Guest Lectures & Workshops: An Evening With lecture series brings design professionals at the top of their field (think Paula Scher and Natasha Jen from Pentagram and Debra Bishop from The New York Times) for an exclusive discussion about a range of topics from industry insider tips, to their creative process, to pathways to professional success. We also offer our students opportunities to supplement their education and engage with working professionals at no cost through intensive, specialized workshops, ranging from "Intro to Generative AI" to "Handlettering for Signs." Students can experiment with cutting-edge technology such as 3D and AR/VR during SVA’s Hackathon competition and receive feedback from industry professionals (like from Microsoft and IBM) invited to judge.

Exhibitions: Unlike any other art school’s graphic design department, ours holds exhibitions at professional venues, including Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Station, Rockefeller Plaza, Madison Avenue, and The Citicorp Building. These shows are widely attended and, over the years, have been covered by NBC, CBS, ABC, NY1, and CNN.

Competitions: Our department encourages and supports major design competitions including AIGA, The Art Directors Club, Communication Arts, The One Club, The Society of Publication Designers, and The Type Directors Club, as well as the Graphis New Talent Annual. Each year our students garner more than half of the 500 entries, an unparalleled achievement in design education.

Scholarships: Scholarships are provided from a variety of sources, including the SVA Alumni Society, the Visual Arts Foundation and our own department. Scholarships are merit-based, awarded to students based on their GPA and end-of-year portfolio review. The department also supports student applications for scholarships offered by institutions like AIGA and The One Club, among others.

Portfolios & Industry Review Day: Student portfolios are reviewed at the end of every academic year, starting with sophomore year. By monitoring their progress, our students always leave equipped with robust portfolios filled with only their best work. At the end of every academic year the department hosts an Industry Review Day for their graduating seniors. Industry professionals such as editors, designers, and creative directors are invited to meet with our students and network with emerging talent.

Contemporary Design Classes: Good design changes with the times. In addition to our curriculum, which aims to build strong foundational knowledge, the department offers an ever-evolving roster of elective courses that reflect current industry trends. We keep our finger on the pulse of the visual art world zeitgeist and offer courses that reflect the many different avenues a career in design or advertising can take.

Digital Imaging Center: Located in SVA’s main building, our first-floor studio is the main workshop for large scale printing, book binding, cutting, gluing, and other design production work, while our fifth-floor lab is home to our state-of-art smart classrooms and our new Risograph lab.

Internships: Supplementing the school’s internship program, our department offers internship positions for students to gain first-hand design experience while working in a professional environment. Visual Arts Press offers similar internship positions with a greater focus on editorial and communication work. Our faculty hire a steady stream of interns, maximizing our students’ post-graduate employment opportunities.