Art courses are for those who are the embodiment of creativity. The word “Art” in this sense doesn’t apply only to creating only physically aesthetic objects of value, it also involves the creative and intelligent use of words, gestures and signs.
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To study art courses at the tertiary level in Nigeria, you must have passed through arts department in your secondary school. This gives you the required experience with the core subjects you will have to build on when you eventually get an art-related course in the university or polytechnic.
This article will open your eyes and mind to not just the art courses that are available for you to choose as a discipline in a Nigerian higher institution, it will also show you the O’ level subject combination you need, what jobs are available for each course, and how easy it is to get employed when you’ve studied an art course.
Best Art Courses in Nigeria
This list of the best art courses in Nigeria is based on the popularity of each course and the employability of individuals who study the courses. Let’s get to it.
Mass Communication
Mass communication is an art course of study that focuses on disseminating information to influence a large number of people, for example a town, state, country, or even the world’s attitude, emotion, or opinion. It involves the use of newspapers, radio, television, and more recently, the internet, including the social media to reach a large number of people.
Through mass communication, important information relating to health, as in the COVID-19, politics, religion, academics, as in announcement of examination dates, have been achieved. This shows the immense importance of this art course.
Where can Mass Communication Students Work?
There is a range of places individuals who plan to study or have studied mass communication can work. Places like radio stations, television stations, organizations in the different sectors of the economy, news media, and many more.
Every organization, be it private or government-owned need to disseminate information to their large staff. They need a certified mass communicator to do that.
Economics
Ideally, this is a course for students who are interested in commerce. However, due to the Nigerian educational system and the degree awarded by some universities, it is sometimes considered an art-related course.
While some universities award a BSc for economics, there are some that award BA in economics to those who study it. With economics, you have a wide range of options open to you when it comes to employability.
You will be focused on the commercial aspect of the society. You might observe, collect data, analyze the data, interpret the data, and explain it in layman terms. It is quite an interesting course.
Where Can You Work?
It is common to see many economists in the banks, investment companies, and insurance companies. However, they can also work in schools as teachers and lecturers. They can work as economic analysts, financial analysts, data scientists, policy analysts, and so on
The world definitely needs more economists with the recent economic downturn.
Linguistics
Linguistics is an interesting art course. It deals with the coinage, phonetics, semantics, morphology, syntax, and many other parts of languages. It is common belief that linguistics are people who speak many different languages. While this may be true for most linguists, they do more than speak.
They understand why certain words are pronounced a certain way even when they share the same pronunciation with another word. These people don’t just speak languages, they understand every nuance that comes with each letter.
Where Can They Work?
Most linguists are teacher. They teach language to other aspiring linguists. Some are also interpreters for their counties, working with diplomats around the world.
Law
Probably the most popular art course among O’ level students. Law is a course that edifies its students on the various laws that apply to different sections of their country and the world.
With a degree in Law, you are qualified to offer advice on legal matters to individuals and organizations for a fee. However, to be a defendant or prosecutor in the court of law, representing a client, you need to be admitted into Law school, pass the bar examination, and become a layer.
There are so many universities in Nigeria that are certified to teach law. Some of them are the University of Lagos, University of Benin, University of Ibadan, to mention a few.
Psychology
Psychology is both a science and humanities course. It is an art course because it dissects the behaviour of humans and it is scientific because it observes and draws inference from its observation through scientific means.
Psychologists are intelligent sets of people. They are the ones it is almost impossible to lie to. They understand how the human mind works and help the society understand why certain people behave and act the way they do.
Where Do They Work?
Psychologists are mostly researchers; they keep studying and learning how the human mind works. They can also be found in law enforcement, forensics, clinical settings, commercial organizations, schools as counsellors, and anywhere the interaction of many minds are needed.
Theatre Arts
Theatre Arts stands as one of the best art courses in Nigeria. Many Nigerian universities offer this course as it is a staple for many art students. In some institutions, it is called Performing arts. This course is mainly practical as it focuses on entertaining an audience.
Students of theatre arts are known in most Nigerian universities to be talented and creative as they combine music with dance, poetry, and drama.
Where Can They Work?
Performing arts or Theatre arts students have a place in the entertainment industry. The industry is so large that it can accommodate any versatile performer. They can practice their craft privately or as part of an entertainment organization.
Most graduates of performing arts are actors and actresses. Others are directors, script writers, backstage organizers, all in the entertainment industry.
Music
Music is regarded as one of the classic art courses all over the world. Every day, new musicians emerge with something a little different from what we’ve been used to. Those who go to higher institutions to study music are usually very proficient in an aspect of music despite the all-rounded approach to music they are thought in school.
Just like in every other course, everyone has a path of choice. Those who study music might choose to be instrumentalists; drummers, pianists, violinists. And so on. Some might choose to be singers; tenors, bassists, sopranos, and so on.
A musician is not to be confused with an artiste as the former can sing and at the same time, play at least one musical instrument.
Where Can They Work?
Musicians work as part of an Orchestra. They also work as coaches to upcoming musicians. Some of them teach in a formal education setting. Others own their private practice where they collaborate with other musicians and performers to create a brand.
International Relations
As an important art course, International Relations cannot be relegated. It is the study that brings diplomacy, foreign etiquette, foreign culture, and local culture and etiquette together. Interaction among nations of different cultures is unavoidable, therefore, it is important that people be educated on how to relate with people, especially, in government to avoid insults and tension.
Individuals studying International Relations usually study a foreign language alongside to increase their chances of securing employment.
Where Do They Work?
They work as diplomats for the government and some big corporate international organizations.
Foreign Languages
This art course will normally be adjoined with International Relations but it can also be studied on its own. Foreign languages, apart from the nation’s lingua franca such as German, Russian, French, Mandarin, and many more can be studied.
Students are allowed to choose which language they wish to study.
Where They Work?
Individuals that speak other languages apart from their mother tongue and lingua franca are usually employed as interpreters for the United Nations. They can also be employed by the government for international duties such as ambassadorial roles.
They can also work as freelancers, transcribing and translating from one language to another.
Creative and Visual Arts
One of the notable art courses in Nigeria. This course doesn’t have so much popularity outside the tertiary institution but is impossible to ignore the artworks that grace the nooks and crannies of higher institutions in Nigeria. They are the products of creative and visual arts.
This art course is mainly for talented individuals that can mould or create objects of aesthetic value with their hands. Recently, many artists of this discipline have been gaining popularity by showcasing their work on the internet.
Where They Work
Their first choice of workplace is in an art gallery. It might be private-owned or not. There, they get to see other artists’ works and improve their creativity. They might go into their own private practice, creating drawings and artworks for their own clients. They can also be teachers and lecturers.
Employability for Art Course Students
Despite the high unemployment level in the country, it is easier for individuals who study certain art courses to start up their own practice. Those who study art courses like international relations, political science, and the likes might find it difficult to start a private practice. However, they can get employment almost anywhere.
Economists are in high demand. Psychologists are always needed in every aspect of our lives. We cannot do without musicians. Actors and actresses are the most popular celebrities in the world today.
Art courses give individuals who study them a great platform to build on.
Is it Lucrative to study an Art Course in Nigeria?
It is very lucrative to study an art course in Nigeria today. The high demand for translators, especially as freelancers is a testament to this fact. Art courses such as Foreign Language Studies equip individuals who study some foreign languages to exploit this demand.
Interpreters in the United Nations are paid handsomely for their jobs. Ambassadors are well taken care of by their nations. Musicians gain recognition every day. Creative artists are appreciated more and more in Nigeria.
Subjects required to Study Art courses in Nigeria.
To study an art course in any of the Nigerian tertiary institution, there are subjects you must pass in your O’ level and UTME.
English Language, Mathematics, Literature-in-English, Government, Economics, Civic Studies, and sometimes, Biology are required in your O’ level.
For UTME, the subject combination differs for different courses. Some require mathematics, others don’t.
Conclusion
Art courses are as important as science and commercial courses. It is important that you know what part of the art sphere you want to lay in as the options available are numerous.
Make sure you have all the required subjects at hand, and combine the right subjects for the art course you wish to study.
