What Can You Do With a Art History Degree
Art History Careers
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Fine art history majors study and analyze famous works of fine art, and art history programs teach skills related to research, critical thinking, and advice. Graduates can pursue a diverseness of positions, including roles as curators, archivists, and professors.
On this page, readers can find information well-nigh fine 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 Art History?
Graduates can pursue many different careers with an fine art history degree, including jobs in museums, archives, and schools. Fine art history students proceeds analytical thinking and advice skills. Students also learn how to research and evaluate artwork and historical documents.
Fine art history careers frequently require workers with strong organizational, planning, and creative skills. About of these careers have place predominantly indoors or backside a desk. Research positions require long periods of focused, independent piece of work, while curator and educator jobs require candidates with excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Art History Career Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects 9% growth for archivists, curators, and museum workers between 2018 and 2028. These professionals make an almanac median salary of $49,850. Job applicants commonly need at least a available'due south degree, although some positions require a master's degree.
The table below displays the median annual salaries for a few common art history careers. This table explores salaries for different levels of feel, from entry-level workers to experienced professionals.
| Job Championship | Entry-Level (0-12 months) | Early Career (1-four Years) | Midcareer (5-nine Years) | Experienced (10-19 Years) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art Teacher | $38,810 | $41,000 | $45,610 | $51,240 |
| Postsecondary Professor | $60,520 | $60,550 | $69,830 | $86,780 |
| Museum Curator | Northward/A | $42,830 | $fifty,480 | $sixty,000 |
| Fine art Gallery Curator | Due north/A | $43,380 | $49,480 | $50,180 |
Source: PayScale
Skills Gained With an Art History Degree
Fine art history programs assist students develop skills that are applicable to art history careers and roles in many other fields. Analyzing art pieces by giving presentations and writing research papers builds research, advice, and belittling abilities, while also introducing students to creative techniques, historic eras, and cultures from around the world.
Exhibit designers, museum curators, art buyers, and bout guides can use this knowledge in museum and gallery positions.
Students learn to make up one's mind the creative person, era, and medium of a slice of art. Learners likewise examine pieces for meaning. These tasks develop analytical abilities that help art buyers and consultants guess the value of art. Students as well gain problem-solving skills they can use in management positions.
To analyze a piece, students must consider small details of the work. For example, color variations tin can touch a work's meaning and compages depicted in a painting can reveal the work's timeframe. This attention to detail tin besides help museum workers and art buyers inspect pieces for damage. This ability as well benefits effect planners, managers, and photographers.
Art history students often write papers and evangelize presentations on specific pieces, eras, artists, and regions. These assignments set learners for positions that require strong verbal and written communication skills, including roles as bout guides, art history writers, and museum curators. These skills also apply to careers in other disciplines, such as public relations, speech writing, and news reporting.
Students perform research to decide cultural and historical elements in artwork. Conducting enquiry can also assistance students better sympathise 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 art from various geographic areas, such as Greece, Rome, Kingdom of spain, Mainland china, and the U.s.. Students explore global history and cultures, gaining knowledge they can employ to positions in art museums. This global awareness is also beneficial for public relations specialists and politicians.
Fine art History Career Paths
Art history programs may offer concentrations related to a unmarried artistic method, such as architecture, or an era, like the Middle Ages. Each concentration prepares students for specific art history career opportunities.
For example, students who plan to oversee museums can pursue a museum studies concentration. Aspiring art consultants, on the other mitt, tin can expect for programs that focus on certain creative eras.
Upon graduating, fine art history students can pursue careers as museum archivists, educators, and cocky-employed artists, among many other positions. Read on to larn more than about how to begin a career in this field.
How to First Your Career in Art History
Many art history careers require a postsecondary caste. Some jobs, like museum technicians, merely require a bachelor's caste. Other professionals in the field, including archivists, curators, and conservators, need a master's caste in art history or a related field. Additionally, most positions in postsecondary education require a chief's degree or higher.
Internships and volunteering can help young professionals notice their footing equally they expect for careers with an art history caste. Some employers may accept professionals with a lower degree level if they accept lots of applied experience in the field.
Associate Degree in Art History
An associate in art history qualifies graduates for positions as museum bout guides, photographers, and desktop publishers. The curriculum of an acquaintance plan also helps learners understand aesthetics related to various types of artistry, such as knitting, sculpting, cake decorating, quilting, and fashion design.
Associate programs typically crave nigh sixty credits of full general education and major courses. Full general education courses provide a solid foundation in the humanities and aid learners ready for careers in many fields.
What Tin can You Practise With an Associate in Art History?
Photographers may have pictures to sell as artwork or contribute images to news pieces. These professionals may likewise manage portrait sessions at studios. Responsibilities often include designing sets for photo sessions and editing photos with software. This career does not ever require a degree, but an acquaintance in art history helps students develop applicable knowledge and skills.
Salary: $36,280
Desktop publishers develop layouts for print and virtual materials, such every bit brochures and newspapers. These professionals may work with other designers and writers, and they use software to identify images. This position requires an acquaintance caste.
Salary: $45,390
Tour guides lead groups through places of cultural or historic significance and provide information on settings and pieces. For case, museums may hire tour guides to explain pieces of art and their celebrated context to customers. Aspiring art museum tour guides tin earn an associate in art history to demonstrate their knowledge of the field.
Salary: $30,490
Available'southward Degree in Fine art History
Art history bachelor's programs typically require about 120 credits and include several cadre art history courses. Learners explore more than art history topics, techniques, and eras than students in associate programs, gaining a deeper understanding of the field.
Bachelor'south programs typically allow participants to take several elective courses, and they may besides offering certifications and minors relevant to sure careers. For instance, an aspiring art heir-apparent may take finance electives.
Professionals with a bachelor's degree and sufficient experience ofttimes discover work equally museum technicians, purchasing agents, and showroom designers. Learners can also use their art history knowledge to plan events with artistic or celebrated themes.
What Can You Exercise With a Bachelor's in Art History?
Museum technicians help maintain the safety of museum pieces. These professionals tend to insurance matters, appraise the run a risk associated with relocating pieces, and go along records. Technicians may as well communicate with museums interested in borrowing pieces. This position ofttimes requires a bachelor's caste in a field related to museum work, such as art history.
Bacon: $49,850
These planners manage events that reflect various consumer objectives. They consider budgets, schedules, locations, and meals for events like weddings and concern meetings. Museums may hire planners to launch new programs or exhibits. These positions typically crave a available's degree.
Salary: $50,600
Fine art directors communicate with clients before designing sets and publications. These professionals may build budgets, lead other designers, make decisions about images and layouts, qualify finished pieces, and offer completed products to customers. Organizations oftentimes crave art directors to concur a bachelor's degree.
Bacon: $94,220
These designers develop exhibits that fulfill specific purposes. For case, an art museum'south exhibit may showcase works connected to a certain artist or time period. Designers draft exhibit structures using software, manage installation details, and ensure that exhibits remain in working order. Exhibit designers typically need a bachelor's caste.
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, make up one's mind on pricing, create contracts, and go on records. A bachelor's in fine art history helps students develop knowledge almost certain artistic periods and works, which prepares them to perform these tasks for art museums.
Bacon: $69,600
Main's Degree in Art History
Career options expand for fine art history majors who earn a master'due south degree. These programs assist learners develop an in-depth understanding of the field, qualifying them for positions as museum curators and archivists. Primary'due south students frequently complete a capstone, such every bit a thesis or a project.
Master's degree-holders can too shape fine art curricula for K-12 school districts, which requires advanced enquiry skills and art history cognition. Art history master'south programs too train students to make connections between art and culture and gain insights into past civilizations, which is a necessary skill for sociologists.
What Tin You Practice With a Main's in Fine art History?
Archivists manage and organize records for museums. They may too oversee museum programs, guide museum employees working on exhibits, and create policies regarding museum pieces. These professionals typically need a master's in a relevant field, such as history or archival scientific discipline.
Salary: $53,950
Curators manage museum pieces and objects. Responsibilities include buying new items and coordinating exhibits. Curators may communicate with other museums well-nigh lending pieces, oversee museum research, and human action as a spokesperson at events. Curators typically demand a master's caste in a relevant field, including fine art history.
Salary: $54,570
Conservators maintain museum records and brand decisions on piece conservation. They often work with applied science, such equally X-ray machines, to determine each piece's needs. Conservators may also research and write on field topics and help with museum programs. These professionals demand a main's in conservation or a similar subject area.
Salary: $44,430
Instructional coordinators analyze data to determine learning needs for school districts. Coordinators offer advice on teaching techniques, curriculum alterations, course materials, and new technologies. They may also oversee faculty workshops. Graduates of art history master's programs tin perform these tasks for courses related to their field.
Salary: $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 chief'south degree prepare for this position by examining the culture, history, and significant in artwork. Sociologists typically need a primary's caste.
Bacon: $83,420
Doctoral Degree in Art History
A doctoral caste is the highest level of pedagogy and typically requires students to complete 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 higher departments. Doctoral degree-holders qualify for some of the most lucrative fine art history careers, which can be extremely competitive. A doctoral degree can also aid applicants stand out when pursuing positions with lower educational requirements.
What Can You Exercise With a Doctorate in Art History?
The responsibilities of postsecondary education administrators vary based on their specific position. Administrators may work equally deans and provosts, disposed to budgets and policies. Depending on the position, college education administrators mostly require a chief'south or doctorate.
Salary: $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 besides 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 Advance Your Career in Fine art History
Employers frequently consider experience when awarding promotions. Still, professionals tin take reward of other methods to motility their career forward. For instance, earning boosted teaching or certification tin can make an fine art history professional more than desirable to employers. This can also lead to a college bacon.
In the following sections, readers can observe information about how to advance their art history careers. Readers can learn near certification and licensure opportunities, standing instruction, and other future steps to accept.
Certifications
The Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA) provides certification for professional archivists, including art historian archivists. ACA requires that candidates accept an exam about archival practices and standards. The organization charges an examination fee and a certification fee for candidates who laissez passer the test.
Certification lasts five years, after which professionals must renew their credentials.
Continuing Education
Continuing education offers professionals a hazard to accelerate their skills or acquire more about their field without needing to return to school and earn another caste. Art history professionals can find standing pedagogy courses through professional organizations and museums.
Most continuing didactics programs apply to specific careers. For example, museum curators tin find standing education opportunities with the Eye for Curatorial Leadership, while art teachers can 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 amend 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 organisation can far outweigh the cost. In item, professional organizations provide opportunities for networking with peers and leaders in the field.
How to Switch Your Career to Art History
Some fine art history professionals, such as fine art history archivists and museum technicians, must agree degrees in fine art history. Professionals in these careers need bodily art history knowledge to carry out their jobs finer.
Other positions, such as general archivists, museum curators, and educators, may let more flexibility when information technology comes to entering the field. Bachelor'southward and graduate degrees in the humanities or advice may translate well.
Professionals because a career change should carefully appraise the skills and knowledge they need for their desired chore before deciding how to go on.
Where Tin You lot Work as an Art History Professional person?
Art history knowledge is applicative to many careers in museums, and the degree provides an understanding of aesthetics to help graduates develop new art.
Students also gain insights into historic eras, which tin can prepare them for instruction careers and for positions advising individuals and organizations on art purchases. Graduates can also help theatrical companies choose realistic costumes, settings, and stage props for catamenia plays.
When choosing a school, learners should consider which industry they plan to enter to ensure their plan offers relevant preparation.
Colleges and universities educate students in a variety of fields, including art history. Depending on their teaching level, graduates can teach art history courses or work equally administrative assistants, deans, and provosts.
These sites familiarize the public with culture and history by showcasing artistic pieces from different eras and geographic locations. Art history graduates can work equally 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 art history graduates when designing costumes and sets for historic pieces.
This manufacture includes various types of fine art, such as writing and music. Art history graduates with a solid understanding of aesthetics can excel in these positions. Professionals can also use their art history cognition to create pieces that explore past cultures and ideas.
Interview With a Professional in Art History
Megan Mahn Miller
Designated as a master personal property appraiser by 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 stone and roll 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 across the auction business firm.
Mahn Miller continues to work with Julien's as a consulting sales specialist. She has also taught an appraisal study 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 art. My freshman year, I took classes in both and it turned out my bent was in art history. Anthropology became the accent.
At that time, in the early on 1990s, students were being told that having a liberal arts degree was all that mattered -- that your actual degree subject was secondary. In one way, that was very freeing considering I had no idea what I was going to do with my degree, but [it was] very unsupportive in another. I had to make a special effort to find internships and outside projects to build credentials while studying. Art has always been important to me, just it took time to figure out how to make it a career.
How to say this delicately… in that location are a lot of people who don't take this degree seriously. And that is unfair. The study is rigorous and can incorporate many unlike areas of study. My personal interest was the intersection of women's studies and art. The connections to other subjects are countless.
The business organization of art is evolving; how fine art is sold, what is bought, who is buying. This creates a lot of fear from people who accept 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. Later, I moved into arts programming on a community level. It was helpful for me to discover how I wanted to contain my degree into my job. I enjoyed education, something I discovered while assisting on a projection at our campus museum. Getting art out to the public was a passion. In one case I understood that, it informed my job search.
To be honest, I have been called a unicorn. It would be helpful for someone undertaking this caste to have a clear idea of what they want to do with information technology.
I thought I was going to end upwards in academia. As a student, that was all I knew. Academia is a great selection, but the reality is there are not that many positions for professors.
A person with an fine art history caste can work at an auction house or museum, but yous should know what chapters y'all are interested in.
If it is curating, what specifically draws y'all to that position? If it is business organisation development for an auction firm, what courses will y'all take in social club to complement your degree? If you want to represent artists or open up a gallery, will you lot know how to get funding or clients? If y'all want to restore artwork, where will y'all study after completing your degree?
I accept met very few people whose career paths followed a straight line -- and give thanks goodness. You will learn and then much along the fashion. My path was winding, and in the end it was luck that brought me to appraising.
At the same time, an art history student needs to accept control of their destiny. Their degree is not going to be enough. Internships, informational interviews, and connecting with people whose jobs they recall they want volition put them in a better position to get hired in one case they go out school.
I worked as a holding specialist at an auction house for 12 years. I loved it, simply it stopped existence challenging. I was getting feedback from my peers and mentors that appraising was something I could and should pursue.
You don't demand to open your own business to exist an appraiser. Information technology was the correct choice for me. There are a number of careers in art history that lend themselves to being a solopreneur, but it isn't everyone's fate.
What I primarily desire to do every day is research. That is my passion. I savour that each consignment I accept is different, so I am always learning. When I was working at the auction house, I loved how every day was different and the excitement of the auctions.
Equally a solopreneur, my job is challenging because I am non but the appraiser but also the receptionist, business developer, and webmaster. At the auction business firm, the deadlines were a challenge, equally were the multiple ways that a consignor or heir-apparent can be disappointed.
Notice out nearly as many possible careers as possible where you can use your degree. Get internships. Talk to people in the industry or at the corporation where you lot want to piece of work. Find complementary disciplines to study that will make you more attractive for the position you want. Don't go frustrated if your career trajectory isn't a straight line.
Don't be afraid to enquire for help. Discover a mentor who volition encourage you lot and aid you abound professionally.
Resources for Art History Majors
Art history professionals can take advantage of educational and professional resource to advance their careers.
Below, readers can observe information well-nigh 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 Fine art Association of America: CAA focuses on the visual arts and delivers an annual briefing and international programs. The association provides links to various publications and best practices. Members tin can scan open careers through an online career center.
Clan 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 information on programs, fellowships, and internships. Members can speak at the association'southward annual conference and scan career opportunities through the website. The clan also offers workshops related to curation and webinars on management, technology, and social media.
Art History Teaching Resources: Through this system's website, fine art history educators can notice lesson plans on specific eras, including Byzantine, Greek, Roman, medieval, and Renaissance art. Visitors can also browse resource related to museum experiences and volume recommendations. AHTR also 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. Notwithstanding, users may need carve up accounts to admission manufactures through certain databases, such as JSTOR. The website also links visitors to WorldCat, where they can find local libraries offering particular books.
JSTOR: Through JSTOR, users can access scholarly due east-books and articles on multiple topics. Art history students can find sources on Asian, aboriginal, and medieval art. Many schools provide students with JSTOR access. Learners without school access tin can register for an individual account.
Metropolitan Museum of Fine art: The Met offers classroom resources that encompass multiple eras and cultures, such every bit the ancient Virtually E, the Renaissance, and Byzantine art. The Met besides provides exhibitions and programs for elementary, centre, and high school students. Teachers tin participate in museum workshops, nourish events, and browse art history publications through the website.
Massachusetts Art Didactics Association: MAEA provides resources related to art education, advocacy, and fine art history. The group also delivers exhibits on topics such as art pedagogy and photography. Members can request conference workshops, and the website provides data near 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 list of job openings.
Clan of Historians of American Art: This association focuses on American art, beginning before colonization. AHAA participates in CAA's annual briefing and delivers its ain symposium every two years. The organization also publishes a periodical. Members do good from networking opportunities, including a directory and a syllabus-sharing tool. Members tin can too access online book reviews.
Renaissance Social club of America: The RSA focuses on culture and history from the years 1300-1700. The social club offers an almanac conference and accepts proposals for event seminars. The RSA publishes a journal and works with the Digital Humanities Summer Institute to provide financial assistance to students. The club too delivers fellowships and a mentoring plan for individuals who are new to the field.
Tangible Things - Harvard: This class explores history through artwork, artifacts, and scientific specimens. Students learn about museum curation through an examination of historical and artistic items collected by Harvard University. The grade 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 film and how the industry of Hollywood has grown and inverse over the years. This course demonstrates how world events are reflected through the art of motion picture. Students also acquire nearly the engineering science that advanced and shaped this art form, from color cinematography to estimator-generated special effects.
Inspiring and Motivating Arts and Culture Teams - Academy of Michigan: The University of Michigan presents this course through its business school in collaboration with National Arts Strategies. The class teaches valuable skills in motivation and communication. Students as well learn to effectively present ideas and inspire squad members to produce desired results.
Arts and Civilisation Strategy - University of Pennsylvania: This form helps develop effective leadership among professionals with careers in the arts. Students acquire to develop and lead arts organizations in a sustainable mode. Those who finish the grade earn a document of completion.
Art History - Journal of the Association for Art History: This journal publishes essays about new methods and areas of concern in the field of art history. The journal goes to print five times a yr and takes submissions from established and emerging art history scholars. Readers can subscribe online or in print.
Oxford Art Journal: This publication offers critical works about fine art history topics. The periodical includes articles about fine art across all disciplines and eras. Readers tin can discover pieces that offering political analysis of visual art and essays offering critiques of fine art and civilisation across the globe. Readers can subscribe online or in impress.
The Fine art Bulletin: Published by the College Art Association of America, this periodical prints scholarly essays about art history practices in museums, universities, and other institutions. The publication also offers peer-reviewed manufactures about art history topics across time periods and styles. This journal goes to print four times a year and encourages debate most the contemporary practice of art history. Readers can subscribe online or in print.
Oftentimes Asked Questions
Art history majors can pursue work as museum curators, researchers, archivists, and educators. Graduates with an art history background can also find careers in business.
Salaries for art history careers differ depending on a worker's job title, experience level, location. Nevertheless, the BLS reports that the median annual salary for archivists, curators, and museum workers is $49,850.
Many customs colleges and four-year universities offering on-campus and online art history programs. Students may pursue an associate, bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree in this field.
Fine art history degrees provide essential skills related to creative and analytical thinking, organization and enquiry, management of resources, and communication. Graduates may use these skills to earn a job in art history or branch out to other fields, such as business and pedagogy.
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