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Studies & Degrees in Ceramics

Ceramics is the art and technology of making objects from clay and other mineral materials that are shaped and then fired in a kiln. As a subject it covers tableware and vessels, sculpture and installation, tiles and architectural pieces, and the industrial side: materials, glazes and production processes. Students spend most of their time in the studio. At the University of North Texas, for example, all ceramics students prepare clay bodies and glazes and learn kiln stacking and several firing processes: electric, gas, wood, raku, saggar or pit, and soda.

Technique is only part of the course. Programmes add drawing, design, art history and some science. The Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University says its ceramics students also study the aspects of chemistry, technology and kiln design and construction that affect their work.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degree. In the United States ceramics is usually a concentration or major within a four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA). At the University of Connecticut the BFA requires a minimum of 120 credits, of which 66 are studio art and 12 art history. Temple University and the University of North Texas also offer a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) with ceramics.
  • Spain: higher artistic education. Spain regulates ceramics as a speciality of its higher studies in plastic arts (Real Decreto 634/2010), taught in specialised schools. At the Escola d'Art i Superior de Ceràmica de Manises (EASCM), near Valencia, the programme has 240 ECTS credits over four years, with two pathways: art and ceramic design, or ceramic technology. The school states that the qualification is at level 2 of the Spanish higher education framework (MECES) and equivalent to a university bachelor's degree. Admission requires a specific entrance test; holders of a higher vocational diploma in plastic arts and design can enter directly, within a quota.
  • Vocational level. The same school teaches the Ciclo Formativo de Grado Superior de Cerámica Artística: two academic years, 120 ECTS credits and 2,000 hours, leading to the title of Técnico Superior de Artes Plásticas y Diseño.
  • Master's. EASCM and the Escola d'Art i Superior de Disseny de València teach an official master's in craft, design and sustainable production of ceramics: 60 credits in one academic year, taught in Spanish, with 10 places.
  • Short and non-degree courses. Private art schools offer semester, one-year and summer courses. Accademia Riaci in Florence teaches ceramics with an English interpreter and issues its own diploma after a final exam; ask the school what recognition that diploma has.

Where to study ceramics

SpainExchange lists 14 active schools for ceramics. Nine are in the United States, and there is one each in Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic and New Zealand. The US schools are mainly university art departments, such as Temple University in Philadelphia, the University of North Texas in Denton and the University of Connecticut in Storrs. Tennessee Tech University teaches its craft programmes at the Appalachian Center for Craft in Smithville, which is part of its College of Fine Arts. In Europe the list includes EASCM in Manises, a town with a long ceramics tradition, Accademia Riaci in Florence, the University of Sunderland and the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen.

The language of instruction follows the country: English in the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, Spanish in Manises. Most schools ask for a portfolio or an entrance test, so check the application dates well in advance.

Careers

Graduates work as studio potters and ceramic artists, product and tile designers, teachers, technicians in workshops and laboratories, and in galleries and museums. Tyler lists educators, gallery operators, architectural designers, curators, product designers and small business entrepreneurs among the paths of its ceramics graduates. EASCM adds industrial profiles such as head of a ceramics laboratory or specialist in industrial ceramic production.

It is a small labour market. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment of craft and fine artists will decline 1 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,300 openings a year, all from replacing workers who leave. It also notes that many artists hold another job in addition to their art, and that a formal credential is typically not needed to be a craft artist, although skills are hard to gain without some formal education.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to study ceramics?

A US Bachelor of Fine Arts takes four years. In Spain the higher studies in ceramics have 240 ECTS credits over four years, and the higher vocational course in artistic ceramics takes two years (120 ECTS credits).

Do I need a degree to work as a ceramicist?

Not formally. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, a formal educational credential is typically not needed to be a craft artist, but it is difficult to gain adequate skills without some formal education. Teaching in schools usually requires a degree and a teaching qualification.

Is the Spanish qualification in ceramics official?

Yes. Real Decreto 634/2010 states that the titles of the higher artistic studies in plastic arts, with the specialities ceramics and glass, are official and valid throughout Spain.

Can I study ceramics in English in Europe?

Yes, in the United Kingdom, and at private schools such as Accademia Riaci in Florence, where classes are given with an English interpreter. The Spanish public programmes in Manises are taught in Spanish.