What can you do with an art degree?

Photographers use a range of equipment to capture images in the style and brief set by a client or employer. There are a wide range of purposes and specializations in photography – from weddings to advertising, photojournalism and more. Some fields, such as fashion photography, are particularly competitive, and you may find it beneficial to have a Master of Fine Arts specializing in photography.

As well as working on your portfolio, you should look for opportunities to make contacts, get work published and generally gain new skills and experience through opportunities like volunteering, work shadowing, or taking part in work experience and project work with photographers or relevant employers.

An animator produces multiple images called frames, which when sequenced together create an illusion of movement known as animation. Animators might work in the visual effects team on a film or in advertising, amongst other fields. This is another competitive area, and, in this case, your portfolio would be in the form of a short yet effective showreel – a DVD or online portfolio video. To enhance your employability, a postgraduate specialization in animation would be beneficial, but this is not essential. To become an animator, you need to have artistic talent and strong technical skills with a good eye for detail.

A graphic designer is responsible for creating design solutions that have a high visual impact. The role involves working to a brief agreed with the client, creative director or account manager. Graphic designers develop creative ideas and concepts, choosing the appropriate media and style to meet the client's objectives. To become a graphic designer, it is very useful if you have specialized in design (or an aspect of design) in your degree and mastered the skills required, such as the use of computer packages like Photoshop. You may also consider continuing your studies at postgraduate level, with a Master of Design (MDes).

As a curator, you will be in charge of collections of exhibits in a gallery or museum, working out the best way to present an exhibition for the public, as well as raising funds and grants, collaborating with institutions or artists, and ensuring that collections are properly preserved. Curators cover a huge range of mediums, from contemporary audio-visual artworks to ancient sculpture. The field is often very competitive, so you might consider a postgraduate qualification in a subject such as museum studies.

Printmakers create art using printing presses, typically on paper, and again usually work to set briefs. Techniques used include etching, block-printing, woodcuts, silk-screening and lithography, with electronic and digital processes increasingly being used. You might find that printmaking emerges as your preferred medium following a degree in fine arts, especially if you specialize in design or illustration. To increase your employability (especially if you decide to become self-employed), seek out relevant work experience opportunities and build up a network of relevant contacts by reaching out in person and online.

If you wish to use your passion for art to motivate and inspire young people and encourage the development of budding talents, a career as an art teacher could be highly rewarding. In most countries, you will need a teaching qualification to teach at primary/secondary level, and a postgraduate degree to teach at university level.

You should also have lots of confidence and excellent communication and presentation skills, in order to effectively teach and inspire your students. You may also choose to offer private art tuition to individuals or small groups or specialize in an area such as art therapy.

If none of the above art careers appeal to you, there are still plenty of options available. Art graduates can also apply for mainstream graduate jobs and training in a wide variety of industries, such as media, marketing, public relations and even accounting.

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‘What Can You Do With an Art Degree?’ is part of our ‘What Can You Do With…’ series. We have also covered biology, business, communications, computer science, English, engineering, fashion, finance, history, geography, law, marketing, mathematics, performing arts, philosophy, politics, psychology, sociology, chemistry, economics and physics.

This article was first published in September 2015 and most recently updated in April 2020.