Do You Need a Degree in Art?- Cons

Last time, I discussed my pros for getting a college degree in art. But what are the cons?

#1- You may spend an unnecessary amount of time and money. Art school can be expensive. Very expensive. It can also take a long time to start getting into your major. As you're trudging through foundation classes, general education classes, and classes plain not related to your major, you'll be looking at your tuition bill saying "I paid this much for that?" Like I said, my college has writing majors doing foundations drawing classes. As can be imagined, many of them struggle through those classes. It doesn't matter that it's not your area of interest, or that you've barely drawn before, you still have to pass those classes.


#2- You can learn pretty much everything on your own. There are tons of books, DVDs, and free and subscription websites out there just waiting to help you out. You could buy nearly everything related to your field of interest, and still not be close to the cost of some college tuitions. The only thing is that you have to have enough personal drive to keep going, especially when your skills seem to be stuck on a plateau.

#3- You can learn pretty much everything for cheaper through non-degree programs. There are tons of online programs/schools/seminars to teach you whatever you want to know. Some of them may cost thousands, but often they offer some sort of loan program, and aren't as expensive as college anyway. These tend to give you a certificate of some sort that you could put in the place of a degree on your resume. Some even have alumni programs. And just because they focus on one area (like Animation Mentor only focuses on animation) doesn't mean you can't learn other important areas on your own.

#4- You may be greatly inconvenienced. If you've got to move, either to a dorm, an apartment, or a new house if you are able, you may be inconvenienced by the process. You may also be inconvenienced by unsatisfactory transportation accommodations (some colleges don't let you bring cars, and on others cars are absolutely necessary). Some colleges (even big ones) may also only offer certain classes on certain times on certain days. I have had to take many classes at times that were far from ideal for me, simply because that was the only time/day that class was offered for the quarter. Trust me, they won't tell you about that in those college brochures.

#5- You may not need a degree in the first place. You're not going to make a great sculpture and show it to an art dealer to hear, "Yeah, it's beautiful! But do you have a degree?" And if you plan to work freelance, most people are just looking for people with skills, not necessarily people trying to work off college debt. If you plan to work for yourself, obviously a degree isn't any sort of issue (though do keep in mind that you may have to work for other people during the slow times).

So my conclusion is, do a bit of research and see how many jobs in your field actually ask for a degree. Then make your own pro/con list. If you've got the courage (and it seems like a sensible idea) I say try the no-degree road. College will still be there if you need it. And if you really can't decide, I say go with college, just to be on the safe side. In the end, with a degree or without, you'll still be able to be a great artist in your field. The main difference will be how long it takes you and how much it costs.

I hope this was helpful! Until next time!

Do You Need a Degree in Art?- Pros

Today I'm going to answer a question that I think many young artists ask: Do I need a degree if I'm going to become an artist? And by artist, I mean illustrator, animator, graphic designer, photographer, sculptor, writer, etc. I know I asked myself that very question when looking at schools to get an animation degree from. I asked myself that question my first year of college as well. I'm about to be 3 years in, so it no longer matters if the answer is yes or no because I'm going for a degree anyhow. But I still wonder, how much will this degree help me?

I think that everyone now knows that getting in a degree in this day and age does not mean the same thing as getting a degree "way back when." Nowadays, almost everyone has some sort of degree in something, so having a degree doesn't make you stand out that much. On top of that, because of the Internet, people can learn so many things on their own, or from non-degree online training programs. So will a degree help?

The answer is that there really is no answer. The answer will vary based upon your field, your skills, and your goals. A great self-taught animator is going to be hired over a mediocre animator with a degree. But a lame self-taught animator isn't going to be given a second thought if an awesome animator with a degree shows up. It will all depend on you.

But before you decide to let a coin toss choose whether you go to college or not, consider these pros for getting a college degree in your art field.


#1- You'll get great training (for the most part). How well you will be trained will depend on how good your professors are and how much you apply yourself. Don't think that you won't get a good education at a cheaper school. Even fancy art schools can have so-so professors, just as cheap art schools can have awesome professors. There's no way to know for sure until you step into the classroom. Reading college reviews can help, but you may not agree with the masses (some people love professors who don't give much work, which you may not like if you want to learn a lot). Also, the more you practice on your own, and the more you go "above and beyond" (a favorite phrase of my professors) with your assignments will factor into how much you learn.

#2- Some art jobs actually do require degrees. I have come across some animation jobs from studios that ask that applicants have a relevant degree. I haven't seen this all the time, but I have seen it. If you just want to work freelance, you shouldn't have to worry about that as much.

#3- You get a broader education. It doesn't matter what your degree is, trust me, you'll be taking some general art and education classes. My college has writers taking drawing classes, simply because a number of drawing classes make up the required foundation classes for all the majors. Also, I'm majoring in animation, but I have to take many other classes related to other parts of CG animation production. You may either love or hate this.


#4- You'll get industry experience and information. This will come as a result of your professors (who have always worked in the industry in some fashion or other) telling you what it's like "out there." They can help teach you important work practices that will allow you to mesh more easily into your first real industry job. They, or your school's career services department, can also help you get important industry connections.

#5- You'll have someone helping you get a job. Colleges like to boast high post-graduation employment numbers. They're going to do their best to help you get some type of job, either through their alumni website, job fairs, or other sort of student-only perks.

#6- You'll have a degree. If you're a bit old-fashioned when it comes to education like I am, you'll be happy with the feeling of security that will come with a degree. I would have loved to try some non-conventional education methods, like doing the Animation Mentor program, but I don't have the courage. I get really nervous at the idea of not having a degree. I've seen those charts that compare the income of a person with a degree and a person without a degree. I worry about being part of that lower line (though those charts never seem to show the incomes of people in art fields).

Tomorrow I'll discuss the cons associated with getting a college degree in art.