Lecturer, Art, Drama & Music
Education
Teach courses in drama, music, and the arts including fine and applied art, such as painting and sculpture, or design and crafts. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
What you'd do all day
The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.
- 1Explain and demonstrate artistic techniques.
- 2Evaluate and grade students' class work, performances, projects, assignments, and papers.
- 3Prepare students for performances, exams, or assessments.
- 4Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- 5Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as acting techniques, fundamentals of music, and art history.
- 6Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- 7Organize performance groups and direct their rehearsals.
- 8Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- 9Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- 10Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
- 11Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- 12Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
- 13Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
- 14Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks and performance pieces.
- 15Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head.
- 16Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
- 17Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
- 18Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
- 19Maintain or repair studio facilities.
- 20Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
- 21Display students' work in schools, galleries, and exhibitions.
- 22Participate in campus and community events.
- 23Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.
- 24Keep students informed of community events, such as plays and concerts.
- 25Act as advisers to student organizations.
- 26Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.
- 27Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.
- 28Provide professional consulting services to government or industry.
Also known as
What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.
- Professor
- Instructor
- Art Educator
- Arts Teacher
- Band Teacher
- Art Professor
- Baton Teacher
- Choir Teacher
- Drama Teacher
- Organ Teacher
How far is this from you?
Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.
1
Entry straight after SPM
2
SPM + sijil / short TVET course
3
Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)
4
Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)
Typical entry
Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route
Subjects that matter here
The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.
What you'd need to know
The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.
- Fine Arts98%
Visual Art (PSV)
- Education and Training93%
- English Language86%
English
- Communications and Media71%
EnglishBahasa Melayu
- History and Archeology68%
History (Sejarah)
- Psychology68%
Tools you'd use
Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.
What the work feels like
Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.
- Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
- Contact with other peopleConstant contact
- Dealing with customers or the publicHigh
- Leading or coordinating othersVery high
- Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
- Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
- Noisy environmentRarely
- Time spent sittingA little
Where this job is heading
Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.
- Direct theater productions.
- Mentor students.
AI and demand for this job
A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.
Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)
This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.
Of Malaysian Claude conversations, about this kind of work
Measures how much people use Claude for this work, not how many Malaysians do this job — and more AI use can mean people relying on it, not that it's replacing them.
Pay in Malaysia
We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.
Where to check:
- JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
- DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
- SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
Check what you may qualify for
Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.
How to get here
Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.
Related careers
If this interests you, these are worth a look too.
About this information
This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.
O*NET occupation: Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org