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Art department head education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an art department head. Art department heads usually study fine arts, graphic design, or general education, specific areas. 63% of art department heads hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 831 real art department head resumes to see exactly what art department head education sections show.
The most common colleges for art department heads are the University of Iowa and the University of Iowa.
There are also many online art department head courses to help get the education required to be an art department head.
What education do you need to become an art department head?
What degree do you need to be an art department head?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 11%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become an art department head?
- Fine Arts, 21%
- Graphic Design, 14%
- Photography, 9%
- Other Majors, 46%
Most common colleges for art department heads
| Art department head common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Iowa | 8.06% |
| University of Southern California | 6.45% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 6.45% |
| Purdue University | 6.45% |
| Rhode Island School of Design | 6.45% |
Best majors for art department heads
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fine Arts | 21.2% |
| 2 | Graphic Design | 14.2% |
| 3 | General Education, Specific Areas | 9.6% |
| 4 | Photography | 8.7% |
| 5 | Education | 6.4% |
Best colleges for art department heads
The best colleges for art department heads are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Carnegie Mellon University.
An art department head with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for art department heads. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become art department heads.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
20 best online courses for art department heads
Advertising disclosure
1. Pixel Art for Video Games
This course is aimed to give you the tools and knowledge you need to start creating simple art for video games made in the Unity game engine. Through the aesthetic of pixel art we will explore artistic principals like shape language, color theory, and composition as well as show you a step by step workflow for creating assets that you can use to make your own games. The course is broken into 4 main modules, props, environments, characters, and animation. Each of these courses will have a series...
2. Modern Art & Ideas
Welcome to Modern Art & Ideas! This course is designed for anyone interested in learning more about modern and contemporary art. Over the next five weeks, you will look at art through a variety of themes: Places & Spaces, Art & Identity, Transforming Everyday Objects, and Art & Society. Each week kicks off with a video that connects works of art from The Museum of Modern Art’s collection to the theme. You will hear audio interviews with artists, designers, and curators and learn more about...
3. Photoshop and Photography Digital Art Compositing Course
Learn Adobe Photoshop CC and photography by designing levitation digital art composites from four photoshoots...
4. Art Therapy: Personal Development and Self Healing with Art
Arts Therapy heals ! Improve your Mental Health with 30 Art Therapy Exercises ...
5. Low Poly Art For Video Games
This course is aimed to give you the tools and knowledge you need to start creating simple 3D art for video games made in the Unity game engine. Through the aesthetic of pixel art we will explore artistic principals like shape language, color theory, and composition as well as show you a step by step workflow for creating assets that you can use to make your own games. The course is broken into 4 main modules, props, environments, characters, and animation. Each of these courses will have a...
6. Agent-based Generative Art | NetLogo
"Generative art refers to any art practice where the artist creates a process, such as a computer program, which is then set into motion with some degree of autonomy contributing to or resulting in a completed work of art." - Wikipedia In this guided project you will develop an agent-based computer program capable of generating visual art pieces. By doing so you will be introduced to the basics of ABM and NetLogo. Furthermore, at the end of this journey you will be able to share such pieces...
7. Pixel art for Video games
The essential course for creating stunning pixel art graphics for video-games or stylish illustrations and designs...
8. Digital Painting in Photoshop: Create Amazing Concept Art
Create stunning concept art with Adobe Photoshop and learn the features to aid in that process...
9. Leading Innovation in Arts and Culture
Developed by David Owens at Vanderbilt University and customized for the cultural sector with National Arts Strategies, this course is designed to help arts and culture leaders create an environment where new ideas are constantly created, shared, evaluated and the best ones are successfully put to work. One of the toughest challenges for any leader is getting traction for new ideas. Winning support can be a struggle. As a result, powerful new ideas often get stuck. This is especially true in...
10. The Art of Figure to Ground: Photography's untaught secret
For years, the Art of Figure to Ground was only taught to artists...
11. Positive Psychology Art Coaching
Art activities for children to help build confidence & selfesteem...
12. Art Therapy: Art Therapy Exercises For Healing In Life
35 Art Therapy exercises for life happiness & stress management. Art therapy with paintings, art & affirmations...
13. Pixel Art Fundamentals: Introduction to 2D Game Pixel Art
Make 2D Art for Video Games Using Libresprite / Aseprite. Create icons, images, HUD, simple animations and game scenes...
14. Midjourney Mastery: Create Visually Stunning AI Art
Learn to master this revolutionary new medium and create impressive AI Art...
15. The Complete Talking Head Video Production Masterclass
Video Production - Building Confidence on Camera for Video Marketing - Filmmaking - Videography - Cinematography...
16. Internationally Accredited Certificate in Art Therapy
Therapeutic Art Therapy Course / Masterclass for Healing and Life Coaching...
17. Photoshop for Digital Art: The Complete Course
Learn how to use Photoshop to draw and paint, understand the software and the tools you need to create today...
18. Adobe Illustrator for Mobile Game Art - A Beginners Guide
Create mobile game art in Adobe illustrator just by using basic concepts, essential tools and proven workflows...
19. Learn the ART of Video Games
Learn to create game environments. Draw concept art, create 3D models, texture in Substance Painter and build in Unity...
20. Pixel Art Mastery: The #1 course on retro video game art
The most comprehensive, all-in-1 course to help you become a talented & efficient pixel artist for games and animation!...
Top 10 most affordable universities for art department heads
The most affordable schools for art department heads are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for art department heads are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for art department heads.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
10. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for art department heads
The hardest universities for art department heads to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for art department heads are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for art department heads based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for art department heads
The easiest schools for art department heads to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, wayland baptist university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an art department head without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for art department heads.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
9. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average art department head salary by education level
| Art department head education level | Art department head salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $48,753 |
| Doctorate Degree | $60,015 |
Art department head education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025