If you’re planning to start a career in the art and design industry, it’s important to know that it requires a bachelor’s degree. Many positions in interior design, graphic design, and fashion design require education and advanced degrees. Often, employers prefer applicants with an associate degree to high school diploma holders.
The career options you might find in the art and design industry will widely depend on various factors, including demand and location. As for the salary, the average income for art positions starts from $28,000 (flower designers) to $94,000 (art directors). But of course, it would still depend on the career path you choose.
Education
There are four types of degrees for people who want to pursue art and design: associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and doctoral. You can finish an associate degree in a short span, but doctorates are more extensive and will require you to study longer.
Associate Degree
An associate degree is what prepares you for entry-level positions. It might not lead you to higher positions someday, but it will give you vast career opportunities in photography, graphic design, and fashion.
One of the main advantages of associate degrees is that it’s not expensive, and you can finish them quickly. In just two years, you can immediately pursue a career in art and design. Plus, you can enroll in many online programs, so you can work and study simultaneously.
Bachelor’s Degree
A bachelor’s degree gives you an overview of arts and design while teaching specific knowledge in art history, game design, animation, and many more. Most often, a bachelor’s degree is the required education requirement for art-related careers. It’s also the initial step if you want to pursue a graduate degree.
Master’s Degree
A master’s degree is essential for plenty of art and design careers, as it provides advanced knowledge and needed skills in one specific field. People who take master’s degrees find interest in particular areas such as filmmaking or interior designing. It’s not always a requirement for web developers, but it can be an advantage too.
Doctorate
If you want to attain the highest education in arts and design, you should get a doctorate. It offers the most advanced skills and knowledge in a highly specialized field of study.
You need to be highly dedicated when pursuing a doctorate, as it would take you years to finish. You will also need to finish rigorous examinations and challenging projects.
Career Options
Art History
A career in art history will require you to interpret historical art. Students who pursue this career often prepare themselves to analyze art pieces to work in cultural institutions or museums.
Animation
Animators are the artists that create moving images in different media types like television, film, websites, commercials, and games. Most of them work as freelancers. You will most likely see them working in computer animation or illustration.
Fashion
Professionals in the fashion industry create different types of clothing, and they typically work for clothing brands and design companies. Often, fashion professionals need an associate or bachelor’s degree.
Graphic design
Graphic designers are usually imaginative and creative. They showcase their skills and ideas with the use of text, images, and symbols. Designers can design objects according to the information given to them through communication. Some of the things they design are magazine covers, websites, ads, corporate logos, and product packaging.
Film
Students in film programs need to attain skills to learn how to analyze and create films. Some careers in the movie include editing, production, and directing.
Interior Design
Interior designers are in high demand these days. They revise and recreate interior spaces to maximize small areas. Their main objective is to offer aesthetic spaces that promote functionality and harmony. Interior designers often work for commercial spaces, but they can work for residential spaces too. Sometimes, they also oversee the implementation of their design.
Illustration
Illustrators often paint and draw images shown in media, magazines, books, video games, ads, and posters. It usually requires an associate degree, but a bachelor’s degree gives the student the technical skills needed for illustration.
Photography
Photography is also one of the most sought-after careers these days. Photographers can go around the world taking beautiful snaps of anything that catches their eye. They usually work freelance, but some of them work for publications as well. In most cases, photographers don’t need a bachelor’s degree, but they can enroll in programs to have advanced skills.
Overall, there are many career opportunities in art and design. However, you need to find what you’re most passionate about. These careers might fall under one roof, but their educational requirements differ. They also require various skills for you to excel in your chosen field.
