List of institutions offering type design education

Type design (also: typeface design, pop. font design), the art of creating typefaces, is taught at art and design colleges around the world. A small number of institutions offer a degree in type design; many others offer type design courses as part of their BA or MA curriculum in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, etc. When no full type design course is offered, schools may invite type designers to give workshops; these one-off events are not listed in the overview below.

• NOTE: in Romance languages, "typographie"/"tipografía", etc., is often used to mean "typography" (the art of using type) as well as "type design" (the art of making type). There is some confusion about this in other languages as well. This article only lists schools that offer a curriculum or course(s) in designing typefaces (fonts).

Specialized type design degrees

Argentina

Universidad de Buenos Aires
FADU/UBA, Secretaría de Posgrado
CDT-UBA, Carrera de especialización en Diseño de Tipografía
Direction: Rubén Fontana
Coordination: Marcela Romero
Staff teachers: Carlos Carpintero, Miguel Catopodis, Pablo Cosgaya, Aldo De Losa, Griselda Flesler, Rubén Fontana, Víctor García, Tomás García Ferrari, Patricio Gatti, Horacio Gorodischer, Alejandro Lo Celso, Darío Muhafara, Betina Naab, Alejandro Paul, Mariana Podetti, María Eugenia Roballos, Eduardo Rodríguez Tunni, Marcela Romero, José Scaglione, Alejandro Lo Celso

Belgium

Plantin Genootschap
Expert class Type design
Lecturer: Frank E. Blokland

France

École Estienne, Paris
Atelier de Création Typographique
DSAA Création Typographique
Staff teachers: Franck Jalleau, Michel Derre, Margaret Gray, Jean-Louis Estève

École supérieure d’art et de design, Amiens
Post-diplôme Systèmes graphiques, langage et typographie
Post-diplôme Ésad Amiens
Staff teachers: Catherine de Smet, Patrick Doan, Thomas Huot-Marchand, Sébastien Morlighem, David Poullard, Titus Nemeth

Germany

Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
Typefaces in the field of digital media
Head of Program: Fred Smeijers

Mexico

Centro de Estudios Gestalt, Veracruz
Maestría en Diseño Tipográfico
Head of Program: Francisco Calles
Staff teachers: José Luis Acosta, Román Esqueda, Marina Garone, David Kimura, Gerardo Kloss, Gabriel Martínez Meave, Jorge Medrano, Antonio Rivera, Alejandro Tapia, Laurette Godinas, Cristóbal Henestrosa
Visiting teachers: Josep Patau, Andreu Balius

The Netherlands

Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten (KABK), The Hague
(Royal Academy of Art (The Hague))
Master of Design Type and Media
Course supervisor: Jan Willem Stas
Staff teachers: Erik van Blokland, Peter Verheul, Paul van der Laan
Visiting teachers include: Frank Blokland, Petr van Blokland, Gerard Unger, Françoise Berserik, Peter Biľak, Christoph Noordzij, Just van Rossum, Fred Smeijers, Rick Vermeulen, Miguel Sousa

Switzerland

ECAL HES-SO, Lausanne
(University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland)
MA Art Direction: Type Design
Heads of the Department: Pierre Fantys, François Rappo

Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, (University of the Arts) ZHdK, Zürich
CAS Schriftgestaltung (Certificate of Advanced Studies in Type Design)
MAS Type Design and Typography (Master of Advanced Studies in Type Design and Typography)
Head of Department: Rudolf Barmettler
Type design and calligraphy teachers: Hans-Jürg Hunziker, André Baldinger, Katharine Wolff
Visiting Teachers: Bruno Maag, Hans Eduard Meier, Walter Haettenschweiler, Fiona Ross, Adrian Frutiger, Sibylle Hagmann, Georg Salden, Jeremy Tankard, Peter Rosenfeld, Robin Kinross, Volker Schnebel, etc.

United Kingdom

University of Reading
Department of Typography & Graphic Communication
MA in Typeface Design
Course Director: Gerry Leonidas
Departmental staff: Martin Andrews, James Mosley, Fiona Ross, Michael Twyman, and Gerard Unger
Recent visiting teachers included: Victor Gaultney, Thomas Phinney, Sumner Stone, Peter Biľak, František Štorm, Albert-Jan Pool, Fred Smeijers, John Downer, Miguel Sousa

United States

The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
Postgraduate Certificate in Typeface Design
Core teaching staff: Andy Clymer, Jesse Ragan, Sara Soskolne, Sumner Stone, Alexander Tochilovsky
Workshop instructors include: Ken Barber, Karen Charatan, John Downer, Hannes Famira, Mark Jamra, Ben Kiel and Richard Lipton
Guest lecturers include: Roger Black, Matteo Bologna, Matthew Carter, Mike Daines, John Downer, Sébastien Morlighem, Stephen O. Saxe, Christian Schwartz and Paul Shaw

Type design courses at design colleges and universities

Australia

University of Technology Sydney
School of Design, Faculty of Design, Architecture & Building
Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication
Type design teachers: Louise Mcwhinnie, Gerhard Bachfischer

Belgium

Plantin Instituut voor Typografie, Antwerp
Expert Class Type Design
Lecturer: Frank E. Blokland

Brazil

Centro Universitário Senac
Bacharelado em Design / Habilitação em Comunicação Visual (Undergraduate)
Staff teachers for type design: Priscila Farias and Nikolas Lorencini

Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo
Curso de Design (Undergraduate)
Staff teacher for type design: Priscila Farias

Canada

Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Vancouver
Studio courses in typography
Instructors include Peter Cocking, Celeste Martin, Jen Eby
Studio course in Type Design
Instructor: Ross Milne

University of Guelph Humber, Toronto
Course in Type Design
Instructor: Patrick Griffin

Colombia

Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá
Studio course in Type Design
Instructor: César Puertas

Czech Republic

VŠUP/AAAD, Prague
(Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design)
Studio of Typography
Head teacher: Tomáš Brousil

VUT: FaVU, Brno
(Faculty of Fine Arts at the Brno University of Technology)
Type design studio class: David Březina

Denmark

Danish School of Media, Copenhagen
Type design teacher: Trine Rask

The Danish Design School, Copenhagen
Type design teacher: Trine Rask

Finland

Aalto University School of Art and Design
Department of Media
Type design teachers: Saku Heinänen, Kai Rentola

KyAMK, Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences
Type design teacher: Kata Lyytikäinen

France

École supérieure d’art et de design (ESAD), Amiens
Atelier hebdomadaire de création typographique pour les étudiants de 4e année et du post-diplôme
Enseignement Ésad Amiens
Staff teachers: Patrick Doan, Thomas Huot-Marchand, Titus Nemeth

ESAC, Pau
Atelier de typographie
Type design teacher: Patrice Chaminade

Germany

Designschule München
(Berufsfachschule für Kommunikationsdesign)
Staff teacher for type design: Oliver Linke

Fachhochschule Augsburg
(University of Applied Science)
Fachbereich Gestaltung, Studiengang Kommunikationsdesign
Staff teacher for type design: Hans R. Heitmann

Fachhochschule Potsdam
(University of Applied Science)
Fachbereich Design, Module Kommunikationsdesign
Type design teacher: Luc(as) de Groot

Hochschule Darmstadt
(University of Applied Science)
Fachbereich Gestaltung, Studiengang Kommunikationsdesign
Adjunct teacher for type design: Dan Reynolds

Hochschule Niederrhein
(University of Applied Science)
Fachbereich Design, Faculty of Design
Staff teachers for type design: Hartmut Schaarschmidt, Guido Schneider

Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar
(Academy of Fine Arts Saar)
Studiengang Kommunikationsdesign (BFA, Diplom, MFA)
Staff teacher: Indra Kupferschmid
Visiting teachers include: Frank Grießhammer, Paul van der Laan, Dan Reynolds

Kunsthochschule Weißensee, Berlin
(Academy of Fine and Applied Arts Berlin-Weißensee)
Studiengang Visuelle Kommunikation (BFA, Master)
Staff teacher: Wim Westerveld
Visiting teachers include: Luc(as) de Groot

Muthesius Kunsthochschule, Kiel
(Muthesius Academy of Fine Arts and Design)
Fachbereich Design, Studiengang Kommunikationsdesign
(Department of Design, Communication Design)
Courses at Bachelor and Master Level
Teacher for type design: Albert-Jan Pool
Teacher for FontLab: Martin Wunderlich

Poland

Akademia Sztuk Pięknych, Poznań
Poznaniu Pracownia Znaku i Typografii
Sign and Typography Studio
Head of the studio: Krzysztof Kochnowicz
Adjunct teacher: Wojciech Janicki

Portugal

Communication and Art Department, University of Aveiro
Course Syllabus
Typography Course blog
Invited Assistant: Olinda Martins
Visiting teachers include: Pedro Amado, Ricardo Santos, Rúben Dias

Escola Superior de Arte e Design das Caldas da Rainha, Instituto Politécnico de Leiria
Graphic Design Course Type Design studies
Invited Assistant: Rúben Dias, Aprígio Morgado, Ricardo Santos

Escola Superior de Arte e Design de Matosinhos
Communication Design Course Type Design studies
Invited Assistant: Joana Correia

Russia

British Higher School of Art and Design, Moscow
Course of Type & Typography
Coordinator: Ilya Ruderman

Moscow State University of Printing Arts
Type Design Workshop
Teacher: Alexander Tarbeev

Spain

Eina, School of Art and Design + Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)
Eina Master’s in Advanced Typography
Program Coordinator: Enric Jardí ELISAVA, Design School in Barcelona

Sweden

Södertörn University, Stockholm
Typsnittsdesign och typografi[1]
Typsnittsdesign och fontutveckling[2]
Type design teachers: Arina Stoenescu
Visiting teachers include: Fredrik Andersson, Verena Gerlach, Saku Heinänen, Gro Janarv, Göran Söderström, Irene Thiesner, Gerard Unger, Eva Wilsson

United States

Maine College of Art
Undergraduate program in Graphic Design (BFA)
Type design teacher: Mark Jamra

Massachusetts College of Art & Design
Graphic Design undergraduate program (BFA)
Staff teacher: Brian Lucid
Type Design course offered, but not every semester.

Parsons School of Design, New York
Undergraduate Type Design
Type design teacher: James Montalbano

Portland State University
Intro Level Type Design Course
Type design teacher: Travis Kochel

Pratt Institute
School of Art and Design
Visiting Instructor: Jesse Ragan

Rhode Island School of Design
Type Design
Instructor: Cyrus Highsmith

School of Visual Arts (SVA), New York
Continuing Education course in Type Design
Type design teacher: James Montalbano

University of Washington School of Art
The Visual Communication Design Program
Chair of the program + Associate Professor of type design: Karen Cheng

Yale School of Art
Letterform/Type Design
Instructor: Tobias Frere-Jones with Matthew Carter

References

• NOTE: This list is meant to reflect the current situation and relies on direct input from the institutions involved. Little written documentation is available, and the institutions' websites are not always up to date.

External links

• Education page of the ATypI website: Association Typographique Internationale, the worldwide association of typographers, typeface designers and manufacturers
• Education Wiki on Typophile