Graphic Design Degree

A: Yes — but the field looks different than it did a decade ago. The traditional "graphic designer" job title is declining, while UX/UI designer, digital designer, art director, and interactive designer roles are growing at 7–18%. The global graphic design services market is expanding to $55.1 billion by 2030. The title is changing. The work is growing. Nossi's Graphic Design program prepares students for the work, not just the title.

A: Graphic design focuses on visual communication — typography, brand identity, layout, and making things look purposeful and beautiful. Interactive design focuses on how people experience digital products — interfaces, motion, UX systems, and environments that respond to user behavior. Nossi's program teaches both within a single degree, preparing graduates for roles across print, web, UX/UI, motion graphics, and environmental design.

A: Graphic design is the craft of visual communication — color, typography, layout, and brand identity. UX design is the architecture of user experience — research, wireframing, prototyping, and designing digital systems that are intuitive and easy to use. At Nossi, both are taught within the same program. Graduates are qualified for roles in both fields, which is why alumni hold positions at firms including Kimley-Horn and Optum.

A: Yes. UX/UI design is one of four specialization tracks in Nossi's program. Students learn user-centered design principles, wireframing, prototyping, and Figma — the industry's primary UX design tool. Nossi graduates work in UX/UI roles at companies including Kimley-Horn. The program is structured so students build strong design fundamentals first, then apply them to interactive and UX contexts.

A: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, graphic designers earn a national median of $61,300 per year, while web and digital interface designers — the category that includes UX/UI roles — earn a median of $98,090. That's approximately 60% more. Both career paths are accessible through Nossi's Graphic Design program, which trains students across print design, web design, UX/UI, and advertising in a single degree.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook — Graphic Designers and Web Developers and Digital Designers, May 2024.

A: Yes. Figma is a core tool in Nossi's web design and UX/UI tracks — and it now appears in 76% of design job listings nationally. AI design tools, including Adobe Firefly and generative AI workflows, are integrated throughout the curriculum. Nossi's approach is fundamentals first: students master design thinking before learning to direct AI strategically. Nossi teaches AI fluency, not AI dependency.

A: Nossi Graphic Design graduates work across a wide variety of industries in roles including UX/UI Designer, Art Director, Creative Director, Motion Graphics Designer, Interactive Designer, Web Designer, Brand Designer, and Production Artist. Current alumni hold positions at Kimley-Horn, Optum, Trilith Studios, Black River Entertainment, and the Greater Nashville Technology Council — among others.

A: Nossi's AI Approach prioritizes design fundamentals first — typography, layout, brand identity, and visual communication — before introducing AI tools. Students learn to use AI as a strategic amplifier of their creative judgment, not a replacement for it. This matters because employers increasingly need designers who can evaluate AI-generated work, make creative decisions, and lead visual strategy. Nossi graduates are the designers employers turn to when technology alone isn't enough.

A: Nossi's Graphic Design program takes 3 years and 8 months to complete — approximately one full semester less than every other bachelor's degree option in Tennessee. Students earn a Bachelor of Graphic Arts (BGA) with a major in Graphic Design. The accelerated path means graduates enter the workforce sooner without sacrificing depth of training.

A: Yes — Nossi's Graphic Design program is the fastest bachelor's degree path in Tennessee at 3 years and 8 months. That's one full semester less than Belmont University or MTSU. Nossi also offers a cohort-based structure with multiple start dates per year, so students can begin sooner rather than waiting for a fall enrollment window.

A: The average class size in Nossi's Graphic Design program is 10 students. Small classes mean every student gets direct faculty attention, individualized critique, and a portfolio that reflects personal development rather than assembly-line instruction. Faculty know students' career goals and strengths from their first semester.

A: Three things: size, time, and focus. Nossi averages 10 students per class. Nossi's bachelor's degree takes 3 years and 8 months — one semester less than Belmont or MTSU. And Nossi is a dedicated art and design college — graphic design is not one department among dozens, it is the entire mission of the school. Students get personal mentorship from active professionals, not large lecture halls.

A: PACE stands for Professional Accelerated Career Experience. It is Nossi's real-client work program that gives students the opportunity to work on actual design projects for businesses and organizations before they graduate. PACE work builds the professional portfolio that employers evaluate during hiring. Combined with a required internship in the final semester, Nossi graduates enter the job market with documented professional experience rather than just student work.

A: No. Nossi's program is designed for students who don't yet know which direction is right for them. The curriculum exposes every student to all four specialization tracks — print design, web design, UX/UI, and advertising — and students discover their direction by doing real work in each area. Many students enter thinking they want one specialty and graduate thriving in another.

A: Yes. Nossi College of Art & Design is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). ACCSC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a national accrediting agency and can be contacted at 2101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 302, Arlington, VA 22201 | (703) 247-4212 | www.accsc.org. Nossi is Nashville's only dedicated college of art and design.

A: Nossi College of Art & Design is located at 590 Creative Way in Madison, Tennessee — just north of Nashville. The campus sits inside Nashville's $204 billion creative economy, giving students direct access to the city's design, entertainment, healthcare technology, and music industries.

A: Yes. Nossi graduates may return and retake any course at no charge, for life. As the industry evolves — new tools, new platforms, new design paradigms — graduates can refresh skills or go deeper in any area without paying tuition again. No other design program in Nashville offers this.