Arts and humanities are very open ended streams in the educational field. This gives the students ample opportunity to explore various career option that are available after 12th. A student who has taken up career counselling after 12th standard would definitely be aware of the myriad of career opportunities that are available. The options can get slightly overwhelming for a teenager who is not really sure of the career option that he or she wants to pursue. Unlike the students of science background, students of arts and humanities background have greater advantage of exploring new path ways in terms of profession and career choices.
Arts stream has wide range of subjects like History, political science, Anthropology, sociology, administration etc. Though it is not the stream that is widely chosen by students of this generation, it definitely has perks that are not there for the science students. This stream branches into many interesting career professions which are satisfying and enriching in every way. The lack adequate emphasis and investment in this stream has not made it very appealing to the students of this generation. Hence here are the few professions that students of arts background can explore after 12th standard.
Professions students can choose after 12th
- Lawyer: Legal profession is a very thriving one in this generation where every corporate office or business establishment is recruiting their own team of lawyers with various kinds of experience in the court. For a high school graduate to become a lawyer he or she needs to take up B.A. L.L.B or a B.L graduation course and M.A. L.L.B or M.L subsequently if required. This is a great option given students of arts background have a reasonable knowledge on laws, society and other humanities subjects which form the very foundation of law as an educational stream.
- Civil Services: Civil Service is the most respected profession in the country. Though the graduation course taken by the student is not much of importance but students with arts and humanities background have better edge over the science students. This is one of the biggest perks of arts and humanities students. After a suitable degree with subjects like political science, public administration, sociology, history, geography, anthropology etc., students can opt for civil services as a career option. He or she needs to give the civil services exam that is conducted b UPSC every year to be able to get into service. This exam is considered one of the toughest exams of the world. Hence students with art background have higher chances of clearing it and making it into the government sector.
- Business Management Professionals: Given the rise of importance of corporate sector in every possible industry in the country business management is turning out to be a profitable career path. Since this course does not need a prerequisite in terms of subjects in high school or graduation students of arts background can comfortably take up business management courses. Many educational institutions and reputed universities are offering courses in this stream. For a high school graduate to get into business management he or she can take up Business Administration course in graduation (B.B.A or B.B.M) and a master’s degree (M.B.A) subsequently. Hence it is comfortable option for a student of arts or humanities background.
- Fashion Designer: It is widely believed that students with arts background have greater creative inclination compared to the science students. Fashion industry is one of the most booming industries in the urban centres. It is also very profitable business venture. Hence arts students with a decent amount of creativity can take up fashion designing course. Many universities and colleges have mushroomed in this stream and offer wide range of designing courses with different curriculum depending upon the needs of the industry and convenience of the graduate.
- Teachers and Professors: Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions. Professors and teaching staff with a relevant degree get paid very high especially in the government universities, colleges and schools. Students with arts background can take up a graduation course of their interest and choice and can become professors and teachers in that field. There is considerable dearth in teaching staff and professors in the educational institutions of the country. This makes it a comfortable career option without much competition. It is also one of the well respected professions across the world.
- Other government services: Unlike the job opportunities in the corporate world government jobs offer great amount of security and longevity to the career of the individual. Most of the government exams demand adequate knowledge on social issues, current affairs and other aspects of public life. This gives the students of arts and humanities background a better edge over the students with science background. Hence students can opt or graduation course of their choice and take examinations for various government jobs and services.
- Journalism: This is a very important and essential profession which enables growth and sensitivity in the society. Students with arts and humanities background can opt for this profession as they have foundational knowledge on subjects that are required for this profession. They have better edge over students with non arts or humanities background.
All these professions call for some prerequisite examinations or graduation courses after 12th standard. The student can take up graduation of their choice and pursue the desire profession.
Courses After 12th
There are various graduation courses available to pursue the above mentioned professions. Some of them are:
- B.A: Bachelor of Arts is a comprehensive graduation course with duration of 3 years. It can be done with various specialisations like Political Science, History, sociology, anthropology, public administration, Literature, Languages etc. There are various combinations of these subjects which the student can pursue. This is right kind of graduation for student if he or she is not really sure of what do to in terms of career. This gives a great foundation to explore different subjects and career paths after graduation. For this course the students have to select one major subject apart from the other elective ones.
- B.A L.L.B: It is an integrated course of law and graduation with duration of 5 years. This gives the student room for pursuing a regular graduation and a professional course at the same time. This course could be followed by a master degree in law for specialisation and better prospects in career. Many universities and law colleges offer courses in this stream. The syllabus for such courses is laid out in such a way that it seamlessly transforms into a professional course after the third year. This helps the student to have deeper understanding of the society and cultural systems of the country.
- Bachelor of Journalism and mass communication: This is a three year graduation course which enables students to get into journalism, television, communication and other related professions.This course deals with areas like print journalism, media management, event management, social media, Media law and ethics etc. There is a huge industry around this subject or graduation course waiting to be explored. The foundational knowledge with students of arts and humanities background acts a huge advantage for pursuing this profession. This is profession which has widely expanded over past two decades and will continue to be so in the coming years. Hence this graduation course after 12th standard has great amount of scope as a profitable career path.
- Bachelor of Fashion Design: This is course offered by many universities and colleges especially in the urban areas. There are large amount o investments that are being made in this sector making it a promising career option. This does not demand any prerequisite graduation course or a degree in a particular field, hence making it a great option for students of arts and humanities background. This also makes for a great career option for students with considerable creative inclination. This course deals with costume designing, ever changing trends in fashion designing, jewellery designing. It is a highly profitable industry which also makes it a high salaried employment generating industry.
- Bachelors in Business Management or Administration (B.B.A or B.B.M): The importance and increasing presence of private sector in every industry possible business management and administration has become a promising graduation stream. It is one of the highest paying industries in the country. An individual with a degree in management and a subsequent master’s degree in business management can earn in lakhs ever month. It makes for a rewarding profession and also secure in terms of finances.
- Bachelor of Hotel Management: The service sector is one of the high employment generating sectors in the country. Of the many industries, hotel industry is one of the booming ones with the increased tourist footfall not just international but also domestic. Hence making it a very promising career path. Students with arts and humanities background can take up this graduation course of bachelor of hotel management. Each and every aspect of hotel management and service is dealt with in detail.
- Bachelors in Fine Arts: Students can pursue fine arts like dancing, singing, playing musical instruments, painting, film making, pottery, design, sculpting etc. This is a perfect career option with students with acute creative inclination. This degree can pursued along with another degree simultaneously. Distance mode of education can be of great help in such situations.
Perks Students with Art and Humanities background have
- Students after 12th have wider choice in terms of professions and graduation courses in universities and other educational institutions.
- There is ample room for exploration with respect to career paths after 12th standard.
- Individuals have the option to shift to a different career path. This flexibility is what that sets arts and humanities apart from the crowd.
- It does not have much pressure and stress around it that is very much high in science fields.
- Graduation courses after 12th standard are not very expensive and are affordable compared to professional courses.
- Students who are not very sure as what to pursue in terms of career are don’t get stressed as this stream offers a lot of flexibility.
- It has various career options and graduation courses that an individual with arts and humanities background can take up after 12th standard.
- Since they have foundational knowledge on society, law, and other aspects of everyday world they make for great thinkers and sociologists in the future.
- The knowledge they posses enables them to shift professions seamlessly and have a comfortable career path.
- There is great amount of scope for exploration as students can pursue two different graduation courses simultaneously. Distance education can be of immense use while pursuing a degree in a humanities subject and another degree in fine arts.
- It enables wholesome and comprehensive education for students in this field.
- There other professions like Librarian, Sociologists, writer, and other creative professions which students of arts and humanities background can pursue without much difficulty. A simple master degree after any graduation course would suffice for such professions.
- It is widely believed that students with arts and humanities background have deeper knowledge of the world around and have wider options nationally and also internationally in terms of career and professions.
- The wide knowledge base they acquire and subjects they deal which enable staunch formation of opinions make them great writers, orators, pubic speakers and overall an individual who is truly empowered.
- They definitely have greater power and ability o change the society and world at large.
- There umpteen number of diploma courses and graduation courses that can be pursued without having to attend a traditional educational institution or an university makes it very convenient to students who are willing to pursue various career options at the same time.
All these make for a great and promising career options for students who have arts and humanities background in their 12th standard. One can choose the right career path based on individual interests and preferences. Sometimes choosing a career path can be very stressful and overwhelming given the number of opportunities present; in such cases the student is advised to take up career counselling or research extensively about all the options. Professional help can also be taken to clear out any doubts or queries that persist during this process. This entire process need to done comprehensive and without any haste. Given the flexibility of the stream in arts and humanities the student need not have to stress much as he or she can seamlessly shift gears in terms of subjects and courses if any problem arises. Subjects like these are evergreen and will ever fade as the study the very fundamental aspects of society and human behaviour in great detail.