For all those budding artists and creative kids, pursuing a BFA (Bachelors in Fine Arts) is an excellent career choice. Unfortunately, for some strange reason (and the reason being mostly ignorance), many parents discourage their kids from pursuing a BFA degree; their argument often being that this degree offers no future. They fear that their kids will not have a good career after a BFA degree. So before I go on to write more about this creative program, let me assure you all that – the BFA DEGREE DOES PROVIDE ACCESS TO AMPLE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. Do not dissuade your child from pursing this program.
Here are some of the careers that BFA graduates take up: Graphic Artists, Art Directors, Photographers, Illustrators, Cartoonists, Designers, Freelance Artists and many others. Several Film and TV productions companies, Publishing houses, Art Studios, Fashion Houses, Advertising companies, Art Academies, as well as Corporate businesses hire BFA graduates. BFA graduates can also eventually pursue their Masters in Fine Arts or related programs.
A little about the BFA program
The BFA is mostly a 4 year degree (3 a in a few cases), which offers several specializations. Some of these specializations include: Painting, Pottery & Ceramics, Photography, Sculpture, Textile Design, Printmaking , Graphic Designing & Digital Arts, Drama & Theatre, Music and a few others. Through various theory classes, practical sessions, projects, field trips, the BFA program teaches students about various aspects involved in painting, ceramics, illustrations, art history and more.
Admission to the BFA programs
To apply to the BFA program, a student should have passed 12th (most colleges require that the student should have an aggregate of 50% or above in 12th). Admission is however based on a common entrance tests conducted by each university . These tests have Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) related to Fine Arts, Visual Arts, Art history, Design techniques, Art techniques etc . There are also few subjective type questions to judge a candidate’s art skills.
Some of the best Fine Arts colleges in India
- Sir J J College Of Applied Art, Mumbai
- College Of Art, New Delhi
- Faculty Of Visual Arts, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
- Faculty Of Fine Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao University Of Baroda, Vadodara
- College Of Fine Arts, Trivandrum
- Faculty Of Fine Arts, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
- Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture And Fine Arts University, Hyderabad
- Government College Of Fine Arts, Chennai
- College Of Fine Arts, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore
- Department Of Fine Arts, Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith, Varanasi
So once again, the BFA program is a highly recommended option for all those creative and innovative kids with an artistic bend of mind.
In 2005 Jay Rege, along with his wife Jothsna Rege, co-founded Academy One, a career guidance and study abroad counseling venture. Prior to co-founding Academy One, he worked as a software developer with HCL Technologies. He holds a computer engineering degree from Mumbai University and a MBA from the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University, USA. He has also been a visiting faculty at a few colleges where he teaches topics related to entrepreneurship.