Art specializations
Art degrees can largely be divided into two categories, history of art and fine art, with many further specializations available in each field. Some universities (particularly those which are dedicated to arts and humanities courses) also offer programs combining history of art and fine arts, which may suit you if you have an equal interest in both approaches to the subject. A vast array of highly specialized arts courses, such as contemporary jewelry design or printmaking, can be found at specialist arts colleges.
History of art degrees History of art
Among the more traditional and academically established arts courses offered by universities, history of art degrees explore artworks from a range of different cultures and historical periods, training students to analyze artefacts in terms of their relationship to artistic movements, social context and historic importance. This could mean ‘artworks’ in the most traditional sense – paintings on display in a gallery – but also a much broader approach to what constitutes art, from architecture to cartoons.
History of art students may choose to specialize in a particular region and/or historical period, or may pursue an interest in a particular aspect of art’s relationship to society – perhaps looking at the relationship between art and philosophy, or art and politics, for example.
Fine arts degrees Fine art
If history of art degrees are about analyzing artworks, then fine arts degrees are about creating them. Fine art programs typically combine a mixture of theoretical and practical course elements to nurture students in developing their own artistic work. Usually fine art students specialize in one or several media, such as painting, sculpture, photography, film, animation, illustration, printmaking or ceramics.
In addition, it’s possible to find entire degree courses specializing in each of the media mentioned above – and many more besides. For instance, you could take a degree specializing in comic art, or in community arts practice. It’s also possible to choose an art degree which focuses on artistic heritage and styles in a particular region or culture – such as Asian art or European art.
Design degrees Design
Closely related to fine art, design degrees encompass subjects such as fashion, textile design, graphic design, interior design, advertising design, product design and architecture. You may choose to study an entire degree course specializing in one area of design, such as a BA in Graphic Design, or you may enroll in a more general design course and gradually define your specializations. In either case, you should gain a strong set of technical knowledge and practical skills, building up your understanding of how best to apply design principles to different types of brief.
Digital arts degrees
Digital arts
In addition to the more traditional pathways, a range of much younger art courses have sprung up in recent years, in response to the transforming impact of new technologies on all areas of society, and high demand for new types of artistic creativity are high in demand. There are now degrees dedicated to the digital arts in areas such as photography, illustration, animation and computer arts. If you would like to pursue a career in one of these areas, for example in designing websites or animating computer games, then a digital arts degree could be for you.
