Fine Arts Degrees

A degree in fine arts can help prepare you for a career in the arts, whether it be music, dance or theatre. GCU’s fine arts programs include courses that focus on a variety of creative outlets, including stage direction and costume design, dance pedagogy, choreography, orchestration, music history, animation, art and technology, ceramics, drawing, interactive digital media, painting, photography, printmaking, 3D graphics, 3D modeling, visual and performing art and more.

Opening a private dance studio does not always require a degree, but it does usually require start-up capital, business knowledge and extreme attention to detail. A bachelor’s degree in dance focuses on teaching strong foundational knowledge in dance. A dance education degree teaches the same strong dance foundation while also incorporating curriculum design and classroom management. Furthering your education with an MBA that offers a marketing emphasis can teach you aspects of managing a business — from marketing your art form to understanding finance and accounting. Coupling a bachelor’s in dance or dance education with a business minor or a master’s-level business degree can help you achieve skills and competencies that can help provide various professional opportunities, such as opening a dance studio.

A degree in fine arts is not necessary to be an artist. However, improving a specific skill or ability, learning how to market yourself and your trade, and a strong work ethic may be helpful when pursuing a career as an artist. All of this is taught in a fine arts bachelor’s degree and specialized fine art courses.

In addition to dance experience and strong physical stamina, an undergraduate degree in dance can help equip students to explore various dance genres or concentrate on a specific discipline. Typically, a degree in dance is not a requirement for professional dancers; however, attending a performing arts program or pursuing a degree in dance may also provide you with performance opportunities that can prepare you with practical experiences that can potentially lead to other opportunities.

Many aspiring actors and performers have the opportunity to benefit from the more specialized and formal training that can come with a performing arts degree, such the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Drama at GCU. The experience you can earn from a fine arts degree in theatre is designed to help prepare you for actual performances as well as assist you in positioning yourself to pursue potential internships or careers with professional companies.

If your goal is to work in music production, you may be able to pursue several types of degrees, such as a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS) or Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA). GCU’s Bachelor of Arts in Commercial Music may be a good choice for those who aspire to become a director, composer, musician or singer. Although there is no standard level of education required to be a music producer, 60% of music producers have earned at least a bachelor’s degree.^{(See disclaimer 4)}

To become a theatre director, acquiring interpersonal skills, such as artistic sensitivity, creativity to express yourself in both oral and written modalities, strong negotiation techniques, persuasiveness and demonstrating the willingness to take artistic risks may be helpful in achieving your goals. Time management skills and the ability to work as part of a team may also be critical to becoming a theatre director. All of these are taught in the theatre and drama bachelor’s degree program at GCU.

A music degree in education is a multidisciplinary major encompassing courses in art, history, English, languages, psychology and philosophy as they pertain to music. GCU offers a choral voice music education degree and an instrumental: brass, woodwind, percussion or strings music education degree where you will be taught the history of music, music theory and philosophies.