UW-Stout's Bachelor of Science degree in Graphic Communications (formerly Cross-Media Graphic Management) prepares you for a career in industries associated with graphics, printing, marketing and imaging.
Our graduates are leaders who have mastered:
- Marketing campaigns
- The design process
- Graphics workflow
- Business and production processes
- Data-driven personalized content
- Multiple channels: printing, email, web, mobile and social media.
- A blend of software, graphics technology, marketing and project management
The fast-growing graphic communications field encompasses all phases of the graphics process—from design, through production and delivery of products and services. Students make great use of technology—equipment, computers, software and systems—to create a wide variety of projects. The blend of software, graphics technology, business and project management produces graduates that are in high demand.
97% of Graphic Communications Graduates are Employed or Continuing their Education
Graduates find jobs where they can apply a wide range of skills.
- Sales: salespeople, media buyers, marketing managers, estimators
- Creative: graphic artists, publishers, pre-press specialists, content managers, web developers, packaging specialists
- Project Management: account managers, customer service representatives, training, graphics coordinators, project managers, search engine optimization, web analytics
- Production Workflow Management: scheduling, operations, quality management, process improvement, research and development
- Logistics: purchasing, materials management, fulfillment operations, shipping, material handling and inventory
- Vendors and Suppliers: sales and support for equipment manufacturers, software developers, and distributors of supplies and consumables
The great variety of opportunities in Graphic Communications is attractive to many different students. Those interested in art and design, graphics software, business, marketing, technology, graphic arts and communication are all encouraged to explore this program.
What do Graphic Communications graduates manage?
Graphic Communications graduates typically find jobs where they apply all of their skills (creative, technical, business and management, to name a few), rather than simply running a particular piece of equipment or software.
They manage the sale of jobs and projects as:
- Print Buyers
- Graphics Specifiers
- Print Sales
- Brokers, and
- Estimators.
They manage the creation and processing of digital files as:
- Graphic Artists
- Desktop Publishers
- Prepress Specialists
- Web Developers
- Graphics Coordinators
- Preflight Managers, and
- Asset Management Coordinators.
They manage the production of projects as:
- Account Managers
- Customer Service Representatives
- Project Managers, and
- Customer Training Coordinators.
They manage workflow in departments like:
- Scheduling, Planning,
- Production Operations, and
- Quality Control.
They manage people as Department Supervisors. They manage materials and products in:
- Logistics
- Shipping
- Material Handling, and
- Inventory Management.
They manage equipment and supplies in areas like:
- Procurement
- Purchasing, and
- Supply Chain Management.
They manage Sales and Technical Support for a variety of manufacturers, vendors and suppliers.
Graduates of the UW-Stout Graphic Communications program are prepared to work in a field with incredible variety and pursue the roles that they find to be challenging and rewarding.
Stout Graduates at Work
- Project Manager » Ambassador Press
- Graphics Coordinator » American Packaging Corporation
- Account Manager » American Printing Company
- Print Production Specialist » Arandell Corporation
- Graphics Coordinator » Belmark, Inc.
- Retail Account Manager » Cadence Packaging Group
- Customer Service Representative » Color Ink
- Leadership Development Associate » Consolidated Graphics
- Corporate Sales Representative » Econoprint, Inc.
- Graphics Coordinator » Graphic Management Specialty Product
- Project Management Support » Imagine Print Solutions
- Customer Service Representative » Independent Printing Company, Inc.
- Electronic Prepress Technician » Inland Label & Marketing Services, LLC
- Director of Communication » Integrity Mutual Insurance Co
- Client Service Representative » IWCO Direct
- Customer Service Representative » Japs-Olson Company
- Graphic Designer/Page Designer » Journal Community Publishing Group
- Sales Representative » JP Graphics Inc.
- Inside Sales Representative » Laird Plastics
- Assistant Production Manager » Lange Printing Co.
- Project Manager » Letterhead Press
- Customer Services Representative » Loffler Companies Inc.
- Leadership Development Associate » Maximum Graphics
- Electronic Prepress Operator » Menasha Packaging
- Senior Quality Specialist » Nosco, Inc.
- Mac Operator » OEC Graphics, Inc.
- Assistant Project Manager » Periscope
- Lead Graphic Designer » Postnet
- Project Coordinator » Prestone Printing
- Account Manager » Priority Envelope, Inc.
- Corporate Trainee » Quad/Graphics
- Estimator » Quad/Graphics
- Prepress/Graphic Management Coordinator » Schwaab, Inc.
- Manager in Training » Silgan Containers
- Customer Services Representative » Spectrum Printing, LLC
- Process Improvement » Taylor Corporation
- Project Coordinator » Tempt In-Store Productions
- Production Planner » Tru Art
- Printing Specialist » US Government Printing Office
- Web Developer » Voila! Media Group
- Graphics Manager » Wetzel Brothers, Inc.
- Process Control Analyst » Worzalla Publishing
The employment rate for graduates of the Graphic Communications program has been strong over the past 27 years. In 2015–16, the employment rate was 97 percent employed or seeking further education. The average starting salary was $37,000.
Are you up to the challenge?
Examples of graphic communication are everywhere you look. But professionals in publishing, marketing and packaging are evolving beyond single-channel strategies. They are finding great success in integrating multiple channels—print, web, e-mail, mobile technology and social media—in a cross-media approach to connecting with customers in entirely new ways. This is fueling tremendous growth in the graphics field, and there is a great need for college graduates with an understanding of cross-media graphics and the entire graphics process—from design to delivery.
