Fine Arts vs Applied Arts, Courses, Eligibility, Syllabus, Colleges, FAQs 2023

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Collegedunia Team

Content Curator | Updated 3+ months ago

While Fine Arts is produced simply for aesthetic purposes, to give the viewers a visually appealing end result, Applied art gives an aesthetic but a greater purpose end result with interactive, design, or problem-solving goals. While both drastically differ, both fields have a huge scope and intersect with each other, and many pieces of applied art crossover and fall in the fine arts category.

Fine Arts can be divided into different disciplines namely Literature, Drama, Painting, Sculpture, and Music while Applied arts is related to the field of visual arts including areas such as advertising, commercial design, graphic design, commercial photography, fashion design, and many more.

BFA, BA in Fine Arts, MFS, MA in Fine Arts, etc are some of the Fine Arts Courses while BFA Applied Arts and MFA Applied Arts are some of the popular Applied Arts Courses which you can choose as per your interest. Know more about Arts Courses and Digital Painting Courses.

Difference Between Fine Arts and Applied Arts

  • Fine arts and applied arts both are art courses but the difference between them is the work created out of them.
  • Fine arts is the traditional field that focuses on the aesthetics of art and has a freehand approach. Whereas applied arts focus on the application of art including technical aspects and processes and focus more on the aspects of utility of art with aesthetics.
  • Fine arts include areas of study like painting, drawing, sculpture, pottery, ceramics, metalwork, etc. Whereas applied arts include the study of subjects like Industrial Design, Advertisement, Graphic Design, Animation, Calligraphy, etc.
  • Fine arts focus more on creativity and pleasure. The primary focus is to study the preferred art form along with its history, its contemporary usage, and the techniques used. Whereas Applied Arts focus on the utility and commercialization of the product of art.
  • Fine arts are just beautiful, but applied arts are beauty with purpose.

Learn more about:

What is Fine Arts?

  • Fine Arts are the study of visual arts that deals with drawing, sculpture, pottery, painting, etc. 
  • Generally, it prepares students to become artists. It educates students with practices that are aligned with the making of art.
  • The curriculum is designed to help students emerge with their individual potential and imagination.
  • It is something created for aesthetic or intellectual value rather than utilitarian or practical purposes.
  • It involves creative expression that might convey an idea or an emotion or explore social commentary.

Fine Arts: Courses

Fine arts courses are available at various levels. The courses available in fine arts are mentioned in the table below:

Level of Study Course Name Average Course Fees
Undergraduate Bachelor in Fine Arts (BFA) INR 2,500 - 4,50,000
BA in Fine Arts
Postgraduate Master of Fine Arts INR 5,000 - 1,50,000
MA in Fine Arts
Diploma Diploma in Fine Arts INR 10,000 - 1,00,000
PG Diploma in Fine Arts

Fine Arts: Eligibility

To apply to any of the fine arts courses, one needs to fulfill the following requirements:

  • BFA/ BA Fine Arts - The candidates should have completed 10+2 with a minimum aggregate of 50%.
  • MFA/ MA Fine Arts - One should have completed a bachelor's degree in fine arts, with a minimum aggregate of 50%, from a recognized university.

Know more about Fine Arts Courses Eligibility

Fine Arts: Admission Process

To apply for admission to various Fine Arts Courses, one can follow the following steps given below:

  • Admission into both the UG and PG level courses is either based on the entrance exam or through previous academic history, followed by a personal interview.
  • There is no common exam conducted for fine arts. The institutes conduct their own exam.
  • The applications will be available online, and the candidates can apply by visiting the official website of the institute.
  • Having a portfolio is also a suggestion while appearing for the interview.

Syllabus for Fine Arts Courses

The syllabus of fine arts may be different for different colleges as well as courses. Some of the common topics for various Fine Arts Courses are mentioned in the table below:

Aesthetic Portrait Painting
Environmental Education History of Arts
Composition Painting Graphic Printmaking
Graphic Designing Ceramic and Moulds
Life study Printmaking
Illustrations Poster Designing
Press Advertisement Stone and Wood Carving
Indian aesthetic -

Also check out: Fine Arts Subjects

Colleges for Fine Arts

Some of the colleges that offer fine arts courses at various levels are mentioned in the table below:

Also check out: Fine Arts Colleges in India

What is Applied Arts?

  • Applied arts is the art that deals with the design and decoration of essential, everyday, practical objects in order to make them aesthetically pleasing.
  • It is a part of fine arts that deals with topics like Industrial design, Architecture, Ceramic art, Interior design, advertisement, Animation, Graphic Designing, Calligraphy, Clay Modelling, etc.
  • It emphasizes both theoretical knowledge as well as hands-on training.
  • The curriculum includes the history of art and design and also offers hours of training on designing on the basis of concepts and ideas.

Applied Arts: Courses

Applied Arts courses are available at undergraduate, postgraduate, and other levels. Check out the popular courses available in applied arts in the table below:

Level of Study Course Name Average Course Fees
Undergraduate BFA Applied Arts INR 20,000 - 1,20,000
Postgraduate MFA Applied Arts INR 4,000 - 60,000

Applied Arts: Eligibility

To apply for any of the applied art courses, one needs to fulfill the following requirements:

  • BFA Applied Arts - The candidate should have completed 10+2 with a minimum aggregate of 50% from a recognized board. They should have basic knowledge of various art forms and should have good art and design aptitude.
  • MFA Applied Arts - The candidates should have completed a bachelor's degree in fine arts/ applied arts from a recognized university. They should have scored a minimum aggregate of 45% - 60%. 

Applied Arts: Admission Process

Admission into the applied arts courses is either based on merit or through an entrance exam, depending upon the institute. The admission process includes the following process:

  • Application - When the applications will be released by the institute, then the applicants should visit the official website of the institute and fill out the online application.
  • Entrance Exam - If the institute evaluates applicants based on the entrance exam, then the applicants will have to appear for the entrance exam.
  • Merit-list - The candidates who have cleared the minimum cut-off will be shortlisted and will be called for further process.
  • Personal Interview - The selected students will have to appear for a personal interview round, where a portfolio will also be required.
  • Enrollment - The final results will be announced and those who are selected can enroll in the course.

Syllabus for Applied Arts

The syllabus for Applied Arts varies depending on the type of college and the course one is seeking for. Here is a list of common BFA Applied Arts Syllabus is given in the table below:

Semester 1 Semester 2
Calligraphy Geometrical Drawing and Perspective Drawing
Clay Plaster Modeling History of Art in India
Collage Painting and Print Media Indoor and Outdoor Sketching
Colour Theory and Colour Comparison Language: English/ Hindi
Drawing Silk Screen Stencil Pencil
Semester 3 Semester 4
Still Life Computer
2D or 3D Animation Graphics Drawing Illustration
Advertising Theory History of Far Eastern Art
Campaign History of Modern Western Art
Computer Application History of Modern Indian Art
Semester 5 Semester 6
History of Western art Portfolio development and its digital manipulation
Indian aesthetics Poster design
Little Calligraphy/ Topography Press Layout
Photography black and white Project work industry interface
Photography and reproduction techniques Western aesthetic’s

Colleges for Applied Arts

Some of the institutes that offer courses in applied arts are mentioned in the table below:

Institute Name Annual Course Fee
Jamia Millia Islamia INR 10,500
KL University INR 1,20,000
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathawada University INR 18,136
Kurukshetra University INR 38,000
Manipal University INR 1,16,500
International Institute of Fine Arts INR 45,000
Banaras Hindu University INR 4,620
Mumbai University INR 34,405
MIT World Peace University INR 1,20,000
RIMT University INR 59,000

Also check out: Top Applied Arts Colleges in India

Difference Between Fine Arts and Applied Arts: FAQs

Ques. What are the topics that are focused on applied arts?

Ans. Arts can be used in various fields to make things aesthetically beautiful. So applied arts includes topics like

  • Industrial Design
  • Sculpture
  • Architecture
  • Crafts
  • Ceramic Art
  • Automotive Design
  • Fashion Design
  • Calligraphy
  • Interior Design
  • Graphic Design
  • Cartographic Design

Ques. What can I do after applied arts?

Ans. Some of the job options available after completion of applied arts are

  • Art Teacher
  • Graphic Designer
  • Animator
  • Exhibition Designer
  • Production Artist
  • Illustrator
  • Furniture Designer
  • Interior Designer

Ques. Where can an applied arts graduate find jobs?

Ans. There are various organizations or companies that hire artists. Some of the areas where they can find jobs are:

  • Advertising Company
  • Animation Industry
  • Media and Public Relations
  • Publishing House
  • Digital Media
  • IT Companies
  • Printmaking
  • Art Studios
  • Product Design
  • Manufacturing

Ques. How much can I earn after BFA in Applied arts?

Ans. The average salary for freshers could start from about INR 8,000 to INR 20,000. This will increase eventually with higher qualifications and experience.

Ques. Is there a difference in job options after fine arts and applied arts?

Ans. The job options are usually the same for both. Applied arts has emerged from fine arts, so there's not much difference. Just their purpose differs otherwise they both work on aesthetics.

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Arts Colleges IN INDIA

Hindu College
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28.67 K first year fees
St Stephen's College
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Miranda House
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Kirori Mal College - [KMC]
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Jesus and Mary College - [JMC]
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Hansraj College - [HRC]
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33.15 K first year fees