Anyone who enjoys creating art or viewing it in museums might want to consider pursuing an art major in college or through a vocational school. By enrolling in a degree program or trade school course, you can gain the knowledge required for success in this field. Online schools offer a variety of options to gain the training you'll need.
Is Majoring in Art Right for Me?
Before pursuing a visual arts degree, it's important to make sure that this career path is a good fit for you. Just because you earn an art degree doesn't mean that you'll just do nothing but create art.
Prepare for the expenses involved with pursuing a visual arts degree, including purchasing art supplies, traveling, and paying exhibition fees.
Be ready to take general education classes as well as art classes.
Make sure you are ready to receive constructive criticism from others regarding your art.
Expect to spend significant time alone working on your art.
Courses and Degree Programs
A student with an art major can enter a degree program that lasts only a semester or two or many years. The program you should choose depends on the career you want to pursue.
Certificate programs are typically short, lasting two years or less. These programs are designed to teach specific skills that are needed for a particular career.
Associates programs are generally two years long and usually offered at a trade school or community college. These programs give students a generalized education, often in preparation for completion of a bachelor's degree program.
Bachelor's programs usually require four years of study. These programs can help students earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree or a Bachelor of Arts degree. Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees are earned in professional programs, and Bachelor of Arts degrees are liberal arts programs.
Master's programs require a bachelor's degree prior to enrollment. Master's programs may take between one and three years to complete. You can opt for a Master of Arts or Master of Fine Arts degree.
Careers in the Arts
While becoming a visual artist who works to create art within your discipline may be your future, visual artists may also work in many other occupations. Some career paths are traditional, while others a bit more unexpected. Explore these potential career paths:
Graphic designer
Art critic
Art educator
Museum or gallery owner
Photographer
Photojournalist
Art therapist
Additional Resources
What Is Visual Art? Visual arts are types of art that people view, including drawing, painting, sculpture, and photography.
Visual Art: Definition, History, and Classification: Visual art is a broad term that includes both fine arts and contemporary arts.
What Are Visual Arts? Handicrafts such as textiles and jewelry-making fall under the umbrella of visual arts.
Types of Visual Art: Representational art represents real objects or subjects, using either realism or impressionism.
Four Types of Visual Art to Try: Painting and drawing, pottery, floral arranging, and needlework are all types of visual art.
Visual Arts and Copyright: Visual arts that can be copyrighted include drawings, paintings, enamel works, mosaics, posters, photographs, stencils, and weaving designs, among others.
Realism: Landscapes: Watch a video of painters narrating their process of creating paintings.
What Can I Do With a Major in the Visual Arts? Students studying art, art history, or photography could become an estate appraiser, a book designer, an art librarian, or a museum curator.
What Does a Visual Artist Do? An artist might work as a freelancer or for a company producing art.
38 Arts Jobs You Can Get With Your Fine Art Degree: A fine art degree program that focuses on illustration could provide the means for a career as a fashion or book illustrator.
Visual Arts Careers: A graphic designer, architect, or fashion designer might all have training in the visual arts.
Visual Arts Degrees: What Coursework Is Included in a Typical Visual Arts Program? Visual arts programs provide students with experience with various types of visual arts, such as painting, drawing, digital imaging, and figure drawing.
JobProfile: Sculptor: Sculptors research their subjects, sketch designs, and shape material to create original sculptures.
Craft and Fine Artists: Artists use a variety of materials and techniques to create art in private or commercial art studios.
What Is an Arts Major, and Is it Right for Me? Before pursuing a visual arts major, think about the costs associated with this major.
Uses for a Fine Art Degree: Learn about the potential career paths that are open to graduates with a fine art degree here.
Bachelor's in Art and Art History Programs Guide: The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that fine arts careers will grow between six and 13 percent by 2026.
Fine and Studio Arts Degree Guide: Fine and studio arts degrees were the 31st most popular programs in 2017 and 2018.
What Can I Do With a BFA in Studio Art? Graphic design is a popular career option for art majors, but it's far from the only one.
Guide to Art and Design School Degree Programs: Different art degrees have different benefits and are suited for different types of art and career goals.
The Visual Arts and Your Future: Explore career options and the marketable skills you can learn by getting an art degree.
What Can You Do With an ArtDegree? People earning art degrees may work in media or marketing.
Is Art School Worth It? Some students decide to have a secondary major as a backup in case an art career is difficult to pursue.
Beyond the Gallery: What Can You Do With an Art Degree? Visual artists have plenty of career opportunities beyond running or exhibiting at an art gallery.