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7 Reasons to Pursue a Creative Arts Degree in 2024

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re at a crossroads, contemplating whether a Creative Arts Degree is the right path for you.

Perhaps, you see a creative art degree as the key to catapulting a major career pivot. Alternatively, it could be your first foray into higher education; an initial step toward establishing a purposeful career.

Regardless, it’s a big decision. But that doesn’t mean it has to be a hard one.

If you’re someone who is passionate about the arts — film, writing, design, fashion, fine art — and wants to equip yourself with business skills to back it, a creative arts degree can be one of the most effective paths for doing so.

Not to mention, degree completion programs, such as Yorkville University’s Bachelor of Creative Arts (BCA), allow diploma-holding students to earn a creative degree in as little as 15 months. For example, if you’re on track to earn a Film Production Diploma, you can fast-track the program. 

To help you with your decision-making, we’ve compiled a list of eight compelling and practical reasons to pursue a creative arts degree in 2023.

Let’s get started!

1. Develop In-Demand Technical Skills

A Bachelor of Creative Arts degree provides you with a versatile skill set that’s applicable across a wide range of industries. Depending on your concentration, you can expect to develop technical skills in high-demand areas such as:

Digital Media:

  • Using digital tools and software for design, animation, photography, film, etc.
  • Managing and editing digital images, audio, and video

Drawing and Design:

  • Drawing, sketching, and understanding form and perspective
  • Utilizing principles and elements of design like colour, shape, and composition

Technical Theatre and Film Production:

  • Lighting, stage design, prop design, costume design
  • Planning and installing exhibitions

2. Build Industry-Specific Business Acumen

In addition to artistic and technical know-how, many creative arts programs aim to equip students with in-demand entrepreneurial and managerial skills.

Schools like Yorkville University recognize that today’s creative industries are in need of professionals who are both creatively skilled and business-savvy. Because of this, these programs offer a blend of arts and business courses. As a result, you’ll be developing business skills in areas such as:

Entrepreneurship:

  • Business development, branding, and monetizing your creative work

Financial Management:

  • Budgeting, accounting, and financial planning for creative projects

Marketing and Social Media:

  • Developing marketing campaigns and content to promote your work
  • Leveraging social media platforms to build your personal brand and audience

Project Management:

  • Managing timelines, budgets, and team members for creative projects

3. Elevate Your Existing Creative Skills

Creative arts programs can be the perfect next step for those who already hold a creative diploma or have experience working in the creative industries.

These programs enable students to layer new knowledge and skills atop their existing technical and practical abilities, which they have gained through previous education or work.

Fun fact: Yorkville University’s BCA program has been designed with this sole purpose. It’s a degree completion program, which means it’s tailored for diploma holders looking to advance to managerial roles or launch their own creative ventures

Here are three ways a creative arts degree can help elevate your existing skills and portfolio.

  • Bridge to New Opportunities: A bachelor’s degree opens doors that might remain closed to diploma holders. Many leadership, teaching, and specialized roles require a Bachelor’s degree for consideration.
  • Develop Business and Management Skills. Programs like Yorkville University’s Bachelor of Creative Arts teach critical business skills like marketing, accounting, and project management. These prepare you for leadership and entrepreneurial roles in the creative industries by building your industry-specific business knowledge.
  • Specialize Through Electives: Upper-level electives allow you to hone your expertise in specific creative applications that align with your goals. This focused study helps you develop a creative niche, making you more employable within your subfield.

4. Learn Industry Standards and Practices

Every creative industry has its own language, protocols, expectations, and culture. Therefore, a strong creative arts program will always have one foot in academia and the other in industry. Creative degree.

For example, courses in Creative Process and Arts Management will not only teach you technical skills but also immerse you in industry-specific processes and terminology.

In a creative arts degree, you’ll study things like industry history and trends, allowing you to contextualize your future work environment. Mastering these nuances and internalizing your industry’s “unspoken rules” will give you an early leg up.

5. Build a Professional Network

Often overlooked, one major benefit of a creative arts program is the network you’ll gain. From classmates and mentors to internships and alumni connections, the relationships you forge during your academic journey can be career-defining

This is especially true for programs like Yorkville’s Bachelor of Creative Arts, which draws ambitious creatives focused on entrepreneurship and leadership. Connecting with such like-minded individuals not only enriches your educational experience but also opens doors to future job opportunities, collaborations, and skill-sharing.

In essence, the network you cultivate in school becomes a long-term professional asset, yielding benefits well beyond graduation.

6. Open Doors to Self-Employment

A Bachelor of Creative Arts degree equips you with the skills and expertise to be your own boss — whether as a freelancer, entrepreneur, or small business owner.

Beyond artistic skills, many industry-focussed creative programs will cover essential business fundamentals like marketing, accounting, and communications.

This is particularly relevant given that creative professionals in the U.S. are 3.6 times more likely to be self-employed, and in Canada, 54% of artists are self-employed.

As a result, you can expect a well-rounded education that enables you to monetize your talents effectively by teaching you how to:

  • Market your work
  • Build an online presence and portfolio
  • Network with potential clients
  • Set rates and negotiate contracts.

If you are a self-starter looking to enter the creative economy as a freelancer or business owner, these are all necessary skills.

7. Enable You to Pursue Your Passion

No discussion about the benefits of a creative arts degree would be complete without mentioning one of its most compelling advantages: the opportunity to build a career doing what you love.

Whether you’re a freelance graphic designer or a filmmaker directing your next feature, a creative career will allow you to completely immerse yourself in your craft every day.

For many, this is much more than a career advantage — it’s a key ingredient to a happier, more fulfilling life.

The bottom line

Ultimately, if you’re passionate about the arts and want to back up your craft with relevant business skills, pursuing an industry-focused creative arts degree can be a rewarding path.

As we’ve outlined in this blog, a great creative arts program will help you:

  • Develop in-demand technical skills
  • Build industry-specific business acumen
  • Elevate your existing creative skills
  • Learn industry standards and practices
  • Build a professional network
  • Open doors to self-employment
  • Enable you to pursue your passion

Whether your goal is to advance to a leadership role, launch a creative business, or simply do meaningful work you love, a creative degree can equip you with the artistic talent and entrepreneurial savvy to get there.

Level Up Your Creative Career Today!

Already hold a creative diploma?

Yorkville University’s Bachelor of Creative Arts is a degree completion program that lets you leverage your diploma to earn a bachelor’s degree in just 15 months.

The BCA program was designed to equip you with the skills needed to make a significant career advancement, whether that means stepping into a leadership role within your industry or launching your own creative venture as an entrepreneur.

Sound interesting? Speak with one of our admissions advisors for more information.

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