A college degree represents knowledge, skill, discipline, and intelligence. Higher degrees from prestigious institutions are even more meaningful than diplomas awarded for fewer credits and less rigorous courses. In artistic fields, such as graphic design, a master of fine arts degree is the ultimate symbol of mastery in a given field.
The phrase starving artist may have a romantic connotation, but it also gives the false impression that artists are misfits in our capitalist society, and that only a small percentage of people who devote their lives to creative careers ever make enough money to live comfortably. This idea could not be farther from the truth. Consider the fact that American businesses employ more than 212,000 graphic designers, a number that is expected to grow significantly over the next decade due to the booming popularity of the Internet, video, and television.
Are you an artist stuck at a nine-to-five job that provides no outlet for creativity? Or are you currently working in an artistic job but feel a glass ceiling over your head, because all the senior designers and managers at your company have college diplomas? Perhaps you have recently graduated and want to avoid these scenarios altogether. If so, obtaining a prestigious graphic design degree may be easier than you think.