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Design & Applied Arts Major

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Design & Applied Arts

1,931 Master's Degrees Annually
4 Doctor's Degrees Annually
#73 in Popularity (Master's)
$71,430 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Design & Applied Arts Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many design and applied arts graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Master’s Degree 1,931
Graduate Certificate 44
Doctor’s Degree 4

What Design & Applied Arts Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to design were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Design Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in design should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

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  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  • Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

Skills for Design Majors

When studying design, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

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  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Abilities for Design Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a design student include the following:

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  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

What Can You Do With a Design & Applied Arts Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with design:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Architecture Professors 10.5% $86,980
Art Directors 5.4% $92,780
Art, Drama, and Music Professors 12.0% $69,960
Artists and Related Workers 5.5% $65,390
Commercial and Industrial Designers 4.3% $66,590
Designers 5.6% $60,570
Fashion Designers 2.5% $72,720
Graphic Designers 4.2% $50,370
Interior Designers 4.5% $53,370
Multimedia Artists and Animators 8.4% $72,520
Professors 9.4% $65,660
Set and Exhibit Designers 10.3% $54,270

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Design & Applied Arts?

1,931 Master's Degrees Annually
68% Percent Women
21% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
The major attracts more women than men. About 68% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of design majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 101
Black or African American 113
Hispanic or Latino 146
White 683
International Students 765
Other Races/Ethnicities 123

Geographic Diversity

Design appeals to people across the globe. About 39.6% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

  • China
  • South Korea
  • Taiwan
  • India
  • Canada

How Much Do Design & Applied Arts Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in design was $46,655 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $41,985 (25th percentile) and $53,196 (75th percentile).

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Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a design degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $61,020 to $82,560 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to design. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for a Design & Applied Arts Major  ( 61020 to 82560 )
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250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some degrees associated with design may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to design have obtained the following education levels.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma 1.8%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 4.4%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 1.4%
Some College Courses 9.4%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 11.3%
Bachelor’s Degree 40.5%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 1.5%
Master’s Degree 15.6%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 0.3%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. 3.8%
Doctoral Degree 10.7%

Online Design & Applied Arts Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 1,229 schools offered some type of design and applied arts program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 404 21
Certificate (2-4 Years) 38 2
Associate’s Degree 798 43
Bachelor’s Degree 38 5
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 200 20
Post-Master’s 3 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 8 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Design & Applied Arts Worth It?

The median salary for a design grad is $71,430 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 79% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $630,600 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to design.

Major Number of Grads
Music 7,675
Fine & Studio Arts 3,224
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 1,704
Drama & Theater Arts 1,699
Arts & Media Management 1,184
General Visual & Performing Arts 390
Dance 257
Other Visual Art 254
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 13

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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