Graphic Design Certificate | Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Graphic Design Certificate

Learn the essentials of graphic design through topics such as design concepts and vocabulary, design history and theory, composition, and typography. Fully online.

Cost per course: $600 noncredit, $989 for credit. Each course is available to take for 1 credit.

Total cost: $2,400 noncredit, $3,932 for credit.

Computer screen with typography that says "this type should b"

At the completion of the certificate students are able to:

  • Understand and apply the principles of design, color theory, typography, and information hierarchy.

  • Communicate design concepts clearly and concisely in written, verbal, and visual forms.

  • Apply critical thinking and problem solving skills to design projects.

  • Apply research insights and credible resources to design concepts.

  • Use design technologies and software to create design solutions.

  • Understand the history, theory, and criticism of graphic design.

COURSES

For the Graphic Design Certificate, take the following 4 six-week online asynchronous courses. Graphic Design 1 must be completed first. The rest of the courses may be taken in any order. Certificates must be completed within 3 years.

  • Graphic Design 1
  • Graphic Design 2
  • Typography in Graphic Design Practice
  • Advanced Graphic Design: Portfolio Development

COURSE SCHEDULE (subject to change)

Fall 2025: Graphic Design 1, Graphic Design 2
Spring 2026: Graphic Design 1, Graphic Design 2, Advanced Graphic Design: Portfolio Development, Typography in Graphic Design Practice
Summer 2026: Graphic Design 1, Typography in Graphic Design Practice, Advanced Graphic Design: Portfolio Development

Current Graphic Design Certificate Classes

Address

2501 Stevens Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55404

Contact Us

612.874.3700
800.874.MCAD (6223)
Fax: 612.874.3701

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Land Acknowledgement

The Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) acknowledges it is located on traditional, ancestral, and contemporary lands of Indigenous people. This is the ancestral homeland of the Dakota and Ojibwe people, who were forcibly exiled from the land because of aggressive and persistent settler colonialism. We recognize that this place has a complex and layered history. As a community dedicated to creativity, MCAD is committed to ongoing efforts to support and advocate for American Indian Nations and peoples.


Nondiscrimination Policy

MCAD admits students of any race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, or marital status to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, or marital status in the administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.