Choose a franchise school with a proven record in visual design online classes Franchise or private chain schools are popular, convenient and are located in most urban areas and many offer visual design distance learning courses. However, ask questions about placement and graduation statistics and accreditation. Find out if the college has physical locations too in case you want to switch to non-online classes in the future.

I recommend:  The Art Institutes have more than 40 locations in the U.S. as well as their distance learning courses in design. Westwood College have a proven track record of 85% placement in their fields of their graduates.

Look for established online-only schools with experience in graphic design distance learning The advantage of an online only school offering design distance learning programs is that they have likely honed the process. Search for schools that were leaders in early online courses or moved from correspondence courses to the Internet.

I recommend:  Penn Foster holds several national and regional accreditations and has more than 80 programs including graphic design distance learning programs. American Intercontinental University is more than 35 years old and has a successful background in correspondence courses.

Consider a hybrid degree from an established university that offers visual design distance learning Most traditional colleges and universities are offering online courses or hybrid courses and degrees that combine classroom and online experience. Look for visual design online distance learning programs that are at least a year old.

I recommend:  Ohio State University offers core classes online while also attending one of its many campuses. For hybrid courses that let you split your time between online and classroom, check out University of Colorado Denver's distance learning visual design courses.