Arts or Liberal Arts (as they prefer to call it in the USA) is one of the streams you can pursue at school as a student after Class 10. If you are attending classes in social sciences, humanities or any other branch of knowledge that is not directly related to science or technology, you are probably studying Liberal Arts. As a student of the Arts (or Liberal Arts), the chances are that you've heard more than once–what exactly does Arts mean? This stream of education is often misunderstood and underappreciated. Especially when it comes to higher education and career scope after Class 12. So, do Liberal Arts students have exciting career prospects? What is the best course after 12 for Arts students?
Answering these questions and many others is the purpose of this article. Studying Arts subjects in class 12 doesn't limit job prospects to clerical posts or the teaching profession; indeed, it opens a whole new world of opportunities. Stay with us for a thought-provoking journey.
Short glimpse: The best course for Arts students after 12
Here is our curated list of the best courses to pursue after Class 12 Arts. For a detailed discussion (informative and thought-provoking), you can always keep coming back to our article.
Disclaimer: The list is not all-inclusive, considering the vastness of the field and universities regularly introducing new courses to meet industry requirements. But you will get a good idea nonetheless.
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Bachelor of Arts (Hons)
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Bachelor of Business Administration
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BA (Journalism & Mass Communication)
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BCA (Bachelor of Computer Application)
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BBA (Marketing)
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BBA (Human Resource management)
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BBA (Digital & Social Media Marketing)
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BBA (Foreign Trade)
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BBA (Finance)
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Integrated BA + LLB
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Integrated BBA + LLB
We shall discuss each of these courses, their eligibility, course fees and many other factors in due course in this article.
Advantages of studying Arts or Liberal Arts
While witnessing the rush to study Science subjects in class 12 and beyond, you might think that pursuing Arts stream offers no practical benefits. It is far from the truth though. Studying Liberal Arts subjects with dedication in your high school and undergraduate level can provide an unmatched perspective on the world around us and add a prominent edge to your career.
Interdisciplinary/diversified learning experience
The University Grant Commission (UGC) in India has introduced the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) in undergraduate courses. Students now can pursue interdisciplinary, intra-disciplinary and skill-based subjects. This credit system offers students the opportunity to select topics of their interests, aptitude and learning requirements. Besides, CBCS has also ensured uniforming, comparable marking methods irrespective of your choice of core, elective, and skills-oriented subjects. Employers now have better clarity of students' performance from their mark sheets than conventional marking systems. This new system has immensely benefited students of Arts in class 12. So, you have various career-oriented options when it comes to choosing the best course after 12 Arts.
Creative and critical thinking attitude
Science and technology education prepares, trains, and helps you become practical, process-oriented, and methodical. However, real-life problem-solving also demands creativity and critical thinking; for example, a team leader, manager, or researcher cannot blindly follow processes to solve a situation that has not been addressed earlier. They are expected to innovate solutions. Academic background in Arts helps successful students to practice creative, innovative and critical thinking and prepares them for future career success.
Multiple service-sector career opportunities
The last industrial revolution emerged from manufacturing, and the upcoming one is likely to stem from the service sector. The share of service-oriented activities is rapidly increasing in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in India and abroad. The future source of employment and career growth is in sourcing, delivering, managing and innovating services. And the good news is, social science, humanities, literature, language, psychology and other Liberal Arts subjects help align students with the service industry.
Opportunities to work on your soft skills
Hard skills are primarily job and career-specific; you can learn them while joining a company or an industry. Such skills may not always be transferable. However, soft skills are always transferable; irrespective of your career choice, you can apply your soft skills in delivering responsibilities effectively and efficiently. Besides, soft skills like 'learning to learn’, 'strategy making', and 'interpersonal communication' help you to quickly acquire jobs and career-specific hard skills. Arts students get better opportunities to identify, develop and hone a wide range of career-oriented soft skills, long before pursuing a career.
An exciting choice of subjects
Both government-sponsored and private universities offer a wide range of subjects for class 12 students in Arts. So, if you are searching for the best course for Arts students after 12, you have exciting choices ahead.
Career options for Arts students
If you are wondering which course is best after 12 Arts, it depends on the career options it offers after you complete it. Now, remember that the career paths discussed here are only the tip of the iceberg as the world around us is evolving fast. However, these career profiles can give you an idea about the basic options.
Public Relations
Public relations (PR) has always been an exciting career. PR activities involve building, managing, and influencing public perceptions about organisations, individuals and events. The target audience may include the general public, government, media, investor community and other stakeholders. PR related jobs are among the high paying ones in the creative world.
Public relation is a particularly suitable career path for those who enjoy working with people and want to help others achieve their goals. PR professionals use their knowledge of the media, communication and industry best practices to develop effective strategies, research, implement and manage their clients' branding. Public relations specialists can work in-house at a company or be employed by a PR agency. Job duties vary depending on the employer, but typical responsibilities include writing press releases, conducting research, creating social media content, and attending events. Public relations specialists must have excellent communication skills and be able to work well under pressure. They must also possess excellent interpersonal skills, as they will be interacting with people from all walks of life daily.
To join the PR profession, you typically need to hold a bachelor's degree in mass communication, journalism, and social media marketing. However, some employers may accept applicants with relevant internships or work experience.
You can choose any one of the following courses:
Administrative profession
Administration, as a word that has been used since ancient times, may remind you of ‘babus’ in government offices and Indian Administrative Services. But administrative jobs are available in large corporations, small businesses, non-profit organisations and government agencies too. Companies of all sizes need people skilled in office management and with basic knowledge in accounting, finance, marketing and sales. Most business administration jobs require post-secondary and undergraduate education, but that can vary from one industry to another.
Administration is an excellent field for students interested in working in various industries and fields. Business administration also offers opportunities to work with people in various capacities, so be prepared to work with multiple stakeholders regularly. People who are interested in business administration should consider getting basic knowledge about accounting and finance and developing strong official communication skills
You can choose any one of the following courses as the best course for students willing to join administrative jobs:
Writing profession
You might think that being a writer is for a select few who are superbly creative, but there's much more to it than just sitting down and cranking out a few lines. You'll also have to meet people, learn about different fields you are writing on, edit content, plan your writing schedule and keep track of news updates and social media platforms. A Liberal Arts degree will equip you with the necessary skills to become a writer. A writing career is an excellent fit for Liberal Arts majors as the assessment in Arts subjects involves ideating, structuring and authoring long essay type questions, dissertations and subjective point-of-view answers. Bachelor's in literature also builds the skills necessary for literary writing.
More than raw creativity, to become a successful professional writer, you need to be skilled in communication, research and simple writing. If you're interested in this field, flexible working mode and time management are also essential. For example, journals, magazines, newspapers and other publications often have short deadlines that demand your complete attention. You may also need to travel to cover incidents, events or locations. As a writer, you can make a good living as a blogger or freelance web writer. It allows you to work from anywhere in the world and set your own schedule as well.
You can choose any one of the following courses as the best course for students willing to join the writing profession:
Teaching profession (online & offline)
Even though many people think that Liberal Arts students make for great teachers, the industry has an extreme shortage of educators. If you love working with children and want to make a difference in the lives of others, this is a great career option. You'll need to complete several certification and training courses, but the rewards outweigh the challenges. In this role, you'll be responsible for managing a classroom, grading assignments and helping students to reach their potential. You will also be required to maintain regular attendance and perform administrative duties. Opportunities for online teachers are also growing in India.
To succeed in a teaching role, you will need excellent communication and organisation skills and patience since this career path isn't for the faint of heart. You'll need to be organised, reliable, have a positive outlook, and be able to handle stress.
You can choose any one of the following courses as the best course for students willing to join the teaching profession:
Human-Resources Professional
If you have a passion for managing people and want to make a career out of this passion, HR can be an excellent career path. You will be responsible for sourcing talents, interviewing prospective candidates, hiring and processing recruitment, processing payrolls, negotiating salaries, training assessment, training delivery and other HR-related activities. Pursuing Liberal Arts in class 12 can allow you to join HR-related management courses. Similar undergraduate courses will equip you with the necessary skills to become a Human Resources professional. A regular bachelor's degree with honours in Arts subjects can also allow you to pursue the HR industry or further HR-related diplomas and certifications.
As a successful HR professional, you will need excellent communication and organisational skills, time-management skills, dependability, and a solid moral compass. Besides, you need to be a people person as you will be dealing with employees regularly in a fast-paced environment.
You can choose any one of the following courses as the best course for students willing to join the human resource management profession:
Marketing Professional
Do you find advertising, organising business events, and ideating brand promotion campaigns interesting? Then marketing is your field. It is a high-paying profession to explore for achievement-oriented, growth-minded people. You'll be responsible for developing marketing campaigns for clients and exploring various industries; you can choose to work for a small business or a multinational corporation. A simple Liberal Arts undergraduate degree will equip you with the necessary skills to pursue any job role in the marketing profession. The value of passion and hands-on experience in marketing related activities is more important than academic qualifications in a marketing career. Develop excellent communication and analytical skills, be creative and open to new ideas. You'll be responsible for managing budgets, timelines, and stakeholders' expectations, including clients, media team, and sales team.
You can choose any one of the following courses as the best course for students willing to join the marketing profession:
Sales Professional
Every business needs people for sales. If you're a highly motivated individual with a go-grab-it attitude, love to meet new people, and overachieve expectations, the field of sales is suitable for you. You can choose to sell products or services. The primary responsibilities in sales involve meeting clients, identifying their needs, overcoming objections and making the actual sales. A Liberal Arts degree is perfectly fit for a successful career in sales. You will need to be a people person and have excellent communication skills. Persistence is the key to sales success. A superb salesperson is always ready to work and deliver under pressure.
You can choose any one of the following courses to build a sales profession:
Expert & Import
Foreign trade involves the exchange of goods and services between companies, people, non-government and government agencies of two or more countries. It's a glamorous career. Usual job roles in foreign trade involve researching markets, finding sales leads, negotiating deals, building business rapport, export-import documentation and managing shipping partners. Foreign trade is a challenging career with global appeal and overseas work opportunities. You can also work in warehouses or shipping departments, customs broking, shipping agencies and other international trade-related logistics fields. Staying up to date about the latest laws, taxations, trade regulations, and tariffs related to export and import is essential. You also need to learn about different payment methods, trade insurance and currency exchange rates. Language fluency in verbal and written English is vital as it is the standard language of international trade. Besides, a foreign trade career requires attention to detail, strong sales skills, problem-solving and staying calm under pressure. Many export-import agencies and companies recruit BA (H) in Arts students for entry-level jobs.
You can choose any one of the following courses as the best course for students willing to join export-import profession:
Finance management
A career in finance management can be a rewarding and lucrative path. With the right skills and education, you can land a job in finance and advance your career to management positions over time. Successful finance managers have strong business skills, attention to detail, and the ability to multitask. You should also be able to handle stress and have good decision-making skills. Though students from accounting backgrounds get preference, students with Arts in class 12 can also pursue finance careers, by joining suitable finance-specific undergraduate courses. There are many different types of job roles in the finance profession. Some of the most common job profiles are accounting manager, budget analyst, financial analyst, financial analyst manager, financial controller, financial planning manager and financial reporting manager. Finance graduates are also preferred in specific banking sector jobs.
You can choose the following course to join the finance profession:
Details of the best courses after 12 for Arts students
Bachelor of Arts (Hons)
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Core & optional subject options - History, Political Science Psychology, Geography, Economics, Sociology, Anthropology, Literature, and Languages, Environmental Science,
Bachelor of Business Administration
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Eligibility - 50% (for reserved candidates 45%) in 10+2 in any stream (including Arts) from any recognised board
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Duration - 3 years / 6 semesters
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Core & optional subject options - Marketing, Finance, Human Resource Management, Digital & Social Media Marketing, Foreign Trade.
BA (Journalism & Mass Communication)
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Eligibility - 50% (for reserved candidates 45%) in 10+2 in any stream (including Arts) from any recognised board
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Duration - 3 years / 6 semesters
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Core & optional subject options - History of Communication Media, Indian State and Democratic Polity, Communication and Mass Communication: Concept and Process, Introduction to Journalism, Development Communication and Rural Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, IT and Online Journalism, Reporting for Print, Broadcast Journalism, International Politics, Media Laws and Ethics, Print Journalism and Production, International Media Scenario.
BCA (Bachelor of Computer Application)
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Eligibility - Merit-based admission; 50% in 10+2 in any stream from any recognised board with Maths/English/Computer Science. So, it is the best course after 12 arts for students willing to pursue a career in information technologies and computer applications.
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Duration - 3 years / 6 semesters
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Core & optional subject options - C Programming, Fundamentals of Computers, Operating Systems, Multimedia Systems, Web-Based Application Development, Understanding Organisational Behaviour, Computer Lab and Practical Work, Data and Database Management Systems
BBA (Marketing)
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Eligibility - 50% (for reserved candidates 45%) in 10+2 in any stream (including Arts) from any recognised board
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Duration - 3 years / 6 semesters
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Core & optional subject options - Business Economics, Principles of Management, Basic Business Mathematics, Computer Applications in Business, Marketing Management, Business Research Methods, Human Resource Management, Business Communication, Financial Management, International Business, Business Strategy, Advertising, Brand Management, Retail Management, Marketing Strategy, Service Marketing, Sales, Distribution Management
BBA (Human Resource management)
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Eligibility - 50% (for reserved candidates 45%) in 10+2 in any stream (including Arts) from any recognised board
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Duration - 3 years / 6 semesters
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Core & optional subject options - Business Economics, Principles of Management, Human Values & Ethics, Business Communication, Business Computing, Management & Leadership, Management Accounting, Business Statistics, Operations and Material Management, Organisational Behaviour, Negotiation Skills, Training & Development, Marketing Management, Business Research Methods, Business Strategy, Performance Management, Industrial Relations, Labour laws, Executive Communication.
BBA (Digital & Social Media Marketing)
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Eligibility - 50% (for reserved candidates 45%) in 10+2 in any stream (including Arts) from any recognised board
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Duration - 3 years / 6 semesters
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Core & optional subject options - Introduction to Management & Leadership, Business Economics, Principles of Management, Basic Business Mathematics, Computer Applications in Business, Marketing Management, Business Research Methods, Human Resource Management, Sales & Marketing in the Digital Age, Business Communication, Social Media Communications, Web Search Engine, Search Engine Marketing, Online Marketing Campaign Management, Business Strategy, Advertising, Brand Management, Online Marketing Strategy, Online Sales, Digital Media, Digital Media Planning.
BBA (Foreign Trade)
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Eligibility - 50% (for reserved candidates 45%) in 10+2 in any stream (including Arts) from any recognised board
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Duration - 3 years / 6 semesters
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Core & optional subject options - Business Accounting, Business Computing, Business Communications, Business Economics, Introduction to Management and Leadership, Financial Management, Business Statistics, Trade Documentation, Introduction to Trade Logistics, Global Business Management, Marketing Management, International Business, Managing Trade and Risk in International Business, World Geography, Major Trade Routes, WTO Agreement, Indian Economy & EXIM Policy, Business Law, Custom Clearance Procedure, Mercantile Law, Contract Law in International Trade, Management Reporting, Trade Negotiations, Regional Economic Integration, Competitive Intelligence, Role of Multilateral Agencies.
BBA (Finance)
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Eligibility - 50% (for reserved candidates 45%) in 10+2 in any stream (including Arts) from any recognised board
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Duration - 3 years / 6 semesters
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Core & optional subject options - Business Accounting, Business Computing, Business Communications, Business Economics, Introduction to Management and Leadership, Financial Management, Business Statistics, Business Mathematics, Business Law, Corporate Finance, Investment Banking, Capital Markets, Finance Management, Banking Services, Management Accounting, Micro & Macro Economics, Management Theory, Marketing Management, Corporate Law, Company Taxation.
Integrated B.A. + LLB & Integrated BBA + LLB
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Eligibility - 50% (for reserved candidates 45%) in 10+2 in any stream (including Arts) from any recognised board
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Duration - 5 years / 10 semesters (3 + 2)
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Core & optional subject options - BA (H) or BBA subjects + Criminal law, IPR, Labour and Work Laws, Family Law, Criminal Law, Consumer Protection Act, Constitutional Law, Law of Evidence, Human Rights, International Law, Trade Laws, Environmental Law, Law Practical.
Best course after 12 Arts with high salary
Every career path can be rewarding in terms of monetary remunerations, be it in Science, Commerce or Arts. All the career profiles we have discussed in this article are high paying for students who have dedication and perseverance. Besides, remuneration also depends on your choice of work. Fixed-salary job roles may offer better stability in the beginning when compared to independent practitioners. However, successful self-employed professionals might earn better over time.
Fees: After 12 best course in Arts
For Arts students, the typical cost of studying a course at the undergraduate level depends on:
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Tuition fee
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Examination fee
Almost all reputed universities offer merit and quota-based scholarships. For information on specific courses, you can contact academic counsellors of respective universities.
Final verdict
So, when it comes to charting a successful career path as a student pursuing Arts in class 12, don’t be hesitant or sceptic. Arts subjects are excellent in terms of versatility and you can choose from many exciting courses when you head to college. If you are still not sure about the best course for Arts student after 12,
get in touch with the academic counsellors at RNB Global University.