4 art degrees shaping the modern world

Our younger selves looked up to celebrated artists around the world. We wished to be like them – following their path to reach a successful yet fulfilling life. Why let that dream die? The arts are just as necessary as the sciences today – they are not only for entertainment but for the progress of society and businesses as well. 

If you think studying the arts would translate into a not so lucrative future, think again. Competitive enterprises are seeking the soft skills unique to arts graduates. Excellent communication skills, the know-how to identify and explain complex issues, and the ability to navigate different cultures — these are what organisations will need to stay adaptable in the coming years.

If you seek a future with impact driven by the arts, consider joining one of these UK universities:

BIMM Institute

Situated in bustling cities across the UK, Ireland and Germany, BIMM Institute holds a wide influence for many reasons. It is home to Europe’s largest international music student community, a welcome addition to its already vibrant environment. Over 60 nationalities are represented within its student community. They bring contrasting cultures and musical tastes, spurring students to look at music from an alternative viewpoint, enhancing the whole experience for everyone.

Here, programmes cover different instruments (guitar, drums, vocals, keyboards, and more), music production, songwriting, music business, music marketing and event management.

With industry-led courses, a BIMM education truly and demonstrably meets the needs of the music industry today and tomorrow. BIMM’s courses evolve through working closely with industry partners and advisors. They listen to what the industry values most when it comes to graduate skills and behaviours. This ongoing industry engagement ensures that graduates possess up-to-the-minute knowledge, hugely increasing their employability.

BIMM is offering an automatic early confirmation scholarship of 2,000 pounds for all international applicants who do not qualify for home fee status. Receive an offer to study at BIMM’s UK colleges and accept your place by April 15, 2022 to be eligible for the automatic discount.

Coventry University

Coventry University is a forward-looking, modern university with a proud tradition as a provider of high quality education and a focus on applied research. Source: Coventry University / Facebook

For those seeking a forward-looking arts education, head to Coventry University. Located in several regions around the UK, Coventry provides state-of-the-art equipment and facilities in all academic disciplines including health, design and engineering laboratories, performing arts studios and computing centres.

Coventry’s School of Media and Performing Arts encourages collaborative work across all the arts and this combined with their rich offer of graduate support provides students with the best chance of success in their chosen profession.

Joe Taylor, a Popular Music Performance and Songwriting BA (Hons) graduate of 2019, says, “This course provides a great environment that promotes collaboration between people that clearly share your passion. It helped me to improve beyond my expectations to become the skilled musician I am today.”

Coventry is an institution with a long string of accolades: #1 Modern University in the Midlands (Guardian University Guide 2021), University of the Year for Student Experience (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019), Gold for Outstanding Teaching and Learning, to name a few. Here, 97% of students also found jobs or continued to further studies within six months after graduation (DLHE survey, UG UK, 2016/17, published in 2018).

Falmouth University

Falmouth University is one of the world’s leading international specialist creative institutions, and one of the few to offer the full range of creative disciplines. Source: Falmouth University Facebook

Falmouth University is one of the world’s leading international specialist creative institutions, and one of the few to offer the full range of creative disciplines.

The university is closely aligned to the creative industries, striving to offer the latest innovative courses to ensure graduates get great jobs, not only within the creative sector, but in other industries where these skill sets receive increasing demand.

Falmouth specialises in creative degrees with courses including Graphic Design, Interior Design, Creative Music Technology, Photography, Sustainable Product Design and Theatre and Performance.

Degrees are intensely practical and structured around real-world industry demand. Many courses offer the chance to work on live briefs with real clients and collaborate with industry leaders.

Based across two campuses, the environment in and around Falmouth University couldn’t get any better. The campus meanders through a valley garden and provides the perfect venue for thinking, making and doing, while the Penryn Campus, shared with the University of Exeter, houses a fusion of arts and sciences in modern and professional facilities.

Solent University

Solent University is all about creating opportunities: for its students, for its staff, for its partners. It offers expertise and experiences you couldn’t get anywhere else, opening doors and making introductions. Source: Solent University / Facebook

Solent University is a place of opportunities. Here, students receive expertise and experiences distinctive to this Southampton institution, opening doors and making introductions. 

Focusing on the practical side of higher education, programmes here provide the experience, confidence and connections to turn their newfound knowledge into a career with real, meaningful impact. 

Art enthusiasts can choose from programmes such as Digital Music, Music Business, Musical Theatre, Popular Music Performance, Popular Music Performance and Production, Live Event Technology, and Popular Music Production. 

They can be rest assured that their degrees are well-respected. Their university holds a number of awards and recognitions related to their teaching, facilities and student experience: QS World University Ranking four stars overall, and five stars each for employability, facilities, inclusiveness, internationalisation and teaching; shortlisted for three CIPR awards; and joined the ranks of the Magna Charta Universitatum signatories.

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International