Okay so I have recently decided I want to switch my major to graphic design. The only problem is that I'm at a two year community college and if I major in graphic design there I will only get a two year degree, and for some odd reason the credits wouldn't transfer to a four year college. However the program is supposed to be good and I SHOULD be able to get a job after getting the two year degree.

My concern is whether or not a two year degree would hurt me in this field. Would I make less money then someone with four years? Would I have a hard time finding a job?

I could just major in liberal arts and then transfer to a four year college and THEN switch my major to graphic design but I wouldn't actually learn anything more it would just give me the fact of being able to say I have a four year degree. Which of these would be better?

In the field of graphic design, your portfolio and what you can do matters more than official schooling.

I pretty much agree with Cib here. I find it odd that you can't transfer the credits though. That would make me hesitate over the quality of the program.

In this highly competitive industry your education will seperate you from all the other people who download pirated Indesign and software and looking at books and videos. Education proves your ready to invest in your future and that you have a willingness to learn and commit to your future and career, it shows employers your goal oriented while providing CORRECT theory thinking mannerisms in proper design.

You can get your "great portfolio" through work or from your time at school ether way you'll have a portfolio, the difference is a contract can last up to 4 weeks but I think an employer would be more then satisfied with a 3 year contract from time spent in school.

This is my 2 cents!

Well, i agree with Moniz. I hope that official schooling mantains it's role and is the means through which you can increase knowledge and, of course, your portfolio.

...i hope

Just graduate with a general studies degree then transfer to a regular college, noob

No reason to be rude Windsor.

Adding on to what moniz mentioned, a degree does prove that you have gone through a rigorous process of studying, processing and analyzing.
Ultimately, it all boils down to what is your end goal in mind? A lifetime employee or an independent top designer.

No! A two year degree will not hurt. I can say that with experience, because that is what I had. I am doing pretty darn well! No I am not a stephan or a milton. But I LOVE what I do and I LOVE that I LOVE what I do.

If you are smart, motivated and DO NOT STOP learning after you leave college.
Keep pushing yourself, keep up to date on trends, participate in conferences, keep sites like aiga.org and typophile.com.site on your daily hit list and commit to spending part of your income on continued eduction you will be just fine.

Ask questions, find a mentor, be respectful of your art directors, learn as much as you can from your bosses and your peers, learn how to take criticism it will make you a much better designer. Read. Research. And make sure you can write. Good grammar is a must.

Find the area of graphic design that really excites you and become an expert in that. If you dabble in all of it, it will be hard to be great at any of them.

Know your programs, inside out and upside down. Indesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. Learn Dreamweaver but KNOW CSS and basic html.

It wouldn't hurt to learn a bit about marketing, but I have a feeling that what you would learn in school is not what works in todays online world. Your might be better off learning that online.

Anyway, that is my 2¢. I registered just to reply to you. I believe a big degree works for some. But there are others, like me, who prefer to learn out in the real world.

I'm agree with you Raffles that degree does prove that you have gone through a rigorous process of studying, processing and analyzing.

I think a two year degree along with some hands on experience should be good to get you started. Like someone commented, employers in a field like graphic design would be more interested in experience and talent than a four year degree. That being said, a college degree would give you a competitive advantage over those who don’t have one. So, I think it’s a good idea to get a two year graphic design degree that will teach you the necessary computer and business skills needed to succeed in the corporate world.