The Medical Illustrations Graduate Program emphasizes anatomical and surgical illustration for print and electronic publication, as well as for projection and broadcast distribution. Because of the importance of good drawing skills, our students learn various traditional illustration techniques.
AdmissionsMIGP Digital PortfolioCurriculum
Medical Illustration
Health Sciences Campus
1474 Laney Walker Blvd.
Augusta, GA 30912
Students must fulfill the prerequisite coursework to be admitted into the MIGP. Students will need the following:
Undergraduate coursework must include the following:
* A combined Human Anatomy and Physiology course with lab may be an acceptable substitute for the above two prerequisites. Substitution is subject to review and approval by the Medical Illustration Graduate Program Admissions Committee.
There are no specific art courses required; however, we strongly recommend the following:
†† Formal university courses are not required for applicants who have already earned baccalaureate degrees, though we strongly recommend them. Regardless of the applicant’s artistic background, life drawing, realistic drawing, painting, and computer graphic skills are critical to a modern medical illustrator’s success. So they are weighed very heavily in the application portfolio. Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in all these areas in the submitted portfolio.
In addition, any of the following courses are recommended, but none are required:
Computer technology and digital techniques are extensively integrated into the curriculum to allow students to create vector and raster images for print, projection, animation, and multimedia. In addition to being skilled artists, medical illustrators must be knowledgeable in anatomy and health sciences. Our students study communication theory and illustration techniques and take graduate-level science courses, including gross anatomy and cell biology, with medical students.
Students refine their illustration skills and are introduced to the various media, rendering styles, and techniques used by contemporary professional medical illustrators. They also learn professional production techniques for interactive communication media. In addition, they spend time each week in the operating room observing and sketching. Assignments are based on their observations and are developed with the guidance of our internationally renowned faculty.
Visual problem-solving is a crucial skill for the professional medical illustrator. Throughout the curriculum, the faculty work with the students to develop their problem-solving abilities. In addition to formal classes, seminars, and lectures, our students learn through hands-on performance, by participating in project critiques, and by cultivating creative thinking in peer-to-peer interactions. To better prepare our students to be productive in the rapidly evolving world of communications, class assignments are designed to give them theoretical knowledge and practical experience.
