The creative skills of Montserrat’s alumni have propelled them into not only successful but also meaningful, careers. We find them in the familiar fields of advertising and marketing, following their inner voices as fine artists, or even giving sound to the pipes of some of the world’s most prestigious church organs. Montserrat graduates apply their creative problem-solving skills in diverse and different ways—just as they did in their coursework as undergraduates.
A recent study conducted by Americans for the Arts reported that 72% of employers say creativity is of primary concern when they’re hiring, yet 85% of these employers can’t find the creative applicants they seek.
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, visual and performing art students who graduated in 2014 had an average starting salary of $36,222. (That’s higher than majors in biology and education.)
Today, Puma, Nike, Hasbro, Disney, and Nickelodeon are just some of the brands at which Montserrat alumni are employed. While these household names are impressive and exciting environments in which to be employed, the benefit of a creative art and design degree gives our alumni endless options in which to build a career. They are painters, illustrators and designers; they are book publishers; they work in non-profits, museums and galleries; they are educators; they are business owners; they are freelancers; they fulfill their creative side by showing, making or selling work independently.