Arab Region Students Creatively Use Arts Degrees

For students seeking to nurture a particular creative talent or passion, arts-focused degrees may be a good start. From graphic design to television and film, arts-focused grads -- including those from other countries in the region -- are finding original and innovative ways to use their Arab region university degrees in a range of fields.

Jean-Pierre El Asmar, associate professor and dean of the faculty of architecture, art and design at Notre Dame University -- Louaize in Lebanon, says among the benefits of arts-focused degrees are analytical, technical, communication, research, entrepreneurial and time management skills, as well as the ability to work independently or in teams. He says pursuing degrees in arts-related fields helps shape a person's potential.

As a little girl, Egyptian national Alia Korayem says she used to watch in awe as her mother got ready, noting her chic clothing and accessory choices no matter the occasion. Korayem says she became fascinated with fashion and knew that's what she wanted to study. She is a 2011 design and pattern-making graduate of ESMOD Dubai, a branch of Paris-based fashion institute ESMOD International in the United Arab Emirates.

She says she chose the UAE to be close to her family, who live in Saudi Arabia, and the school for its reputation and international recognition.

"I was never keen to pursue a role that did not challenge my mind creatively," says Korayem, who founded West L.A. Boutique in Dubai a year after graduating, and later its men's store. Her idea for the store was to bring L.A.'s style and vibe to Dubai and offer brands not easily accessible in the region.

Degrees in the arts encompass everything from interior design to literature to performing arts. El Asmar says every job has a creative dimension, whether it's visual, scientific or literary.

[See which careers are hot for Arab region university grads.]

"Creative degrees, including design in all its branches -- architecture, graphic, industrial, fashion, interior and furniture design, as well as art and music fields -- have always been and will continue to be the business degrees of an interdisciplinary future," says El Asmar. "For example, visual communication is necessary in the selling and advertising of a product, an object, a political view, a concept, among other information."

Palestinian-Lebanese Alaa Minawi couldn't ignore his creative bent. Just shy of 15 credits toward a computer science degree from Lebanese American University, Minawi decided the major was not his calling and dove into the world of theater. He instead pursued a communication arts degree at the school, graduating in 2008. The school also has degrees in fashion design, fine arts, performing arts, television and film, interior architecture, graphic design and interior design.

"Slowly I found myself drawn to theater more than anything and then specifically to lighting design," says Minawi, a visual artist. "From 2010, I decided that I want to experiment more with light and make installations out of them."

Minawi has worked in more than 300 performances in Lebanon and the Arab region as a lighting designer, technical director and performer. His " My Light is Your Light" installation -- which features six neon light figures resembling a displaced Syrian refugee family -- was first recognized at the Amsterdam Light Festival and is now touring several international cities.

While arts-focused degrees draw many interested students, some parents, particularly from the region, still view the arts as a hobby that could limit a student's future, says Kevin Badni, head of the department of art and design at the American University of Sharjah.

[Understand key facts about American-style universities in the Arab region.]

However, Badni says these degrees teach students "to think laterally, work in teams and be proactive ," and that these skills are being recognized as valuable traits by companies throughout the region. The university offers undergrad degrees in architecture, interior design, design management, multimedia design and visual communication.

And arts-focused degrees offer a range of career routes. Iraqi national Fahad Tareq Nsaif is a 2014 architecture grad from NDU. Nsaif considered engineering but chose architecture so he could be part of the rebuilding of his country.

"Architecture is the only major that will give me the opportunity to mix both the rebuilding and design," says Nsaif, which allows him direct creative input with projects. Nsaif is chief at the technical department at Alak Misk & Misnaf in Basrah-Umm Qasr, a logistics provider and investment company in Iraq where he works on the development of the country's ports program.

[See how Arab universities are training students for careers.]

At New York University Abu Dhabi, arts-related majors include art and art history, film and new media, music, theater and visual arts. Jordanian-American Bouthayna Baltaji graduated with degrees in both visual arts and social research and public policy in 2014 and works at the National Museum of Qatar in interpretation.

"My job focuses on developing approaches at communicating research and information about Qatar's history to visitors through narratives that can be presented within galleries in interactive, engaging and innovative ways," says Baltaji, who also has a master's degree in museum and gallery practice from University College London Qatar.

From fine arts to fashion design, arts-focused degrees span a range of majors that encourage and challenge students to think outside the box. American University of Sharjah's Badni says arts-related degrees indeed allow students "to think in a more holistic and less formal or direct route" -- all welcome concepts to creative types.

See the complete rankings of the Best Arab Region Universities.

Anayat Durrani is a Los Angeles-based freelance education reporter for U.S. News, covering Arab region universities.