Fine Arts and Applied Arts: Key Difference, Course, Colleges

Many art students feel confused when choosing Fine Arts as a degree, to get rid of the confusion they must compare Fine Arts and Applied Arts to get a clear view. Are Fine Arts and Applied Arts similar? What about Visual Arts—how do they vary from Fine Arts? Read this Shiksha article to clear up these differences, to decide on the right Fine Arts course.

For arts enthusiast who are passionate about making a career in the Arts, it is better to start by building a strong foundation by enrolling themselves in an Arts course of their choice. There are various types of Arts courses available in India, such as Fine Arts and Applied Arts. However, many art students get confused when choosing a Fine Arts course. Let us figure out, whether Fine Arts and Applied Arts are the same. What is the major difference between Visual Arts and Fine Arts?

To clear up this confusion, candidates must go through this Shiksha article to understand the key differences between Fine Arts and Applied Arts to get a clear understanding of both courses and make an informed decision.

Fine Arts: Highlights

Candidates can check the space below to know about important points related to various Fine Arts courses in the table below including major highlights on course level, course duration, entrance exams, average salaries, course fees, top recruiters and top job profiles. Candidates can refer to highlights for a quick reference:

What is the difference between Fine Arts and Applied Arts?

The major difference between fine arts and applied arts is how the work is created in both fields. Fine arts focuses more on creative expression and freehand techniques, while applied arts focuses more on technical skills and practical design. If art students want to learn more, they must explore their meanings, admission process, and career opportunities to get a brief understanding of these two artistic fields. 

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What is Fine Arts?

Fine Arts is a form of art which deals with aesthetic value. Fine Arts deals with the study of drawing, sculpture, painting, literature, pottery, printmaking, ceramics, and murals. Candidates who have an artistic side can pursue a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts, which is offered by numerous universities and colleges in India. With technology advancing in every field, creativity and innovativeness take a whole new level. Under fine arts, the following activities come into play:

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If a candidate wants to pursue a Bachelor in Fine Arts, the duration of the course is generally three years. Candidates can pursue BFA as a full-time course or part-time as well. Aspirants can choose an area they specialize in to fine-tune their skills and enhance their creativity.

Eligibility: Students who are interested in taking up a Bachelor in Fine Arts, need to meet the eligibility criteria as set by universities. The basic criteria is that a student needs to have secured a minimum of 50% marks from a recognized school.

Admission Process: The admission process is such that students who are interested in a college or university will have to apply online. While some universities and colleges grant admission based on merit and scores secured, some universities conduct entrance exams. A few entrance exams which are conducted for BFA are as follows:

• Banaras Hindu University Entrance Examination
• Delhi University Entrance Exam
• Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (JNAFAU) Entrance Exam
• Rabindra Bharati University Entrance Examination

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Colleges offering BFA

Candidates interested in pursuing a BFA course can refer to the table below to learn about colleges offering BFA courses.  

What is Applied Arts?

One thing students need to understand is that applied arts is often mistaken for fine arts, but there is a thin line which separates the two. While Fine Arts deals with the traditional artistic field, applied arts deals with creativity which is commercialized and materialised such as architecture, graphic designing, interior designing, fashion designing and much more. The creativity applied here is that a student makes a product or a service soothing to the eyes. However, creativity is more sophisticated and technical rather than the free hand in Fine Arts. Applied Arts include the following works:

Applied Arts Course: Highlights

Candidates can check the table below to learn about major highlights related to the Applied Arts course including course level, course duration, entrance exams, average salaries, course fees, top recruiters and top job profiles. Candidates can check the highlights below for a quick reference:

With applied arts, a student has to undergo training to acquire knowledge to grasp the nuances of applied art. Students need to have the required skills to excel in the field of arts. The creativity, innovativeness, originality, vision and ingenuity need to flow from within.

Eligibility: Before a candidate can begin the admission process in a college, the student needs to meet the eligibility criteria set by the universities. With applied arts being a vocational course, candidates will need to have secured a minimum of 50% from a recognized school.

Admission Process: There are various institutes which offer BFA in applied arts. Interested students will need to apply online. While some universities grant admission based on merit, some universities and colleges conduct entrance exams.

Colleges offering Applied Arts

Candidates interested in pursuing Applied Arts can refer to the table below to learn about colleges offering Applied Arts courses.

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