An arts degree is an amazing adventure. It has endless possibilities and puts you in control of your career journey. You might hear a lot about how the future of study is STEM or finance or business – but that’s only ever part of the story. If your dream is to study the arts, here are five reasons why it’s a great idea.
1. Which subjects can you choose in an arts degree?
Embarking on an arts degree opens a whole world of potential for what you can study. Of course, whichever direction you choose you’ll be well versed in research, critical thinking and constructing original and compelling arguments. But what your study focuses on – well, that’s up to you. You can follow your passion.
Let’s take the Bachelor of Arts (with specialisations) at Charles Sturt University as an example. You can construct a program of study that’s as individual as your ideas. You can combine a major with several minors to provide a territory of investigation that’s all your own. Majors include:
- English
- Environmental Studies
- Human Services
- Justice Studies
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Sociology
Your minors could include Art History, Children’s Literature, Economics, Indigenous Studies, Islamic Studies, Justice Studies, Language and Culture, Mathematics and Theology.
2. How does an arts degree give you an edge in the workplace?
This freedom to forge your own path means you develop a wide range of skills that are essential for any career – and for life in general. Studying an arts degree gives you nuanced abilities in weighing up competing arguments and digging down into texts to find the most salient facts and compelling ideas. It also hones your critical instincts as you investigate a diverse array of sources and viewpoints.
These are all skills that will enable you to be an agile and adaptable professional, whatever the future of work turns out to be. You can think of it as upskilling – but you get these extras during your degree.
3. How does an arts degree improve your communication skills?
Perhaps the soft skill – an ability that transcends individual subjects or workplaces – that an arts degree gives you the most confidence in is communication. In the modern world, anyone in the workplace needs to be a good communicator, and arts grads are at the top of the game. Technology means that national and international collaboration and extensive supply chains that can span the globe are increasingly the norm. So the ability to communicate effectively with a range of people is highly valued by employers.
That communication can range from providing simple, easy-to-follow instructions to ensure a task gets completed, to being able to get the facts across in an engaging way to inspire an audience. It might mean talking to someone in a delicate situation or creating headlines around the world, writing a viral digital media piece or producing a book-length analysis. In today’s world, communication is king.
During an arts degree, you develop advanced skills in communication – written and verbal. From honing an essay that draws on multiple sources of information to debating a contentious topic with diplomacy and tact, and coming up with your own unique ideas and theories, an arts degree turns you into an expert communicator.
4. Can an arts degree increase your earning potential?
Let’s cut to the chase – an arts degree makes financial sense. A recent report by Deloitte found that over the course of a career, an arts degree was worth an average of $200,000 more than for a high school graduate.
Studying a degree is an investment in your future. An arts degree pays back that investment many times over. Plus, there are ways to make it more affordable. Besides a range of scholarships waiting for you, you can study an arts degree with us online. This means that you can study while living at home, making it very cost-effective. And with part-time study options, you can also combine study with work.
5. How can an arts degree help you make a difference?
The majority of arts grads in Australia work in the ‘non-market’ sector of the workforce. That means they forge rewarding careers in areas such as education, healthcare, government and the not-for-profit sector. One reason for this may be that, fundamentally, an arts degree is about people – studying their ideas, their history and their culture. Arts grads have a unique understanding of society, and they put that to good use by giving back to it.
So if you want a career that aims to make the world a better place, and that puts people at its heart, an arts degree could be just the ticket.
Find your arts path
Find your unique study journey with the Bachelor of Arts (with specialisations) at Charles Sturt University. Either of these undergraduate courses allow you to construct a degree that’s meaningful to you, mirrors your passions and sets you up for career success.
So, why not follow your dream?