Career Pathways in Art

Danny Gutierrez ’24, an Art and Communication Design major, discusses his installation with Department Chair Samantha DiRosa at the senior thesis opening reception. Following graduation, he secured a gallery host position at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Winston-Salem.

Danny Gutierrez ’24, an Art and Communication Design major, discusses his installation with Department Chair Samantha DiRosa at the senior thesis opening reception. Following graduation, he secured a gallery host position at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Winston-Salem.

An Art degree is more than preparation for a single job—it’s preparation for a lifetime of meaningful, adaptable, and creative work. Today’s graduates are likely to change careers multiple times over the course of their lives. That’s why the skills developed in Studio Art—creative problem solving, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, curiosity, and self-awareness—are so vital. These competencies align directly with the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) definition of career readiness. Through artistic practice, our students learn to:

  • Communicate clearly and translate complex ideas for varied audiences
  • Make thoughtful, inclusive decisions using critical analysis
  • Collaborate to achieve common goals while adapting and compromising
  • Show up with professionalism, preparedness, and dependability
  • Pursue feedback and continuous growth with resilience and curiosity

Where Do They Go?

A typical path for students graduating with a major in Studio Art is to pursue graduate studies. Our alumni have done just that at prestigious programs such as the School of Visual Arts, New York University, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Parsons School of Design, Drexel University, Savannah College of Art and Design, Pratt Institute, and Pacific Northwest College of Art.

Others have taken their creative, technical, and problem-solving skills into a wide array of careers:

  • Creative industries: art teachers, fashion designers, graphic designers, illustrators, photographers, web designers
  • Wellness and mental health: art therapists, expressive arts practitioners
  • Libraries and museums: archivists, visual resource specialists, museum educators
  • Nontraditional paths: work in the medical industry, military, law, fundraising, financial sectors, and non-profits

Emily McCarthy ’24, a double major in Art and Psychology, presents her senior thesis project at the spring opening reception. She has been accepted into one of the nation’s top graduate programs for Art Therapy and will begin her studies in Fall 2025

Customize Your Career Path

Because Elon’s Art program is both intimate and interdisciplinary, students have the freedom to shape their academic path in ways that align with their passions and career goals. Below are examples of how students often combine an Art major or minor with other fields of study. These flexible combinations—typically a mix of majors and minors—can lead to a wide range of creative and professional opportunities. Whether you’re interested in pairing Art with Psychology, Business, Environmental Studies, or Communications, our faculty are here to help you explore your goals and tailor your academic experience to fit your aspirations.

Program Combinations and Careers

  • Art + Environmental Studies:
    Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban and Environmental Design
    Art + Communication Design:
    Graphic Design, Art Direction
    Art + Communication Design:
    Graphic Design, Art Direction
    Art + Strategic Communications + Psychology:
    Advertising, Branding, Art Direction
    Art/Photography + Journalism:
    Documentary Photography, Photojournalism, Editorial Art Direction
    Art + Expressive Arts + Human Service Studies or Psychology:
    Art Therapy, Expressive Therapies
    Art + Human Service Studies + Sociology:
    Social Work, Community Arts (e.g., public art with at-risk populations)
    Art + Arts Administration:
    Arts Management (e.g., arts organizations, non-profits, galleries), Artistic Direction
    Art + Art History + Arts Administration:
    Gallery and Museum Curation
    Art + Art History + Anthropology + History + Museum Studies and Public History:
    Museum Studies, Historic Preservation
    Art + Teaching and Learning + Early Childhood:
    Arts Education, Special Education
    Art + Cinema + Anthropology:
    Visual Anthropology, Ethnographic Filmmaking
    Art + Biology:
    Scientific Illustration, Prosthetic Design, Forensic Art
    Art + Marketing + Entrepreneurship:
    Creative Entrepreneurship, Brand Identity, Independent Studio Practice
    Art + Data Science, Computer Science, or Media Analytics:
    Data Visualization, Information Design
    Art + Theater Design and Technology:
    Set Design, Costume Design, Fashion Design, Artistic Direction
    Art + Entrepreneurship + Sociology:
    Social Innovation, Social Design
    Art + Computer Science + Game Design (minor):
    Game Design, UX/UI Design
    Art + Engineering:
    Industrial Design, Product Development
    Art + Digital Content Management or Professional Writing and Rhetoric:
    Content Strategy, Social Media Direction, Brand Storytelling, Digital Publishing, UX Writing
  • Our graduates enter the world with the flexibility and insight needed to thrive in a wide range of fields—not just the arts. Talk to a Studio Art faculty member today to begin charting your path!