In the modern era, many courses after the 12th Arts and Humanities lead to successful careers. If you are thinking about what to do after 12th arts, then this article will help you with various courses, job opportunities, admission and salary structures.
You might have heard from your neighbours, friends, and parents that arts and humanities have limited scope compared to commerce and science. Schools mostly have criteria where the arts stream is opted by students with less percentage. We believe this is not true.
The subjects of arts such as History, Geography, Political Science, Economics and English have endless knowledge to offer. The advantage of pursuing Arts and Humanities courses after 12th is that few courses offer students to follow their passion as a career in itself.
Let’s get started.
Introduction to Arts
There are multiple forms of arts such as Humanities, Fine arts, Performing arts and visual arts.
Let’s go through the definition for each of these forms.
Humanities
The humanities stream has a variety of subjects that offer its students multiple career opportunities. The stream of Humanities has become very competitive today, as it has different opportunities for the students. The main subjects in the Humanities are Psychology, Geography, Literature, Sociology, Anthropology, Philosophy and History.
Fine Arts
Fine Art refers to practising artistic and creative values such as paintings, pottery, drawings, sculpture and printmaking. Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) can be pursued by students interested in showing their artistic skills and love other forms of arts. The course duration is 4 years.
Most colleges or Universities consider Fine Arts and Visual Arts as the same field, and the names of the degrees are used interchangeably.
Visual Arts
The visual arts are primarily visual in nature, including photography, video, filmmaking, and sculpture. The visual arts have been categorised into decorative arts, including crafts, glass art and mosaic arts.
The Applied Arts is a part of visual arts. The forms of applied arts are fashion design, interior design, graphic design, face painting and tattoo art.
Performing Arts
Visual Arts is a broader field that is further divided into different artistic disciplines such as fine arts, contemporary arts, decorative arts and crafts.
The performing arts are the forms of activities that are creative and are performed in front of the audience. The different forms of performing arts include music, acting, dance, drama, singing and opera.
Arts subjects
The study of arts subjects is exceptionally wide. You have the opportunity to select your favourite subjects during 11th and 12th standard. It has a huge list of electives.
Let’s have a look at the list of arts subjects in 11th and 12th standard.
- History
- Geography
- English
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Philosophy
- Sociology
- Economics
- Public Administration
- Home Science
- Fine Arts
- Music
- Physical Education
- Fashion Studies
- Mass Media
- Environmental Science
- Legal Studies
Best Courses after 12th Arts
The arts stream is such a diverse field, as we have a fair idea after going through the above list of subjects that it offers endless career options after the 12th. The advantage that the Arts stream provides is that the students of any stream Arts stream are in such a diverse field, as we have a fair idea after going through the above list of subjects that it offers endless career options after 12th for arts students.
The advantage of the Arts stream is that any stream’s students, be it Science, Commerce, or Arts, can pursue their career in this field.
To help you understand the best courses after 12th arts, we have divided the list into 3 different categories.
- Degree courses
- Vocational Course
- Diploma courses
Degree courses after 12th Arts
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A. Honours) and Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) – Both the courses are of 3 years. It is a very popular course, as the majority of students get themselves enrolled in B.A. compared to B.Com. and B.Sc. As per AISHE 2020 reports, a total of 96.55 lakh students were enrolled.
In an Honours course, a candidate can select and study a particular subject such as History, Geography or English as a specialization paper, in a 3-year course. Whereas in Bachelor of Arts (B.A) there are no such specializations but the course structure is designed in such a way that it broadly covers all the aspects of Arts Subjects.
However, the admission process for B.A. and B.A. Honours courses are purely based on a merit or entrance test.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) can be pursued in the following subjects.
- English
- Political Science
- History
- Geography
- Fine Arts
- Hindi
- French
- German
- Sanskrit
- Literature
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Philosophy
- Public Administration
- Economics
- Social Work
- Archaeology
- Anthropology
- Religious Studies
- Journalism and Mass Communication Studies
- Home Science
- Statistics
- Mathematics
- Music
- Physical Education
- Environmental Studies
- Computer Application
- Drawing and Painting
- Defence Studies or Military Studies
- Tourism Management
- Interior Design
- Media
- Yoga and Meditation
- Film making and Production
- Humanities and Social Sciences
- Fashion and Textile Designing
- Hospitality Management
2. Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)- It is a 4-year undergraduate course. The BFA course curriculum covers multiple specializations of visual arts.
Some of the specializations are drawing and sketching, Painting, Plastic arts, Applied arts, Pottery and ceramics, sculpture, photography, graphic design and printmaking.
After the completion of the course, you will be called an artist and can become any of these Commercial Designer, Graphic Designer, Media planner, Freelance Artist, Illustrator, Animator, Photographer, cartoonist and Sculptor.
3. B.A. LLB.- Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law is a 5 year integrated course. B.A.+ LLB is an added advantage for B.A. students because they will already have covered subjects like economics, political science, and sociology in their course, which will help them pursue a law career.
Minimum eligibility criteria for B.A. LLB. integrated courses are 12th passed in any stream. Multiple entrance exams such as CLAT, AILET, LSAT and BHU UET are conducted by various universities for admission.
The course teaches about various laws in India, such as corporate law, constitutional law, Legal aid and criminal laws.
4. BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration)– BBA is a demanding field, and the course structure is designed to give exposure to leadership and business management. It is a 3-year undergraduate degree program with minimum eligibility criteria of 12th pass in any stream. BBA course is focused more on leadership, Business Management and development, and corporate trends.
You will have a diverse scope as you can build and develop your career in different specialisations like Finance, Marketing and Human Resources. Both Government and Private organisations hire BBA graduates.
You must clear entrance exams such as DUET, AIMA UGAT, IPMAT, and BHU UET for admission to top universities. We recommend you check the websites of universities for admission, as few universities take admissions through merit.
Colleges or universities have started an integrated MBA for 5 years, where students can study BBA +MBA. IIM Indore is one such institute that conducts the IPMAT entrance exam for admission in an integrated MBA course.
5. Bachelor of Social Work- BSW is a 3-year Undergraduate degree course with minimum eligibility criteria of 12th pass in any stream. You may have encountered a B.A. (Hons) in social work, similar to BSW.
Tata Institute of Social Sciences is one of the prestigious institutes, offering the course in social work. To get admission to TISS, you need to qualify for the TISS BAT entrance exam.
BSW course focuses more on Social issues and welfare, Human growth and better livelihood. Career opportunities are in the NGOs, corporates and government firms.
Like B.A. + LLB and BBA + LLB, students can also opt for BSW + LLB.
6. Bachelor of Computer Application– BCA is a 3-year undergraduate degree course with minimum eligibility of 12th pass and have studied mathematics as one subject in 10+2 (depending on the university). Our recommendation is to check the university website, as in some colleges, mathematics is needed only in matriculation.
There are a few entrance exams, such as CUET, SET, UGPET and SUAT, conducted by universities; you need to qualify for these exams to get admission.
BCA is designed to teach you computer science fundamentals, security and networking, cloud computing, software development, database management and other aspects of computer application.
After completing the BCA course, you can opt for higher studies in MCA or work in the I.T. industry.
7. Hotel Management- Hotel Management is a lucrative and demanding undergraduate degree program. You might have encountered some universities offering a Bachelor of Hotel Management for 4 years and a BSc in Hotel Management for 3 years.
The minimum eligibility criteria is the 12th pass in any stream. There are entrance exams such as NCHMCT JEE, and AIMA UGAT conducted at the national level and exams such as CUCET, IPU CET, and CUET by some of the Universities.
There is a good scope for students in India after graduation; you can work in Customer relations, Hotel and Restaurant Management and Chef. You can pursue higher studies, such as a Master’s in hotel management or tourism management, or you can even go for an MBA.
8. Travel and Tourism Management– The course is similar to Hotel Management. Various universities offer a Bachelor of Tourism and Travel Management for 4 years and a B.A. in Tourism Management for 3 years.
After completing the course, you will get opportunities as a Travel counsellor, Tourism operations and Corporate travel executive.
The minimum eligibility criteria are the 12th pass in any stream. Just like hotel management, you can also opt for higher studies.
9. Aviation Industry – The aviation industry offers three different types of courses, which we have listed below.
i) BBA in Aviation Management – It is a 3-year degree course with a minimum eligibility of 12th pass in any stream. The curriculum is designed to study airport management, logistics and cargo management, finance and insurance, air transportation safety and security and aviation law.
The scope of work is wide, as you will get different job opportunities such as Airport Services Management, Transportation, Hospitality, Air Cargo (Logistics) & Baggage Handling, Fuel Supply Management and Aircraft / Airline Operation Management.
ii) Air hostess/flight attendant – The aspirant must be 18-27 years of age to apply for air hostess/flight attendant. There are no educational criteria. However, it’s better to develop skills before you go for an interview with the cabin crew. Few institutes offer 1 Year of Diploma courses in cabin crew.
iii) Diploma Courses: There are different diploma courses for 1 year, designed especially for the aviation industry. We have listed a few of these courses below.
Diploma in Airport Management and Airline Management -Ground staff
Diploma in Cabin Crew/Flight Attendant
Diploma in Hospitality Management and Customer Care
Diploma in Travel and Tourism Management
Diploma in Cargo Management
10. Bachelor of Design- If you are interested in an artistic career, we suggest you pursue B Des. It is a 4-year undergraduate degree program with a minimum eligibility of 12th passed in any stream.
For admissions in reputed institutes, you need to clear national-level entrance exams such as UCEED, NID DAT, AIEED, SEED, NIFT CAT & GAT, and AIFD OAT. There are various specialisations in designing fields like fashion design, leather design, textile, Interior design, Jewellery design, furniture and communication, etc.
Every specialisation has its scope and opportunities. You can start a job or pursue higher studies after completing the course.
11. Bachelor of Elementary Education- B.EL. E.D. is a 4-year undergraduate degree program with a minimum eligibility of 12th pass in any stream. If you are passionate about teaching, then you should pursue a B.El. E.D. program. After graduating, you can work in schools as a PRT (Primary Teacher) and TGT (Trained Graduate Teacher).
A Bachelor of Education will also give the same opportunity as a B.EL. E.D. is 2 years, but you can pursue a B.Ed after graduation.
12. Diploma in Elementary Education- D.El. E.D. is a 2-year diploma course with a minimum eligibility of 12th passed in any stream. D.El.ED. is not a graduation course but a professional course, and it allows PRT (Primary Teacher) in schools.
13. Journalism and Mass Communication- It is a 3-year undergraduate course with the minimum eligibility criteria of 12th passed in any stream. This degree gives an opportunity in Public Relations, Advertisement, Broadcasting, News and Print Media.
You may come up with these three different names: B.A. (Journalism and Mass Communication), Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication, or Bachelor of Mass Media. All are the same courses with slight differences in curriculum. Different universities use distinct names for the course.
Entrance examinations, such as CUCET, NIMCJ MACJET and AIMCET, are conducted by a few universities for admission to their courses.
14. Library science– If you want to become a librarian, then a bachelor’s in library & information science for 1 year is the course. You are eligible after graduation. You will get opportunities to serve in Government libraries, Universities, schools and other academic institutions.
15. Nursing – One can pursue nursing after 12th arts; you heard that right. There are two diploma programs, ANM(Auxiliary Nursing Midwifery) and GNM(General Nursing Midwifery), which any stream can pursue. But for B.Sc Nursing (4 years course), only science students with biology as a major subject are eligible. Those who have completed GNM can apply for a P.B.B.Sc (2 years) equivalent to B.Sc Nursing.
i) Auxiliary Nursing Midwifery (ANM)– It is a 2-year diploma course that can be pursued after passing 12th in any stream. It gives opportunities as a community health worker and staff nurse in the public and private sectors.
ii) General Nursing Midwifery (GNM) – It’s a 3-year diploma course that can be pursued after passing 12th in any stream. You can work as a Staff Nurse, Home Nurse, or Community Health Worker in private and public undertakings. You can further pursue post-basic B.Sc nursing for two years for future growth in your nursing career.
Vocational Courses after 12th Arts
The students of all three streams can pursue a Bachelor of Vocational Education (B.Voc), be it Science, Commerce or Arts, after completing 10+2 from any recognised Board.
To get an admission into B.Voc courses, the aspirant needs to apply to colleges and Universities along with the qualifying marks. The Bachelor of Vocational Education is a 3-year Graduate Course that includes a versatile list of subjects to opt for according to a person’s interests.
Bachelor of Vocational Education (B.Voc) courses include project work wherein every student must undergo training for a certain period. There are multiple exit points during the programmes where a candidate can discontinue their B.Voc course and still get a Diploma in a specialised course after the successful completion of the first year and an advanced diploma after the successful completion of the second year.
A Bachelor of Vocational Education can be pursued in any of the below subjects.
- Tourism and Travel Management
- Hospitality Management
- Broadcasting and Journalism
- Printing and Publishing
- Theatre Study and Acting
- Building Construction Management
- Banking and Finance
- Automobiles Technology
- Retail Management and Information Technology
- Web Technology and Multimedia
- Hardware Technology and Networking
- Software Development and Systems Administration
- Animation and Graphic Design
- Mass Media
- Visual Media and Film Making
- Fashion Technology and Apparel Designing
- Arts and Craft
- Jewellery Designing and Gemmology
- Beauty Therapy and Aesthetics
- Nutrition and Healthcare Science
- Sports Nutrition and Physiotherapy
- Paramedical and Health Administration
- Food Processing and Quality Management
- Renewable Energy Technology
- Farm Machinery and Power Technology
- Industrial Microbiology
- Medical Lab and Molecular Diagnostic Technology
- Sugar Technology
- Horticulture
- Fisheries and Farm Management
- Sustainable Energy Management
- Floriculture and Landscape Gardening
- Soil and Water Conservation
- Green House Technology
Diploma Courses after 12th Arts
Diploma courses offer programmes in various fields wherein students looking to explore their careers can opt. The diploma courses are of shorter duration, mostly 1-2 years, compared to other Undergraduate courses, and have a variety of career opportunities. Diploma courses can be pursued by the students with any stream, i.e., Science, Commerce and Arts, after completing 10+2 with the qualifying marks.
Diploma Courses can be done in the following subjects.
- Diploma in Interior Design
- Diploma in Event Management
- Diploma in Travel and Tourism
- Diploma in Textile and Leather Designing
- Diploma in 3D Animation
- Diploma in Entrepreneurship
- Diploma in Human Resource
- Diploma in Advertising and Marketing
- Diploma in Retail Management
- Diploma in Banking
- Diploma in Company secretaryship
- Diploma in Multimedia
- Diploma in Infrastructure and Construction
Admission
Most colleges fill their seats in various courses through merit. However, few central and private universities conduct national-level entrance exams.
We will focus only on arts courses here (B.A., B.Voc, BFA) as for other degree courses; we have already mentioned some of the entrance exams above in each section wherever required.
Entrance exams conducted by universities for admission to undergraduate courses are mentioned below.
CUCET– NTA conducts the Central Universities Common Entrance Test for admission in 12 central universities all over India.
UET- BHU -Banaras Hindu University Undergraduate Entrance Test is conducted by BHU(Banaras Hindu University) for admission in various U.G. courses.
JNUEE– Jawaharlal Nehru University offers mostly PhD and M.Phil programs. If you are interested in learning international languages then JNU will be a good option, as it offers B.A. honours in foreign language.
IPU CET – Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGS IPU) conducts an entrance exam IPU CET, for admission to various undergraduate courses.
NPAT – Narsee Monjee Institute for Management Studies (NMIMS), Mumbai, conducts a National Test, namely NPAT for Programs after 10+2 for admission in various undergraduate courses.
SET- Symbiosis International conducts the Symbiosis entrance test (SET) for admission in various bachelor courses offered by the university.
TISS BAT – Tata Institute of Social Science conducts TISS BAT(Bachelor Admission Test) for admission in B.A. social science and social work programs.
UGPET Lucknow University conducts UGPET (Under Graduate Professional Entrance Test) for admission in various undergraduate courses.
Arts Stream Jobs
Every course after the 12th Arts mentioned above has an exceptionally wide scope and opportunities. There are certain fields that have a good pay structure compared to others. We referred to ambitionbox and listed salaries of different courses pursued after 12th arts.
| Designation | Starting Salary |
| Lecturer/Professor | 8 Lakhs – Government Institutions and 4 Lakhs- Private Institutions |
| UI/UX Design | 4 Lakhs |
| Animation/Illustration | 3 Lakhs |
| Graphic Designer | 2 Lakhs |
| Fashion Designer | 3 Lakhs |
| Journalist/content writers | 2.5 Lakhs |
| Language expert | 4 Lakhs |
| HR/Marketing | 3 Lakhs |
| Travel Consultant | 3 lakhs |
| Librarian | 8 Lakhs – Government Institutions and 3 Lakhs- Private Institutions |
| Event Manager/PLanner | 2-3 Lakhs |
| Cabin Crew | 4 Lakhs |
| Corporate legal Associate/officer | 4 Lakhs |
There are many professions in the art field, like actors, musicians, painters, and sculptors, which do not have a specific salary structure as their pay in the initial days might be low, but after gaining experience, it grows exponentially and is way too high.
Top Colleges in Arts
For a successful career, interesting discipline is not enough. You must select a good college that will nurture you with good knowledge and desired skills.
We have listed the best arts colleges in India. The list is divided into two parts: the top B.A. (Hons) colleges/universities and BFA(Bachelor of Fine Arts) colleges/universities.
Top colleges and universities for B.A.
- Banaras Hindu University- Faculty of Arts
- Miranda House
- Lady Shri Ram College For Women
- Hindu College
- St. Stephen’s College
- Presidency College
- Loyola College
- St. Xavier’s College
- Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira
- Madras Christian College
- Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
- University of Hyderabad
- Savitribai Phule Pune University
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education
Top colleges and universities for Fine Arts
- Banaras Hindu University, Faculty of Visual Arts
- College of Arts, Delhi University
- Sir JJ Institute of Applied Arts, University of Mumbai
- Jamia Millia Islamia, Faculty of Fine Arts, Delhi
- Kurukshetra University, Department of Fine Arts
Read our other articles on commerce and science
- Best Courses After 12th Commerce for Crafting a Successful Career
- Choose your path with the best Courses after the 12th Science
Conclusion
There are multiple career options after 12th arts, and to choose the correct career path, you need to understand your interests. If you are still confused, get help from experts/counsellors.
The arts stream has some lucrative courses, giving ample opportunity to follow your passion as a career. We hope you know all the courses well and can select and pursue your desired course after 12th arts.
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