What type of art degree should I study?

Studying an art degree can provide you with time and space to hone your artistic skills, collaborate with other artists and gain expert feedback on your work. Plus, with studios and various art facilities you may not otherwise have access to, university can be the perfect place to build an impressive portfolio.  

With thousands of art degrees to choose from across a range of top-ranked universities and art schools, which type of art degree should you choose? 

The QS World University Rankings by Subject provide an easy way to compare top universities based on a variety of ranking indicators. Covering 238 top institutions for art and design, the rankings are a great first step to finding your dream programme. 

To make it even easier, we’ve compiled seven types of art degree for you to consider.  

Fine art degrees

Whether you have a passion for painting, sculpting, drawing or printmaking, a fine art degree allows you to explore a variety of mediums and techniques before specialising in an area of your choosing. With a fine art degree, you can focus on finding your artistic voice, refining your skills and experimenting with where your art can take you.  

The University of the Arts London (UAL), ranked second in the QS World University Rankings by Subject: Art and Design, continually challenges its students to question what art is and encourages experimentation through contemporary art practise.  

Students at UAL work in one of four pathways – 2D, 3D, 4D or XD – encompassing studio practice where discovery is encouraged. UAL explains the creative benefits of this approach as a perpetual reinvention of the space: “The studio functions as a laboratory, performative site, social space and discursive environment.’ 

Students at New York’s Pratt Institute, ranked joint sixth in the QS World University Rankings by Subject: Art and Design, can choose to major in a number of specialisms at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.  

Alongside studio practise, all fine arts students will learn about social, historical and critical issues in contemporary art through lectures and seminars. Graduates pursue diverse careers as artists and art educators, critics, curators, gallerists, creative entrepreneurs and arts administrators. 

Film, photography and media degrees 

The impact of a powerful film or photograph in an image-driven world can’t be underestimated when most people have access to smartphone cameras. Exercising your creative muscle in the film, photography and media industry is an exciting way to gain technical skills with an artistic direction.  

At Aalto University in Finland, ranked joint sixth in the QS World University Rankings by Subject: Art and Design, students can choose from a number of master’s programmes in the department of art and media including photography, visual communication art and new media.  

Emilia Pennanen, MA photography student at Aalto University, said: “The most interesting thing about photography for me is the possibility to create works that are not just images. I make works that use sound, video, performance, sculpture and photography as well.”  

A BFA, MA or MFA in film and television at Savannah College of Art and Design, ranked 16th in the QS World University Rankings by Subject: Art and Design, can provide you with the opportunity to work on real sets or join student-produced shows before you graduate. Plus, student-led productions at SCAD compete for prestigious awards and are screened at international film festivals each year.   

Art curation 

If you have more of an appreciation for art rather than making it yourself, a degree in art curation could take you into a career working with prestigious and up-and-coming artists, planning exhibitions and negotiating loans for artwork.  

Art curators need in-depth knowledge of the history of art, as well as a general eye for contemporary art and often draw from management and leadership skills too.  

Goldsmiths, University of London offers an MFA in Curating for students who wish to experiment and explore in the interdisciplinary field of curatorial practise. The school, which ranks 22nd in the QS World University Rankings by Subject: Art and Design, focuses on the social, political and philosophical elements of art curation as well as the aesthetics.  

Istituto Marangoni in Italy combines art curation and fashion for a master's programme that explores the history of dress and the evolution of curation with a heritage focus. Ranking 51-100 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject: Art and Design, the school offers a route through ‘completely unexplored territory, where curatorship is being looked at in every aspect of its identity’ – from planning and layout to promotion and financial management.  

Art history 

Art is a reflection of the time and place it was created in and studying art history can give context to the social, political and economic values of a time or culture. Art history can deepen your appreciation of art by providing you with the tools to interpret meaning, symbolism and aesthetics of a variety of artwork.  

The Department of Art History at Tsinghua University in China, ranked 18th in the QS World University Rankings by Subject: Art and Design and third in the Asia region, offers students two majors in design art and art studies. Minor courses include Chinese and foreign art history, Buddhism art research, art archaeology, the history of Chinese Art Studies and calligraphy history.  

Undergraduate History of Art students at The Glasgow School of Art, ranked 12th in the QS World University Rankings by Subject: Art and Design, learn how paintings, sculptures, buildings and design end up looking the way they do. With industry links to the likes of the National Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum, and The Prado in Madrid, students have the opportunity to work on real-world projects and take on internships.  

Creative writing 

If you prefer the art of words over more visual mediums, a degree in creative writing could be the perfect way to hone your style in fiction, poetry, memoir and even scriptwriting.  

The University of Oxford ranks fourth in the world in the latest QS World University Rankings and 28th in the art and design subject, and offers creative writing programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate level, plus short courses ranging from writing fiction to nature writing and poetry.  

The postgraduate Master of Studies in Creative Writing at Oxford is a two-year part-time degree where students engage in five residencies, two guided writing retreats and one placement over the two years. 

At Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), students can study a BFA or MFA in Dramatic Writing, mastering storytelling across podcasts, movies, TV and stage plays, for example. Students learn to bring their work to life through collaboration with experts across the creative industries from directors and actors to story consultants and more.  

Graduates from SCAD have gone on to work with HBO, National Geographic, Walt Disney, Discovery Channel and more.  

Performing arts

Theatre, dance and other performing arts can create a tool for self-expression and communication through movement and storytelling. Through time, performing arts have often acted as a reflection of society and culture, creating discussion about what is and what could be.  

A performing arts degree can provide the practical training as well as academic study into the history and cultural place of performance within society. At Tongji University College of Arts and Media, ranked 10th in the QS World University Rankings by Subject: Art and Design, students on the performance major receive professional training in realistic drama and film. With strong core values in socialism and building a patriotic arts culture, the school requires applicants to be advanced art professionals with high ambitions, artistic ethics and extensive humanistic qualities.  

In Europe, Universität der Künste Berlin offers programmes in musical theatre, theatre education, dance and choreography, and opera. Ranked 31st in the QS World University Rankings by Subject: Art and Design, the school is equipped with its own theatre and students can engage in public performances.  

Art therapy 

If you’re interested in using art as a tool to support people through emotional issues, art therapy could be a way to help people through your creativity.  

New York’s Pratt Institute of Art is ranked joint sixth in the QS World University Rankings by Subject: Art & Design and offers two master’s programmes in creative arts therapy. The MS in Dance/Movement Therapy and the MPS in Art Therapy and Creativity Development prepare students with the skills to become psychotherapists with an art focus.  

Through practical, embodied and immersive training, students will explore the healing potential of art.