---

Other Visual & Performing Arts

Types of Degrees Other Visual & Performing Arts Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Other Visual & Performing Arts have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	39
Associate’s Degree	78
Bachelor’s Degree	551
Master’s Degree	253
Doctor’s Degree	20

What Other Visual & Performing Arts Majors Need to Know

Programs in Other Visual & Performing Arts build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Other Visual & Performing Arts graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Other Visual & Performing Arts emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Fine Arts — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.5 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Other Visual & Performing Arts program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Other Visual & Performing Arts careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Other Visual & Performing Arts graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.9 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.7 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.7 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.5 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Getting Information	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Other Visual & Performing Arts professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Blackboard software	Computer based training software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Pure Data PD	Music or sound editing software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Apple DVD Studio Pro	Video creation and editing software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Autodesk Maya	Computer aided design CAD software	—
JavaScript	Web platform development software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
Adobe Audition	Music or sound editing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Other Visual & Performing Arts graduates include:

• Digital Arts Instructor
• Stagecraft Professor
• Music Educator
• Photography Teacher
• Baton Teacher
• Arts Teacher
• College Faculty Member
• Art Educator
• Choir Teacher
• Ballet Teacher
• Adjunct Graphic Design Instructor
• Organ Teacher
• Music Professor
• Violin Teacher
• Studio Instructor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Other Visual & Performing Arts graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	50.7%
Doctoral degree	31.7%
Bachelor’s degree	13.9%
Post-master’s certificate	1.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.7%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Other Visual & Performing Arts?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 69.5% of Other Visual & Performing Arts degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	654	69.5%
Men	287	30.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Other Visual & Performing Arts graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	417	44.3%
Asian	69	7.3%
Hispanic or Latino	109	11.6%
Black or African American	103	10.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.3%
Two or More Races	48	5.1%
Race Unknown	33	3.5%
International Students	158	16.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Other Visual & Performing Arts Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Other Visual & Performing Arts graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$28,812
4 years	$46,128
5 years	$53,876

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $53,876 — roughly 87% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Other Visual & Performing Arts Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Other Visual & Performing Arts. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	1	1
Master’s	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Other Visual & Performing Arts Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Other Visual & Performing Arts graduates earn a median of $46,128 four years after completion — roughly 21% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Visual and Performing Arts, Other	50.99
Acting	50.0506
Art History, Criticism and Conservation	50.0703
Art/Art Studies, General	50.0701
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management, General	50.1001
Ballet	50.0302
Brass Instruments	50.0914
Ceramic Arts and Ceramics	50.0711
Cinematography and Film/Video Production	50.0602

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.