Illustration Major
Unleash your visual voice
MIAD’s Illustration program will satisfy your craving to tell stories through captivating images while equipping you with the skills to become a professional communicator. We’ll immerse you in the language of visual communication, fostering your ability to solve problems creatively and develop a unique artistic style.
You’ll gain real-world experience by collaborating with external clients, building your professional network through internships and curating a strong portfolio that showcases your ability to integrate image and text in various design contexts. This comprehensive and award-winning program prepares you to thrive as an illustrator, art director or designer across diverse industries.
Student Work
Juliana Dutcher, Illustration Senior Exhibition, 2022
Jordan Willert, Illustration Senior Exhibition, 2022
Benjamin Hoffman, Illustration Senior Exhibition, 2022
student unknown, Illustration Senior Exhibition, 2022
Margot McConnell, Illustration Senior Exhibition, 2022
Malachi Middlebrooks, Illustration Senior Exhibition, 2022
Margot McConnell, Illustration Senior Exhibition, 2022
Nikki Ranney, Illustration Senior Exhibition, 2022
Lindsey Yeager, Illustration Senior Exhibition, 2021
Bowen Schultz, Illustration Senior Exhibition, 2021
Our Curriculum
As you explore a vast media landscape, you’ll hone your craft with traditional and digital tools, including motion graphics. Our curriculum emphasizes both technical proficiency and conceptual exploration, allowing you to refine your visual vocabulary.
In 2024, Animation Career Review ranked MIAD’s program #1 in Wisconsin and among the top 10 in the Midwest. Our grads work for animation shops across the country, own illustration studios, marketing and branding firms, and UI/UX agencies, work in costume design at Walt Disney Animation and are Emmy award winners. Their work has appeared in Time, The New Yorker, Variety, on HBO and Amazon Studios, for Nike, Converse and Kohl’s (to name a few). Since 2021, 32 MIAD student illustrators were selected for awards in the prestigious Society of Illustrators Student Scholarship Competition and Exhibition.
Companies where MIAD illustration graduates are employed or own:
Kohl’s Corporation, Harley-Davidson Motor Company Studio8Design, Kohler Company, Hanson Dodge Creative, Rockwell Automation, Hallmark, 4Design, Estee Lauder, THIEL Design, and more.
What Can I do with my Major?
ILLUSTRATION
A
Animator
B
Book Illustrator
C
Cartoonist
Costume Designer
Comic Book Artist
Creative Director
D
Digital Designer
E
Editorial Designer
F
Fantasy Illustrator
Fashion Illustrator
G
Game Designer
Graphic Designer
Greeting Card Designer
I
Illustrator
Interaction Designer
M
Multimedia Designer
P
Package Designer
Publication Designer
Puppet Designer
S
Scenic Designer
Scientific Illustrator
Sign Designer
Storyboard Artist
T
Tattoo Artist
Technical Illustrator
Toy Designer
U
UI/UX Designer
W
Web Designer