Graphic Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts

Program Mission Statement

The Bachelor of Fine Arts program in Graphic Design prepares students for a career in the fields of creative media by:

1. Teaching the core competencies of research, writing, critical and thinking through the continual observation and analysis of the visual and social world.
    
2. Instructing students in the tools, techniques, vocabulary, traditions and history of their chosen profession so as to make informed career decisions.
    
3. Providing the technical and intellectual preparation students need to develop their creative work, while they learn the problem-solving processes that are standard in their industry.

Admission

You can apply directly to the B.F.A. in Graphic Design by completing the St. John's Undergraduate Application.

Please contact the Department Chair directly at [email protected] with any questions regarding this process.

For more information about admission to this and other acclaimed undergraduate programs at St. John's University, please visit Undergraduate Admission.

Scholarships

The Department of Art and Design awards two full-time, four-year scholarships to first-year students who demonstrate extraordinary proficiency and creative potential in their portfolio submission and have met the academic requirements of St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Three additional first-year students who demonstrate excellence in the visual arts are offered a $1,000 incentive scholarship.  Students are selected through the portfolio review process and must submit their portfolio in our SlideRoom portal by March 1, 2026 to be considered.  For more information, contact Nerissa Palad-Palermo at 718-990-6250 or [email protected].

Career Outcomes

Design studios, advertising agencies, multimedia communications firms, and other businesses rely on designers’ creative problem-solving and technical skills to reach target audiences. Our program prepares you for the vast array of careers emerging in this growing industry. As part of the B.F.A. program in Graphic Design, you either enroll in a semester-long internship or spend a semester producing a creative thesis for exhibition at Dorksy Gallery Curatorial Programs in Long Island City, New York.

Our program will help you gain crucial real-world experience through an internship at organizations ranging from advertising agencies and design firms to non-profits. Many of our graduates stay in New York City, where there is an extensive alumni network at companies such as NBC Universal, Nickelodeon, the NBA and WNBA, Pentagram, BBDO Advertising, Grey Advertising, Nike, and Google.

As a program alumnus, we invite you to participate in our networking events to build your own contacts throughout New York City’s vibrant design scene.