Online Art & Design Degrees and Programs

Online art and design degrees are usually divided into art degree programs, interior design degrees, web design degree programs, graphic design degree programs, fashion degree programs and other art education degree programs.

Do you love art, fashion, photography, or design? Are you artistic or creative? If so, a degree in art or design may be for you. Most people think of a career in art and design as a career where one creates objects of art, designs living spaces, or creates graphic art. But there is so much more to the world of art and design. No matter your level of artistic talent or skill, there is an exciting career waiting for you in art and design.

Online Art & Design Degree Program Specializations

Art and design degree online programs are available by distance learning in these and more areas of study:

Associate in Art and Design
Associate in Interior Design
Associate in Visual Communications
Bachelor in Art & Design
Masters in Art & Design
Art & Design Certification
CAD/Computer Aided Drafting
Fashion Design & Merchandising
Fine Arts Degree

What can I expect from an art or design degree program?

Art and design degree programs polish and hone your existing artistic skills as well as introduce you to new artistic techniques and styles. You will also learn about the history of art and design, the critical evaluation of art, marketing of art, the use of art and design in marketing, and more.

Find Online Art and Design Degree Programs>>>

Online Art and Design Degree Programs - Education and Training

Many students pursue their art or design degree through an online art and design degree program. Accredited online colleges focus on providing working people access to high-quality online art and design courses at any time of the day or night. You should be careful to make sure that the online degree program you attend is accredited to ensure that your degree will be accepted by employers and other colleges and universities, and to protect yourself against fraudulent degree programs and diploma mills.

Art degree programs focus on providing you with skills in the use of different media such as water colors, pastels, oil paint, tempura, and charcoal, drawing, painting, sculpting in clay, metals, ceramics, and stone, jewelry design, knowledge of anatomy, printing and lithography, photography, and more.

Students can graduate with degrees in Fine Art, Art History, Photography, and Illustration. Degrees in art are available at the Associate of Arts degree, Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, and Master of Fine Arts degree levels. You can also choose to earn a Ph.D. in Art History.

When you graduate, you may find employment as an artist or photographer, but you may also work as an art appraiser for art auction houses or for an insurance company. You may become a docent or buyer at a museum. You could teach art in a school, studio, or university. Media, theater, and entertainment companies hire artists to paint scenery or as illustrators and animators.

Graphic design degree programs not only provide you with the skills needed to create graphic design products, but a thorough understanding of branding and marketing, website design, and more. Your skills in layout of print and webpage graphics, printing techniques, calligraphy, photography, and computer graphics and design programs will be developed and refined. Graphic design degrees are available at the Associate of Arts degree, Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, and Master of Fine Arts degree levels.

Web design degree programs have grown out of or evolved from the rapid growth of the World Wide Web and the increasing use of CGI in media and film. As a student in a web design degree program, you will focus on courses provide training in web design software and use of multimedia tools such as audio, video, flash, and animation, e-commerce, Java scripting and HTML coding, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and authoring. You will also learn about the uses and limitations of vector and bitmap images, principles of design, color, layout, user interface, graphics, interactive media, and information architecture.

Interior design degree programs focus on instructing you in the use and design of spaces in which people work, live, and play. Courses will focus on safety, traffic flow, and the use of space, colors, and textures to create enticing spaces in which to live and work. Courses leading to the Associate of Arts degree, Bachelor of Arts degree, and Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design are readily available online.

Many interior design graduates possess hands-on skills in making furnishings or art objects to create unique pieces that meet the unique needs of their clients and the clients' spaces. When you complete your interior design degree program, you will have the skills needed to start a career as an interior designer, facility planner, draftsman, set designer, furniture designer, or lighting designer. Interior design degree program graduates typically work for interior design studios, furniture companies, media and entertainment companies, and architects.

Fashion design degree programs teach you about textiles and textile manufacturing, the use of color and texture, garment construction, and how body type interacts with clothing. You will learn about fashion marketing and branding, fashion trend prediction, and international business.

An associate degree or bachelor's degree in Fashion Design will prepare you for a career as an apparel designer, fashion event producer, fashion critic, apparel store manager, fashion buyer, image consultant, and fashion marketer. Garment manufacturers, clothing and apparel stores, jewelers, advertising and marketing companies, and media and entertainment companies seek graduates with fashion design degrees.

Find Online Art and Design Degree Programs>>>

Occupational Outlooks and Salaries with a Degree in Art and Design

Your art and design degree will open doors to you in a wide variety of careers. Both private companies and government entities support the arts, and use art and design in their advertising and marketing campaigns, design of their facilities and workspaces, and to enhance the professional appearance of their employees.

With an associate's degree, you can work as a merchandiser, window dresser, artist, sculptor, painter, or draftsman. Jobs open to graduates with a bachelor's degree include graphic designer, interior designer, fashion designer, marketing or advertising executive, and many more. The MFA (Master of Fine Arts) is the terminal degree in art, allowing you to become a professor, art director, museum curator, art appraiser, or art critic. A Ph.D. is available in Art History, which will open similar opportunities to those of a MFA.

Salaries for graduates vary widely, depending upon the degree you earn, the industry you choose, and where you live. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2008), graduates with an associate's degree in art and design can expect to earn an average of over $35,000. Bachelor's degree graduates can earn over $50,000 on average. MFAs and Ph.D.s typically average well over $60,000. While careers in the art and design professions are expected to grow at average or above average rates over the next ten years, competition is expected to be stiff, as many people are seeking employment in these career fields.