What type of art degree should I study?

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 21st 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 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 24th 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 13th 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.  

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 third in the world in the latest QS World University Rankings and 25th 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.  

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 11th 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 35th 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.  

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.