Careers in Visual Studies

Applying visual language across creative disciplines

Launch your career in visual communication confidently with a degree from LIM College.

Acquire creative, visual, and technical skills in both physical and digital spaces and develop the ability to lead and be part of creative teams. Learn to create captivating visuals for physical and online stores, mobile apps, photo spreads, and more. With LIM’s bachelor’s in Visual Studies, you can help bring brands to life visually and tell their stories to connect with customers.

Whether you want to provide creative direction for fashion shows, style photo shoots, or create content for social media, choose from diverse career paths in the world of fashion, lifestyle, and beyond with a degree in Visual Studies from LIM College.

Opportunities for Hands-on Experience

At LIM, knowledge meets practice. We provide spaces for you to experiment and innovate to develop career-ready skills. Take advantage of collaborative, real-world experiences, such as working on a fashion and lifestyle magazine, designing store displays, and creating the visuals for a fashion show.

New York City, a global center of art and culture, will be your campus. Visit its wealth of museums, galleries, theater, and auction houses to enhance your studies. Plus, field trips and site visits are also part of every on-campus Visual Studies course.

The Lexington Line

Collaborate with fellow students as you work on our professional-quality student magazine, The Lexington Line. Hone your skills in art and creative direction, graphic design, styling, or photography.

concept shop interior - Hollywood Renaissance theme.

LIM Concept Shop

Help create an inviting experiential space that showcases LIM products and student projects at our on-campus store.

Models perform the lap clap after the 2023 Fashion Show

LIM Fashion Show

Build real-world set design, lighting, video, and prop design and skills by working on the annual student-produced LIM Fashion Show.

Explore careers in Visual Studies

Visual Studies Internships

Gain invaluable practical experience by completing required internships. Your workplace projects can contribute to your portfolio, offer insights into the inner workings of prominent organizations, and build your confidence.

Here are just some of the places where LIM’s Visual Studies majors have interned:

3.1 Phillip Lim
Annie Leibovitz
Chanel
Free People
IKEA
Madison Square Garden
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Nike, Inc.
Sony
Vera Bradley

Career Paths in Visual Studies

The digital age has sparked a surge in visual communication. Today, companies and brands harness the power of multiple social media platforms and meticulously curate their visual presence to engage audiences. The demand extends to designing logos, capturing compelling product photos, designing store layouts, and much more.

This demand for people skilled in the art of visual communication has created a wealth of opportunities for those with a degree in the field.

Visual Studies majors can explore diverse career pathways, including:

Art/Creative Director
Digital Designer
Interiors/Decorative Artist
Photo Stylist
Set Designer
Social Media Visual Coordinator
Visual Merchandiser/Display Artist
Visual Production Assistant
Visual Stylist/Visual Event Planner

Careers of Visual Studies LIM Graduates

LIM College prepares students who graduate with a bachelor’s in Visual Studies for successful careers. Not only do our alums secure impactful roles, but their skills and knowledge help them make lasting contributions in various creative industries and propel them into senior positions.

Some roles our alumni have achieved include:

Associate Design Director Clinique, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
Creative Director, Full Picture
Project Manager, Christian Louboutin
Senior Manager Visual Production, Americas, Burberry
Senior Production Development Manager, Fantasia Accessories
Senior Visual Communications Manager, Calvin Klein
Senior Director of Visual Merchandising, Walmart
Visual Production Supervisor - Windows & Special Store Projects, Bloomingdale’s
Visual Merchandising Planning Associate, Tommy Hilfiger

Career-Ready Skills

LIM College’s Visual Studies degree program emphasizes hands-on learning in a studio-based setting. Build a resume and graduate with a professionally-vetted portfolio that demonstrates your skills to potential employers.

Skills crucial for success in the realm of visual communication include:

Attention to Detail: Develop a keen eye for precision, ensuring meticulous attention to every visual element.
Concept Development: Hone the ability to generate and shape creative concepts that resonate with your audience.
Creativity, Originality, and Innovation: Learn how to find inspiration to uncover new ideas and solutions for brands and companies.
Design Thinking: Embrace a problem-solving approach rooted in user experiences and a deep understanding of visual aesthetics.
Visual Branding: Craft and communicate a brand’s identity, ensuring consistency and impact.
Visual Communication and Storytelling: Master the art of using images and videos to tell compelling stories.
Visual Composition and Design Skills: Learn to arrange visual elements harmoniously, creating engaging and aesthetically pleasing compositions.
Visual Literacy: Interpret and create visuals effectively.

Tools for Working in Visual Communication

In today's world, knowing how to use essential tools and software is necessary for effective visual communication.

In LIM’s Visual Studies program, you will learn how to use a number of key tools so that you can apply them during your internships and in your future career.

These include:

Adobe Creative Suite: Industry-standard software for graphic design, photo editing, and multimedia creation (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Lightroom, Bridge, Premiere)
After Effects: This animation and motion graphics software is also part of the Adobe Suite.
Blender: A 3D graphics program
DSLR Photography: Utilizing digital single-lens reflex cameras for capturing high-quality photographs
Microsoft Office: Essential office tools for effective communication and documentation. This includes PowerPoint for working on presentation decks, concept proposals, and portfolios.
SketchUp: A platform for 3D modeling for spatial design and visualizations
Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI): Emerging technologies that will shape the future of visual experiences

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Visual Studies

Visual communication is crucial for a multitude of brands and businesses throughout fashion and lifestyle.

LIM is proud to offer an immersive one-of-a-kind program that combines creative and visual skills with core business competencies.

Explore the Visual Studies BBA program (on-campus)

A woman uses a digital illustrator to create new fashion designs

Student and Faculty Voices

“My role allows me to assist with new concepts for our Bloomingdale’s windows, working closely with the painters and carpenters to help build props to make our visions come to life. I do the window installations, along with ensuring that all our windows are up to standard. I also create digital renderings of window concepts to propose and unique videos for our Lexington Avenue LED Screens. It’s a job that never stops challenging the mind and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Gina Mercatili BBA, ‘12 / MPS, ‘16

Visual Support Production Supervisor, Bloomingdale’s

Learn more about Gina

“Presenting your work, as well as ideas, has paid off in spades! Learning how to edit myself and speak to diverse audiences is a daily occurrence for me now and I am thankful that I had the opportunity to learn in a safe space. Additionally, learning how to take constructive criticism during presentations has been essential for my career.”

Joshua Danforth ‘05

Senior Director of Visual Merchandising, Walmart

Read Joshua's Story

“I’ve had the opportunity to volunteer and work at New York Fashion Week. I got involved in our school magazine, The Lexington Line, as a first-year student, and then became the Styling Director—it’s been amazing working my way up, styling for our editorial shoots, and making connections in the industry.”

Sohl Garibaldo ‘24

Lake Elsinore, CA

“What is unique about the program here at LIM is that we’re preparing students not only with a visual skill set but also for the business world. Most studio programs don’t teach important business skills like LIM does, and that’s what makes it stand out.”

Laurel Lueders

Chair, Visual Studies Department

Get to Laurel Lueders

An LIM student wearing a large white tote bag opens the door to enter a building

Explore other career pathways

LIM’s undergraduate degree programs focus on learning by doing, preparing you to excel in your career from day one. Explore the diverse career pathways our programs can offer you.

Careers in Fashion Media

Careers in Fashion Marketing

Careers in Fashion Merchandising

Careers in Fashion Management & Leadership

Take the next step toward your future

Start your creative and hands-on learning experience. Explore the Bachelor of Business Administration in Visual Studies degree program at LIM College.

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