Careers in Design & media

The work

Shaping how things look, work, and communicate. Common roles graduates move into:

• graphic and brand designer
• UX / product designer
• industrial and product designer
• motion designer and animator
• game designer and technical artist
• video producer and editor
• apparel and technical designer
• art director (later)
• design researcher

Programs that lead here

• Graphic Design & Interactive Media — see its careers & outcomes and four-year plan
• Industrial Design — see its careers & outcomes and four-year plan
• Game Design & Development — see its careers & outcomes and four-year plan
• Video Production — see its careers & outcomes and four-year plan
• Fine Art — see its careers & outcomes and four-year plan
• Apparel & Textile Design — see its careers & outcomes and four-year plan

Minors and concentrations let you angle almost any major toward this field — for example a data, project-management, or sustainability minor. Your adviser can help you combine them.

Where you would work

Typical settings: design and advertising agencies, in-house creative and product teams, game and media studios, manufacturers, and consultancies. In every one of these programs a co-op or internship is expected, so students enter the field with real experience and often a standing offer.

Not sure yet?

You do not have to pick now. Start in a broad first year, use major-exploration workshops and advising, and try a class in two or three of these areas. The Career Services team also runs interest assessments that map to programs.

How to get a real look this year

You do not need to wait for an internship to find out whether design & media fits. Take one introductory course in the field even if you are not ready to declare, join the student organization tied to the closest program (most of the programs above have one), and ask your adviser or Career Services to connect you with an alumnus working as a graphic and brand designer or UX / product designer for a 20-minute informational conversation. A single semester of exposure is usually enough to know whether to go deeper or look elsewhere.

Common questions

Do I have to choose one of the programs listed to work in this field? No — the programs above are the most direct routes, but a different major plus the right minor, internship, and portfolio can also get you here. Talk to Career Services about the closest path from where you already are.

What's the difference between these roles day to day? This page groups a field, not one job; graphic and brand designer and design researcher can look very different day to day even though both start from similar coursework. Use the program pages' outcomes sections to compare specifics.

Is a graduate degree expected in this field? It varies by role — check the specific program's outcomes page for whether graduates typically continue their education or move straight into practice.

Other career areas

Software & data · Engineering & manufacturing · Building & construction · Health & wellness · Design & media · Business & management · Education & human services · Science & environment · Hospitality & events · Public safety & service