ERIC Number: ED368280
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1993-Dec
Pages: 343
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Program and Career Perceptions of Undergraduate Students Majoring in Fine Art.
Thaller, Eva A.
This study investigated the attitudes of students majoring in Studio Art concerning their education and their ability to find suitable employment after graduation. A qualitative study involving participant observation, a written survey completed by 22 respondents, and in-depth interviews with 6 informants revealed the following: (1) 41 percent of the respondents gave getting a better job as one of their reasons for attending college; (2) the primary focus of their educational experience was creating artworks; (3) none of the respondents had gone to the campus Career Services Center for help; (4) 82 percent felt their business and marketing skills were weak, yet considered these skills essential for Studio Artists; and (5) many felt that their education was specifically geared for preparing them for graduate work in art. Generally, respondents believed that they would have a difficult time after graduation: 50 percent were expecting to find themselves doing menial or odd jobs in order to make a living and that their standard of living would likely be at or below the current poverty line. Students suggested that career information should be available in the art department offices, including career-oriented Art courses to tell students about what to do with a major in Art and how to prepare for it. Appendices include the survey questionnaire and a transcript of an interview. (Contains 119 references.) (GLR)
Descriptors: Business Skills, Career Counseling, Creative Expression, Education Work Relationship, Employment Level, Fine Arts, Higher Education, Interviews, Outcomes of Education, Relevance (Education), Research, Skill Development, Student Needs, Student Reaction, Surveys, Undergraduate Students, Visual Arts
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Teachers; Practitioners
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Doctoral Dissertation, University of Tennessee.