Can a Bachelor of Fine Arts be a Good Career Option for You?
Table of Contents
Introduction
Arts has always been considered a weak stream of work by parents. When it comes to choosing the stream after completing class 10, most students either opt for science or commerce. However, the scenario is different now. The arts stream is now being opted as much as the other two are.
The arts stream is known to be for the creative ones, but it is not so. Arts is a mixture of creativity and technicality and can be taken up by anybody interested in such a combination of work.
When we talk about arts, we immediately relate the field to painting, sketching, and other activities involving creativity. However, fine art is a branch of the same that is becoming students’ favourites. Universities like Mansarovar Global University provide various arts courses such as BA in Fine Arts and MA in Fine Arts.
Here’s all you need to know about fine arts and if it is a good career option for you.
Also Read: Top Reasons to Pursue BA in Interior Designing
What Is Fine Arts?
The subject “Fine Arts” comes from European academic traditions. Fine arts were established for creative expression and aesthetics. If we go back in time, there were 5 types of fine arts, namely, sculpture, painting, music, poetry, and architecture. It also included performing arts, namely, dance and theatre. Fine arts can accommodate many fields of work, such as photography, film, design, video editing, video production, and conceptual arts.
To make a career in any of the branches of fine arts mentioned above, you need to pursue a degree. You can opt for fine arts courses after 12th for the same. However, the most preferred degree is a Bachelor of Fine Arts.
Now, many students have a notion that BFA and BA degrees are the same. However, that is not the case. Here’s how BFA and BA are two separate degrees.
Bachelor Of Fine Arts Vs Bachelor Of Arts
While both the courses fall under the arts stream, BFA focuses on intensive art and design studies, and BA focuses on liberal arts, such as history and literature. Apart from this, here are a few other points of difference between the two degrees:
| Bachelor of Fine Arts | Bachelor of Arts |
|---|---|
| Degree Type: Professional / Undergraduate | Degree Type: Academic / Undergraduate |
| Duration : 3 years | Duration : 3 years |
| Type of Course: Fine Arts Major | Type of Course: Social Sciences & Humanities |
| Subjects: Applied Arts, Digital Graphic Technology, Drawing and Painting, Photography, Sculpture, Performing Art. | Subjects: English, Hindi, History, Sociology, Geography, Social Work, Political Science |
Although the two degrees are different, they still comprise some elements of each, such as BFA focuses 80% on the creation and study of visual arts and 20% on liberal arts, while on the other hand, BA focuses 80% on liberal arts and 20% on visual arts.
Bachelor Of Arts Career Opportunities And Scope
Contrary to the beliefs, BFA has a good career to offer. Like creativity has no limit, the bachelor of fine arts jobs in India, too, have a wide scope. If you love the combination of creativity and technicality, this degree is the right choice for you. However, you must choose which branch of fine arts you want to make your career in. The three main branches that are mostly taken by students are painting, sculpture, and architecture. Once chosen, you can take up a specialization course in the same.
Course Subjects
Like any other degree course, BFA is also divided into various semesters. Here is a break up of the course:
1st Year
- Aesthetics
- Portrait Painting
- Illustration
- History & Appreciation of Art
- Painting from full figure
- Poster Design
- Methods & Materials 1
- Composition Painting
- Press Advertisement
2nd Year
- Specialization Courses
- Graphics Printmaking
- Magazine Advertisement
- Environmental Education
- Composition
- Composition B dimensional, stone, and wood carving
- Methods & Materials
- Ceramics & Moulds
- Aesthetics 1
3rd Year
- Specialization Courses
- History & Appreciation
- Composition Painting
- Method & Materials 2
- Life Study
- Drawing 3
- Aesthetics 2
- Printmaking
- Indian Aesthetic, Portrait Painting
The Bachelor of Fine Arts fees can be anywhere between Rs.60,000 to Rs.2 lakhs annually. If we consider the bachelor of fine arts salary in India, the starting salary is 2-5 lakhs per annum. However, there is no upper limit to the salary packages in this field, as you earn more as you gain experience.
There are many career opportunities after pursuing a degree in Bachelor of Fine Arts. Here are some popular ones:
1. Graphic Designing
This is a field of work that is in huge demand nowadays. If you are interested in designing visual assets for brands, such as logos, brochures, pamphlets, and much more, you can opt for graphic design. This field doesn’t only offer good salary packages but you can also take up freelance projects under the same.
2. UX Designing
Ever dreamt of creating websites or applications? If yes, UX designing is the perfect opportunity for you. This field comprises making websites and applications and designing wireframes, prototypes, and site maps.
3. Photography
You can opt for professional photography for marketing materials, magazines, publications, and websites. This profession is gaining popularity, as it offers a good salary package and the opportunity to work with the fashion industry, media, and various companies.
4. Video Production
If you like to deliver messages by making videos, video production is a good choice. You can create original videos and work with the corporate industry, journalists, or even the entertainment industry.
5. Culture Writing
This is another emerging field that offers you a good career opportunity. With this, you can interpret various aspects of culture, such as film, music, and books, analyse works, and much more.
If you are looking forward to pursuing a course in BFA, you can easily find reputed Bachelor of Fine Arts universities across India like Mansarovar Global University, Delhi University, BHU, Aligarh Muslim University, and more. There are many universities and colleges offering scholarships or financial aid in case the student requires it. All you gotta do is shortlist the colleges in the desired regions and apply to them.
Conclusion
The arts stream is not the stream one used to have in mind. The scenario of this stream has changed to a great extent, bringing ample opportunities your way. Fine art is a branch of this stream that has emerged as one of the most preferred careers by students. It is basically related to creative expression and aesthetics.
Fine arts is a major of 5 types, namely, sculpture, painting, music, architecture, and poetry. It also comprises performing arts, such as theatre and dance, and various other fields, such as film, photography, video production, conceptual arts, and video editing.
If you want to make a career in this field, you can pursue a course in BFA, i.e., Bachelor of Fine Arts. The course offers everything you need to know about fine arts and specializes in one of its branches.
Most people take BA and BFA to be the same. However, that is not the case. While BA focuses on liberal arts, BFA focuses more on the creation and study of visual arts. Fine arts is gaining popularity at a good pace. And if you are someone who loves a combination of creativity and technicality at work, it is the field for you.
There are various universities and colleges across India that offer a course in BFA. However, make sure to choose a college that offers you the right faculty, infrastructure, and good placements. Choose the best-suited college now and ace the field of fine arts.
