What can you do with an Art degree?

A Fine Art student kneeling by her wooden boat installation

An Art degree not only gives you the opportunity to explore a range of mediums and refine your practice, but it also equips you with transferable skills like problem solving, communication, design thinking and self-discipline which can be used in any field.

Career options

An Art degree opens a wide range of creative careers across the arts, media and digital industries. With their blend of creativity, technical ability and expressive thinking, graduates are well equipped to shape visual culture across both traditional and emerging creative sectors. 

A degree in Fine Art, Drawing, Illustration or Game Art can lead to a career in a range of industries, such as: 

  • Visual arts 
  • Digital and emerging media 
  • Games 
  • Education and community arts 
  • Media 
  • Publishing 
  • Communications 

Job opportunities

An Art degree prepares graduates for a range of roles where visual communication and creative problem solving is valued. You could become a: 

  • Professional Artist  

  • Illustrator 

  • Curator  

  • Gallery Manager  

  • Art Consultant

  • Art Director 

  • Set Designer 

  • Animator 

  • Game Artist 

  • Character Designer 

  • Art Critic  

  • Creative content producer 

  • Teacher 

  • Community Arts Practitioner 

Graduates in the spotlight

Our graduates have gone on to carve successful careers in the following roles: 

  • Freelance Illustrator for The Financial Times, Sky News and Royal Mail
  • Junior Art Director at Cravens
  • Founder of design agency Kingdom and Sparrow
  • Production Assistant at Theatre Peckham
  • Assistant Curator at Royal West of England Academy
  • Technical Artist at Rebellion
  • Concept Artist for Milky Tea Studios
  • Immersive Media Artist at Sanders Studios

 

Charlotte Cree
Charlotte Cree

Illustration alumna receives Cornwall Heroes Award for creative work with mental health charities

05 December 2025

“Falmouth became a foundation for the career I am now building for myself,” says Charlotte Cree,...

Illustration alumna receives Cornwall Heroes Award for creative work with mental health charities
Olive Haigh
Olive Haigh

Meet the drawing alumna named 2025’s Royal Watercolour Society Young Artist

11 November 2025

Since Olive Haigh graduated from Drawing BA(Hons), she has worked as an assistant curator and freela...

Meet the drawing alumna named 2025’s Royal Watercolour Society Young Artist
Katherine Child
Katherine Child

Illustration alumnus to release debut children’s book inspired by Cornish landscape

29 August 2025

Illustration BA(Hons) and Illustration: Authorial Practice MA graduate Katherine Child is set to rel...

Illustration alumnus to release debut children’s book inspired by Cornish landscape

Falmouth Illustration graduate named in 2025 Association of Illustrators Top 10 UK graduates list

01 August 2025

Graduate life has got off to a flying start for illustrator Rosie Dunbar, who has captured the atten...

Falmouth Illustration graduate named in 2025 Association of Illustrators Top 10 UK graduates list
tamsin page
tamsin page

Game Art graduate brings private jet interiors to life in VR

10 July 2025

After developing core creative and technical skills on Falmouth’s BA and MA Game Art courses, from...

Game Art graduate brings private jet interiors to life in VR
Elliot Griffiths

From studying Game Development to designing on F1 Manager

29 May 2025

For Elliot Griffiths, the Game Development: Art course at Falmouth was where he discovered a love of...

From studying Game Development to designing on F1 Manager
Lucie Headshot
Lucie Headshot

Illustration alumna’s graphic novel garners praise from The Guardian and The Sunday Times

28 May 2025

Falmouth Illustration BA(Hons) alumna Lucie Ebrey’s career has blossomed since she graduated from ...

Illustration alumna’s graphic novel garners praise from The Guardian and The Sunday Times
The Hedgehog Rescuers
The Hedgehog Rescuers

Falmouth graduates collaborate to secure 5 book deal with children's publisher

12 May 2025

Since graduating, Sarah Oliver has gone on to become a Sunday Times bestselling author, publishing o...

Falmouth graduates collaborate to secure 5 book deal with children's publisher
A pen and ink illustration
Ben Duchesne 6

Credit: Ben Duchesne

Telling gothic tales through pen and ink: meet freelance illustrator Ben Duchesne

22 April 2025

For Illustration graduate Ben Duchesne, pen and ink is the perfect medium for his unbridled imaginat...

Telling gothic tales through pen and ink: meet freelance illustrator Ben Duchesne
nate

Game artist Nate Bedford on creating unique characters

14 April 2025

Whether sketching strangers in cafés or dreaming up fantasy worlds, Game Art BA(Hons) alumni Nate B...

Game artist Nate Bedford on creating unique characters

Postgraduate study

Art graduates could go on to study a postgraduate degree to further develop their skills or enhance their career. From fine art and illustration to UX design and game art, a master’s degree is an opportunity to specialise in a particular area and develop a deeper understanding of the subject. 

Explore more
Noah Frear working on illustration MA work

Knowledge and skills

A degree in an Art subject gives you a platform to broaden your creative horizons by experimenting with a range of media and tools.   

Through lectures and workshop-based teaching, our students develop knowledge and skills in areas such as printmaking, bookbinding, life drawing, colour theory, typography, storyboarding, graphic layout and studio photography.  

If you’re studying a Game Art degree then you’ll develop skills in character, concept and environment art, 3D modelling, UV mapping, baking, composition and shading. 

Our academic and technical staff are on hand to support students with digital prototyping technologies such as 3D printing, 3D scanning and CAD software as well as training in CNC milling and laser cutting. Students can also experiment with hands-on making through joinery, casting and metal fabrication – our professional-standard facilities really do make the difference when it comes to a hands-on art specialism. 

Falmouth University Illustration BA(Hons) students visiting Bright Agency in London
Illustration ba bright agency visit 2025

Transferable skills

As well as these specialist skills, students develop a range of transferable skills that are desirable to many employers. These include: 

  • Ability to work towards live self-directed and/or client-led briefs 
  • Leadership skills through project management and collaborative outputs 
  • Creating innovative solutions to problem solving and a willingness to take creative risks 
  • Strong research, observational and analytical skills 
  • Verbal and written communication skills, including presentation and pitching 
  • Interpersonal skills through critiques, peer reviews and group tutorials 
  • Entrepreneurial skills in marketing your work and building professional networks 

Career support

Our Art degrees mirror a real-life studio setting, providing an environment where students can experiment alongside their peers and build those ever-important networks. Students have the opportunity to seek national and international placements, exhibit their work at public exhibitions, work on live briefs set by industry partners and connect with some of the sector's most influential figures through our guest speaker programme.

When you study at Falmouth, you also have access to our dedicated Employability Service. We offer weekly career workshops and events, support with practice interviews and advice on writing your CV or even going freelance. 

By the time our students graduate, they have their own professional identity and portfolio to start bringing their business ideas to life. 

Our Art courses

Fine Art
Fine Art

Fine Art BA(Hons)

This highly-respected course aims to support the development of your practice as it evolves over the...

Fine Art BA(Hons)
Illustration
Illustration

Illustration BA(Hons)

Become adept at problem solving and creating your visual language on this Illustration degree, renow...

Illustration BA(Hons)
An illustration of a street

Illustration BA(Hons) (Online)

Gain the professional practice and entrepreneurial skills needed to turn your talent into a successf...

Illustration BA(Hons) (Online)
Drawing
Drawing

Drawing BA(Hons)

Push your drawing practice into the professional realm.

Drawing BA(Hons)
A flying ship in computer graphics above a desert
Game Art 2024

Game Art BA(Hons)

Work in multi-skilled collaborative teams and graduate as a confident, industry-ready game artist. ...

Game Art BA(Hons)
IFY Students
IFY Students

Integrated Foundation Year BA/BSc(Hons)

Explore your creativity and expand your professional skills by entering the creative industries on a...

Integrated Foundation Year BA/BSc(Hons)

Get in touch

Any questions? 

If you have any questions about undergraduate study at Falmouth, get in touch with our Future Studies team.  

T: +44(0) 1326 254350 
E: futurestudies@falmouth.ac.uk 

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