Chicago is home to one of the 40-plus campuses of The Art Institutes. The Chicago location is called the Illinois Institute of Art Chicago to differentiate it from the Art Institute of Chicago, a noted museum and school in the city's Grant Park. The institution offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Graphic Design, which is suitable for entry-level positions in the field. Its two-year, 96-credit curriculum includes courses such as Print Production, Digital Illustration, Corporate Identity and Collateral Design.
The International Academy of Design and Technology (IADT), not only offers an associate degree, but a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) as well. The latter is particularly geared for more advanced training and enhancement of hiring and earning potential in the field. Both are actually in Visual Communications, with graphic design being one of the concentrations. The BFA takes about twice as long as the associate track to complete. Subject areas at IADT's graphic design specialization include electronic publishing, pre-press production art and typography.
Like IADT, the University of Chicago at Illinois offers a BFA with a graphic design concentration -- at its School of Art and Design. With a total of 134 credits, it is also set up for completion in four years. UIC's graphic design courses include Industrial Design, Computer Graphics, Color Theory and History of Design.
The Alta Colleges Inc.-owned Westwood College has 17 campuses in six states as of February 2011. Two of them are in Chicago, named Chicago Loop and O'Hare Airport after their proximity to nearby points of interest. Students can enroll in the associate degree in graphic design and multimedia program offered at both campuses. Subject areas at Westwood Chicago include digital layout, web design and audio-video production.