Occupation · SOC 25-1121
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
Teach courses in drama, music, and the arts including fine and applied art, such as painting and sculpture, or design and crafts. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Median wage
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Projected growth
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Annual openings
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per year
Employed (US)
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Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
4,429 mapped
Core skills
SpeakingInstructingLearning StrategiesReading ComprehensionActive ListeningActive LearningWritingMonitoringTime ManagementSocial PerceptivenessCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingJudgment and Decision MakingCoordinationSystems AnalysisSystems EvaluationService OrientationPersuasionManagement of Personnel ResourcesOperations AnalysisNegotiationMathematicsManagement of Material ResourcesScienceManagement of Financial ResourcesTechnology DesignQuality Control AnalysisOperations MonitoringRepairingProgrammingOperation and ControlEquipment SelectionInstallationTroubleshootingEquipment Maintenance
Knowledge areas
Fine ArtsEducation and TrainingEnglish LanguageCommunications and MediaPsychologyHistory and ArcheologyPhilosophy and TheologyComputers and ElectronicsSociology and AnthropologyCustomer and Personal ServiceDesignAdministration and ManagementAdministrativeForeign LanguageTherapy and CounselingTelecommunicationsPublic Safety and SecurityMathematicsPersonnel and Human ResourcesGeographyLaw and GovernmentMechanicalSales and MarketingEngineering and TechnologyTransportationEconomics and AccountingPhysicsBuilding and ConstructionBiologyProduction and ProcessingChemistryMedicine and DentistryFood Production
Technology & tools
Adobe AcrobatAdobe After EffectsAdobe AuditionAdobe Creative Cloud softwareAdobe DreamweaverAdobe IllustratorAdobe InDesignAdobe PhotoshopApple DVD Studio ProApple Final Cut ProApple Logic ProAutodesk MayaAutodesk MotionBuilderBlackboard LearnBlackboard softwareCalendar and scheduling softwareCascading style sheets CSSCollaborative editing softwareCourse management system softwareDOC CopDesire2Learn LMS softwareEdmodoEmail softwareFaux Labs SplashupGoogle DocsHypertext markup language HTMLImage scanning softwareJavaScriptKomplete KontrolLearning management system LMSLinuxMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft Visual StudioMicrosoft WordMoodleMySQLNext Limit Maxwell Render
Representative tasks
Thinking CreativelyTraining and Teaching OthersCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesCoaching and Developing OthersEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsMaking Decisions and Solving ProblemsOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesGetting InformationUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgeScheduling Work and ActivitiesWorking with ComputersDeveloping Objectives and StrategiesProviding Consultation and Advice to OthersCommunicating with People Outside the OrganizationInterpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersJudging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or PeopleIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsDocumenting/Recording InformationCoordinating the Work and Activities of OthersPerforming for or Working Directly with the PublicResolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersAssisting and Caring for OthersDeveloping and Building TeamsMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsPerforming General Physical ActivitiesAnalyzing Data or InformationHandling and Moving ObjectsPerforming Administrative ActivitiesSelling or Influencing OthersProcessing InformationControlling Machines and ProcessesEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsMonitoring and Controlling ResourcesEstimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationStaffing Organizational UnitsInspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsDrafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and EquipmentOperating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentRepairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Artistic techniques in foundational disciplines — demonstrate and explain under faculty mentorship within undergraduate studio or performance classroom settings.Course syllabi and basic instructional handouts — prepare and distribute following departmental templates and curriculum guidelines at a postsecondary institution.Student attendance records and grade entries — maintain accurately using institutional learning management systems under supervisory review.Classroom discussions on art history or music fundamentals — initiate and facilitate with structured prompts in an introductory undergraduate course.Prepared lectures on acting techniques or visual arts concepts — deliver to small undergraduate cohorts using provided curriculum frameworks.Student class work and introductory assignments — evaluate against established rubrics with guidance from senior faculty in a postsecondary arts program.Current literature and professional journals in the fine arts — read and summarize to stay abreast of field developments during initial faculty appointment.Document management and calendar scheduling software — use to organize course materials, track deadlines, and coordinate student communications in an academic department.Students preparing for entry-level performances or studio critiques — support through structured rehearsal guidance and assignment scaffolding under departmental supervision.Active listening and social perceptiveness — apply when responding to diverse student needs and questions in a postsecondary arts classroom environment.
developing
Artistic techniques across multiple media or performance styles — explain and demonstrate independently to undergraduate and early graduate students in studio, lab, or rehearsal settings.Lectures on music theory, art history, or drama fundamentals — prepare and deliver to undergraduate and graduate courses with minimal oversight, adapting content to class proficiency levels.Grading and formative feedback on student projects, papers, and performances — conduct routinely using self-developed rubrics aligned to departmental learning outcomes.Student preparation for recitals, exhibitions, or academic assessments — facilitate through individualized coaching sessions and structured rehearsal cycles in a postsecondary context.Classroom discussions integrating critical theory, cultural context, and interdisciplinary perspectives — moderate with confidence across familiar course topics in an arts department.Course materials including syllabi, assignment sequences, and multimedia handouts — develop independently using desktop publishing and document management software.Video creation, music editing, or graphics software — integrate into instructional design to enhance student engagement in technology-supported arts courses.Professional conferences and collegial dialogue — participate in actively to incorporate emerging disciplinary developments into course content and pedagogy.Student attendance, grade distributions, and required academic records — manage with full compliance to institutional policy using learning management and scheduling systems.Learning strategies tailored to varied artistic skill levels — select and apply to improve student outcomes across studio, lecture, and ensemble course formats.
proficient
Advanced artistic techniques in specialized performance, studio, or compositional practice — demonstrate and teach autonomously to graduate-level students in a research-intensive postsecondary environment.Complex, non-routine student performance challenges and creative blocks — diagnose and resolve through individualized mentorship and evidence-based instructional strategies.Graduate seminars and upper-division lectures on topics spanning art history, philosophy of aesthetics, and communications theory — design and deliver with scholarly depth and pedagogical rigor.Comprehensive assessment of student theses, capstone performances, and professional portfolios — evaluate using self-constructed, discipline-specific criteria that reflect current field standards.Sustained Socratic and discipline-specific discourse — initiate and moderate in graduate seminars, pushing students toward original critical and creative thinking across full course sequences.Multisemester curriculum sequences and program-level learning outcomes — design and refine independently, integrating fine arts knowledge with cross-disciplinary perspectives in psychology, sociology, and media.Peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and active professional networks — engage with regularly to sustain scholarly currency and incorporate evolving artistic practices into teaching.Web platform, CAD, computer-based training, and multimedia production tools — deploy strategically to create immersive, technology-enhanced learning environments for arts students.Inductive and deductive reasoning in artistic problem-solving — model explicitly for students navigating ambiguous creative or interpretive challenges in studio and performance contexts.Judgment and decision-making in complex student evaluation scenarios — exercise with full autonomy, balancing artistic standards, equity considerations, and institutional accountability requirements.
advanced
Departmental curriculum vision and program-level artistic identity — establish and champion across faculty governance structures, aligning postsecondary arts programs with national disciplinary standards and institutional mission.Faculty hiring, mentorship, and professional development — lead within an arts department, cultivating a culture of pedagogical innovation and scholarly excellence among emerging and mid-career instructors.Institutional assessment frameworks for fine arts programs — architect and implement, guiding accreditation processes and translating outcomes data into systemic curriculum improvements.Cross-departmental and interdisciplinary academic initiatives — lead in collaboration with colleagues across communications, humanities, and social sciences to advance integrated arts education at the institutional level.Strategic partnerships with professional arts organizations, industry stakeholders, and community institutions — cultivate to create experiential learning pipelines and post-graduation pathways for students.Original scholarly or artistic research at the leading edge of the discipline — produce and disseminate through peer-reviewed venues, positioning the institution as a center of creative and intellectual excellence.Departmental technology strategy for arts instruction — set and oversee, directing adoption of advanced multimedia, CAD, and web platform tools to keep the program aligned with evolving professional practice.Complex ethical and equity dilemmas in student assessment, faculty relations, and academic freedom — navigate and resolve, modeling principled judgment and transparent decision-making for the entire arts faculty.National and international professional conferences and discipline-shaping bodies — represent the institution within, contributing to field-wide conversations that influence postsecondary arts education policy.Long-range enrollment, resource allocation, and program sustainability plans — develop and execute for arts disciplines, integrating systems analysis and institutional data to ensure enduring program viability.
Also known as
74 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Adjunct Art InstructorAdjunct College InstructorAdjunct Graphic Design InstructorAdjunct InstructorAdjunct LecturerAdjunct Music InstructorAdjunct Music ProfessorAdjunct ProfessorArt EducatorArt History ProfessorArt InstructorArt ProfessorArtist InstructorArts and Crafts InstructorArts TeacherAssistant ProfessorAssociate ProfessorBallet ProfessorBallet TeacherBand TeacherBaton TeacherCeramics TeacherChoir TeacherChoral TeacherCollege Faculty MemberCollege ProfessorDance InstructorDance ProfessorDancing TeacherDigital Arts InstructorDrama ProfessorDrama TeacherDramatic Art TeacherDramatic CoachElementary Art InstructorFine Arts ProfessorFine Arts TeacherGraphic Design ProfessorGuitar TeacherInstructor