Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry Major

Crafts, folk art and artisanry is a major that typically falls into the Visual & Performing Arts category.

There are 5 programs available throughout the country that offer an associate’s degree in folk art, 13 that offer a bachelor’s degree, and 2 that offer a master’s degree.

Who Is Getting a Folk Art Degree?

Crafts, folk art and artisanry is one of the least chosen majors in the country, ranked #270 in popularity. About 100 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in the field in 2017. The major attracts more women than men. About 74.8% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial Distribution

At the countrywide level, the racial distribution of folk art majors is as follows:

• Asian: 0.8%
• Black or African American: 4.2%
• Hispanic or Latino: 4.2%
• White: 72.3%
• Non-Resident Alien: 7.6%
• Other Races: 10.9%

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in folk art. About 7.6% of those graduating in 2017 were international students. The most popular countries sending folk art majors to the U.S. are China, South Korea and Venezuela.

What Will You Learn as a Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry Major?

An O*NET survey asked people with careers related to folk art to rate how important certain subject areas were to their job. The following are some of the results of that survey. Importance was rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Folk Art Majors

A major in folk art should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

Skills for Folk Art Majors

Folk art majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

Abilities for Folk Art Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a folk art student include the following:

What Can You Do With a Folk Art Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with folk art:

Careers Related to Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Artists and Related Workers	5.5%	$65,390
Art, Drama, and Music Professors	12%	$69,960
Craft Artists	4.8%	$34,240

Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry Major Salary

Folk art majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $40,000 to $83,000. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, the typical high school graduate makes between $29,000 and $57,000 a year. The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $44,000 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,000 and $120,000.

The area of the country you choose to work in will also affect your career and salary prospects. Getting a graduate degree may open up more options with higher salary potential.

Amount of Education Required for Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry Major Jobs

Some careers associated with folk art may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for folk art careers below.

Education Levels for Careers Associated With Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry

Level of Education	Percentage of Workers
Less Than a High School Diploma	6.8%
High School Diploma or Equivalent	5.4%
Post-Secondary Certificate	4.1%
Some College Courses	5.4%
Associate's Degree or Equivalent	3.7%
Bachelor's Degree	17.4%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate	0.5%
Master's Degree	35%
Post-Master's Certificate	1.1%
First Professional Degree	0%
Doctoral Degree	21%
Post-Doctoral Training	0%

Online Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry Programs

There are 13 colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree in crafts, folk art and artisanry, with 0 of them offering at least some courses online.

Online learners must listen or watch video lectures, participate in group chats or forums, submit papers and assignments electronically, take tests, and meet deadlines.

Online learners benefit from being able to watch lectures remotely and complete coursework on their schedule, but they also take longer to graduate than average and are more likely to dropout.

Is a Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry Major Worth It?

The median salary for a folk art grad is $68,000 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 74% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $576,000 after 20 years!

Related Majors

• General Visual & Performing Arts
• Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry
• Dance
• Design & Applied Arts
• Drama & Theater Arts
• Film, Video & Photographic Arts
• Fine & Studio Arts
• Music
• Arts & Media Management
• Other Visual Art

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
O*NET Online
Image Credit: User:Gengiskanhg via License