Co-op/
Internship Encouraged
Salary and Career Info
Illustration BFA
An illustration degree that mixes traditional drawing skills, the latest digital imaging technologies, and sculpted dimensional methods for effective visual communication.
Program skills
Students develop natural drawing skills in addition to the technical skills needed to accurately render images. Students learn to draw the meaning behind the written word. By using their imaginations students can illustrate a political issue in a cartoon or reveal magic and mystery in a children’s book. Students develop the sophistication to create an image to accompany an opinion column in a magazine.
Software Skills: Photoshop, Illustrator, Freehand, After Effects, InDesign, Google Sketchup, Zbrush
Traditional mediums: acrylics, charcoal, colored pencil, pen & ink, pastels, watercolor.
Program facilities equipment
Gallery r, RIT’s Metro Showcase and Learning Laboratory for the Arts, in downtown Rochester operated by the School of Art students, solidifies the learning experience by bringing students’ work to the greater Rochester community.
Program job titles
Advertising Illustrator; Animation Artist; Architectural Illustrator; Art Director; Book Illustrator; Caricaturist; Character Designer; Character Concept Artist; Comic Artist; Concept Artist; Courtroom Artist; Digital Artist; Dimensional Illustrator; Diorama Artist; E-Learning Illustrator; Editorial Illustrator; Educational Design; Fashion Designer; Freelance Artist; Game Assets Illustrator; Graphic Designer; Graphic Novel Illustrator; Illustrative Designer; Motion Graphics Artist; Multimedia Illustrator; New Media Artist; Political Cartoonist; Presentation Illustrator; Production Artist; Sequential illustrator; Storyboard Artist; Technical Illustrator; Textbook Illustrator; Theater Set Artist; Visual Developer
Select program hiring partners
American Greetings; Hallmark Cards; Informative Magazine; Madison Avenue Inc; Marvel Comics; New Readers Press; Nickelodeon; Tonari Animation; Kaleidoscope ME
70.59%
Outcome Rates for Illustration BFA
Total percentage of graduates who have entered the workforce, enrolled in full-time graduate study, or are pursuing alternative plans (military service, volunteering, etc.).
54.84%
Knowledge Rate
Total percentage of graduates for whom RIT has verifiable data, compared to national average knowledge rate of 41% per NACE.
| Outcome | % of Students |
|---|---|
| Employed | 64.71% |
| Full-time Graduate Study | 5.88% |
| Alternative Plans | 0% |
Experiential Learning
Cooperative Education and Internships
What’s different about an RIT education? It’s the career experience you gain by completing cooperative education and internships with top companies in every single industry. You’ll earn more than a degree. You’ll gain real-world career experience that sets you apart. It’s exposure–early and often–to a variety of professional work environments, career paths, and industries.
In the College of Art and Design, experiential learning includes cooperative education and internships, international experiences, multidisciplinary projects, industry partnerships, and more.
Cooperative education, internships, and other experiential learning opportunities are optional but strongly encouraged for graduate students in the BFA in illustration.
Creative Industry Day
RIT’s Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education hosts Creative Industry Day, which connects students majoring in art, design, film and animation, photography, and select computing majors with companies, organizations, creative agencies, design firms, and more. You'll be able to network with company representatives and interview directly for open co-op and permanent employment positions.