Are you looking to get a promotion or a new career that has a higher paying salary? A graduate degree in fine arts will allow you to dig deeper and become more knowledgeable about a subject or industry you are passionate about. Also going to graduate school will help you create long term networking relationships that can help you with your career goals. Employers in any field are looking for great candidates that have targeted higher education knowledge in fine arts.

Graduate Degree Benefits:

  • Transferable skills
  • More job opportunities
  • Career progression/advancement
  • Higher income
  • New skills and knowledge
  • Provides a competitive edge

Career Options with an MFA in Fine Arts:

  • Fine Arts Manager in Motion Picture and Video Industries - $94,830
  • Fine Arts Manager in Specialized Design Services - $53,550
  • Fine Arts Manager in Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools - $64,930
  • Fine Arts Manager in Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services - $80,250
  • Fine Arts Manager in Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services - $78,130

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Fine Arts Managers, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes271013.htm (visited May 24, 2022).

Graduate Degree Types for Fine Arts Concentrations:

  • M.S. in Fine Arts
  • M.A. in Fine Arts
  • MFA in Fine Arts

Find an online bachelor's or master's degree:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Your path to graduate is personal and individual. While someone else may graduate later even though they started school when you did, they may have had other academic commitments to satisfy. Others may be able to finish their programs sooner than you because they don't have to deal with Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) or work during their college years.


Look at how many credits are required for a doctoral. This is usually between 36-54 semester credits, which equal 12 to 18 college courses. Depending on how many credit hours you can take each semester will determine if you will graduate with masters in 2 or 3 years. If you can take more classes, this will shorten the time you're in school. Don't forget to seek information from your assigned advisor. Doing so means you're less likely to miss a required class, which could delay your graduation.

Before choosing a major there are some important facts you should know about.


In general, you can begin your career as fine arts by earning a Master of Science (M.S.) or a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in fine arts, but in many cases for the position you are seeking you may need to obtain a master's degree in fine arts. Furthermore, there are numerous specializations and subfields associated with masters in fine arts. You will want to research the college or university to determine if they have the major you are considering.


This is a very important question to ask yourself. Your major should play a big part in the schools you are considering. Not every college may offer the major of your choice, so doing your homework is the first step of the selection process.

The two most prominent types of master levels in fine arts are: Master of Arts degree (MA degree) in fine arts and a Master of Science degree (MS degree) in fine arts. A MA degree normally requires pupils to take fewer concentration courses as well as to focus more on discovering about fine arts. These students have a little bit more flexibility when it pertains to customizing their education to meet their occupation objectives as well as goals.


The Master of Science degree in fine arts, on the other hand, is much less concentrated on exploration and even more targeted to a specific focus. Master of Science students, usually, focus specifically on the area of their major and have a tendency to be more careers focused. Master's degrees in the clinical field, for example, are most likely to be a Master of Science degree. You can find some sample classes for a doctorate below:

  • Painting and drawing
  • Sculpture
  • Printmaking and imaging
  • Conceptual Art
  • Sketching skills
  • Textile Design
  • Calligraphy
  • Communication Design

Only 61% of students actually manage to finish their graduate degree on time. There are a variety of factors that could potentially play a part in unexpectedly extending your college career, such as:


Work. Working over 25 hours per week can get in the way of academics.


Credit Hours. Most colleges will define a full masters course load as 9 credit hours per semester. If you do the math, you will see that you actually need to take 12 credit hours per semester in order to graduate on time.


Transferring. Many students end up transferring during their college career. Many times, there are hiccups with transferring credits. This can put you behind, or even cause you to end up losing your credits altogether.


Be aware of these common mistakes, so that you don't make them yourself.

Colleges and universities generally charge per credit hour for fine arts courses. Multiply the cost by the number of credits you're taking for your total semester's financial commitment. Program fees may not be included in the stated tuition rate. If a university charges $331 per credit hour, multiply this by 9 or 12 (the number of credits you're taking per semester). For 9 credit hours, this is $2,979; for 12 credit hours, it's $3,972.


FinAid.org reported that the average cost of a two-year graduate program was between $30,000 and $120,000. And be aware that, even if you are comfortable with the per credit hour cost of the program you are looking at, there will be other costs you need to consider like fees, textbooks, and room and board if you live on campus.

When looking for a college program to attend, you need to look at all the potential advantages of a doctoral fine arts program. Post-graduate job assistance should rank high on the list of important things to consider when selecting where you will enroll. A good job placement program, while it cannot guarantee you a position in fine arts, will help you make sure you have the best classes and experiences under your belt. That way, you will have the best possible chance of getting the position you want. The time spent in school is a great time to prepare for your future career in fine arts management. That can begin with a great internship, referral, mentorship, or hire. Schools that offer extensive job placement and career assistance can help you get all those things and more.