Students interested in pursuing a career as a graphics multimedia professional should encompass a number of skills and qualities essential in this field. Artistic ability and creativity are vital. Graphics multimedia professionals must be able to create designs which are original, innovative, and appealing to an audience. Since they almost always work as part of a team, graphics multimedia professionals must have teamwork and communication skills. They must be able to convey their ideas and opinions on projects and interact with everyone in a polite and respectful manner. Graphics multimedia professionals use a number of different computer applications therefore efficient computer skills are important.

Graphics Multimedia Degree Levels Available

Bachelor´s Degree in Graphics Multimedia

The bachelor´s degree program in graphics multimedia offers students an in-depth knowledge of this discipline´s history, theories, philosophies, applications, and practices. Students enrolled in this four-year program take courses in areas such as graphic and visual design, video and audio production, web design, digital arts, communication through media, animation and illustration, ethics for media communications, fundamentals of multimedia, instructional design, and advanced computer graphics. The knowledge gained in this undergraduate degree program provides a strong foundation in the graphics multimedia field on which students may attain professional work as a web designer, graphic designer, multimedia designer, video game designer, audio producer, video producer, motion graphics designer, or animator.

Admission Requirements

To enroll in a bachelor´s degree program in graphics multimedia, students must have obtained a high school diploma or an academic equivalent (i.e., GED). Transcripts from high school and SAT or ACT test scores are almost always required as well. In conjunction with these documents, students must submit an application form from the institution along with the application fee. Students who have volunteer and/or work experience in the graphics multimedia field, should document this information in the application form since this would greatly benefit their acceptance into the college or university.

,span> Tuition and Accreditation

The figure stated below is only an estimate since college and university tuition fees vary depending on the institution. This is due to numerous factors (e.g., public versus private institutions, distance education, etc.). A bachelor´s degree in graphics multimedia may vary from $ 15,918 to $ 32,617 in tuition fees. (Source: the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics)

Employers primarily hire applicants who have graduated from an accredited institution because this tells employers that the student attended an institution which provides high-quality education and adheres to certain academic standards. Therefore, students who aspire to obtain a bachelor´s degree in graphics multimedia should enroll in a college or university accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

Average Annual Salary Ranges for Different Occupations in the Graphics Multimedia Field

There are numerous factors which affect an individual´s salary such as their level of education, the extent of their experience, their field of specialization, and who they are employed by. This results in a variation of salary ranges for individuals employed in the same profession. Having stated this, below are a few average annual salary ranges for different occupations in the graphics multimedia field (according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics):

• multimedia artist $ 59,560 to $ 79,560
• graphic designer $ 38,730 to $ 58,730
• producer $ 82,390 to $ 102,390
• audio-visual multimedia specialist $ 35,820 to $ 55,820