What Degree Do You Need to Teach Art History at a College
Art History Careers
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Art history majors written report and analyze famous works of fine art, and fine art history programs teach skills related to research, critical thinking, and communication. Graduates can pursue a variety of positions, including roles as curators, archivists, and professors.
On this page, readers can find information near art history careers and salaries, resources for art history majors, and answers to frequently asked questions.
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Why Pursue a Career in Art History?
Graduates tin 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 Students also acquire how to enquiry and evaluate artwork and historical documents.
Art history careers often require workers with strong organizational, planning, and creative skills. About of these careers take identify predominantly indoors or behind a desk-bound. Research positions require long periods of focused, independent work, while curator and educator jobs require candidates with splendid interpersonal and communication skills.
Fine art History Career Outlook
The Agency 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 normally need at least a bachelor's degree, although some positions require a main's caste.
The tabular array below displays the median annual salaries for a few common 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 Career (ane-four Years) | Midcareer (5-9 Years) | Experienced (10-19 Years) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art Teacher | $38,810 | $41,000 | $45,610 | $51,240 |
| Postsecondary Professor | $60,520 | $sixty,550 | $69,830 | $86,780 |
| Museum Curator | N/A | $42,830 | $50,480 | $60,000 |
| Art Gallery Curator | 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 fine art history careers and roles in many other fields. Analyzing fine art pieces by giving presentations and writing research papers builds enquiry, communication, and analytical abilities, while also introducing students to creative techniques, historic eras, and cultures from around the earth.
Showroom designers, museum curators, fine art buyers, and tour guides can employ this knowledge in museum and gallery positions.
Students larn to determine the artist, era, and medium of a piece of art. Learners also examine pieces for meaning. These tasks develop belittling abilities that help art buyers and consultants judge the value of art. Students likewise proceeds problem-solving skills they can utilize in management positions.
To analyze a piece, students must consider small details of the work. For case, color variations can bear upon a piece of work'due south pregnant and compages depicted in a painting tin can reveal the work'due south timeframe. This attention to detail can besides help museum workers and art buyers audit pieces for damage. This ability besides benefits consequence planners, managers, and photographers.
Fine art history students often write papers and deliver presentations on specific pieces, eras, artists, and regions. These assignments ready learners for positions that crave strong exact and written communication skills, including roles as bout guides, art history writers, and museum curators. These skills besides employ 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 research can also aid students better empathise artists, connections betwixt eras, and stories behind pieces, such every bit 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, Spain, Prc, and the U.s.a.. Students explore global history and cultures, gaining noesis they can apply to positions in art museums. This global awareness is as well benign for public relations specialists and politicians.
Art History Career Paths
Fine art history programs may offer concentrations related to a unmarried artistic method, such as architecture, or an era, similar 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 hand, can wait for programs that focus on certain artistic eras.
Upon graduating, art history students can pursue careers equally museum archivists, educators, and self-employed artists, among many other positions. Read on to learn more well-nigh how to brainstorm a career in this field.
How to Start Your Career in Art History
Many art history careers crave a postsecondary degree. Some jobs, like museum technicians, only require a bachelor's degree. Other professionals in the field, including archivists, curators, and conservators, need a master's degree in fine art history or a related field. Additionally, most positions in postsecondary education require a master's degree or higher.
Internships and volunteering can assistance young professionals find their ground equally they look for careers with an art history caste. Some employers may accept professionals with a lower degree level if they take lots of applied experience in the field.
Associate Degree in Art History
An associate in art history qualifies graduates for positions equally museum tour guides, photographers, and desktop publishers. The curriculum of an associate program also helps learners empathize aesthetics related to various types of artistry, such as knitting, sculpting, cake decorating, quilting, and fashion design.
Associate programs typically require well-nigh 60 credits of full general education and major courses. General pedagogy courses provide a solid foundation in the humanities and help learners prepare for careers in many fields.
What Can Y'all Do With an Associate in Fine 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 ofttimes include designing sets for photo sessions and editing photos with software. This career does not always require a degree, but an associate in art history helps students develop applicable knowledge and skills.
Bacon: $36,280
Desktop publishers develop layouts for print and virtual materials, such as brochures and newspapers. These professionals may piece of work with other designers and writers, and they apply software to place images. This position requires an associate degree.
Salary: $45,390
Bout guides atomic number 82 groups through places of cultural or historic significance and provide data on settings and pieces. For example, museums may hire tour guides to explicate pieces of art and their historic context to customers. Aspiring fine art museum tour guides tin can earn an associate in art history to demonstrate their knowledge of the field.
Salary: $30,490
Bachelor's Degree in Fine art History
Art history bachelor's programs typically require about 120 credits and include several core art history courses. Learners explore more fine art history topics, techniques, and eras than students in associate programs, gaining a deeper understanding of the field.
Bachelor's programs typically let participants to take several constituent courses, and they may too offer certifications and minors relevant to certain careers. For example, an aspiring art buyer may take finance electives.
Professionals with a bachelor's caste and sufficient feel oftentimes observe work as museum technicians, purchasing agents, and exhibit designers. Learners can as well apply their fine art history knowledge to plan events with artistic or historic themes.
What Can You Do With a Bachelor's in Art History?
Museum technicians assistance maintain the prophylactic of museum pieces. These professionals tend to insurance matters, assess the risk associated with relocating pieces, and proceed records. Technicians may likewise communicate with museums interested in borrowing pieces. This position oftentimes requires a bachelor's degree in a field related to museum work, such equally art history.
Bacon: $49,850
These planners manage events that reflect diverse consumer objectives. They consider budgets, schedules, locations, and meals for events like weddings and business meetings. Museums may hire planners to launch new programs or exhibits. These positions typically require a available's degree.
Salary: $fifty,600
Art directors communicate with clients before designing sets and publications. These professionals may build budgets, lead other designers, make decisions nearly images and layouts, qualify finished pieces, and offer completed products to customers. Organizations often require fine art directors to hold a available'southward degree.
Bacon: $94,220
These designers develop exhibits that fulfill specific purposes. For case, an art museum's exhibit may showcase works connected to a sure artist or fourth dimension flow. Designers draft exhibit structures using software, manage installation details, and ensure that exhibits remain in working social club. Showroom designers typically need a bachelor's 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, determine on pricing, create contracts, and continue records. A bachelor's in art history helps students develop noesis about certain creative periods and works, which prepares them to perform these tasks for art museums.
Bacon: $69,600
Primary's Degree in Art History
Career options expand for fine art history majors who earn a chief'due south caste. These programs assistance learners develop an in-depth understanding of the field, qualifying them for positions as museum curators and archivists. Chief's students ofttimes complete a capstone, such as a thesis or a project.
Primary's degree-holders can also shape fine art curricula for Thousand-12 school districts, which requires advanced inquiry skills and art history knowledge. Art history master'due south programs also train students to brand connections between art and culture and gain insights into past civilizations, which is a necessary skill for sociologists.
What Can Yous Practise With a Chief'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 master'due south 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 well-nigh lending pieces, oversee museum research, and act as a spokesperson at events. Curators typically demand a master'southward degree in a relevant field, including art history.
Salary: $54,570
Conservators maintain museum records and brand decisions on slice conservation. They often work with engineering science, such as Ten-ray machines, to determine each piece'due south needs. Conservators may as well research and write on field topics and assist with museum programs. These professionals need a master's in conservation or a similar bailiwick.
Salary: $44,430
Instructional coordinators clarify data to determine learning needs for schoolhouse districts. Coordinators offer advice on teaching techniques, curriculum alterations, course materials, and new technologies. They may also oversee faculty workshops. Graduates of fine art history main's programs tin perform these tasks for courses related to their field.
Salary: $66,290
Sociologists explore the behavior of individuals and groups through enquiry and experimentation. These professionals publish findings in books, scholarly journals, and online articles. Students earning an art history master's degree prepare for this position past examining the culture, history, and pregnant in artwork. Sociologists typically demand a master's degree.
Salary: $83,420
Doctoral Degree in Art History
A doctoral caste 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 art history careers, which can be extremely competitive. A doctoral degree can as well help applicants stand out when pursuing positions with lower educational requirements.
What Can Y'all Do With a Doctorate in Art History?
The responsibilities of postsecondary instruction administrators vary based on their specific position. Administrators may piece of work equally deans and provosts, tending to budgets and policies. Depending on the position, college didactics administrators mostly require a master'due south or doctorate.
Salary: $95,410
Postsecondary educators teach college courses inside their discipline. These educators create syllabi, provide feedback on student assignments, and offering guidance on course registration. Professors may as well suggest curriculum changes to their department and publish scholarly pieces. Colleges and universities typically require postsecondary teachers to agree a doctorate.
Salary: $79,540
How to Advance Your Career in Art History
Employers oft consider experience when awarding promotions. However, professionals can take advantage of other methods to motion their career forrard. For instance, earning boosted pedagogy or certification can brand an art history professional person more desirable to employers. This can also atomic number 82 to a higher bacon.
In the following sections, readers can notice information about how to advance their art history careers. Readers can learn nigh certification and licensure opportunities, standing instruction, and other futurity steps to have.
Certifications
The University of Certified Archivists (ACA) provides certification for professional person archivists, including art historian archivists. ACA requires that candidates take an exam virtually archival practices and standards. The organization charges an exam fee and a certification fee for candidates who pass the exam.
Certification lasts five years, subsequently which professionals must renew their credentials.
Continuing Didactics
Continuing teaching offers professionals a chance to advance their skills or learn more most their field without needing to return to schoolhouse and earn another degree. Fine art history professionals can find continuing education courses through professional organizations and museums.
Most continuing education programs apply to specific careers. For example, museum curators can find continuing education opportunities with the Center for Curatorial Leadership, while art teachers can discover options through online programs, community colleges, and universities.
Side by side 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 offering resources, conferences, continuing education opportunities, and certification.
While professionals typically pay for membership, the benefits of joining a professional organization tin can far outweigh the cost. In particular, professional person 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 equally art history archivists and museum technicians, must concord degrees in art history. Professionals in these careers demand bodily art history knowledge to behave out their jobs effectively.
Other positions, such equally full general archivists, museum curators, and educators, may allow more flexibility when it comes to entering the field. Bachelor's and graduate degrees in the humanities or communication may translate well.
Professionals considering a career change should carefully assess the skills and cognition they demand for their desired chore before deciding how to proceed.
Where Tin Yous Piece of work as an Fine art History Professional person?
Fine art history cognition is applicative to many careers in museums, and the degree provides an understanding of aesthetics to assist graduates develop new art.
Students as well gain insights into historic eras, which tin can fix them for teaching careers and for positions advising individuals and organizations on fine art purchases. Graduates tin can too help theatrical companies choose realistic costumes, settings, and phase props for period plays.
When choosing a school, learners should consider which industry they plan to enter to ensure their plan offers relevant grooming.
Colleges and universities educate students in a multifariousness of fields, including art history. Depending on their didactics level, graduates can teach fine art history courses or work as administrative assistants, deans, and provosts.
These sites familiarize the public with culture and history by showcasing artistic pieces from different eras and geographic locations. Fine art history graduates can work as museum curators, technicians, purchasing agents, and tour guides.
These fields focus on developing public awareness of products and services, along with fostering relationships between companies and consumers. Fine art history graduates 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 industry includes various types of art, such every bit writing and music. Art history graduates with a solid understanding of aesthetics tin can excel in these positions. Professionals tin can as well apply their fine art history noesis to create pieces that explore past cultures and ideas.
Interview With a Professional in Art History
Megan Mahn Miller
Designated as a principal personal belongings 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 appraisement and consultation services beyond the auction house.
Mahn Miller continues to piece of work with Julien's as a consulting sales specialist. She has besides taught an appraisal report writing course for the National Auctioneers Association and is a contributor to the WorthPoint newsletter.
Initially, I thought I would written report anthropology with an emphasis on fine art. My freshman twelvemonth, I took classes in both and information technology turned out my aptitude was in fine art history. Anthropology became the emphasis.
At that time, in the early on 1990s, students were being told that having a liberal arts degree was all that mattered -- that your bodily degree subject was secondary. In one manner, that was very freeing because I had no idea what I was going to practise with my caste, only [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 ever been important to me, only it took time to figure out how to make 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 study is rigorous and can incorporate many different areas of report. My personal interest was the intersection of women's studies and art. The connections to other subjects are endless.
The business concern of art is evolving; how fine art is sold, what is bought, who is buying. This creates a lot of fear from people who have been in the business and only worked in one way. It creates opportunities for young 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 comprise my degree into my job. I enjoyed educational activity, something I discovered while assisting on a project at our campus museum. Getting art out to the public was a passion. One time I understood that, it informed my job search.
To be honest, I have been called a unicorn. It would exist helpful for someone undertaking this degree to take a clear idea of what they want to do with information technology.
I thought I was going to stop upward in academia. As a educatee, that was all I knew. Academia is a great selection, but the reality is there are non that many positions for professors.
A person with an art history degree tin can piece of work at an auction house or museum, but you should know what capacity you lot are interested in.
If it is curating, what specifically draws you lot to that position? If it is business concern development for an auction business firm, what courses will you take in order to complement your degree? If you want to correspond artists or open a gallery, will you know how to get funding or clients? If you want to restore artwork, where will you lot written report afterward completing your degree?
I take met very few people whose career paths followed a straight line -- and thank goodness. You lot volition 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 same time, an art history student needs to have command of their destiny. Their degree is non going to be enough. Internships, informational interviews, and connecting with people whose jobs they think they want will put them in a better position to become hired once they exit school.
I worked equally a holding specialist at an auction house for 12 years. I loved it, but it stopped being challenging. I was getting feedback from my peers and mentors that appraising was something I could and should pursue.
You don't need to open your own 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 being a solopreneur, but it isn't anybody's fate.
What I primarily want to practice every day is research. That is my passion. I savor that each assignment I have is different, and then I am ever learning. When I was working at the auction business firm, I loved how every 24-hour interval was dissimilar and the excitement of the auctions.
Equally a solopreneur, my chore is challenging because I am not just the appraiser but also the receptionist, business organization programmer, and webmaster. At the auction house, the deadlines were a challenge, as were the multiple means that a consignor or buyer tin can be disappointed.
Find out nigh equally many possible careers equally possible where yous tin use your degree. Get internships. Talk to people in the industry or at the corporation where you want to work. Find complementary disciplines to study that volition make you more attractive for the position you desire. Don't get frustrated if your career trajectory isn't a straight line.
Don't be afraid to enquire for assist. Find a mentor who volition encourage you and help yous grow professionally.
Resource for Art History Majors
Art history professionals can take reward of educational and professional person resource to advance their careers.
Below, readers can notice information about fine art history resources for educators, curators, and researchers. These resources characteristic professional organizations and postsecondary institutions and include archives of fine art history sources and professional conferences.
Higher Fine art Association of America: CAA focuses on the visual arts and delivers an annual conference and international programs. The clan provides links to diverse publications and best practices. Members tin browse open up 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 information on programs, fellowships, and internships. Members tin can speak at the clan'south almanac conference and browse 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's website, art history educators can detect lesson plans on specific eras, including Byzantine, Greek, Roman, medieval, and Renaissance art. Visitors tin can besides scan resources related to museum experiences and book recommendations. AHTR as well connects professionals with journals, blogs, and workshops.
Yale University Library: This library provides fine art history databases that focus on art, compages, drama and theater studies, and general humanities. Yet, users may need carve up accounts to access articles through certain databases, such as JSTOR. The website also links visitors to WorldCat, where they can observe local libraries offer particular books.
JSTOR: Through JSTOR, users can access scholarly e-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 access tin can register for an individual account.
Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Met offers classroom resources that cover multiple eras and cultures, such as the ancient Near East, the Renaissance, and Byzantine art. The Met also provides exhibitions and programs for unproblematic, centre, and high schoolhouse 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 fine art teaching, advocacy, and art history. The grouping also delivers exhibits on topics such as fine art education and photography. Members tin request conference workshops, and the website provides information nearly career opportunities and state licensure.
SECAC: Formerly known every bit the Southeastern College Art Conference, SECAC focuses on visual arts at the postsecondary level. The organization hosts a briefing and publishes a semiannual newsletter and a journal called Art Inquiries. Its website includes reviews of exhibitions and a list of task openings.
Clan of Historians of American Fine art: This association focuses on American art, outset earlier colonization. AHAA participates in CAA'southward annual conference and delivers its ain symposium every two years. The organization likewise publishes a periodical. Members benefit from networking opportunities, including a directory and a syllabus-sharing tool. Members can also admission online book reviews.
Renaissance Lodge of America: The RSA focuses on culture and history from the years 1300-1700. The guild offers an annual briefing and accepts proposals for issue seminars. The RSA publishes a journal and works with the Digital Humanities Summer Institute to provide financial assist to students. The society also delivers fellowships and a mentoring program for individuals who are new to the field.
Tangible Things - Harvard: This class explores history through artwork, artifacts, and scientific specimens. Students acquire nigh museum curation through an test of historical and artistic items collected past Harvard University. The class explains how museum collections can shape bookish disciplines and reinforce cultural ideas.
Hollywood: History, Industry, 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 fine art of film. Students also learn about the technology that avant-garde and shaped this art form, from color cinematography to computer-generated special furnishings.
Inspiring and Motivating Arts and Civilisation Teams - University of Michigan: The Academy of Michigan presents this course through its business school in collaboration with National Arts Strategies. The grade teaches valuable skills in motivation and communication. Students as well learn to effectively present ideas and inspire team members to produce desired results.
Arts and Culture Strategy - University of Pennsylvania: This class helps develop effective leadership among professionals with careers in the arts. Students learn to develop and lead arts organizations in a sustainable manner. Those who finish the class earn a certificate of completion.
Fine art History - Journal of the Association for Art History: This journal publishes essays nigh new methods and areas of business organization in the field of art history. The journal goes to impress five times a year 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 journal includes articles most art across all disciplines and eras. Readers can find pieces that offer political analysis of visual art and essays offering critiques of fine art and culture beyond the world. Readers tin can subscribe online or in print.
The Art Bulletin: Published by the College Fine art Association of America, this journal prints scholarly essays virtually art history practices in museums, universities, and other institutions. The publication also offers peer-reviewed manufactures about fine art history topics across time periods and styles. This journal goes to print iv times a twelvemonth and encourages debate near the contemporary exercise of fine art history. Readers can subscribe online or in print.
Ofttimes 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 task title, feel level, location. However, the BLS reports that the median almanac bacon for archivists, curators, and museum workers is $49,850.
Many community colleges and iv-year universities offer on-campus and online art history programs. Students may pursue an associate, bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree in this field.
Art history degrees provide essential skills related to creative and analytical thinking, organization and research, management of resources, and advice. Graduates may utilise these skills to earn a job in fine art history or branch out to other fields, such as business concern and education.
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