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arts in medicine/health

A program that focuses on the design, implementation, and management of programs that use the visual and performing arts in support of health and wellness among diverse individuals and communities. Includes instruction in dance, literary arts, music, theatre, healthcare systems, program administration, and public health. Examples: [Theatre for Health], [Visual Arts in Medicine], [Dance in Medicine], [Music in Medicine], [Arts and Health], [Arts in Healthcare], [Arts in Public Health]

Types of Degrees arts in medicine/health Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing arts in medicine/health may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	5

What arts in medicine/health Majors Need to Know

Studies in arts in medicine/health develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that arts in medicine/health graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in arts in medicine/health emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Personnel and Human Resources — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a arts in medicine/health program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to arts in medicine/health careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, arts in medicine/health graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.7 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.6 / 7
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.3 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	4.2 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by arts in medicine/health professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Publisher	Desktop publishing software	—
SmugMug Flickr	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Data entry software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Apache Hadoop	Data base management system software	—
Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services SSIS	Enterprise application integration software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for arts in medicine/health graduates include:

• Medical Office Manager
• Nurses Director
• Community Health Nursing Director
• Medicine and Health Services Manager
• Health Care Administrator
• Speech and Hearing Therapy Director
• Nursing Services Director
• Rehabilitation Services Coordinator
• Medical Information Officer
• Health Information Management Director (HIM Director)
• Laboratory Manager (Lab Manager)
• Assisted Living Manager
• Nurses Superintendent
• Patient Services Coordinator
• Home Health Director

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to arts in medicine/health graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	48.7%
Master’s degree	18.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	15.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	5.2%
Postsecondary certificate	4.2%
Some college courses	3.2%
First professional degree	2.1%
Post-doctoral training	2.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in arts in medicine/health?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 100% of arts in medicine/health degrees.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of arts in medicine/health graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	4	80.0%
Hispanic or Latino	1	20.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do arts in medicine/health Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of arts in medicine/health graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$91,596
4 years	$89,352
5 years	$98,782

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $98,782 — roughly 8% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in arts in medicine/health Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, arts in medicine/health graduates earn a median of $89,352 four years after completion — roughly 135% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Public Health, General	25,004
Health and Wellness, General	5,611
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities	5,250
Nursing Education	3,933
Community Health and Preventive Medicine	2,571
Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling	2,298
Bioethics/Medical Ethics	757
Behavioral Aspects of Health	623
Medical/Health Humanities	352
Clinical Research Coordinator	347
Health Professions Education	102
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities, Other	101

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.