Is an internship necessary for a career in graphic design?

What is the best way to switch career from IT to Art & Design in India?

• I have always had a strong penchant for art and design and started drawing/doodling/sketching/painting/desi… last year. I uploaded my products of creativity on facebook and got instant appreciation for my works. I now want to take my hobby to the next step. I want to make a career out of it. I see myself going to the USA for personal reasons and want to plan my career accordingly. My educational qualification is a bachelors degree in Computer Science and Engineering. I've had two years of work experience as a software engineer in Chennai. My work experience never involved art or design of any form. The logical step to apply for a university in USA would be to either get a portfolio ready by gaining professional experience, or get a degree in art/design. I am good at Autodesk Sketchook Pro, and know only a little in CorelPaint, Photoshop and Illustrator. I used to sketch on paper earlier and color it digitally. Which means, I need to hone my technical skills with respect to design. There are a lot of things I don't know but would like to learn. Doing a bachelors (again), even if it is in art or visual communication or advertising doesn't sound quite right. Because it would take about 3-4 years and I do not have the time, unfortunately. But I am sure there must be a smarter way to achieve my goal. Would it be possible to do a Masters in the USA in Communication Design after doing a ONE-YEAR DIPLOMA OR CERTIFICATE COURSE from some local private institute in Chennai or Bangalore. If yes, please can you suggest some good institutes for my basic education before I go to the USA? If not, how should I go about securing an admit from a US university? All I want is a career plan. I've run through a million options, but can't seem to hit the right one. Can someone tell me the BEST thing to do, now that I've described my career plans, goal and choice of profession? (P.S : Advertising/ graphic design companies in Chennai turn their backs on me when I say I've neither had professional experience not a degree in art/design. If the degree-getting plan is not going to work, what do I do to get a job/internship in some company here, so that I can use that experience to apply for my Masters ? )

• Answer:

  You could do a PG or PGdip in design from any design school in India...which is typically 4-5 semesters....If required you could then follow it up with a course from overseas. Follow the link below for the most comprehensive resource on design education in india. Design in India website; http://www.designinindia.net/resources/institutions/educational/design-institutes-india.html sunil sudhakaran www.icarus.co.in