A degree is nice, but with the job market the way it is - it doesn't mean that much. (If anything.) Best to have a job in the field first and then get your degree. Otherwise you're going to have a debt and without "experience" (or whatever somebody thinks it is), it's more of a burden than help. If you can't get a regular and steady job out of it, you're left playing "Crowdspring/99design lotto" or freelancing in other ways, and that's not always easy either.

As for the degrees... Most likely Graphic Arts.

Bachelor Applied Science (BAS or BS): Teaches you more about the tools, like software. More focus on things like typography and layout, but still covers the history too. You still get to do the stuff the BFA guys do, but perhaps not to the same extent. Since these tend to be the more practical application orientated, what you get out of it is what you put into it. (In other words, you're graded more on quantity than quality here. So to improve, you have to challenge yourself.) BTW, this is the degree I have.

Bachelor Fine Arts (BFA): Teaches more about the technique. (At least from what I understand.) Tools come second. This is the more "arty" graphic arts degree, but possilby more challenging too. More studies done in traditional media and more bias towards classical techniques. BFA degrees tend to be at a more arts dedicated school, so it might be a little better from a networking and job-placement perspective. The downside is that some BFA schools may be a little more selective of students, for the better known schools you'll have to have a decent portfolio ready.

Schools with Graphic Arts as a BS tend to have business or more practical sciences such as nursing as their main programs. So their ability to adequately support their arts students may not be as good - at least that's been my experience. (If you don't manage to hook up with a job during one of your internships, you're pretty much on your own since the schools job placement folks deal with 99% of business majors and are clueless otherwise. I don't mean to badmouth since I'm not naming the college, but this has been what I've seen personally and among classmates.)

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Barbequed Pixels?

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