Don't just consider how you'll make your art—consider how you'll make a living. Some schools promote their career resources to students when they're considering admission. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, for instance, packages its multiple professional practices courses in an easy-to-peruse brochure. And don't forget to make the school's career center a part of your considerations.
[See the Fine Arts Schools rankings.]
Insider Tip
Personal finance might be the most important information a student can glean from a professional practices course, but some schools go even further, teaching entrepreneurship. In a recession, when jobs for artists are scarce, many will go on to start their own galleries or arts nonprofits. "You can make things happen for yourself—you don't have to wait for someone to choose you," says Marilyn Arsem, a professor at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, who started an alternative arts space of her own. That's another reason networking is crucial: Students who open new or alternative arts spaces usually look to their peers for work to show.
Getting In
Vision Is Essential. M.F.A. programs are highly competitive in the current recession because more artists are thinking about going back to school. But many professors recommend that artists not go directly from undergraduate to graduate programs, saying that they should instead establish themselves as working artists. "It's wise to wait a year or two and see what you're really interested in," says Jayme McLellan of the Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington. The process for applying to an M.F.A. program is highly subjective, since admissions are based on the strength of a student's portfolio—you're not likely to be required to take the GRE. But take care to put your portfolio together in a way that presents you as a mature artist with a cohesive vision.
Reality Check
An M.F.A. might make more jobs available to you as an artist—the degree is a requirement for teachers at the college level—but it doesn't mean you'll be a shoo-in for those positions. According to the National Endowment for the Arts, artists are unemployed at twice the rate of other professional workers. A degree doesn't necessarily increase your earning potential as an artist, either. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median wage for a fine artist in 2008 was $42,650. But for artists in their first year out of school, McLellan estimates about $10,000 in earnings from their art alone.
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