What It's Like Majoring in Art

Thinking about being an Art Major?

For those of you who are art lovers💖, you likely know of Bob Ross. Ross is the peaceful painter who showed us that mistakes are merely ‘happy little accidents’😊. Have you ever wondered how he became so skilled? Would you like to learn similar skills? Consider pursuing an art major!

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What Do Art Majors Do?

An art major often encompasses a variety of different topics. Most students who pursue this major have passions regarding drawing, music, painting, writing, and more. Art majors are more hands-on ✍️ and are expected to do various creative projects, as opposed to taking tests. However, some courses, such as art history, will be more test-heavy.

Is This the Right Fit for Me?

For Those Considering Art 🎨

Are you considering an art major and wondering if it’s the best fit for you? A few helpful key traits of prospective art majors are:

• Skilled in time management ⌚
• Improvement based on constructive criticism
• Knowledgeability in art history 🏺
• Creativity in design
• Communicative and expressive when collaborating

You might want to ask yourself the following questions: ❓

• Am I prepared to pay supply fees and travel fees (to various museums)?
• Can I take constructive criticism from others?
• Am I able to take both academic and intensive art classes?
• Am I ready to spend time working on art?
• Do I enjoy learning about art history?

For Those Who Don’t Know Yet 🤷

Are you confused as to where to start? Don’t know if you’re passionate about art? Check out this study guide to help you take a step towards pursuing your dreams!

What Is An Art Degree?

There are two different types of degrees that a student can pursue in art: fine arts or media arts.

Fine Arts 📝

Fine arts focuses on the visual artistic aspects of art, such as theater, painting, sculpture, music, and more.

This degree is good for those who want to work with the creation of art, and pursue careers such as writers, artists, and musicians.

Media Arts 💻

Media arts is more commercially and business 👩‍💼 focused, specifically addressing areas such as interior design, animation, and graphic design.

This degree is good for those who want to pursue careers in the artistic industry, but are not interested in being fully hands-on with art supplies, instruments, and acting. The people who pursue this degree usually work more so with digital/visual presentation of art, as opposed to the creation of the art/source material itself.

What Courses Do Art Majors Take? 📚

So, which courses do art majors have to take? Below is a list of common courses ✅ required by colleges for art majors:

• Ceramics
• Drawing
• Foreign Language
• Art History
• Painting
• Sculpting
• Watercoloring
• Printmaking

Remember that the coursework for art majors can differ based on the college you attend, so make sure you check out the specific degree plan!

Experiences of Art Majors

To help you understand the experience of art majors from a deeper perspective, check out these videos! 📹

These videos are made by current or previous art majors, who talk about their experiences and struggles when majoring in art.

• What It’s Like Being An Art Major: Megan Wilburn
• A Typical College Day In My Life As An Art Major: Francesca Grace
• Art School vs. Art Major in College: Art Prof: Create & Critique
• Art Major at University VS Art School: Biana Bova

What Are Some Good Colleges to Pursue an Art Major? 🎓

Are you wondering what colleges are the best 👍 for art majors? Check out this list below!

• Trinity University
• Rhode Island School of Design
• The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
• University of Southern California
• Pomona College
• Williams College
• College for Creative Studies
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago

🌟For a list of other colleges, check out this website!🌟

What Can I Do With a Degree in Art?

You might be wondering what kind of jobs art majors can get. 💼 A few professions that art majors have pursued include:

• Professional Artist 🧑‍🎨
• Photographer 🖼️
• Animator
• Curator
• Art Teacher 👨‍🏫
• Graphic Designer
• Gallery Owner
• Filmmaker
• Fashion Designer 👜
• Illustrator

What Are Some Similar Majors? 🤔

Are you interested in art but want more options? Maybe you want to study another aspect of the fine arts? Don’t worry, we’re here to help!

Below is a list of some majors which deal with similar aspects of art!

• Acting
• Art History
• Media Management
• Ballet
• Dance
• Digital Arts
• Drawing
• Costume Design
• Photography
• Cinematography
• Drama

If these are fields of interest to you, stay tuned 🎼 for more articles on various majors to pursue!

Closing Remarks 👋

Hopefully this article helped clarify what an art major entails! For more information on how to find and research your college major, check out this study guide. Good luck 🍀 with your future college journey ahead; we wish you all the best! 😊

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