What academic degree should a college kid combine with an art degree

[jyl]

My son may choose to pursue a dance degree and career. I've told him, if that's his choice, then he also needs to get an academic degree. This will limit his choice of dance school, but so be it.

My question here is, what academic degree(s) would you suggest he consider?

The idea is the academic degree is for when his dance career ends, or as a backup if he never has a dance career, or to help if he ends up a part time dancer. Seems like at least one of those scenarios is highly likely and maybe more than one.

Technical degrees seem prone to rapid obsolescence and forgetting. Humanities degrees seem of uncertain usefulness. Maybe something business-y, like a generic business degree? Throwing it open for ideas. I realize his academic interests are of paramount importance, but let's just discuss in a vacuum.

[Heel n Toe]

"In a vacuum" is a good way to approach this... that would tend to suggest looking at something that mirrors his interests and aptitudes in areas other than the arts. Good in math perhaps points to accounting, etc.

I sense you're thinking that "nuts and bolts" skills that will always be marketable are best for this minor (if that's what they still call it).

[tabs]

Heel beat me to it...cpa

[RKDinOKC]

Would say business as well and can sell it as the skills to open and operate a dance studio, stage venue, etc...

[LWJ]

Economics. I think the applications are really outstanding. As an advanced degree, even more so.

Congrats! A great situation to have.

[Gogar]

Some schools offer combo degrees where you can get a BA+MBA in 5 years. If I did it again I would do that.

I know my school wouldn't combine a BFA or A BM(music) with an MBA but maybe you could find a place that offers some kind of 5-year masters program that would satisfy his interests and still provide some stability.

If I really wanted to be successful in music I would've done a double in marketing and psychology.

[Helix8]

Accounting degree - every kid that I know that has recently graduated college (past 5yrs) including one of my own has been heavily recruited by Accounting firms. Turn over is kinda high at these firms as many are hired away by the clients they are supporting - I would suggest within accounting to favor Advisory and Audit over Tax given the uncertainty of our tax system.

[ckelly78z]

A dancing diesel technician. always will be able to find work.

[Crowbob]

I think your approach in guidance is appropriate.

Dance should be secondary to a career. However, if his passion lies in the performing arts he should pursue something nuts and bolts in the entertainment industry. Success in actual performance is like professional sports: an extremely rare combination of luck and talent and is almost always very short-lived.

If he can realistically identify what he wants to do with his life he should find and study somebody who's already doing it. Realistically is the key word, here.

[Seahawk]

Neither of my children were interested in the hard sciences, so I informed them that they could get any degree they wanted as long as they got an additional degree in business, finance, econ, etc.

So they did. Worked out great.

[wdfifteen]

He should get a generic business degree or pre-law. He'll need it if he is successful dancer. He'll be making business decisions related to his career and signing contracts with people who have their own best interests in mind. Look at all the artists who have been taken advantage of by slick managers and partners.
He can use his degree in a business career if his dancing doesn't work out as a career.

[wildthing]

Something business-related, so that he can see the business side of dancing.

All I can say is Julianne Hough is hot.

[KNS]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

I think your approach in guidance is appropriate.

Dance should be secondary to a career. However, if his passion lies in the performing arts he should pursue something nuts and bolts in the entertainment industry. Success in actual performance is like professional sports: an extremely rare combination of luck and talent and is almost always very short-lived.

If he can realistically identify what he wants to do with his life he should find and study somebody who's already doing it. Realistically is the key word, here.

This is dead-on. The world is full of artists and entertainers waiting tables.

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by Gogar

If I really wanted to be successful in music I would've done a double in marketing and psychology.

From personal experience, I can testify that a BA in psychology...is utterly useless. it only semi-qualifies you for applying to psych grad school, and working as a barista.

Also, something I realized while in college and playing a sport: there may be very few who make it as professional athletes, but even so, there are tons of sports-related careers out there where an athletic background is certainly a foot-in-the-door. Someone's got to run athletic programs, coach, sell sports advertising, sports marketing, sell athletic gear, etc. Dancing is a smaller "industry" than sports in general, but the analogy can be similar in case he doesn't "make it" as a dancer.

[DanielDudley]

Teaching and a Masters. There will always be work in teacing that would draw on all his interests.

The Masters assures that he will get the jobs.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

I would also have him meet with a counselor to discuss what minor degree would benefit him best as an "as-is" degree, versus what degrees will require going to the "next level" to make something of it.

For example- like the psychology degree, I got a degree in biology (as a major), which without a lot of graduate/doctorate level stuff afterwards, was about as worthless as an underwater basket weaving degree.

I've had several friends with degrees in music, english, and philosophy who paired those degrees with degrees in education, and have gone onto good lives in academia and such. All of them, however, did have to go onto graduate/ post graduate education.

I graduated from college about 25 years ago. Even then, it seemed like everything had jumped up a level in competition. What was a college degree, was more like a high school degree. What was a graduate degree was more like a college degree, etc... etc...

Even if he gets the business minor, he will be competing against business majors. Same goes for pre-law or pre-med for that matter.

Good luck.

[Crowbob]

A BS in Psy is just more of the same. Which, in this world which is full of it, I found to be very highly extremely uselful throughout my life. Increasingly so as I age ungracefully.

BS in Psy and minor in Bus. Was gold for me! I used up a ton of electives in Psy on business classes. Like I got the utility of two degrees for the price of half of one. Everybody says a degree in philosophy is also a waste of time. If so, I've wasted a lot of time on the subject over the years.

Which degree of choice is less vital to success than is thoughtful decision-making, perseverance and love.

[jcommin]

I have artistic talent ever since I can remember. I had an art scholarship at the age of 16. My dad had no interest in the scholarship. He wanted me to finish HS, go to college and get a degree in engineering. I did this and have a career of about 45 yrs in manufacturing. I don't regret any of the decisons - I like what I do.

However, I still love art. I worked out of studios for years. I'm active in the art community, I attend workshops, I have a studio at home and I compete nationally in art competitions. I do commission too.

I know allot of artists who cannot sustain an art career w/o doing something else. They either teach, conduct workshops or are connected with art galleries and related businesses. There are allot of good artists art there - and the top 1%-2% have careers as artists. It is a very competitive world in every skill and craft.

My younger son has art talent, probably more than I have. He had a partial art scholarship to SFAI (San Francisco Art Institute) but chose to go to Temple in Philly. He is in an art program and in an education program. He is looking to be a teacher. He also speaks Spanish and I think that could help him if he chooses to work in a bi-lingual school. He plans on going to graduate school. He knows he can't make it on art alone.

There is no boiler plate path here -

[jhynesrockmtn]

Meeting with a counselor would be ideal. What are his other skills and interests? A generic business degree is as useless as a BA in psych, social work or sociology. I believe an accounting degree, at least in my state, is a 5 year program if you want to sit for the CPA exam. I was a CPA but did it 30 years ago. If he is interested in IT or computers in any way, that is route to pursue. My son in law has a 2 year AA but also has acquired some valuable microsoft certifications. He's been working in IT. At 26 he's making $100k doing user and systems support at a major health institution in Seattle. Teaching if that is an interest might work. He could either teach full time or substitute while pursuing Dance.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Noah930

From personal experience, I can testify that a BA in psychology...is utterly useless. it only semi-qualifies you for applying to psych grad school, and working as ...

When my son wanted to study psychology I told him he would have to go all-in if he wanted a career in the field, and if he didn't want a career he was wasting his time. He went all-in, got his Phd, and now teaches and does research at a major teaching hospital.