What is Applied Arts?: Course Fees 2025, Subjects, Top Colleges, Admissions

The term "applied arts" refers to a broad range of fields in which aesthetic ideas are used to create useful or functional items. Here are a few important applied arts categories:

Hi Soma,

• Once the aspirant finish the program, he/she can study advanced course in Master of Fine Arts.
• They can specialize in any of the subjects. Diploma programs are also there.
• Some of the fields in fine arts are like painting, drama, sculpture and music. Many more opportunities are available in the teaching and photography field.

All the Best

BFA stands for Bachelor of Fine Arts. It's a standard undergraduate degree designed for students who want a professional education in the visual, fine, or performing arts. In some cases, it's also referred to as a Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA). BFA programs typically last three to four years and provide a focused curriculum on various art forms like painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, graphic design, and more. Students often choose a specific area to specialize in during their studies.

Applied Arts course courses are very popular amongst candidates who have completed Class 12 and are seeking admission to undergraduate courses. Some of the popular Applied Arts course courses include specializations in Industrial and Product Design, Interior Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Visual Communication, Commercial Photography, Fashion Design, Game Design, and Interactive Media Design. Candidates can also pursue postgraduate courses in this field as well as seek admission to foreign universities.

Students who are interested in pursuing an applied arts course should have a knack for creativity and innovation. They must have a basic knowledge of painting and drawing. However, the candidate should possess immense patience and enjoy working for hours

BFA Applied Arts is an undergraduate Fine Arts course. The course is usually 4 years long and the examinations can be either semester wise or yearly. BFA Applied Arts covers topics like Advertising, Calligraphy, Clay Modelling, Animation, Graphic Designing, etc. It is also offered under various specialisations such as:

• Art History
• Visual Communication
• Design Theory
• Animation

To pursue BFA (Bachelor in Fine Arts) in Applied Arts, candidates should have:

• Passed 10+2 from a recognised board with a minimum 50% marks.
• Some institutions may require applicants to have passed an entrance exam or portfolio review.
• Applicants must have a strong portfolio of their artistic work.
• Applicants must be creative, self-motivated, and have a passion for art.

Candidates who have completed Class 10 from recognised board can apply for this course. This course acts as a refresher or beginner's level course for candidates who wish to pursue Applied Arts in undergraduate level. The colleges are as follows:

• Meerabai Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University
• Dr. HJ Bhabha Delhi Skill and Entreprenuership University

The minimum eligibility for this course is a Bachelor's degree in fine arts or equivalent from a recognised institute. Admission to M.A. Fine Arts is based on a candidate's performance in a relevant entrance exam and subsequent rounds. The average annual fee for the course ranges between INR 4 K to 2 L for 2 years.

Some colleges are which provide this course are:

• College of fine arts
• Alliance University
• Joy University
• Lovely professional University

Eligibility to pursue BFA: -

• Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree can be pursued by those candidates who have successfully completed their HSC (10+2) examinations in any stream from a recognised board.
• Though there are no entrance test for the Bachelor of Fine Arts course but a few Institutes may conduct these.
• Some BFA Institutes may conduct an Aptitude Test as well and on the basis of the test the final decision for admission is made.

Some of the popular courses that candidates can pursue at undergraduate and postgraduate levels are:

• Bachelor of Design (B.Des)
• BFA in Visual Communication
• MFA in Visual Communication
• Visual Communication and Brand Identity
• UG Diploma in Visual Communication and Digital Design

Some of the popular entrance exams that an aspirant should consider appearing for admission to these courses are mentioned below:

Candidates preparing for CUET PG 2026 can download the CUET PG syllabus 2026 pdf by visiting the official website of CUET PG 2026 or can check out in this Shiksha page.

It is also observed that the CUET PG syllabus doesn't this year, so candidates are suggested to either go to the CUET PG 2026 official website and search for CUET PG syllabus there.

National Testing Agency (NTA) will announce the CUET 2026 exam date in first week of March. NTA will conduct the CUET UG 2026 exam tentatively in May/June 2026. The exam will be conducted in multiple slots each day. NTA will conduct CUET UG 2026 exam in two slots: 9 AM to 12 PM and 3 PM to 6 PM.

CUET 2026 registrations will commence at cuet.nta.nic.in. Candidates willing to appear for the CUET for admission to UG courses at Central, State, Private, or Deemed universities must complete the online application form to appear for the CUET 2026 exam. Only registered candidates can appear for the exam as per the schedule.

The CUET PG 2025 exam pattern has been amended for the academic session 2025-2026. The exam duration has been reduced to 90 minutes from 105 minutes for all question papers. 

CUET PG exam pattern depicts the exam format in which candidates will get to know about the types of questions asked in the CUET PG 2025 examination. Also candidates will get to know about the CUET PG negative marking scheme, time duration provided by the exam officials to attend the CUET PG exam.

CUET PG 2025 exam pattern consist of the following parts:

• Type of Questions- Multiple Choice Questions.
• Exam Duration- 90 Minutes
• Total Marks- 300 marks
• Marking Scheme

Common University Entrance Test (CUET) 2026 registration will commence in first week of March at cuet.nta.nic.in. NTA will release the CUET 2026 notification in first week of March 2026. Soon after the release of the notification, the CUET registration 2026 process begins online at the official website. Candidates willing to appear for the CUET 2026 exam must ensure that complete the application form online. Additionally, before filling out the application form, candidates must ensure that they fulfill the prescribed CUET eligibility criteria to qualify for the entrance exam.

JMI selection criteria includes shortlisting of candidates on the basis of scores obtained in JMI exam. For some courses candidates are required to also appear for Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI). The cut off for each course is released after the selection procedure is over and candidates are called for counselling and document verification. Candidates should go through the selection process mentioned in the e prospectus of JMI for their respective course.

Yes, Animation can be a great choise after bfa as you can specialize in 2D/3D Animation, VFX, or Game Design and secure job roles such as:

• Motion Graphics Designer
• VFX Artist
• Character Animator
• Storyboard Artist

You can work with companies like Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks as they hire skilled animation artists.

If you don't want to work in traditional applied arts fields then you can explore the following job profiles:

1. Digital Marketing & Social Media Design
2. Art Therapy & Wellness Coaching
3. Educational Content Creation (YouTube, Online Courses)
4. Corporate Branding & Merchandise Design

Applied Arts is a broad field that encompasses many different disciplines.  Applied Arts include various subjects, some of them are as follows:

• Interior Designing
• Architecture
• Graphic Designing
• Fashion Designing
• Advertising
• Jewellery Making
• Basket Weaving

Subjects in BFA applied arts are as follows:

1. Calligraphy
2. Clay Plaster Modelling
3. Collage Painting and Print Media
4. Color Theory and Color comparison
5. Geometrical Drawing and Perspective Drawing
6. History of Art in India
7. Silk Screen Stencil Print
8. 2D and 3D Animation
9. Graphics Drawing Illustration (Indoor & Outdoor)
10. History of Western Art

Core subjects in Advertising courses often include copywriting, graphic design, media planning and buying, digital marketing, branding, consumer behavior, market research, communication skills, and business foundations. Specific topics may vary depending on the program.

Some of the colleges offering certificate courses in the field of Applied Arts are as follows:

• IGNOU
• Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University
• Academy of Fine Arts and Crafts
• Rahini College of Art and Design
• M.S. Panwar Group of Institutions

The following colleges offer UG Diploma courses in Applied Arts, namely:

• Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda
• Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University
• Raja Mansingh Tomar Music and Arts University
• Shri Krishna University
• Appejay Institute of Design

Overall seats across various courses at Academy of Applied Arts, South Delhi goes up to 135. Academy of Applied Arts, South Delhi offers Diploma and Certificate courses including 14 UG course. These programs are offerred in Full Time and Part Time mode.

Yes, Applied Arts is a good career option. It includes all the art forms that offers various career opportunities. A person with good sketching skills can opt for fashion designing or other designing courses. Careers in the Applied Arts let you utilize your imagination to come up with solutions and make new things. This can be a really satisfying experience that also leaves you feeling accomplished. Careers in the applied arts demand critical thinking and problem-solving techniques. Any field could benefit from this expertise, and it could also lead to a demanding and interesting job.

Typical careers in arts:-

1. Fine artist: There is no reason why you cannot pursue a career as a professional artist if you have talent and dedication. You will also need plenty of self-belief, stamina and the ability to promote yourself, as this is a highly competitive career path. Some fine artists decide to continue developing their work alongside work in a relevant full- or part-time job, such as that of an art teacher/tutor.
2. Illustrator: They use their creative skills to communicate stories, messages or ideas to an intended audience. They usually work on a freelance basis for multiple clients, and are likely to specialize in a specific medium, such as drawing, photography or digital illustration. In this case, your portfolio should demonstrate that you can work to a clear brief, such as creating designs for a book cover.
3. Arts administrator: As an arts administrator, you would plan and organize arts activities and ensure they are successful. If you're passionate about the arts and enjoy managing and organizing, this career could be for you, enabling you to gain new perspectives on art and its various community and social roles. You will need strong administration and computer skills for this role.

Yes, the scope for Applied Arts is wide. Candidates with Applied Arts degree can get jobs in Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Fashion Design, Interior Design, Architecture, Advertising, Photography etc. In the upcoming years, there will likely be a rise in need for specialists in the Applied Arts. This is as a result of how important visual communication is becoming in our culture. Businesses and organizations will require the skills of qualified Applied Arts practitioners as they search for more effective ways to convey their thoughts.

The future trends in the advertising industry that could impact careers is that, the industry is increasingly digital, data-driven, and personalized. Expect continued growth in social media marketing, influencer marketing, programmatic advertising, and content marketing.

Here are some technical skills you will need to be a good Interior Designer:

• Using 3D Interior Design modelling tools.
• Precision sketching to know how to communicate your Interior Design ideas.
• Computer-Aided-Design (CAD).
• Architectural detailing and building codes.

There are various career options available after Applied Arts. Some of them are Graphic Designer, Art Teacher, Editor, Illustrator, Animator, Compositor, Visualizer and so on. Visual communications such as logos, posters, websites, and commercials are produced by graphic designers. Clothing is produced, marketed, and designed by fashion designers.  Planned and decorated by interior designers. To design spaces that are both practical and visually beautiful, they draw on their creativity and expertise in furniture, color, and space.

The difference between fine arts and applied arts is related to work. In Fine Arts, work is done based on freehand approach while in Applied Arts it is based on technicality. 

In European academic traditions, fine art is art development primarily of aesthetics or beauty distinguishing it from applied arts which also has to serve some practical function such as pottery or most network Fine art is drawing sculpting and painting original works Printing is usually not considered a fine art though printers might well and sensibly disagree.

Applied art is essentially design decorative or illustrative art which though sometimes really craft worthy or painterly is not highly regarded by most students and collector of art

Commercials and applied arts are two different but related ideas. The application of creative abilities to useful or functional products is known as applied arts, and it includes fields like interior design, industrial design, and graphic design. Commercials, on the other hand, particularly relate to promotional material made for the purpose of advertising.

Although the creative and artistic aspects of commercials are enhanced by the application of applied arts, commercials themselves are only a portion of the applied arts discipline. Professionals frequently use applied arts disciplines—especially graphic design—when making commercials in order to efficiently visually transmit messages and market goods and services. Thus, although not interchangeable, applied arts and advertisements have a relationship in which the former influences the latter's visual elements.

Candidates who pursue BFA or MFA in Arts Education can also specialise in the field of Applied Arts. Some of the top colleges offering various courses in Applied Arts are given as follows:

• MIT-WPU
• Amity University, Noida
• Parul University
• Jamia Millia Islamia

A course in Visual Communication is good option for graduation for students who have good communication skills and are interested in working for various mass communication platforms and roles such as Print, Electronic or Digital Media as a journalist, news anchor, Radio or Video Jockey or Public Relations or Corporate Communication and advertising, etc.

Students learn how to think creatively and solve issues in novel and creative ways in Applied Arts courses. Students learn how to successfully communicate their ideas through the use of visual communication in Applied Arts courses. Students are taught how to make their work using a range of tools and programs in Applied Arts course classes. Applied Arts courses can assist students in acquiring the skills they need to succeed in the labor market as the demand for creative and skilled professionals is increasing.