ArtDegree.org covers 12 creative arts credentials: music and art teacher licensure, Pro Tools and Ableton certification, Adobe visual design certification, museum studies certificates, film production and set safety credentials, editing certification, photography certification through Professional Photographers of America, photo editing certification, American Culinary Federation certification, and ServSafe Manager. Only three are genuinely required: state teaching licensure for public school music and art teaching, and a certified food protection manager credential for food service management. Costs range from roughly $80 for a single Adobe examination to several thousand dollars for graduate certificates. Every page states the issuing body and warns that fees and eligibility change. Last updated August 2026.
Three credentials on this site change whether you can legally do a job. The rest are optional, and most are oversold. Buy the ones your target employers actually name in job postings, and treat everything else as education you are purchasing rather than permission you are being granted.
Which credentials are required, and which are optional?
| Credential | Issuer | Requirement status | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Music Teaching Licence | State departments of education | Required for public school music teaching in every state | Roughly $300 to $800 in examination and application fees, plus the cost of an approved program |
| Art Teaching Licence | State departments of education | Required for public school art teaching in every state | Roughly $300 to $800 in examination and application fees, plus program costs |
| ServSafe | National Restaurant Association | A certified food protection manager is required by most state and local jurisdictions | Roughly $80 to $180 for the examination, or $150 to $280 with course materials |
| ACF Certification | American Culinary Federation | Not legally required, but valued in hotels, clubs, institutions, and culinary education | Roughly $200 to $600 per level for members, higher for non members |
| Pro Tools Certification | Avid Technology | Not required. Useful in post production, institutional, and teaching contexts | Roughly $200 to $1,500 depending on level and whether training is bundled |
| Ableton Certification | Ableton | Not required for production work. Required to be listed as an Ableton Certified Trainer | Application based, with training courses at certified centres typically $500 to $3,000 |
| Adobe Certified Professional | Adobe | Not required. Occasionally listed as preferred in institutional and government job postings | Roughly $80 to $180 per examination, with bundles available |
| Museum Studies Certificate | Universities offering museum studies certificates | Not required, but frequently expected alongside a subject master degree | Roughly $4,000 to $20,000 for a graduate certificate depending on institution |
| Film Production Certificate | Film schools | Not required generally. Set safety training is required or expected on many professional productions | Roughly $150 for safety courses to $20,000 for full conservatory certificate programs |
| Editing Certification | Avid Technology and Adobe | Not required. Preferred in some post facility, broadcast, and corporate media postings | Roughly $150 to $1,200 depending on system and whether training is bundled |
| Certified Professional Photographer | Professional Photographers of America | Not required to work as a photographer | Roughly $300 to $700 including examination, image submission, and association membership |
| Photo Editing Certification | Adobe | Not required. Occasionally listed as preferred for in house and agency production roles | Roughly $80 to $180 per Adobe examination, with specialist retouching courses running higher |
| NCIDQ | Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ) | Required in many states to use the title interior designer, and expected by most commercial firms | Roughly $1,300 to $1,800 for all three sections plus application fees |
| Editorial Certification | University extension programs and professional editorial associations | Not required. Useful for freelance credibility and corporate clients | Roughly $1,500 to $5,000 for a university extension certificate program |