Career Pathways

CSB+SJU art students engage in dynamic professional experiences that connect studio and art history coursework to career readiness and lives of purpose. From vocational preparation programs and gallery assistantships to art internships, study abroad, and creative partnerships across the campus and the community, our department cultivates opportunities that ensure art students stand out in the workforce.

Multiply Your Pathways With an Art Degree

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Art + Education

Example careers include K-12 education, community art education, museum education, and curriculum innovation design.

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Art + Business

Discover careers in arts leadership, creative entrepreneurship, product development, fine art valuation, and freelance consulting.

Blue line drawing of two hands shaking, with three abstract human figures above the hands, symbolizing teamwork, partnership, or collaboration.

Art + Communications

Career outcomes include illustration, graphic design, packaging design, marketing, art direction, publishing, and content creation.

Blue line drawing of a domed government or historic building with columns, resembling a classical structure, centered on a light gray background.

Art + Art History

Career pathways include gallery management, museum curation, cultural artifact management, and art collections registration.

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Art + STEM and Beyond

Connect creativity and the sciences with biomedical visualization, scientific illustration, design engineering, game design and more.

A group of thirteen people wearing gloves and casual clothes poses in front of large, woven stick sculptures outdoors, smiling at the camera. Some hold gardening tools and the weather is sunny and bright.

Art Vocations Program

In partnership with Fine Arts Programming, the Art Vocations Assistantship provides students with a funded summer of professional development in art, equipping students to connect creativity with purpose.

Two people stand indoors, backs to the camera, observing an abstract art installation with various materials hanging on a white wall. The room has benches, tables, and a blue vertical panel on one side, with natural light from above.

Gallery Assistantships

Fine Arts Programming offers student work-study positions that provide hands-on experience in collections management, art handling, gallery layout, exhibit installation, and interpretation.

A group of students sits around a table working together on a colorful poster, while others stand and talk in the background in a busy, well-lit classroom setting.

Teaching Assistantships

Art Department Teaching Assistants (TAs) provide peer guidance in our generously-equipped studios across both campuses. TA positions directly prepare you for future careers in education.

A large group of people poses together outdoors on grass with green mountains and a bright blue sky in the background. Most are smiling and dressed in summer clothing.

Study Abroad

A CSB+SJU education in art is your gateway to the art world, from semester-long programs in examining historical art across Greece and Rome to modern and contemporary art in London.

A group of sixteen smiling people pose outdoors under a wooden pergola, each holding up a brown folder with the text “Rising Pheasant Farms.” Most are standing, with a few kneeling in front, on a paved patio area.

Internships

CSB+SJU art students are encouraged to engage in internships both on-campus and off-campus. Recent examples include The Saint John’s Bible, Bruno Press, and The Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Two people work together at a wooden table. One, wearing a mask and cap, points at a paper while the other, in a black hoodie, carefully places tape on the paper. Shelves with various supplies are visible in the background.

Professional Development

Launch your creative career through our professional practice and thesis exhibition courses. The Career Navigator and Network Navigator teams connect your experiences with real-world opportunities.

From Studio to Career

3

Art Professional Practice Courses

60%

Of Art Students Study Abroad

80%

Of Alums Continue in Art Fields

97%

Of Graduates Find Work