Importance of Arts Courses: Scope, Career Prospects & Best Subjects Details

Students in India after qualifying their Higher Secondary education seldom opt for Arts courses as they think that Science and Commerce programmes are the launching pads for more satisfying career prospects. One of the main reasons behind this thought process is parents always stress their kids to pursue a more glamorous career after completing their higher studies and to them, only those who complete their higher studies from Science or Commerce programmes can have access to such careers. In this article, we will try to bust some of the “myths” associated with arts stream as well as provide some career prospects for Arts stream students. We will also try to shed some more light those Arts programmes which are quite often heard of and those which are not.

Think Beyond Science and Commerce - Think About Arts

Do not get confused by reading the heading. We by no means want to discourage any student who wants to make his/her career after a higher qualification in Science and Commerce. What we aim at doing is to deconstruct those myths that surround the stream of Arts. Let us first look at those common perceptions that people have regarding the “Arts” stream.

Arts is Not for Smart

This is one of the most common notions propagated by people of various age groups circling the students. Based on their limited and equivalent to none understanding of the Arts stream, they keep hammering this notion into the grey cells of the kids unless it takes firm roots in the mind during its forming years. Years of constant hammering eventually lead the students to opt for the so-called “Intellectual” courses, even if they are not good at it. The fear of society judging them on the basis of their programme chosen has already taken its shape in their young minds. On the contrary, arts stream students are the smartest as they actually work on their own creative aspects rather than solving hypothetical questions using the already invented methods.

Arts is for Girls

Sorry for the sexist tone, but it is the truth. Many in this century still feel that Arts stream is meant for girls only as they cannot comprehend the complex language of Science and Commerce - which is not true. Yes, there was a time when only a handful of girls were sent to colleges for higher studies and more often than not, were thrust into the Arts programmes. But, that trend has taken a massive backseat in the last couple of decades. Today, there are more girls who qualify national-level and prominent Engineering & Sciences and Commerce entrance exams than boys. Also, the number of male scholars from the Arts stream has risen significantly in recent years.

Arts as an Option for those scared of Mathematics

Wait! What? No, not at all. Yes, there are a certain number of programmes in the Arts stream which does not require the students to continue their arm-wrestle with Mathematics, yet, there are certain Arts programmes where Mathematics is as compulsory as the minimum attendance to sit in the semester exams. Arts specializations like Economics, Psychology, Statistics etc requires the students to have a strong grip over Mathematics.

Arts students can only become good teachers

Well, yes but that is not the only career option for students who choose an Arts specialization in their higher learning level. A specialization in arts especially in subjects like English, History, Political Science etc opens up the doors for Civil Services in India. The job prospects in various fields broaden up if the students complete their Master’s degree in any Arts specialization. The biggest thing about Arts programmes is that it not only opens up job opportunities in their particular field of study but across varied fields.

Some Renowned Arts Courses and Career Prospects

In this section, we will talk about some of those Arts programmes which are very famous and the career prospects of those programmes:

English

B. A (Hons) in English is the most popular course in the arts stream. Students who are inducted in this programme learn not only about Literature but a lot of things about history as well. It is one of those specializations where arguments and opinions combined with facts matter the most. It is said that in English literature, nothing is right and nothing is wrong. It is the arguments that are put in favour of or against the notion that matters. After obtaining their Bachelor’s degree, the students can either opt for:

• Masters (in various specializations like Mass Communication, English etc) followed by M.Phil and PhD to become Lecturers

• Creative professional writing like content writing, scriptwriting, copywriting etc

• Programmes related to Law

• Civil Services

• Translators

History

A chronological study of the human past is known as History and the students who opt for B.A (Hons) in History deal with various historical events. The students also get to know a lot about things like the origin of mankind, events that shaped today’s world, the evolution of society etc. Through the programme, the students also get to know about the perilous problems that we face today and what influenced it in the past. B. A History (Hons) students can opt from the following list of career options:

• Archaeologist (Epigraphist, Numismatist etc)

• Archivists

• Museologists

• Historians

• Museum Curators

• Civil Services

• Teachers

Political Science

Political Science programme mainly deals with the study of practice and theory of politics along with the analysis and description of political behaviour and political systems. The students learn a great deal about the policy-making and measures that can be taken to improve government policies at all the levels, vis-a-vis local, state, national and international levels. Political Science graduates can opt for the following things:

• Career in politics

• Civil Services

• Political Scientist

• Teaching

• Social Service

• Journalism

Geography

Study of Earth along with its lands, phenomenon, inhabitants and features is Geography in whole. On a broader plane, the study of Geography includes the understanding of Earth along with its both natural resources and humans who reside on it. Various career prospects open up for Geography graduates such as:

• Survey

• Cartography

• Urban, Regional and Town Planning

• Geospatial Analyst

• Climate Change Analyst

Sociology

The study of the society is also known as Sociology where the students are taught about things such as culture, social interaction, social stratification, social relations etc. It is a three-year undergraduate programme and upon completion of the study, the degree holders can take up jobs in:

• MNCs

• Communication Industries

• Corporate Research Firms

• Trade Associations

• Social Work Departments

• Labour Unions

• Educational Institutes etc

The students can also choose to work as a:

• Family Counsellor

• Census Worker

• Community Service Worker

• Social Worker

• Sociologist

• Research Assistant etc

Along with the programmes mentioned above, there are several other programmes which the students can opt for in the Arts stream which are offered by several top Indian Universities and institutions that opens up various career prospects upon completion. It depends on the students which programme appeals to them. However, it is clear that only Science and Commerce streams do not guarantee a good career and arts stream students can also reach the pinnacle of success provided they follow their curriculum diligently.