The BTS Graphic Design, gradually absorbed by the DN MADe Graphic Design in the public offering, leaves its graduates facing a landscape of further studies and professional integration that has profoundly changed in recent years. Post-graduate paths no longer follow the linear trajectory BTS-DSAA: professional licenses, private bachelor’s degrees in UX/UI, or even direct entry into the market as a micro-entrepreneur are reshaping the real options.
DN MADe, private bachelor or professional license: arbitrating between three fields with opposing logics
The replacement of the BTS by the DN MADe has reshuffled the cards of further studies. The DN MADe grants a bachelor’s degree (bac +3), which effectively closes the bridge to the old DSAA for those who graduate with a bac +2 and a BTS. Graduates of the BTS Graphic Design who wish to extend their studies find themselves choosing between three paths with very different costs and outcomes.
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The professional license, accessible in one year, offers a quick specialization (graphic design, packaging, visual communication) and a diploma recognized by the State. The private bachelor, often focused on UX/UI or motion design, emphasizes project immersion and business partnerships, but its price frequently exceeds that of a year in a public school. We observe that the choice between professional license and bachelor is based on the professional project, not on the prestige of the diploma.
Students aiming for an agency or creative studio will find a structured framework in the professional license. Those targeting digital products (applications, interfaces, design systems) should prioritize a bachelor that includes Figma, UX sprints, and interactive prototyping. Feedback from many recruiters confirms that mastery of a tool like Figma or After Effects carries more weight than an additional line on a diploma.
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Digital skills sought after a BTS in graphic design
The market has shifted. Internship and work-study offers in visual communication almost systematically mention digital skills: motion design, UI/UX, and interactive prototyping appear in the majority of job descriptions, where print dominated a few years ago. A graduate presenting only InDesign and Illustrator in their portfolio finds themselves in direct competition with profiles trained on interface design tools.
Specifically, students who have followed their path after a BTS in graphic design report a gap between the initial program and the expectations of the field. The BTS remains strong in graphic culture, typography, and layout, but it does not cover interface design or animation.
Three areas of skill enhancement emerge from feedback from young graduates who have successfully integrated into the workforce:
- Training in Figma and prototyping (even through online resources) to respond to UX/UI offers, which represent an increasing share of recruitment in visual communication.
- Acquiring the basics of After Effects or Lottie to offer short animations, which are highly sought after by digital agencies and brands on social media.
- Developing a project-oriented portfolio rather than a technical one: showing the process (brief, research, iterations, deliverables) rather than a gallery of decontextualized visuals.
A portfolio that shows the design process is worth more than a collection of finished renders. Recruiters in agencies or studios seek to understand how the candidate thinks, not just what they produce.
Micro-entrepreneurship and freelancing right after the BTS: what it really implies
The trend of combining student status and micro-entrepreneurship right after the BTS or DN MADe has significantly accelerated. Graduates are testing freelancing with small local clients, orders via Instagram or TikTok, logo design for small businesses, while continuing their training or holding a survival job.
This hybridization has real advantages. It allows for building a client portfolio, confronting the constraints of business relationships (quotes, follow-ups, copyright), and generating additional income. Early freelancing develops management skills that the curriculum does not impart.
The limitations are equally concrete. The micro-entrepreneur status caps revenue, does not allow for expense deductions, and isolates the young graphic designer from the collective stimulation offered by a studio or agency. Several testimonials on specialized forums report the difficulty of setting fair rates without reference experience, which drives prices down and weakens professional positioning.
We recommend considering micro-entrepreneurship as a complement to the career path and not as a standalone career strategy at bac +2. Work-study programs in a bachelor or professional license provide both income, structured skill enhancement, and a professional network.
Building a coherent path in graphic design: concrete trade-offs
The central question for a BTS Graphic Design graduate is not “should I continue my studies,” but “what type of professional project justifies what investment.” One year of a professional license costs little and specializes effectively. Two years of a private bachelor open doors in UX/UI but represent a heavy financial commitment. Direct entry into the market works if the portfolio is strong and if the candidate is willing to start with modest assignments.
The diploma alone no longer determines the trajectory in graphic design. What distinguishes profiles that integrate quickly is the combination of technical specialization (motion, UI, branding), a process-oriented portfolio, and initial client experience, even if brief.
Students who successfully make their transition share a common point: they do not wait until the end of their training to confront the market. Long internships, work-study programs, micro-entrepreneurship, or personal projects published online, each concrete experience weighs more than an additional semester of lectures. Professional integration in graphic design hinges on proof of competence, not on the level of the diploma.