What can you do with an arts degree?

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Photo by Brit Kovacs

What the hell do you do with an arts degree? Itโ€™s a fair question to ask and Iโ€™m sure all arts majors have pondered such an open-ended worry. 

There is a lot of worry and assumptions made by those graduating with an arts degree. Just about everyone and their mother assumes an English majorโ€™s one and only desire is to become a teacher.  

But believe it or not, weโ€™re much freer than we may believe. Just because youโ€™re a film or literature major doesnโ€™t mean youโ€™ll be studying Plath or watching Kubrick for the rest of your life. 

โ€œOh my goodness, you can do anything you want,โ€ Korrie Belanger, career consultant at Laurierโ€™s Career Centre said. โ€œBecause I’m going to come at you every time and say, โ€˜well, what do you want to do?โ€™ Your arts degree is a very fantastic stepping stone.โ€ 

The possibilities are endless. In reality, thereโ€™s nothing stopping you, academically speaking, from pursuing whatever you want. 

โ€œBachelor of arts is a checkbox to a lot of employers, and then your experience matters so much more. That’s what they’re going to hire you off of,โ€ Belanger said. โ€œBecause employers are hiring people at the end of the day, not degrees, your degree is a credential. It is incredibly important, but it’s not your defining factor.โ€ 

But what about med and law school, often considered two of the more prestigious programs for young, graduating students? Is it even plausible? 

โ€œMed and law school are kind of the two programs that don’t care what your undergraduate degree is. So they’re looking at experience and grades. So experiential learning, I cannot emphasize enough, is incredibly important for your career development and your further [education] options.โ€ 

Itโ€™s comforting to know all those late nights not studying are finally paying off. Itโ€™s quite enjoyable acquiring academic experience, at least more enjoyable than chemistry. 

โ€œSo, students that are nose deep into their books all the way through, that helps to an extent but at the end of the day, a lot of these programs are looking for experiential learning,โ€ Belanger said. 

When asked about what limitations hang over arts majors and those graduating with arts degrees, Belanger had a comforting sentiment to share. 

โ€œNone, no limitations! I think the only limitation is yourself and your attitude.โ€ 

The Career Centre is a terrific resource for students wondering about and questioning their career aspirations and goals. Reach and take advantage of the resources available to you. 

โ€œYou can do anything you want. Come to the Career Centre, we’ll help you we’ll talk it through we’ll figure it out. We’ll give you resources, weโ€™ll point you in the right direction. We’ll talk about further [education], employment prep. Easy peasy.โ€ 

So, worry not! There are countless opportunities and possibilities awaiting arts majors. Take a closer look into the career center and seek assistance in your academic success. 

I know Iโ€™ve worried plenty about what comes next. Med school, a law degree, living in my motherโ€™s basement? Regardless, the Career Centre will always be there to help you out, reminding you that by no means is an arts degree ever considered โ€œuseless.โ€ 


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