What Is a Bachelor in Fine Arts Degree? Definition and Careers

Updated 5 March 2023

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A BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) course best prepares you for a career in the field of fine arts. The course is designed to impart creative as well as technical skills that are crucial for a career in the arts. If you are interested in this field, you may benefit from understanding what this course involves and the creative professions you can pursue with it. In this article, we examine what a bachelor in fine arts degree is and list 20 jobs for you to consider after a BFA degree.

What Is A Bachelor's In Fine Arts Degree?

Bachelor of Fine Arts is an undergraduate degree course that prepares you for a professional career in the visual, fine or performing arts. Your coursework depends on your focus of study. Some disciplines you can pursue in Bachelor of Fine Arts include photography, art history, painting, mixed media, filmmaking and digital illustration.

Unlike a Bachelor of Arts course, your coursework in a Bachelor of Fine Arts course may focus on visual arts, with certain modules dedicated to liberal arts, such as history and literature. Most programs include classroom instruction, along with hours of creative practice. Ultimately, a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree provides you with a well-rounded education with a variety of career options to pursue.

Skills Required For A BFA Course

BFA is an undergraduate course which is usually opted by students who want to pursue a career path in performing arts, visual or fine arts. Artistic aptitude and creativity may be required to pursue a career in this field. Along with this, students may require problem-solving, visualisation, presentation and communication skills.

Popular Careers In BFA

These are 20 jobs you can pursue with a bachelor in fine arts degree:

1. Musician

National average salary: ₹16,740 per month

Primary duties: Musicians make music and perform professionally. They may create recordings in studio settings or perform for live audiences. Musicians may work independently or perform as part of a band, orchestra or chorus.

2. Curator

National average salary: ₹16,468 per month

Primary duties: Curators oversee the art collection at a museum or gallery space. They assemble, catalogue, manage and display both artistic and historic collections. Curators may also oversee the documentation and inventory of objects in a gallery or museum.

3. Graphic designer

National average salary: ₹17,322 per month

Primary duties: Graphic designers create visual art concepts for a variety of print and digital mediums. They meet with clients to understand their requirements and generate ideation sketches. They may use digital design software or physical tools to create their visual content. Graphic designers are responsible for designing logos, magazine covers, web pages and images.

4. Photographer

National average salary: ₹17,333 per month

Primary duties: Photographers capture images using a variety of camera and lighting equipment. They edit images using post-processing software, set up locations for photoshoots and promote their business to attract more clients. They may be self-employed or may work for establishments like newspapers, magazines and event management companies.

5. Concept artist

National average salary: ₹2,47,726 per year

Primary duties: Concept artists visualise and create art for storytelling purposes. They create characters, environments and a variety of creative assets. Concept artists also create drawings and paintings, design spec sheets and use their sketches to help other artists, programmers and publishers understand concepts behind art projects.

6. Art teacher

National average salary: ₹17,793 per month

Primary duties: Art teachers educate their students on art history, art theory and the creation of artworks in general. They create lesson plans, source art supplies and provide instruction on various techniques. Art teachers may be responsible for helping students identify their individual preferences and style their creative expression.

7. Web designer

National average salary: ₹18,078 per month

Primary duties: Web designers are artists who work on both the creative and technical aspects of designing web pages. They meet with clients, understand their requirements and try to create designs which meet specific requirements. They may create layouts and include features, often linking the visual and functional aspects of a web development project. Web designers also ensure that the visual aspects appeal to a target audience by choosing colours, fonts, layouts and images that are appropriate.

8. Illustrator

National average salary: ₹18,127 per month

Primary duties: Illustrators create original images for a variety of purposes. They work with their clients to understand their vision, generate relevant ideas, draw rough sketches and produce final illustrations. Illustrators may work in digital or physical mediums, or both, depending on their preferences and skills.

9. Videographer

National average salary: ₹18,228 per month

Primary duties: Videographers record video footage on set or on location. They plan shoots alongside the creative team and the client, and often edit footage in a post-production environment. They also ensure that camera operators obtain the right footage for a particular client brief.

10. Interior designer

National average salary: ₹18,601 per month

Primary duties: Interior designers create design plans for rooms and interior spaces. They determine the cost of the project, set a timeline for completion, sketch design plans and source products for their design plans. Their work also includes a range of other duties like inspecting sites, communicating with stakeholders, researching market trends and developing concepts.

11. Writer

National average salary: ₹19,047 per month

Primary duties: Writers create written content for print and digital mediums. They research topics, write content and edit it prior to submission. Writers may also work in sync with editors to ensure consistency and clarity in their writing.

12. Music director

National average salary: ₹19,202 per month

Primary duties: A music director is responsible for supervising musical groups like orchestras and choirs during their performance. They may be self-employed or may work with studios and production facilities to oversee the production of musical performances. They make sure that artists are in sync and tailor compositions for performance.

13. Sound engineer

National average salary: ₹19,365 per month

Primary duties: A sound engineer or audio engineer is responsible for all the technical aspects of recording like audio effects, mixing, equaliser control and matching sources. They use specialised instruments to capture and manipulate sounds. They may also perform other duties like setting up instruments, preparing recording sessions and managing live performance acts.

14. Fashion designer

National average salary: ₹19,959 per month

Primary duties: Fashion designers create designs for apparel and accessories. They may create clothing items, sportswear, maternity wear or sleepwear. They create sketches, drawings and designs for a variety of clothing items and accessories. Fashion designers also research fashion trends, create prototypes and work with fabric manufacturers and textile designers.

15. Multimedia designer

National average salary: ₹20,279 per month

Primary duties: Multimedia designers are professionals who use a variety of skills to create content for media like advertisements, films and online videos. They understand the requirements of a target audience and try to use this knowledge to create engaging content. During the process, they may combine different kinds of media like audio, video, text and still image to create the desired product.

16. Artist

National average salary: ₹21,377 per month

Primary duties: Artists create art objects. They may specialise in any one medium or master a practice involving multiple mediums. Though many artists are self-employed, they may create commissioned artwork for organisations and institutions. They may also pursue artistic grants, residencies and fellowships to further their creative practice.

17. Video game designer

National average salary: ₹24,054 per month

Primary duties: Video game designers create the main functions and components of a video game. They design the game's characters and help create the storyline and the game's overall experience. They use their design aptitude to make the game more entertaining and engaging. Video game designers may have both the artistic skills and the technical knowledge required to design and execute a game.

18. Animator

National average salary: ₹20,646 per month

Primary duties: An animator is a professional who makes images called frames, which when played in rapid succession, can give the illusion of a moving image. They are employed in numerous fields like video games, films and television. They have good technical understanding of how animations are created in multiple mediums. Animators work with their clients, create storyboards and create characters for productions.

19. UX designer

National average salary: ₹5,74,319 per year

Primary duties: UX designers create tailored experiences for product users. They consult with clients and perform usability testing for a variety of interfaces. UX designers also create wireframes and storyboards, analyse user feedback and improve a website's overall user experience.

20. Art director

National average salary: ₹5,92,342 per year

Primary duties: Art directors are responsible for the overall visual appearance of an artistic production. They may work on magazines, newspapers, packaging, visual media or commercial videos. They supervise and implement the vision of an art project and examine the effect it can have on an audience. They coordinate the work of artists and designers and realize art concepts. They also train and coach their team and coordinate with other art departments and studios.

Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate's experience, academic background and location.