| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah |
| 2 | Kennesaw State University | Kennesaw |
Our 2019 rankings of the top illustration school programs in Georgia. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
Founded in 1978, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) has campuses in Savannah, Atlanta, Hong Kong, and Lacoste, France. The school serves nearly 13,000 enrolled in more than 40 majors and over 70 minors and certificate programs, including Illustration.
Offered through the School of Communication Arts, four degree options are available for aspiring illustrators as well as four minors and related programs. Degree options include a BA in Visual Communication with a Concentration in Illustration (Atlanta, Savannah), a BFA in Illustration (Atlanta, Hong Kong, Savannah), an MA in Illustration (Atlanta, Savannah, eLearning), and an MFA in Illustration (Atlanta, Savannah, eLearning). Minors include Animated illustration and Publication Design, Scientific illustration, Illustration for Entertainment, and Illustration for Surface Design. Related degrees include a BFA in Sequential Art (Atlanta, Hong Kong, Savannah)
The Animated illustration and Publication Design program is offered at the Atlanta, Hong Kong, and Savannah campuses. All others are offered at the Savannah campus only. Minor programs are 25 hours and include courses such as Digital Illustration, Illustrative Anatomy and Perspective, Imaginative Illustration: Character Refinement, and Type and Image for Illustrators.
Per the school, students in SCAD’s Illustration degree programs SCAD’s will learn to create “fine-art drawings, bringing ideas, characters and personalities to life using both traditional and digital techniques.” Students will work in a “professional environment through a program structured like a working studio,” and they will “develop a personal style and technique, learning to express their own unique vision while forming a well-rounded perspective on design.”
Students in the degree programs have the opportunity to study outside of their main discipline by taking courses in Advertising, Graphic Design, Motion Media, Printmaking, and Sequential Art. Sample major curriculum courses for the programs include Directed Projects in Illustration, Contextual Character Design, lllustrating Beyond the Page: The Narrative Experience, Illustration Business Strategies and Entrepreneurship, Illustration Markets, Illustration for Publications, and Materials and Techniques.
The BFA in Illustration has four concentration options including Animated Illustration and Publication Design, Concept Design for Animation and Games, Illustration for Games, and Illustration for Surface Design. Each concentration requires four courses, and students have the opportunity to choose from 10 elective hours to refine their focus.
Chartered in 1963, Kennesaw State University is a member of the University System of Georgia and the third-largest university in the state. The school is also one of the 50 largest public institutions in the country. Kennesaw State serves more than 35,000 students enrolled in more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees in 13 colleges across two campuses.
Offering more than 800 majors, the School of Art and Design is the largest unit in the College of the Arts. For aspiring illustrators, the school offers a BFA in Art with a Concentration in Illustration. The school also offers a BFA in Art with a Concentration in Sequential Art. This program highlights courses such as Comic Storytelling, Experimental Comics, and Narrative Arts.
The program BFA in Art with a Concentration in Illustration is designed to “develop a student’s personal expression through the exploration of concept, communication, thought – process and technical skill,” says the school. The program is also designed to “identify and improve upon weaknesses in concept, design, and technique, focus the student’s work to best develop a personal aesthetic, and create an awareness of the business aspects of illustration, including effective promotion and client service.”
Key courses for the program include Advanced Illustration, History of Illustration, and Illustration I & II. Other courses include Aqueous Media, Electronic illustration, Sketchbook Narrative, Storytelling & Myth-Making, and Visual Essay. Students will also take courses in the areas of critical thinking, humanities/fine arts, science, mathematics & technology, and social sciences.
During their senior year, BFA students will complete he portfolio project and participate in the Senior Exhibition. Graduates of the program are prepared to launch a freelance career or business as well as seek positions areas such as advertising, film, graphic novel, illustration and animation, picture books, video games, and more.