Pre-Arts

Exploring the Arts Industry to find your career path

Knowing you’re creative is one thing, but choosing a career path in the arts industry to which you can apply your talents can be challenging. Pre-arts programs at Ontario colleges are designed to expose students to a variety of artistic avenues that can lead to successful careers, giving them the opportunity to find the path that is the best fit.

If you’re interested in applying your creativity into a successful career in the arts and want to use a prearts program to find your niche, here’s what you need to know.

Pre-Arts Courses

Pre-arts programs are designed to cover a number of arts specialties including new media, fine art, photography, interior design, graphic design and more. Students will improve their existing artistic talents, while also developing skills in new areas, and will have ample opportunity to practice each of these through lab work and projects. Students will also develop a portfolio that can be used for future applications to college arts programs or when applying for jobs in the industry.

In addition to arts instruction, students will also learn problem solving, time management, communication, and other practical skills that will serve them well in an arts career or in their further education in the arts field.

General Pre-Arts Program Requirements

Ontario college pre-arts programs require an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent. Arts credits will be seen as an asset and students may be asked to submit some of their work as part of their application.

Pre-Arts Jobs and Salaries

A pre-arts certificate may be enough to secure an entry-level position in the arts industry, such as a junior graphic or interior designer. Salaries will likely be low, but students will have the opportunity to improve their skills while on the job, learning from industry professionals.

More commonly, pre-arts grads will choose to continue their studies in another arts program which will give them time to refine their skills and receive more focused training in their chosen area of study before entering the working world.

Ontario Colleges Offering Pre-Arts Programs

Use the left-column navigation to refine your search by College, Program Availability, Program Start Date and more, or see the table below for a complete list of pre-arts programs at Ontario colleges.

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