宅男频道

The great thing about studying digital art and design is the variety of degree programs. You can study more traditional artistic media such as digital photography and graphic design. Or, you could apply your artistic passion toward a career in game programming and development, user experience design or web design.

If you can dream it, you can most likely study it here at 宅男频道 (SNHU). We offer a range of bachelor’s- and master’s-level degree programs online so you have the choices you need to take your education and career in the direction you need it to go.

One thing that all digital art degrees have in common is a focus on creative and analytical thinking. “It’s good to be both left- and right-brained, because it informs the design decisions you’re going to make,” said Jenna Palermo, graphic design adjunct faculty at SNHU. “You need to think about the technical aspects and how that affects the look and feel of the design aspect.”

Any time you have the opportunity to study a subject that is meaningful to you, it’s worth it in our opinion. But don’t just take our word for it.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2024 median salary for graphic designers was $61,300 per year.¹ For special effects artists and animators, the median salary was an even more robust $99,800 per year.¹ And art directors earned a median salary of $110,040 per year.¹

These numbers show that it's possible to not only follow your passion, but also make a living doing it.

Once you join SNHU, you will have the support of our academic advising team, our career services team and our financial services team.

Most of all, you will become part of one of the biggest, most robust alumni networks in the country. You will not only learn your craft from faculty working in the field, you will join the ranks of alumni working in the field of game animation, graphic design, digital photography and so much more.

One of the best things about studying graphic design is that you have so many options for a rewarding career.

Some of the best-paying jobs when you have a digital art and design degree are:

• Special effects artist and animator: In this role, you may leverage your creativity with technical knowledge by using computer programs to create movies, games or other visual effects. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary was reportedly $99,800 in 2024.¹
• Software developer: Believe it or not, a software developer will benefit greatly from a design degree. Software developers are responsible for the life cycle of new software. That can include graphic design, writing copy, creating digital models and other aspects of design and analysis to ensure that new software and software upgrades meet the needs of end users. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for this role was reportedly $131,450 in 2024.¹
• Graphic designer: As a graphic designer, you may work with both text and images. You may choose or even create a font, and design the layout of web pages. This is a highly collaborative role, where you may work with writers, account executives and clients to achieve a particular look or end result. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for this role was $61,300 in 2024.¹

Yes, you can you get a graphic design degree online – or choose from a handful of other programs that combine technology, art and business.

When choosing any degree, we recommend seeking out a university that is fully accredited. From there, it’s great to have options. SNHU, for example, is accredited by the regional accreditor the , and offers more than 200 degree programs to choose from. This includes more than a dozen bachelor’s and master’s programs, as well as concentrations that focus on digital art and design alone.

Our programs include:

• Graphic design and media arts: With concentrations available in user experience design or web design, you can be sure to find the right practical application for your art and design sensibility.
• Digital photography: With associate and bachelor’s degrees in digital photography, you can jump-start your photography career from the comfort of your own home. You’ll cover topics such as the business of photography, lighting for photography and digital narratives fully online, in courses taught by professionals in the field of digital photography.

There are many types of graphic design and digital art degrees out there. The best degree, of course, is the one that most closely aligns with your career goals and personal interests.

SNHU is proud to offer a number of online programs that focus on digital art and graphic design so you have the options you need to customize your education.

Plus, many of these programs offer concentrations and free electives, giving you the option to explore specific subjects and courses that fit your interests. You can even take it a step further, and minor in an area that appeals to you, whether it be business, marketing, IT or more. This not only supplements your degree, it also helps you build your skillset in a way that fits your goals.

There are a number of options available for you, including but not limited to:

• Digital photography: You can absolutely earn an associate or bachelor’s degree in digital photography fully online. Taught by professionals in the field, your coursework may cover digital camera operation, lighting and editing, among other skills.
• Graphic design and media arts: Choose a concentration in user experience design or web design and truly customize your education. This exciting major helps position you to motivate others to action through a variety of marketing materials, web design and other multimedia pieces.

Digital art and design degrees serve the best of both worlds. They are artistic and allow you to indulge your creative sensibilities, yet are practical and provide you with the tools you need to be competitive in today’s job market.

While there are many creative and technical paths with which to use a design degree, there are also many programs that combine the two to provide a well-rounded digital education.

Consider game degrees, for example. This is a career that combines visual creativity with technical savvy. “If you just had an artist working on a game,” said Ed Brillant, game design coordinator at 宅男频道, “you would have a great-looking game that would never work. If you have just a programmer, you will have this great functioning game that is just a bunch of gray cubes. You definitely need both to make a game.”

When choosing an online art school, we recommend seeking one that is fully accredited. You may also wish to choose a school with a variety of design courses and programs, so that you always have options. We are also big fans of a program that includes creation of a digital design portfolio.

At 宅男频道 (SNHU), you not only will have coursework leading to a design portfolio available in many digital design degree programs, you will have the full support from your faculty, who are professionals working in the field. You will also have the ongoing support of our professional academic advising team and our career services specialists.

Graphic design in particular is a very visual profession, so our career advisors know the importance of a portfolio. “A designer really needs to be able to showcase their core competencies, their abilities and the diversity of style they can present,” said Sonja Moffet, career advisor at SNHU. “The people that are going to be evaluating their skill sets really need to see what they’ve done. Some brands will be looking for specific abilities, and a portfolio will demonstrate those competencies."

Ultimately, whichever online art school you may choose, the best one is the one that provides the curriculum and program outcomes you’re seeking. Strong supports in place, such as professional academic advising, robust career services and a strong alumni network will also help you succeed in any area of art and design you choose.

The "right" game development program is the one that works best for you and your goals. If you're on the fence, think about what aspect of game development is most enticing to you. At SNHU, for example, we offer 2 online game development degrees:

• BA in Game Art & Development: If you lean more toward artwork than backend game mechanics, this could be the right choice for you. You'll design interactive characters and environments using industry-leading graphics software like Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and 3ds Max. Through a thorough study of game art principles and tools, you'll learn fundamental skills and practice advanced techniques used by game artists, designers and animators today.
• BS in Game Programming & Development: If you lean more toward the technical, software development side of gaming, consider this option. You'll learn industry-standard programming languages like C++, C# and Java, use Unreal Engine to construct games for various platforms and apply 3D modeling and texturing with game art software. You'll also tackle game genres and platforms, interface design, game theory and game development production pipelines.

Still struggling to decide? If you want to learn more about these or any of our other 200+ online programs, reach out to an admission counselor today. We're happy to help.

¹Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, on the internet, at:

• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/graphic-designers.htm (viewed June 13, 2025)
• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/multimedia-artists-and-animators.htm (viewed June 13, 2025)
• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/art-directors.htm (viewed June 13, 2025)
• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/home.htm (viewed June 13, 2025)

Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.