Types of Art and Design Majors

Art and design itself is a very vast and diverse field, there are a huge variety of degrees within the field. However, due to the increased pressure on the STEM subjects in the high school, art subjects often take a back seat. A cursory look at the most popular high school textbooks will tell us that the majority of them cater to teaching STEM subjects. It is important, however, to understand the natural inclination some students have for art and design and guide them towards these careers and educational qualifications. 

Another obstacle is the understanding that the career paths here are not lucrative. While artists and designers can make good money once they’ve properly established themselves in their career, there is no doubt that it is a difficult and challenging path to follow, that requires a lot of dedication, passion, and consistent hard work. 

Both art and design, although considered slightly different fields, are closely related and do often complement each other. An artist must be able to apply certain principles of design, and a designer must be well versed in several artistic presentations. This is why degrees in art and design often cover topics that are common to both of these fields. 

A good art and design major would emphasize on a lot of practical work and portfolio building, and developing key skill sets in areas such as drawing, color coordination, perspectives, etc. This is a very competitive field, for which the more skills and talents you develop, the better. Here are some popular majors in Art and Design that can get you a stable career: 

1. Fashion Design – fashion design degrees prepare you for roles anywhere in the fashion industry. They teach you the basic processes of stitching, clothes manufacturing, designing prints and patterns, and the history of fashion. Fashion designing is a rather exciting and well paid career, once you get the hang of it. Career options include working with textiles, jewelry making, printmaking, etc.

2. Photography – a good photography degree would help you develop a strong talent for taking good pictures, and all the technicalities involved with it. They cover topics like the exposure triangle (which includes shutter speed, aperture, and ISO), lighting, framing, and color coordination. Photography career options include event photography, photojournalism, wildlife photography, etc.

3. Graphic Design – graphic design degrees are more technical and involve using computer softwares like Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator and teach you how to create designs and patterns for magazines, websites, video games, and logos. Career options with a degree in graphic design are varied. You can either go into fields like the video game industry, or other fields like logo design, user interface, or app development. As a graphic designer, you also have the option to work freelance. 

4. Interior Design – interior design majors cover aspects of furniture design, decorations, lighting, and some parts of graphic design. They teach students how to choose the right lighting, designs, patterns, furniture, and color combinations for any indoor setting including conference rooms, halls, bedrooms, dining rooms, etc. Careers in interior designing would involve working with architects, furniture designers, and textile manufacturers, in order to create comfortable and esthetically pleasing interiors.

5. Film/Media Studies – film or media studies teaches students the technicalities and the artistic creation process of videos and films, covering aspects of editing, managing sounds, foley, and cinematography. Like other art and design degrees, they also look at artistic processes like color coordination, framing, costume design, set design, etc. While it is an extremely difficult and competitive field to get into, it is also a really exciting and fun field to major in.

6. Landscape Design – degrees in landscape design teach students how to create organized and esthetically pleasing installations in public and private areas like roads, parks, schools, commercial buildings, etc. They are taught how to work with not just plants, shrubs and trees, but also how to plan and organize parking spots or water fountains that would be best environmentally and also for the overall convenience of visitors and residents.    

There are also other majors in art and design like Fine Arts or Art History, that may be interesting options.