Art Teaching Jobs Abroad

There are numerous interesting opportunities within the creative and art communities around the world. Art is a universal language and with new experiences around every corner, teaching abroad will really get the creative juices flowing.

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Are you considering the merits of teaching students overseas the wonders of art? If so, the demand for foreign art teachers in significantly lower in comparison to the core subjects of English, maths, and science.

With that being said, you’ll stand the best chance possible of landing an art teaching role abroad if you have an academic profile to match your passion. By this, we mean a fully-fledged Bachelor's Degree in art and a postgraduate teaching diploma.

Moreover, those with prior in-class experience are also going to stand a much better chance of landing that dream job, albeit, this isn’t always necessary. 

If you’re keen to find out more about what it takes to teach art abroad, be sure to read the guidelines we have outlined below.

What qualifications do I need?

Your first port of call will be to assess the type of academic profile that schools abroad typically ask for. This is no easy feat, as the specifics will depend on a number of factors. For example, schools based in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the USA will have similar educational standards as the UK. 

As such, you'll be required to have gone through the traditional teaching route of obtaining a Bachelor's Degree, followed by a PGCE. Crucially, your Bachelor's Degree will need to have been taken specifically in art. While art is often something that comes naturally, high-end schools will want to know that you understand the theoretical side of the subject. 

At the other end of the spectrum, certain schools based in emerging regions such as Asia, Africa, and South America will have much lower expectations when it comes to academic qualifications - especially when teaching art. 

For example, if you’re in possession of at least an art-related university degree, your application is still likely to be considered - even without a PGCE. This is especially the case if you are a native English speaker.

Will I need experience to teach Art in other countries? 

Similarly to the requirements surrounding qualifications, whether or not you need experience to teach art abroad will depend on the specific role. For example, if you’re looking for a lucrative teaching role in a private school abroad, then your application will only be considered if you possess prior experience. In fact, you’ll likely need to have at least 1-3 years of relevant in-class experience that can be verified by a school in your home country.

If you’re a recent graduate and don’t quite meet the experience threshold, don’t despair. While you might not be suitable for the best paying roles at this stage of your art teaching career, opportunities still lie in waiting. 

Once again, public schools in emerging regions of the world will view your application highly if you’re a native English speaker with at least a Bachelor’s Degree in art.

How do I find a job teaching Art?

If you’re tempted at the thought of teaching art abroad, why not spend some time browsing through the many job postings that we have listed on this page? While the number of opportunities is not as vast as other subjects in the curriculum, positions are still plentiful. 

Depending on the type of academic profile that you hold, you might need to be somewhat flexible with the destination you opt for. With that said, a career change abroad will broaden your horizons regardless of which part of the world you end up teaching!