as a designer for a 2020 presidential candidate.
Graduate Studies
A Master of Fine Arts degree or master’s degree in graphic design is the next step for many Graphic + Media Design graduates who want to continue their studies. Our bachelor’s program in Graphic + Media Design is also excellent preparation for master’s programs in other fields that align with your goals.
Submit Your Portfolio
Applicants to Russell Sage College’s BFA programs should also submit a portfolio of their work. This might sound intimidating, but don’t worry. You have options!
- If you have a portfolio that’s ready to submit, great! You can submit it online at sagearts.slideroom.com.
If you don’t have a portfolio, or you don’t feel your portfolio is ready, that’s okay. You can join Russell Sage College’s Art + Design department as a pre-art major for your first year. You’ll take the same foundation courses the rest of the students take. Then, at the end of your first year:
- You can submit a portfolio with the foundation-year work you just made, or
- If you have at least a 3.0 average in your six foundation studio courses, the portfolio requirement will be waived for you.
More information about what to include in your portfolio and how to submit your portfolio is available at sagearts.slideroom.com.
Program Objectives
Russell Sage College’s BFA program in Graphic + Media Design will prepare you for a career in graphic design, illustration, web design, motion graphics and video. Our curriculum includes coursework, internships and a capstone project and is based on industry-recognized standards for professional designers. You will graduate with the skills, confidence and business savvy to succeed in the visual communication field.
Accreditation
Russell Sage College’s Visual Arts programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), 11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21, Reston, VA 20190. 703-437-0700.
