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Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
Teach courses in drama, music, and the arts including fine and applied art, such as painting and sculpture, or design and crafts. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Other titles employers use
Art History Professor · Art Instructor · Art Professor · Assistant Professor · Associate Professor · Instructor · Music Instructor · Music Professor
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Explain and demonstrate artistic techniques.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, performances, projects, assignments, and papers.
- Prepares you for performances, exams, or assessments.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as acting techniques, fundamentals of music, and art history.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, creative and analytical work.
- Creative
- Making, designing, writing, or performing without one set answer
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Speaking
- Instructing
- Learning Strategies
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Active Learning
Subjects to know
- Fine Arts
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Communications and Media
- Psychology
Useful strengths
- Oral Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Speech Clarity
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.0 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 3.2 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 4.4 | A regular part of the day |
| Working with your hands | 2.7 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a master's degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A master's degree 51%
- A doctorate or professional degree 33%
- A four-year degree 14%
- A two-year degree 2%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Web platform development software
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Word processing software
- Video creation and editing software
- Desktop publishing software
- Electronic mail software
- Development environment software
- Document management software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 15,990
- Job openings each year
- 280
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 21.2%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 15,990 | 280 | 21.2% |
| California | 11,400 | 940 | 7.5% |
| Texas | 8,020 | 670 | 10.6% |
| Florida | 5,780 | 480 | 10.3% |
| Illinois | 5,350 | 420 | — |
| Pennsylvania | 5,170 | 410 | 1.8% |
| Ohio | 3,610 | 280 | 1.1% |
| New Jersey | 3,460 | 290 | 8.1% |
| North Carolina | 3,210 | 270 | 11.1% |
| Michigan | 2,730 | 220 | 3.0% |
| Virginia | 2,680 | 210 | 2.3% |
| Maryland | 2,660 | 230 | 13.2% |
| Colorado | 2,340 | 210 | 18.8% |
| Tennessee | 2,190 | 190 | 18.4% |
| Indiana | 2,120 | 170 | 4.4% |
| Washington | 1,870 | 180 | 13.3% |
| Massachusetts | 1,820 | 150 | 12.3% |
| Georgia | 1,790 | 150 | 7.8% |
| Wisconsin | 1,770 | 150 | 7.3% |
| Missouri | 1,520 | 120 | 3.4% |
| Alabama | 1,430 | 120 | 6.7% |
| Arizona | 1,390 | 110 | 5.3% |
| Iowa | 1,230 | 100 | 8.8% |
| Oklahoma | 1,220 | 90 | −1.6% |
| Connecticut | 1,190 | 100 | 9.2% |
| Utah | 1,190 | 110 | 22.7% |
| Minnesota | 980 | 80 | 3.2% |
| Oregon | 910 | 80 | 5.8% |
| South Carolina | 770 | 70 | 11.6% |
| Kentucky | 760 | 60 | 2.7% |
| Mississippi | 700 | 60 | 6.1% |
| Arkansas | 670 | 50 | — |
| Louisiana | 660 | 50 | 6.5% |
| Puerto Rico | 620 | 50 | 12.7% |
| Maine | 580 | 50 | −1.7% |
| Kansas | 540 | 40 | 5.9% |
| Nebraska | 540 | 40 | 3.8% |
| New Mexico | 470 | 40 | 9.3% |
| New Hampshire | 450 | 40 | 4.7% |
| Idaho | 420 | 40 | 13.5% |
| Rhode Island | 410 | 30 | 2.5% |
| District of Columbia | 390 | 30 | 2.6% |
| West Virginia | 330 | 30 | 6.5% |
| Nevada | 290 | 20 | 7.4% |
| Montana | 230 | 20 | 4.5% |
| South Dakota | 200 | 20 | 5.3% |
| Vermont | 200 | 20 | 5.3% |
| Wyoming | 160 | 10 | 14.3% |
| North Dakota | 150 | 10 | — |
| Alaska | 40 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Berklee College of Music
- Degrees each year
- 896
- Admit rate
- 50%
- Annual cost after aid
- $48,000
Savannah College of Art and Design
- Degrees each year
- 1,440
- Admit rate
- 84%
- Annual cost after aid
- $49,000
California State University-Long Beach
- Degrees each year
- 987
- Admit rate
- 47%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
New York University
- Degrees each year
- 1,231
- Admit rate
- 9%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
University of North Texas
- Degrees each year
- 715
- Admit rate
- 72%
- Annual cost after aid
- $14,000
California State University-Fullerton
- Degrees each year
- 605
- Admit rate
- 87%
- Annual cost after aid
- $6,000
The New School
- Degrees each year
- 972
- Admit rate
- 63%
- Annual cost after aid
- $56,000
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- Degrees each year
- 587
- Admit rate
- 76%
- Annual cost after aid
- $47,000