What do they do?

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.

Also known as:

Adjunct Instructor, Adjunct Professor, Art History Professor, Art Instructor, Art Professor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Dance Instructor, Dance Professor, Drama Professor, Fine Arts Professor, Graphic Design Professor, Instructor, Lighting Design Lecturer, Music Instructor, Music Professor, Music Theory Professor, Piano Pedagogy Professor, Piano Performance Professor, Piano Professor, Piano Teacher, Professor, Scene Design Lecturer, Theater Professor, Theater Teacher, Voice Professor, Voice Teacher

Typical Wages

Projected Growth Rate

Employment of Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary is projected to grow 2 percent from 2022 to 2032, more slowly than average compared to all occupations.

Projected Employment in VA

No Data Available
  • 2.3%

    Change

    Ranks #25 in job growth rate
    210

    Job Openings

    Ranks #17 in net job growth

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Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • Doctorate or Professional Degree  (47%)
  • Master's degree  (31%)
  • Bachelor's degree  (15%)
  • Associate's degree  (2%)
  • Some college, no degree  (2%)
  • High school diploma equivalent  (2%)
  • Less than high school diploma  (1%)

Typical College Majors

Most Popular Majors that prepare Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary

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People in this career often have these skills:

  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
  • Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • 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.
  • Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
  • Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

People in this career often know a lot about:

  • Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • 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.
  • Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • 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).
  • Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Teach humanities courses at the college level.
  • Evaluate student work.
  • Tutor students who need extra assistance.
  • Guide class discussions.
  • Develop instructional materials.
  • Maintain student records.
  • Coordinate student extracurricular activities.
  • Stay informed about current developments in field of specialization.
  • Attend training sessions or professional meetings to develop or maintain professional knowledge.
  • Evaluate effectiveness of educational programs.
  • Develop instructional objectives.
  • Administer tests to assess educational needs or progress.
  • Prepare tests.
  • Advise students on academic or career matters.
  • Supervise student research or internship work.
  • Select educational materials or equipment.
  • Order instructional or library materials or equipment.
  • Direct department activities.
  • Promote educational institutions or programs.
  • Perform student enrollment or registration activities.
  • Research topics in area of expertise.
  • Maintain facilities.
  • Repair structural components.
  • Write articles, books or other original materials in area of expertise.
  • Display student work.
  • Plan community programs or activities for the general public.
  • Serve on institutional or departmental committees.
  • Write grant proposals.
  • Compile specialized bibliographies or lists of materials.
  • Advise educators on curricula, instructional methods, or policies.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine Career data: O*NET 28.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

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