Arts & Humanities
Integrated Rural Art and Industry
Integrated Rural Art and Industry teaches you how art, design, and small industry can improve life in rural communities. You'll combine visual arts training with an understanding of rural economics and development, learning to use creative skills to support community livelihoods.
Program objectives
- 01Build foundational visual arts skills including drawing, painting, and sculpture.
- 02Understand rural development and the socio-economic dynamics of rural communities.
- 03Learn entrepreneurship and small business skills tailored to rural settings.
- 04Get grounding in how art and craft industries can support rural economic development.
Why choose this program
A genuinely unique interdisciplinary field
This program combines art, sociology, and economics in a way few other degrees do, giving you a distinctive, versatile skill set.
Directly relevant to rural Ghana's development
If you're interested in supporting rural communities through creative and economic development, this program gives you concrete tools for that.
Global learning perspective
The curriculum includes international case studies, giving you a wider view of rural development beyond just the Ghanaian context.
Skills you'll build
- Visual arts fundamentals (drawing, painting, sculpture)
- Rural development analysis
- Small business and entrepreneurship skills
- Craft industry and product development
- Creativity
- Community engagement
- Cultural sensitivity
- Practical problem-solving for rural contexts
Tools & software
- Basic art and craft production tools
Challenges to expect
Academic
- Combines creative arts training with development studies and business, a genuinely broad interdisciplinary mix.
Personal
- Fieldwork in rural communities may require travel and time away from major cities.
Tips from the field
- Engage genuinely with rural communities during your studies -- real fieldwork exposure is central to understanding how art and industry can actually support rural livelihoods.
- Build practical entrepreneurship skills alongside your creative training, since many graduates go on to start their own craft or rural-industry ventures.
- Consider how your specific artistic interests (textiles, ceramics, sculpture) could apply to rural industry development, since it can shape your specialization.
Career paths
- Rural development officer
- Craft industry entrepreneur
- Community arts program coordinator
- NGO rural livelihoods officer
- Art and craft product developer
Where you can study this
| Name | Latest cutoff | Tuition (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyBA | 15(2024) | — |
| University of Cape CoastBEd | 19(2025) | — |
FAQs
Is this a fine arts degree or a development studies degree?+
It's genuinely both -- the program deliberately combines visual arts training with rural sociology and economics to prepare graduates for community-focused creative and industry work.
Can I start my own business with this degree?+
Yes, the program includes practical entrepreneurship and business management training specifically geared toward rural and craft-industry contexts.
Will I need to travel to rural communities during my studies?+
Yes, fieldwork engaging with rural communities is a meaningful part of understanding how art and industry can practically support local development.
Where can I study this in Ghana?+
KNUST offers a dedicated BA Integrated Rural Art and Industry program through its Faculty of Art.
Is this program well-suited to someone who wants to work with an NGO?+
Yes, the combination of creative skills and rural development knowledge is a strong fit for NGO roles focused on community livelihoods and local economic development.
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