Individual Occupational Requirements

Education

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- commercial art, fine arts, art history, industrial design, architecture, drafting, interior design, photography, visual communication, or other fields related to the position. Some positions may also require subject-matter knowledge of medicine, science, or technical equipment.

Advanced training in a vocational school, technical institute, or art institute above the high school level in one of the fields listed above is creditable as general experience on a month-for-month basis.

or

Experience

General Experience (for GS-5 positions): Experience that demonstrated the skills and creativity needed to use the tools or equipment associated with the work. Because talent and creative ability are vital to successful work performance, samples of work or other suitable evidence of technical competence may be required. Unpaid experience that is pertinent should be credited based upon its relevance to the work of the particular position to be filled. To be qualifying, the work must have involved visual communication of information or the application of the principles of artistic design.

Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience in the actual type of work for which application is made. Unpaid experience is creditable, provided the work done was of a quality level and demonstrated the ability required for the position. This includes planning the preparation and use of photographs, illustrations, drawings, and other art work, charts, diagrams, dioramas, maps, slides, overlays, and other kinds of visual material for use in communicating information through visual means.

Education and experience requirements

The following table shows the amounts of education and/or experience required to qualify for positions covered by this standard.

GRADE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE
GENERAL SPECIALIZED
GS-5 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree 3 years, 1 year of which was equivalent to at least GS-4 None
GS-7 1 full year of graduate level education

or

superior academic achievement
None 1 year equivalent to at least GS-5
GS-9 master's or equivalent graduate degree

or

2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree

or

LL.B. or J.D., if related
None 1 year equivalent to at least GS-7
GS-11 Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

or

3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree

or

LL.M., if related
None 1 year equivalent to at least GS-9
GS-12
and
above

This page was last updated on November 01, 2022