Is It Worth Going for a Masters in an Art Field
Art History Careers
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Art history majors study and clarify famous works of art, and art history programs teach skills related to research, critical thinking, and communication. Graduates tin pursue a variety of positions, including roles every bit curators, archivists, and professors.
On this page, readers can detect information nigh art history careers and salaries, resource for art history majors, and answers to frequently asked questions.
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Why Pursue a Career in Fine art History?
Graduates can pursue many different careers with an art history degree, including jobs in museums, archives, and schools. Art history students gain analytical thinking and communication skills. Students too learn how to research and evaluate artwork and historical documents.
Art history careers often crave workers with potent organizational, planning, and creative skills. Near of these careers take identify predominantly indoors or behind a desk-bound. Research positions require long periods of focused, contained work, while curator and educator jobs require candidates with splendid interpersonal and communication skills.
Fine art History Career Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects ix% growth for archivists, curators, and museum workers betwixt 2018 and 2028. These professionals brand an annual median salary of $49,850. Job applicants usually need at least a available's degree, although some positions require a master'due south degree.
The table below displays the median almanac salaries for a few mutual art history careers. This table explores salaries for different levels of experience, from entry-level workers to experienced professionals.
| Job Championship | Entry-Level (0-12 months) | Early on Career (1-4 Years) | Midcareer (5-nine Years) | Experienced (10-19 Years) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine art Teacher | $38,810 | $41,000 | $45,610 | $51,240 |
| Postsecondary Professor | $60,520 | $lx,550 | $69,830 | $86,780 |
| Museum Curator | Northward/A | $42,830 | $50,480 | $lx,000 |
| Art Gallery Curator | Due north/A | $43,380 | $49,480 | $fifty,180 |
Source: PayScale
Skills Gained With an Art History Degree
Fine art history programs assistance students develop skills that are applicative to art history careers and roles in many other fields. Analyzing fine art pieces by giving presentations and writing research papers builds research, communication, and analytical abilities, while also introducing students to artistic techniques, historic eras, and cultures from around the world.
Showroom designers, museum curators, art buyers, and tour guides tin can apply this knowledge in museum and gallery positions.
Students larn to determine the artist, era, and medium of a piece of fine art. Learners as well examine pieces for meaning. These tasks develop analytical abilities that aid art buyers and consultants gauge the value of art. Students also gain problem-solving skills they tin can use in direction positions.
To analyze a piece, students must consider small details of the work. For case, color variations can bear upon a work'due south meaning and architecture depicted in a painting can reveal the piece of work's timeframe. This attention to detail can also help museum workers and art buyers audit pieces for damage. This ability likewise benefits effect planners, managers, and photographers.
Art history students often write papers and deliver presentations on specific pieces, eras, artists, and regions. These assignments prepare learners for positions that crave stiff exact and written advice skills, including roles as tour guides, art history writers, and museum curators. These skills besides apply to careers in other disciplines, such as public relations, speech writing, and news reporting.
Students perform enquiry to determine cultural and historical elements in artwork. Conducting enquiry can also assistance students amend understand artists, connections between eras, and stories behind pieces, such equally Greek myths in Renaissance works. Research skills are useful in many fields.
Art history programs include explorations of fine art from diverse geographic areas, such as Greece, Rome, Espana, China, and the United States. Students explore global history and cultures, gaining knowledge they tin can apply to positions in fine art museums. This global awareness is also benign for public relations specialists and politicians.
Art History Career Paths
Art history programs may offering concentrations related to a unmarried artistic method, such equally architecture, or an era, like the Middle Ages. Each concentration prepares students for specific art history career opportunities.
For example, students who programme to oversee museums can pursue a museum studies concentration. Aspiring art consultants, on the other hand, can look for programs that focus on sure artistic eras.
Upon graduating, art history students tin can pursue careers every bit museum archivists, educators, and cocky-employed artists, amongst many other positions. Read on to learn more well-nigh how to begin a career in this field.
How to Get-go Your Career in Fine art History
Many art history careers require a postsecondary degree. Some jobs, similar museum technicians, simply require a bachelor's degree. Other professionals in the field, including archivists, curators, and conservators, need a master'due south degree in art history or a related field. Additionally, most positions in postsecondary education require a principal'southward degree or higher.
Internships and volunteering tin help young professionals find their footing as they look for careers with an art history degree. Some employers may accept professionals with a lower degree level if they accept lots of applied experience in the field.
Acquaintance Degree in Fine art History
An associate in art history qualifies graduates for positions as museum tour guides, photographers, and desktop publishers. The curriculum of an associate plan as well helps learners understand aesthetics related to various types of artistry, such every bit knitting, sculpting, cake decorating, quilting, and fashion blueprint.
Associate programs typically require about 60 credits of general didactics and major courses. General education courses provide a solid foundation in the humanities and assist learners ready for careers in many fields.
What Tin You Do With an Associate in Art History?
Photographers may take pictures to sell as artwork or contribute images to news pieces. These professionals may likewise manage portrait sessions at studios. Responsibilities frequently include designing sets for photo sessions and editing photos with software. This career does non always crave a degree, simply an acquaintance in art history helps students develop applicative knowledge and skills.
Bacon: $36,280
Desktop publishers develop layouts for print and virtual materials, such as brochures and newspapers. These professionals may work with other designers and writers, and they use software to identify images. This position requires an associate degree.
Salary: $45,390
Tour guides lead groups through places of cultural or historic significance and provide data on settings and pieces. For example, museums may hire tour guides to explain pieces of art and their historic context to customers. Aspiring art museum tour guides can earn an associate in art history to demonstrate their noesis of the field.
Bacon: $30,490
Bachelor'due south Degree in Art History
Art history bachelor's programs typically require nigh 120 credits and include several cadre fine art history courses. Learners explore more art history topics, techniques, and eras than students in acquaintance programs, gaining a deeper understanding of the field.
Bachelor's programs typically allow participants to take several elective courses, and they may also offering certifications and minors relevant to certain careers. For example, an aspiring fine art buyer may have finance electives.
Professionals with a bachelor's caste and sufficient experience often notice work as museum technicians, purchasing agents, and showroom designers. Learners can too use their art history knowledge to plan events with creative or celebrated themes.
What Can Y'all Do With a Bachelor's in Art History?
Museum technicians assist maintain the rubber of museum pieces. These professionals tend to insurance matters, assess the risk associated with relocating pieces, and keep records. Technicians may also communicate with museums interested in borrowing pieces. This position often requires a bachelor's degree in a field related to museum work, such as art history.
Salary: $49,850
These planners manage events that reflect diverse consumer objectives. They consider budgets, schedules, locations, and meals for events similar weddings and business meetings. Museums may hire planners to launch new programs or exhibits. These positions typically require a bachelor's degree.
Salary: $50,600
Art directors communicate with clients before designing sets and publications. These professionals may build budgets, lead other designers, brand decisions virtually images and layouts, authorize finished pieces, and offering completed products to customers. Organizations ofttimes crave art directors to hold a bachelor's degree.
Salary: $94,220
These designers develop exhibits that fulfill specific purposes. For example, an art museum's exhibit may showcase works connected to a certain artist or time menstruation. Designers draft exhibit structures using software, manage installation details, and ensure that exhibits remain in working order. Exhibit designers typically need a bachelor'due south degree.
Salary: $48,970
These workers manage the ownership and selling of products for companies, such as art pieces for museums. These professionals identify trustworthy sellers, decide on pricing, create contracts, and keep records. A bachelor's in fine art history helps students develop knowledge about sure artistic periods and works, which prepares them to perform these tasks for art museums.
Salary: $69,600
Master'due south Degree in Fine art History
Career options expand for art history majors who earn a primary's degree. These programs assistance learners develop an in-depth understanding of the field, qualifying them for positions as museum curators and archivists. Master'southward students often consummate a capstone, such as a thesis or a projection.
Main's caste-holders can likewise shape fine art curricula for K-12 school districts, which requires advanced research skills and art history knowledge. Fine art history primary's programs likewise train students to make connections between art and civilization and gain insights into past civilizations, which is a necessary skill for sociologists.
What Tin can Y'all Do With a Master's in Art History?
Archivists manage and organize records for museums. They may also oversee museum programs, guide museum employees working on exhibits, and create policies regarding museum pieces. These professionals typically demand a chief's in a relevant field, such as history or archival science.
Salary: $53,950
Curators manage museum pieces and objects. Responsibilities include buying new items and coordinating exhibits. Curators may communicate with other museums about lending pieces, oversee museum research, and human activity as a spokesperson at events. Curators typically demand a master'south degree in a relevant field, including fine art history.
Salary: $54,570
Conservators maintain museum records and make decisions on piece conservation. They oftentimes work with technology, such every bit X-ray machines, to make up one's mind each slice's needs. Conservators may also enquiry and write on field topics and help with museum programs. These professionals need a chief's in conservation or a similar subject field.
Salary: $44,430
Instructional coordinators analyze data to decide learning needs for school districts. Coordinators offer advice on educational activity techniques, curriculum alterations, course materials, and new technologies. They may also oversee kinesthesia workshops. Graduates of art history principal's programs tin can perform these tasks for courses related to their field.
Bacon: $66,290
Sociologists explore the behavior of individuals and groups through research and experimentation. These professionals publish findings in books, scholarly journals, and online articles. Students earning an art history master'southward degree ready for this position past examining the culture, history, and meaning in artwork. Sociologists typically need a master's caste.
Salary: $83,420
Doctoral Degree in Art History
A doctoral degree is the highest level of education and typically requires students to consummate a dissertation on an art history topic. Dissertation requirements may involve taking several inquiry classes and giving an oral defense.
A doctoral degree qualifies graduates to teach at universities and oversee college departments. Doctoral degree-holders qualify for some of the nearly lucrative fine art history careers, which tin can exist extremely competitive. A doctoral degree tin also help applicants stand out when pursuing positions with lower educational requirements.
What Can You Do With a Doctorate in Fine art History?
The responsibilities of postsecondary education administrators vary based on their specific position. Administrators may piece of work as deans and provosts, disposed to budgets and policies. Depending on the position, higher education administrators by and large require a master's or doctorate.
Bacon: $95,410
Postsecondary educators teach college courses within their discipline. These educators create syllabi, provide feedback on student assignments, and offering guidance on course registration. Professors may also suggest curriculum changes to their department and publish scholarly pieces. Colleges and universities typically require postsecondary teachers to hold a doctorate.
Salary: $79,540
How to Accelerate Your Career in Art History
Employers oftentimes consider feel when awarding promotions. However, professionals can have advantage of other methods to motility their career frontwards. For example, earning boosted education or certification can make an art history professional more desirable to employers. This can also pb to a higher salary.
In the following sections, readers can find data well-nigh how to advance their art history careers. Readers can acquire about certification and licensure opportunities, continuing educational activity, and other hereafter steps to take.
Certifications
The Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA) provides certification for professional archivists, including art historian archivists. ACA requires that candidates take an examination nearly archival practices and standards. The organization charges an examination fee and a certification fee for candidates who pass the exam.
Certification lasts five years, after which professionals must renew their credentials.
Continuing Education
Continuing education offers professionals a take chances to advance their skills or learn more than about their field without needing to return to school and earn another degree. Art history professionals tin find continuing education courses through professional organizations and museums.
Most continuing education programs utilize to specific careers. For instance, museum curators can detect continuing educational activity opportunities with the Center for Curatorial Leadership, while art teachers tin find options through online programs, community colleges, and universities.
Next Steps
Fine art history professionals looking to advance their careers should look for opportunities to improve their skills and make new connections. Some workers join professional organizations, which often offer resources, conferences, continuing education opportunities, and certification.
While professionals typically pay for membership, the benefits of joining a professional organization can far outweigh the cost. In particular, professional organizations provide opportunities for networking with peers and leaders in the field.
How to Switch Your Career to Fine art History
Some art history professionals, such as art history archivists and museum technicians, must concur degrees in fine art history. Professionals in these careers need actual fine art history knowledge to carry out their jobs effectively.
Other positions, such every bit full general archivists, museum curators, and educators, may allow more than flexibility when it comes to entering the field. Available's and graduate degrees in the humanities or advice may translate well.
Professionals considering a career change should carefully assess the skills and knowledge they need for their desired task before deciding how to proceed.
Where Can You Work as an Art History Professional?
Art history cognition is applicable to many careers in museums, and the degree provides an understanding of aesthetics to aid graduates develop new art.
Students also proceeds insights into historic eras, which can set them for teaching careers and for positions advising individuals and organizations on fine art purchases. Graduates can too help theatrical companies choose realistic costumes, settings, and stage props for menses plays.
When choosing a school, learners should consider which manufacture they plan to enter to ensure their program offers relevant preparation.
Colleges and universities educate students in a diverseness of fields, including fine art history. Depending on their education level, graduates tin can teach art history courses or work as administrative administration, deans, and provosts.
These sites familiarize the public with culture and history past showcasing artistic pieces from dissimilar eras and geographic locations. Fine art history graduates tin can work as museum curators, technicians, purchasing agents, and bout guides.
These fields focus on developing public awareness of products and services, along with fostering relationships between companies and consumers. Art history graduates tin can perform these tasks for museums, historical sites, and galleries.
Performing arts companies put on productions, including plays, ballets, magic shows, and concerts. These companies may consult fine art history graduates when designing costumes and sets for historic pieces.
This industry includes diverse types of art, such as writing and music. Art history graduates with a solid understanding of aesthetics can excel in these positions. Professionals can also utilize their fine art history cognition to create pieces that explore past cultures and ideas.
Interview With a Professional in Art History
Designated every bit a master personal holding appraiser past the National Auctioneers Clan, Megan Mahn Miller earned a bachelor's degree in fine art history from the University of Minnesota. Mahn Miller began her career working for nonprofit organizations supporting the arts. In 2006, Mahn Miller joined Julien's Auctions -- an internationally renowned auction house of rock and whorl and Hollywood memorabilia.
Mahn Miller attended the Reppert School of auctioneering in 2009. In 2014, Mahn Miller established Mahn Miller Collective Inc. to provide appraisal and consultation services beyond the auction business firm.
Mahn Miller continues to piece of work with Julien'due south as a consulting sales specialist. She has also taught an appraisal written report writing class for the National Auctioneers Association and is a contributor to the WorthPoint newsletter.
Initially, I thought I would study anthropology with an emphasis on fine art. My freshman year, I took classes in both and it turned out my aptitude was in art history. Anthropology became the emphasis.
At that fourth dimension, in the early on 1990s, students were being told that having a liberal arts degree was all that mattered -- that your bodily degree subject area was secondary. In one way, that was very freeing because I had no idea what I was going to practice with my degree, just [it was] very unsupportive in some other. I had to make a special effort to discover internships and outside projects to build credentials while studying. Art has always been important to me, merely information technology took time to figure out how to brand information technology a career.
How to say this delicately… there are a lot of people who don't take this degree seriously. And that is unfair. The written report is rigorous and tin incorporate many dissimilar areas of study. My personal interest was the intersection of women's studies and fine art. The connections to other subjects are endless.
The business of art is evolving; how art is sold, what is bought, who is ownership. This creates a lot of fearfulness from people who have been in the business and only worked in ane way. It creates opportunities for immature people entering the field to innovate.
I was very lucky that when I graduated -- jobs were easily obtained. I started at a museum in an entry-level position. Afterwards, I moved into arts programming on a customs level. It was helpful for me to discover how I wanted to contain my degree into my job. I enjoyed pedagogy, something I discovered while assisting on a projection at our campus museum. Getting art out to the public was a passion. Once I understood that, it informed my job search.
To be honest, I accept been called a unicorn. Information technology would be helpful for someone undertaking this degree to have a clear thought of what they want to do with information technology.
I idea I was going to end upward in academia. As a student, that was all I knew. Academia is a great choice, but the reality is at that place are non that many positions for professors.
A person with an fine art history degree tin can piece of work at an auction house or museum, but you should know what capacity yous are interested in.
If it is curating, what specifically draws you to that position? If it is business development for an auction house, what courses volition you take in order to complement your degree? If yous want to represent artists or open up a gallery, volition you know how to become funding or clients? If you desire to restore artwork, where will you written report subsequently completing your degree?
I accept met very few people whose career paths followed a straight line -- and thank goodness. Y'all will learn so much along the way. My path was winding, and in the end information technology was luck that brought me to appraising.
At the aforementioned fourth dimension, an art history educatee needs to have control of their destiny. Their degree is non going to exist plenty. Internships, informational interviews, and connecting with people whose jobs they remember they want will put them in a better position to get hired one time they leave school.
I worked as a property specialist at an sale firm for 12 years. I loved it, but it stopped existence challenging. I was getting feedback from my peers and mentors that appraising was something I could and should pursue.
Yous don't need to open up your ain business to be an appraiser. It was the right choice for me. There are a number of careers in art history that lend themselves to beingness a solopreneur, but information technology isn't anybody's fate.
What I primarily want to do every solar day is research. That is my passion. I enjoy that each assignment I take is unlike, so I am always learning. When I was working at the auction house, I loved how every 24-hour interval was dissimilar and the excitement of the auctions.
As a solopreneur, my job is challenging because I am non only the appraiser only too the receptionist, business developer, and webmaster. At the auction house, the deadlines were a challenge, as were the multiple ways that a consignor or buyer can exist disappointed.
Find out near as many possible careers as possible where y'all can use your caste. Get internships. Talk to people in the industry or at the corporation where you want to piece of work. Detect complementary disciplines to study that will brand you more bonny for the position you lot desire. Don't get frustrated if your career trajectory isn't a directly line.
Don't exist afraid to enquire for help. Observe a mentor who volition encourage you and help you grow professionally.
Resources for Art History Majors
Art history professionals tin can have reward of educational and professional resource to advance their careers.
Beneath, readers can discover information about art history resource for educators, curators, and researchers. These resources feature professional organizations and postsecondary institutions and include archives of art history sources and professional conferences.
Higher Art Association of America: CAA focuses on the visual arts and delivers an almanac briefing and international programs. The association provides links to various publications and all-time practices. Members tin browse open careers through an online career center.
Association of Art Museum Curators: AAMC educates the public on the responsibilities of a curator. The group provides several resources, including a forum for educational discussions and data on programs, fellowships, and internships. Members tin can speak at the association's annual briefing and scan career opportunities through the website. The association also offers workshops related to curation and webinars on management, technology, and social media.
Art History Teaching Resources: Through this organization'due south website, art history educators tin can detect lesson plans on specific eras, including Byzantine, Greek, Roman, medieval, and Renaissance art. Visitors can too browse resource related to museum experiences and volume recommendations. AHTR as well connects professionals with journals, blogs, and workshops.
Yale Academy Library: This library provides art history databases that focus on art, architecture, drama and theater studies, and general humanities. However, users may need separate accounts to access manufactures through certain databases, such equally JSTOR. The website also links visitors to WorldCat, where they can find local libraries offering item books.
JSTOR: Through JSTOR, users tin can access scholarly eastward-books and articles on multiple topics. Art history students can find sources on Asian, ancient, and medieval fine art. Many schools provide students with JSTOR access. Learners without school admission can annals for an private business relationship.
Metropolitan Museum of Fine art: The Met offers classroom resources that cover multiple eras and cultures, such as the aboriginal Near Due east, the Renaissance, and Byzantine art. The Met also provides exhibitions and programs for elementary, eye, and loftier school students. Teachers can participate in museum workshops, attend events, and browse art history publications through the website.
Massachusetts Art Education Association: MAEA provides resources related to art education, advancement, and art history. The group also delivers exhibits on topics such as art educational activity and photography. Members can request conference workshops, and the website provides data about career opportunities and state licensure.
SECAC: Formerly known as the Southeastern College Art Conference, SECAC focuses on visual arts at the postsecondary level. The organization hosts a conference and publishes a semiannual newsletter and a journal called Art Inquiries. Its website includes reviews of exhibitions and a listing of chore openings.
Clan of Historians of American Art: This clan focuses on American fine art, beginning before colonization. AHAA participates in CAA'due south annual briefing and delivers its ain symposium every two years. The organization also publishes a journal. Members benefit from networking opportunities, including a directory and a syllabus-sharing tool. Members can also access online volume reviews.
Renaissance Society of America: The RSA focuses on culture and history from the years 1300-1700. The club offers an annual conference and accepts proposals for event seminars. The RSA publishes a journal and works with the Digital Humanities Summer Found to provide financial assist to students. The order likewise delivers fellowships and a mentoring program for individuals who are new to the field.
Tangible Things - Harvard: This course explores history through artwork, artifacts, and scientific specimens. Students learn about museum curation through an examination of historical and creative items collected by Harvard University. The class explains how museum collections tin shape academic disciplines and reinforce cultural ideas.
Hollywood: History, Industry, Fine art - University of Pennsylvania: Students explore the history of motion-picture show and how the industry of Hollywood has grown and changed over the years. This form demonstrates how earth events are reflected through the art of film. Students also larn almost the engineering science that advanced and shaped this fine art class, from colour cinematography to computer-generated special effects.
Inspiring and Motivating Arts and Culture Teams - Academy of Michigan: The University of Michigan presents this form through its business schoolhouse in collaboration with National Arts Strategies. The class teaches valuable skills in motivation and communication. Students as well acquire to effectively present ideas and inspire squad members to produce desired results.
Arts and Civilization Strategy - University of Pennsylvania: This course helps develop effective leadership among professionals with careers in the arts. Students acquire to develop and pb arts organizations in a sustainable manner. Those who finish the grade earn a certificate of completion.
Art History - Periodical of the Association for Art History: This journal publishes essays nigh new methods and areas of business organisation in the field of art history. The periodical goes to impress five times a year and takes submissions from established and emerging fine art history scholars. Readers can subscribe online or in print.
Oxford Art Periodical: This publication offers critical works about art history topics. The journal includes articles about fine art across all disciplines and eras. Readers can find pieces that offer political analysis of visual fine art and essays offering critiques of fine art and civilization across the world. Readers can subscribe online or in print.
The Fine art Bulletin: Published by the College Art Clan of America, this journal prints scholarly essays almost art history practices in museums, universities, and other institutions. The publication as well offers peer-reviewed articles about art history topics across time periods and styles. This journal goes to impress four times a year and encourages debate about the gimmicky practice of art history. Readers can subscribe online or in print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Art history majors can pursue work as museum curators, researchers, archivists, and educators. Graduates with an fine art history background tin likewise find careers in business concern.
Salaries for art history careers differ depending on a worker'southward job championship, experience level, location. However, the BLS reports that the median annual salary for archivists, curators, and museum workers is $49,850.
Many customs colleges and four-year universities offer on-campus and online fine art history programs. Students may pursue an associate, available's, master's, or doctoral degree in this field.
Art history degrees provide essential skills related to creative and belittling thinking, organization and research, management of resources, and communication. Graduates may use these skills to earn a job in art history or branch out to other fields, such every bit business and didactics.
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