Artist taking degree at various sites (7)
I believe the answer is:
matisse
'artist' is the definition.
(Henri Matisse)
'degree at various sites' is the wordplay.
'degree' becomes 'ma' (Master of Arts is a type of degree).
'at' says to put letters next to each other.
'various' is an anagram indicator.
'sites' is an anagram of 'tisse'.
'ma'+'tisse'='MATISSE'
'taking' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for matisse that I've seen before include "Is mates turned on the French painter" , "French painter, d. 1954" , "Henri ---, Twentieth Century painter" , "French impressionist" , "French painter, Henri, d.1954" .)