Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.
Edgar Degas, French impressionist and artist
Art has been a supremely crucial part of human society for thousands of years. Just look at ancient art we have discovered over the years, like the Lascaux cave paintings in France, the Altamira Cave Paintings in Spain, the 100,000+ cave painting sites in Africa, Kakadu National Park in Australia, and thousands of other examples all over the world.
In our modern society, making and appreciating art is seen as many things: a commodity, an amenity, a luxury, a right, a privilege…
Art is unique in that it can be anything and it can mean anything.
Art has been used for pure fun and enjoyment, to comment on social and political happenings, to inspire massive social movements, and as a medium to control the masses and to liberate them.
You, as a prospective art student, probably already know all this! But, how can you use an art degree in this modern world, where people can’t typically just “be artists” anymore, like Van Gogh or Michelangelo?
Here, you’ll learn some of the practical applications for your art degree in the modern world.
Types of Undergrad Art & Design Degrees
First, what are the different types of undergraduate art degrees you can earn? What are the different art majors and design majors you can consider? Should you pursue an art degree or a design degree, and what’s the difference?
Bachelor of Science
“Science?” you might be saying. “Really?”
Yes! A Bachelor of Science degree can be awarded to people studying art because it means that they also received education on things like business, math, and science.
For example, I received a BS in Graphic Design because I also studied business practices, communications, and general courses like history, physiology, and algebra as part of my college’s mandatory curriculum.
Common Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees in the artistic realm include:
- Digital Design
- Graphic Design
- Advertising
- Digital Arts
- Art Therapy
- Video Game/Game Art, Development, and Programming
- Web Design
- Animation, Computer Animation
- Digital Cinematography
- Character and Environment Design
- Interior Design
- Textiles/Fashion Design & Merchandising
- Drafting Design
- Interactive Media Design
- Graphic Communications
- UX & UI Design
- Packaging
- Recording Arts
- Film & TV
- Directing
- Film & Culture
- Theater Education
- Dance
- Music Business/Industry
- Songwriting
- Media/Video Production
- Special Effects
- Music Composition & Theory
- Entertainment Management
- Audio Engineering
- Filmmaking
- Writing/Creative Writing
- Furniture Design
- Photography
Notice that these arts are not typically studio art, so if your dream is to become a ceramicist or painter, you’ll need a different or further experience.
Bachelor of Art
A BA is usually granted to students specializing in Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, Linguistics, Cultural Sciences, and occasionally, Informatics and Business Sciences.
The biggest difference between a BA and a BS is that in a BA program, your skills in things like critical thinking and communication on a human level will be more developed. You will also have a stronger foundation in the humanities.
Psychiatrists and psychologists typically start out by earning a BA rather than a BS, even though you’d think that psychology is a science. Alas, the higher education structure is old, and therefore, a bit confusing to our modern ways of thinking.
Common Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees include:
- Art/Art Studies
- Jewelry & Metal Arts
- Studio Art
- Art History & Criticism
- Photography & Film
- Painting, Sculpting, Ceramics, Illustration, Printmaking
- Visual Technology
- Media Arts & Design
- Animation
- Interdisciplinary & Intermedia Studies
- Audio Production & Sound Design
- Writing/Creative Writing
- Visual Communication and Digital Media
- Interior Design
- Animation & Game Design
- Graphic Design
- Art Therapy & Education
- Fashion Design & Merchandising
- Digital Storytelling
- Visual Effects
- Theater/Musical Theater (Theatre)
- Music Production/Music Business
- Music/Musical Instruments/Vocal Studies
- Drama / Acting / Performance
- Theater Arts
- Theater Production
- Theatrical Design and Technology
- Speech & Dance
- Theater Education
- Music Education
- Music History
- Film History
- Film Production / Motion Pictures / Filmmaking
- Cinematography
- Film Studies/Cinema
- Film, Media, & Pop Culture
- Furniture Design
Many of the concentrations of studies in BA and BS programs overlap. The choice is yours whether you want to have a more technical education (BS) or a more humanities-based education (BA) for your degree in art.
Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc or BAS)
This type of degree is rather uncommon in the United States but isn’t unheard of. The curriculum differs between institutions, so you will need to research the course structure of each college or university you are considering carefully to see what exactly it entails.
The gist is that a BASc or BAS (not to be confused with a Bachelor of Applied Science which is also called a BAS) is an interdisciplinary study with a lot of creative freedom for the student. In this way, the degree is closer to a BS than a BA, because, in addition to your chosen major, you also study many other subjects to get a very well-rounded education.
The most common BASc degrees include:
- Interdisciplinary Studies/Arts
- Media Arts & Sciences
- Digital Arts & The Humanities
- Art & Technology
- Visual Studies
You can see that this type of program gives students a very broad degree description rather than a concentrated one.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
When you study for a BFA, about two-thirds of your courses will directly relate to your chosen major. The other third will be general studies like history and math (the liberal arts portion of the degree). This is different from a BA and BS degree where the general education courses account for half to two-thirds of your studies.
This type of degree is reserved for the visual, fine, and performing arts, meaning you cannot get a BFA in something like psychology, even though you can get a BA for it.
BFA programs are characterized by intensive study and practice in the art, meaning that in addition to studying theory and history, you are simultaneously learning and creating practically. For example, you’ll take a theater history class and also an acting class.
Upon graduating from a BFA program, you should receive a physical diploma or a digital, verifiable transcript as official proof of your education and achievements.
Some of the most common areas of study for BFA students include:
- Sculpture
- Printmaking
- Drawing, Painting, Illustration
- Studio Art
- Film Arts
- Architecture
- Digital Arts
- Visual Arts
- Fine Art
- Graphic Design
- Interactive Media
- Animation
- Game Art & Design
- Performing Arts
- Creative Writing
- Art History
- Visual Communications
- Architectural Design
- Product / Packaging Design
- Fashion Design
- Photography
- Interior Design
- Furniture Design
Bachelor of Science (BS)
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
Master of Arts (MA)
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Graduate Degrees in Art & Design
When pursuing a graduate degree in art, it’s more important to choose the specialization that most resonates with you, because you’ll be spending a lot of time doing that activity. Think of how much time a medical student spends studying anatomy, interning at hospitals, and practicing different kinds of medicine. That will be you, but with art.
Master of Science (MS)
Just like the BS degree, it’s possible to obtain a Master of Science degree in all types of art-related fields such as:
- Critical, Curatorial, and Conceptual Practices in Architecture
- Human-Centered Design and Engineering
- Game Science and Design
- Instructional Design
- Design and Merchandising
- Music Education
- Interior Architecture
- Publishing
- Digital and Print Media
- Urban Planning
- Historic Preservation
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Most people probably think of this degree when they think of a professional artist. An MFA program typically focuses on studio art disciplines like painting, sculpture, photography, etc. It often involves creating a substantial body of work as a thesis.
Master of Arts (MA)
This is an umbrella term for many different degrees. For example, you can have an MA in:
- Art History
- Art Theory
- Design Management
- Fashion Design
- Textile Design
- Interior Design
- Film & Media Production
- Industrial Design
- And many, many more
Master of Design (MDes)
This type of program is more technical in nature, emphasizing the application of design principles in various fields like product design, graphic design, and user experience (UX) design.
Master of Architecture (MArch)
An MArch program focuses on architecture and related disciplines, including urban design, landscape architecture, and sustainable design.
Jobs You Can Get with an Art Degree or Design Degree
It can be difficult to find out what you’d like to do as your career, especially because today’s economy is influencing people to have more than one career throughout their working lifetime. What is always good to be, however, is prepared.
Being educated will always serve you well, even if you don’t end up working in the field you studied for. Being knowledgeable will help you in your everyday life as well as any job or hobby you find yourself in.
Specifically artistic careers might seem nearly impossible to break into today, but there are many places in society that require artists.
Exhibition Maker
If you produce fine art, you likely dream of holding your own exhibitions.
This is when you showcase your work and people can either pay to see you perform, donate to you, commission you for a unique piece, or buy your existing work. This can include having their artwork on display for galleries or museums, or simply collaborating with local coffee shops and businesses. If you are interested in selling your work, running your own gallery, and collaborating with other artists, this might be a good field to look into.
Note that many exhibit artists also have another source of income, at least until or unless they make it big!
Arts Administration
This field doesn’t so much deal with the production of your art but of facilitating the movement of art from one person or place to another.
You might work in art institutions, national libraries, or galleries. Arts administration can combine your love of art and other subjects such as finance, project management, and art history.
Common careers in this field include:
- Art Teaching
- Exhibition Coordinator
- Art Curation
- Art Procurement
- Art Distribution
Visual Artist
If you’ve ever dreamed of having anything to do with movies, TV, photography, film, acting, theater, or the like, the good news is you will be more qualified to work in these realms!
Sound Artist
Whether it’s singing, playing instruments, running a recording studio, producing music, seeking talent, or teaching or coaching, you can pursue this career field with an arts degree. You can also work on sound production for things like movies and TV.
Product Designer
Think of basically any product: clothes, furniture, technology, accessories and bags, cutlery and plates, calendars, notebooks, water bottles… the list goes on and on!
Someone needed to design those things, and you could do it, too!
Digital Designer
In the same vein, think of anything you’ve ever seen on a screen: apps, websites, the UX and UI of your computer and browser, and any programs you’ve ever used all the way down to your calculator. A person designed all of these applications.
Package Designer
Packaging is usually just as important as the item within the package. Packaging is how you catch the eye of a consumer and convince them to buy, and it’s also how you keep the item inside safe.
This is a particularly interesting field because it’s undergoing a lot of transformation recently, with the advent of more eco-conscious designs.
Other Artistic Careers
There are so many careers and jobs for artists and designers out there that it’s impossible to list them all here.
So, while it might seem impractical and impossible to become “an artist” or “a designer,” the key is to find a place where you can shine in a specific niche.
Best Colleges for Art and Design Degrees
There are numerous institutions all over the US – and the world – for learning art and design. Whether you want to enroll in a design major or are exploring degrees in art, take a look at these institutions to see if they interest you.
Here are some of the best colleges of arts and design in the US.
Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University | St. Louis, Missouri
The Sam Fox School is very prestigious and offers programs in architecture, studio art, design, fashion design, photography, and many others.
Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) | Baltimore, Maryland
Founded in 1826, MICA offers many undergrad and postgraduate degrees in design and applied arts, like graphic design, animation, fibers, studio and humanistic studies, and social design.
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) | Providence, Rhode Island
In addition to also being able to take classes at Brown University, RISD offers 16 incredible majors like sculpture, glasswork, textiles, and photography.
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | NYC, New York
This unique institution is changing the landscape of higher education regarding tuition rates and scholarships, so it’s worth looking into for this reason alone. It also offers many programs like drawing, graphic design, photography, and printmaking.
Academy of Art University | San Francisco, CA / Online
AAU is known for being one of the best providers of online art degrees. The online degree program is well-established and consists of asynchronous learning as well as live Zoom classes. You can take many different majors like animation, fine art, music production, and writing for film, television, and media.
Many artists are self-taught or have a degree in a different field. You don't have to attend an art program in order to be an artist!
What If I Don’t Want to Attend a College or University?
While many companies will require applicants to have official education and credentials, not every artistic pursuit requires a degree.
If you have talent, passion, and the skill and dedication to learn more and advocate for yourself, you can find a lot of luck as an artist or designer without any art degrees or design degrees. The key is to have a great portfolio and lots of practical experience.
You can self-teach or learn from others, like a private art tutor, to gather the skills and know-how you need to create art and use it to make a living.
Learn all sorts of skills and study design from hundreds of different tutors right here on Superprof!
Search for painting, sculpting, drawing, acting, singing, and writing instructors (and more) with ease, and start taking online or in-person classes whenever you’re ready!
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It teaches me more then I could ever imagine but for me I’m still adventurous about what career path to take but this was very useful
I liked it.