UG Admissions 2014: Course options for arts & humanities students

By Govind Sharma

It is often assumed that humanities or arts stream is the least preferred and after pursuing graduation in arts subjects, students will not be placed well in the job market. Well, this is a myth and a stereotype that needs to be broken.

Humanities is not just about learning languages, sociology, political science, economics, philosophy, psychology to obtain a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree and eventually becoming a teacher. It is beyond that. Humanities students can also earn well and often earn as much as their peers if not more. Career options which students from the humanities stream can choose range from becoming a counselor, psychologist, MBA graduate, economist, insurance underwriter, lawyer to even joining the media industry.

Well, you have multiple career options. But in order to tread any path for a rewarding career, you need to decide on what is your field of interest and then shortlist a course which would ultimately help you in achieving your career goals. In this article, let me highlight some career options you have after 10+2 in humanities (Arts).

Career in Computer Applications/ IT sector

Courses to pursue: BCA (Bachelor of Computer Applications)/BCS (Bachelor of Computer Science)/ B.Sc. IT / B.Sc. (Computer Science), B.Sc. (IT hardware and networking), B.Sc. (multimedia and animation)

You do not need to be surprised. Yes, even if you are an arts student, you can still pursue these lucrative courses. Few universities demand that you must have studied mathematics as a subject at 10+2 level to pursue BCA/ B.Sc.IT with minimum 45%. Apart from that you must be very good in logical thinking along with having a well oriented, creative and innovative thought process.

Scope: After completing BCA/BCS and B.Sc. IT/ CS (do not get confused as all these courses are almost the same; the syllabus differs slightly from institute to institute), candidates can pursue a career as a software developer, web designer, technical support, networking engineer, IT engineer etc. In order to excel in this field you may also need to pursue an additional certification course in your concerned field. Also, before selecting an institute to pursue the course, make sure that you research well about the college’s placement record, teaching methodology, famous alumni etc.

Fee: Can range from Rs 15,000 to 50,000. Other expenses may vary from institute to institute

Career as a lawyer

An Arts student may even apply for a five years law degree course. Some of the prominent institutes for law are Government Law College (GLC) at Mumbai, Dr Ambedkar Law College, Wadala at Mumbai, National Law Universities (as of now there are 17 national law universities and one more is coming up. Of these, the prominent ones are at Jodhpur, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Bhopal etc.), Symbiosis International University law college etc.

Courses offered:

• BSL LLB
• BA LLB
• BSc LLB
• BBA LLB

Career prospects:

Being a lawyer doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to fight court cases. These days even corporates/companies hire specialised lawyers who work as their legal advisors and legal executives. Their career progression ranges from being a legal manager to VP legal, legal head etc.

Admission process: GLC and Dr Ambedkar Law College Wadala takes admission on the basis of your score in 10+2, so the average requirement is 87% + whereas National Law Universities grant admission based on CLAT score (Common Law Admission Test ) score. Symbiosis holds its own entrance exam.

Fee: Rs 17,000 to 75,000 per year (may vary from institute to institute)

Salary: If you are from a top law school, then even as a fresher you can get a starting salary of Rs 30,000 per month. Again it depends on the type of field and specialisation you choose.

Career in business management

You may want to pursue an Integrated Five Year MBA programme offered by various institutes including IIM Indore, BIT Mesra Ranchi, VIT University Vellore, Nirma University, MDU Rohtak. However, it is advised that you select your institution with utmost care.

Fee: IIM charges Rs 3 lakhs per annum while the fee for VIT is around Rs 65,000 per annum.

Salary: The current average salary of an IIM graduate is Rs 13 lakhs, whereas, if you pass-out from VIT you may expect a starting package of anywhere between Rs 3-4 lakhs per annum.

Career as a CA/ CMA

Yes, you read it correctly. There is no restriction that only people from commerce background can study Chartered Accountancy (CA) or ICWA. It is also sometimes referred to as CMA (Cost and Management Accounting).

It is true that this is one of the toughest courses to pursue in India with pass percentage being around 3%. But it has its merits too. These days, many universities such as IGNOU as well as University of Madras offer specialised courses such as BCom for ICAI, CA and also for ICWAI.

To pursue these courses, right after your 10+2 you need to enroll at IPCC of CA and Foundation programme of ICWA. After completion of this first level, you need to undergo a three-year articleship, after which you need to complete PE- I and PE-II as well as executive level of CMA.

Fee: If you pursue these courses on self-study basis then the cost incurred by you can range within Rs 50,000.

Salary: If you are a rank holder in CA, you can fetch a salary between Rs 6 lakhs to Rs 18 lakhs per year, initially. If you clear CA in your first attempt, then you can expect at least Rs 6 lakhs per year, as of today. As a CMA also you can earn a salary similar to this.

Career as a Company Secretary

To pursue such a career option, students need to pursue a Company Secretary course. The best institute in India to pursue such a course is ICSI (Institute of Company Secretaries of India). The job profile is as good as a CA or CMA, however, they work on the compliance aspect which is an integral part of any listed company with a turn-over of Rs 5 crore or more.

Salary: One can expect a minimum salary of Rs 5 lakhs per annum as of today after completing CS. You may start the course after 10+2 too.

Career in NDA

You can also join the National Defence Academy (NDA) right after your 10+2 and if you are not above 19 years of age. NDA selection test is conducted by UPSC. You will also have to take training at Khadakvasla (Pune) where you will be given a stipend and finally a degree in defence and strategy from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi and you can start your career in the Army as a Lieutenant. Candidates usually do not have to bear the cost of their education and this is a rewarding career choice.

Career in Fashion Design/ Interior Design

Another lucrative field students from the arts stream can pursue is a career in designing. Students here can pursue a B.Sc. in Fashion Design, B.Sc. in Textile Design, B.Sc. in Interior design etc from institutes like NIFT, NID etc.

Other Options

Students from the humanities/arts stream can also choose to pursue courses like:

• BMM (Bachelor of Mass Media)
• BJMC (Bachelor of Journalism and Communication)
• BBA/ BMS
• BSc Finance
• BA/BSc Economics
• BA Economics
• Degree course in Psychology

You may choose a subject of your interest for your graduation and later you may pursue MBA from a top institute or masters in any subject of your interest. Students from the arts stream can also opt to enter the teaching profession.

There are enormous opportunities available for 10+2 humanities students. They just need to decide what they want to do. So what it takes is clarity on what is your ultimate goal in life.

About the author:

Govind Sharma is a HR professional with over 10 years of experience in career planning, guidance and management.He is a leading Shiksha Counsellor.