← Career directory · Arts, design, media and sports
Art Directors
Leads the visual style of magazines, ads, films and games.
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Art directors decide how things look: they set the style for ad campaigns, magazines, websites, games and film sets, and lead designers, photographers and illustrators. Most start as designers.
The guide checks the courses against your plan, with things to try each year. Free account needed.
High school courses that build toward it
- Studio Art · Arts
Builds art and music, which this job uses.
- Creative Writing · English
Builds reading and writing, which this job uses.
- Computer Science Principles · Computer Science
Builds computers and electronics, which this job uses.
- Engineering Design · Career and Technical
Builds design and technical drawing, which this job uses.
- Geometry · Math
Builds design and technical drawing, which this job uses.
Ranked by how much the job relies on what each course teaches, from O*NET's knowledge ratings. Your school's own courses and the counselor have the final word.
Art Directors on O*NET OnLine · O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections 2025.