Different Types of Arts – Degrees and Jobs Guide

If you have particular talent or interest in any of the fields and wish to nurture it as a fully-fledged career, it is best to procure a professional degree in the same. Degrees in the field of art nowadays are no more limited to traditional Fine Arts, History, or Literature. If you have an interest in anything, ranging from Film Making to Graphic Designing, there is surely a professional course out there for you that can help you nurture your talent and prepare you for a better career. Below mentioned are all the different types of Degrees along with all the prominent Types of Majors that one can pick from.

Types of Degrees Based on Level of Education:

Art degrees can actually be opted for at any level of education, ranging from a basic certification level, up to a doctoral level. You can opt for an on-campus degree as well as an online degree in arts. However, if you are more inclined towards performing arts, an online course would not do you much benefit.

Certificate & Diploma Programs in Arts:

If you are already invested in a professional field full time, however, wish to work on the side in the field of your interest, a certification or diploma program is the best way to go forward for you. Various colleges and universities offer undergraduate arts certifications to students that depict that they have opted for additional courses and gained advanced knowledge, beyond the basics in their field of interest.

Associate Degrees in Arts:

Pursuing an Associate’s Degree in Arts requires 2 years of full-time study. You can opt for an Associate Degree in Fine Arts, Digital Arts, as well as other fields. For theory-based or digital degrees, you can opt for completely online courses. However, Degrees related to Fine Arts and Studio Arts may require on-campus time now and then.

Bachelor’s Degrees in Arts:

If you are actually looking forward to a career in arts, getting a Bachelor’s Degree would be your very first step to go. Also, if you wish to pursue education at the graduate level, it becomes mandatory for you to complete your Bachelor’s Degree. A Bachelor’s Degree in the field of Arts generally required 4 years of full-time study. It also helps the aspirant to expand his base of Knowledge by completing general education requirements. Most of the universities in US term Bachelor’s Degree in Arts as BFA (Bachelors of Fine Arts)

Master’s Degrees in Arts:

If you wish to further polish your skills as an artist or wish to apply for employment in the field of teaching arts, you can certainly opt for a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts (MFA). Most of the Master’s Degrees usually focus on a particular specialization. It will take up to 2 years of full-time study to obtain a Master’s Degree in Arts.

Doctoral Programs in Arts:

A Ph.D. degree in the field of Arts is usually reserved for the candidates who wish to get involved in advanced research in the field of arts on a national or global scale. A doctoral candidate is required to have completed a Master’s Degree in Arts. Before graduation, a candidate is required to submit and present a dissertation in his/her choice of topic. The time taken to complete a Ph.D. completely depends on the depth of research as well as the time taken by the candidate to prepare a detailed dissertation.

Types of Degrees based on the field of Specialization:

As the world in modernizing, the field of arts is also no more limited to visual arts and performing arts, but also expanding its roots in the digital era. Below mentioned are all the different types of specializations in the field of arts that you can pick as a major while planning to get a degree.

Fine Arts Degrees:

Fine Arts generally refers to an art form that has more of an aesthetic value. If you are a creative person and love creating beautiful things, a degree in fine arts is the way to go for you. There are endless fields of specializations in the field of Fine Arts that are listed below:

Visual Arts: Visual Arts are those creations that a person can actually adore through his/her eyes physically. If you love to provoke feelings through the medium of art, picking one of the specializations in Visual Arts can actually be helpful for your career. When you search for degrees in different colleges and universities, you may find that some may have a course in the broader field of Fine Arts, whereas, others may offer degrees dedicated to a particular form of art. Below mentioned are specializations that one can pick from in the field of Visual Arts.

• Drawing
• Painting
• Sculpture
• Printmaking
• Ceramics

Prospective Jobs: People with a degree in Visual Arts can look forward to exhibiting as well as selling their artworks through galleries and museums. They can even look forward to setting up their very own studio. Teaching fine arts to youngsters can also be a great career opportunity for professionals in the field of Visual Arts.

Theatre & Dance: Degrees in Theatre are all over the country. However, there are various specific regions where the scene of theatre is quite prominent and you might get to learn much more, like New York and Los Angeles. Moreover, with traveling theatres popping out everywhere, it has become really easy to make your way into the performing world. Moreover, even if you are inclined particularly towards dance, you can go for the Dance Bachelor’s Program that can give you broad training in various forms of Dance Arts or pick a degree that specializes in any one particular form of Dance, like Modern Art Degrees or Ballet Degrees.

Prospective Jobs: Becoming an actor is surely one of the most prominent options available for people willing to pursue a degree in Theatre or even Dance. One can also look forward to becoming a part of a permanent theatre in the US. However, the people who are more comfortable working behind the screens can also opt for jobs as screenwriters, Stage managers, theatre directors as well as dance therapists. A professional dancer can also look forward to teaching dance or opening up their very own dance classes or studio.

Music: Music Degree programs in the U.S are quite rare. However, even if you find one, there are various factors that you would need to consider. Is the program designed to train you as a music teacher? Would the program help you become a performer? Is the program designed to train you as a composer rather than a musician? However, you can certainly find a suitable degree program for you if you search hard enough. Moreover, certain universities even offer courses that can train you to learn and master a particular musical instrument.

Prospective Jobs:  There are actually endless jobs available for people with a degree in Music, ranging from performing arts to technical jobs. If one is not particularly planning to become a singer or an instrument player, they can also look forward to becoming a Music Producer, Music Therapist, Sound Engineer, Special Effect Technician, Sound Designer, as well as a Private Music Teacher.

Film and Photography: Degrees in the field of Film Making and Photography are becoming quite prominent around the US. However, you would need to research the exact curriculum that the program has to offer. Do you want to learn about the history of filmmaking or are you looking forward to learning the nooks and crooks of real-life Film-Making? If you love photography and wish to master the art of picture clicking and videography, there are various universities around the U.S that offer you learn the same. However, more than often, Photography is grouped into the courses of “Visual Arts” and “Digital Arts” by the universities.

Prospective Jobs: Some of the best job options available for people with a degree in film making and/or photography are Film Direction, Location Manager, Art Director, Camera Operator, Video Editor, and Program Researcher.

Creative Writing: A Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing is often offered as a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts (BFA) by most universities. Moreover, with a boom in the World Wide Web, the need for professional creative writers is quite high throughout. Also, if you are willing to become a writer or wish to publish your very own books in any of the fields, this degree program can be quite helpful for you.

Prospective Jobs:  Job Options for professional creative writers are endless. One can become a Magazine Journalist, Copywriter, Web Content Manager, Proof-reader, Editor, Editorial Assistant. Apart from that, there are endless freelance opportunities available for creative writers from websites as well as online magazines and blogs. One can even plan to publish their very own book or plan to start off an online portal.

History of Arts Degrees: History of Arts Degrees are perfect for those who are willing to get indulged in Curatorial Work, museums, Art Auctions, or Galleries. While most people connect art degrees with creative fields, they can actually be an amalgamation of finance, history, as well as business. Art History courses can actually be very diverse, some might focus on a particular time or movement in history, while others may focus more on a particular field or country.

Prospective Jobs: Professionals with a degree in History or Arts can look out for jobs in Museums, Galleries, as well as Arts Auctions. Teaching is also a great career option for people with a degree in the History of Arts.

Design Degrees:

Design Degrees in the field of Arts are much more inclined towards the practical implementation in day-to-day lives, rather than focusing on just visual arts. Moreover, pursuing these courses can also help the students to open up their very own studio or retail once they complete their education.

Fashion Design: Fashion Design degrees help you learn everything, ranging from the design process to the production process of apparel. Whereas, most of the art universities may offer degrees in the field of fashion design, however, there are even various dedicated schools that specifically offer this course in the US.

Prospective Jobs:  Fashion Designers have ample career options with clothing brands as well as individual studios and boutiques. They can even plan out to start off their very own studio and start designing and selling their very own apparel. Fashion designers can also lookout for a career as a Product Manager or a Fashion Journalist.

Interior Design: Interior Design has actually become one of the most sought-after arts degrees in the US as more and more people are getting inclined towards hiring a professional to help them set up their home interiors. Aspirants can opt for Bachelor’s as well as Master’s Degrees in the field of Interiors Design. Most of the Architecture Schools, as well as Arts Schools do have interior Design courses. Some of the universities even offer specialized degrees within interior designing, including furniture designing and product designing.

Prospective Jobs: Apart from working for a well-established Interior Designing Firm, a degree holder in Interior Designing can also look out for freelance interior works to get their career started. Further one can also build up their very own design studio and start practicing individually.

Architecture: A degree in Architecture is often considered an amalgamation of arts and science. However, it is one of the most professional degrees that a creative person can get his/her hands on. Most of the bachelor’s degrees in Architecture would take 4-5 years of full-time study. Moreover, beyond completing your degree program, an architect in the US is also required to clear the license exam in order to practice architecture as an individual.

Prospective Jobs: Architects surely have the highest paying jobs as compared to all the other arts degrees. To start off their career, one can take up a job as an assistant architect with one of the big architecture firms or work under an experienced architect. Further, after gaining the license, an Architect can look forward to getting their very own projects and start practicing as an individual firm. One can also work as a consultant with construction firms.

Digital Arts Degrees:

With the onset of screens in front of everyone, the world of digital arts is actually taking over the world of physical arts. If you wish to build a career in the creative field of digital arts, the following are the specialization courses offered by various US universities that you can look forward to.

Graphic Design:  Graphic Designing is actually a perfect blend of visual arts and computer software. There is actually a huge demand for professional graphic designers in the whole world right now. Almost every visual that you see on your mobile or computer screen has been designed by a graphic designer. You can either opt for a certification course, an associate degree as well a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Designing.

Prospective Jobs:  Some of the most prominent jobs that a graphic designer can look out for are UX (User Experience) Designer, UI (User Interface) Designer, Multimedia Artist, or a Marketing Specialist, which are offered by almost every company dealing online. One can also plan to work as a freelance graphic designer.

Animation: The world of animation has found a new-born identity with the introduction of computer animations on the silver screen. Moreover, most of the reputed universities in the US offer degree Bachelor’s Degrees in the field of Animation.

Prospective Jobs: Jobs that are directly related to the field of animation include Web Designing, VFX Artist, Illustrator, Concept Artist, and Animator. One can also look forward to work as a Film/Video Editor, Advertising Director, and much more.

Game & Interactive Media Design: Yes, you heard it right. Now you can even lookout for a professional career in the field of Gaming as well! If you are adamantly into gaming and would like to be a part of the professional team that designs high-end games, you can lookout for a Degree in Game & Interactive Media Design.

Prospective Jobs: A person with a Degree in Gaming can certainly look out for a job as Game Designer. However, apart from that, one can also look forward to jobs like UI Designer, Multimedia Manager, Digital Designer, and Animator.

Film & Television Production: Film and Television Production Degrees are offered by many universities as an integrated course. However, various universities even provide degrees with specialization in specific parts of filmmaking like Editing, Screenwriting, and even Videography. Therefore, look out for the degree that matches your interests the most. However, if you are not sure about the particular role that you wish to play in the process of Film Making, a Degree in Film and Television production would be the right way for you to explore.

Prospective Jobs: Jobs in the field of Film Making are surely endless. Some of the most prominent positions that one can look out for include Film Director, Video Editor, Broadcasting Manager, Production Coordinator, Location Manager, Camera Operator, Talent Agent, as well as Program Researcher.

If you are a creative person and wish to pursue a career in one of the creative fields, getting an Arts Degree with specialization in the field of your interest can be quite helpful for you. However, apart from picking the course of your choice, you must also look out for the job and career opportunities that would be available for you once you get hold of your degree.

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