Aspiring Designers Compete for $100,000 in Scholarships at

International Academy of Design & Technology

IADT Adds Online Degrees in Graphic Design, Web Design, Web Development

TAMPA, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Aspiring designers have a chance to win full graphic design scholarships worth more than $100,000 towards an online education at the International Academy of Design & Technology (IADT).

The IADT Online Design Your Future scholarship contest, co-sponsored by Adobe Systems Incorporated, a leading provider of creative software solutions, opens today at IADT Online’s new social networking community, VisualDiner (www.VisualDiner.com). Anyone interested in pursuing a design degree can enter the contest and try for the prizes which include a graphic design scholarship towards an Associate Degree, a scholarship towards a Bachelor’s Degree, and a variety of other great prizes from Adobe Systems, Wacom Technology, and lynda.com.

To be eligible for the design scholarship competition, entrants must submit a single image that showcases their design potential, as well as a brief essay explaining why they want to pursue a design education, by Friday, September 28, 2007. The top ten finalists will be announced on Friday, October 12, 2007 and the final winners will be announced on Friday, October 26, 2007 after two rounds of judging.

• Round One: IADT faculty and staff will select 10 finalists from among the entries.
• Round Two: A panel of prominent judges will evaluate each finalist’s entry to determine the winners of the competition.

The competition’s prizes include design scholarships as well as software and hardware.

• First place will receive a scholarship towards a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design at IADT Online that is worth nearly $70,000.
• Second place will receive a scholarship towards an Associate of Science degree in Graphic Design at IADT Online that is worth nearly $35,000.
• Other winners will receive prizes from among a group that includes Adobe’s CS3 suite of design and production software, digitizing tablets from Wacom, and subscriptions to the lynda.com Online Training Library, a leader in design tutorials.

A high demand for online education is what sparked IADT, well known as a degree-granting institution that specializes in providing high quality design education, to add a virtual campus to its on-ground operations. Students searching for IADT’s career-focused education now are able to pursue associate or bachelor’s level degrees in graphic design, an associate degree in web design, or a bachelor’s degree in web development – all at their own pace and with a flexible schedule. IADT Online will blend the school’s knowledge and expertise in design education with innovative methods developed at IADT’s two sister schools – major online universities that have extensive experience delivering advanced education through online delivery channels.

“IADT Online is equipped with the experience in design and technology education, a highly-dedicated faculty, and a student-friendly Virtual Campus,” said Sunny Sharma, Executive Director of IADT Online. “Tomorrow’s designers looking for a flexible way to acquire a great education have found a solution in IADT Online.”

“Raw design talent isn’t enough today – formal education and real-world training are essential components for success in the fields of design and, by giving the gift of education to winners of IADT’s Design Your Future contest, we hope to cultivate a new generation of leading designers,” said Mark Page, Managing Director of the International Academy of Design & Technology.

As a complementary resource to the IADT Online virtual campus, the school has also launched VisualDiner.com, a new social-gathering and networking Web space for artists and designers to gather, post their work, share their vision, and meet their peers. “The Diner” – home to the IADT Design your Future scholarship contest, co-sponsored by Adobe Systems – is open to design professionals, students, and anyone else interested in the world of design.

For information on IADT Online, please call 1-888-247-IADT (4238) or visit www.iadtonline.com. For additional information about the IADT Design Your Future scholarship contest, or on VisualDiner, please visit (www.VisualDiner.com).

About IADT

The International Academy of Design & Technology, founded in the 1970s with a single location, is a vibrant and growing college committed to providing students with an education that delivers today’s technology into the classroom and tomorrow’s creative professionals into the workforce. Today, IADT has 11 physical locations in the United States and Canada and continues to grow.

About IADT Tampa and IADT Online

IADT Tampa, established in 1984, is a degree-granting institution that offers courses through its physical campus as well as through its virtual channel – IADT Online, the flexible way to earn a degree without the limitations of geography. Combining the technological expertise of two sister schools, major online universities that have provided education to thousands of satisfied alumni, with decades of its own experience delivering a design education that matters in the real-world, IADT provides an education that is both accessible and flexible, and that employers can trust.

The International Academy of Design and Technology is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools to award associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools is listed as a nationally recognized accrediting agency by the United States Department of Education and is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Contacts

International Academy of Design & Technology Online
Michael Foley
Director of Communications
e-mail: [email protected]
phone: 847-851-5610