The major purpose of education is to prepare you for a successful and satisfying career after students are equipped with the requisite skills and talents. Indian students normally have to make a difficult but important choice after their 12th grade to choose either Science, Commerce, or Arts. Since a student who has chosen the field of science can not typically pursue a career course in economics. This is where Liberal Arts stands out. 

What is Liberal Arts?

Liberal Arts is an interdisciplinary academic field where a student has the freedom to explore many avenues to choose from. Liberal arts subjects are not limited to a specific career path but rather aim to develop critical thinking, analytical skills, and an appreciation for culture and society. In a Liberal Arts course, students can choose anything within the four centric disciplines: Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Computer Science, Humanities, and Arts. Students have the option to study Modern Languages, English Literature, Mathematics, Artificial Intelligence, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Political Science, Anthropology, Music, History, Media, Psychology, Economics, Philosophy, and plenty of other subjects. 

Popular Majors in Liberal Arts: 

Most colleges or universities offer students to choose to Major or specialize in any of the above-given subjects. Given below are some of the most popular choices: 

• English Literature
• Psychology
• Philosophy
• History
• Political Science
• Journalism
• Anthropology
• Sociology
• Economics
• Linguistics
• Mathematics (Statistics, Calculus, Algebra, Geometry)
• Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things)
• Natural Sciences (Biology, Physics, Chemistry)

Job Opportunites in Liberal Arts: 

After pursuing graduation in Liberal Arts, most students prefer to go into higher studies. Many students also opt to pursue higher studies abroad. Some students, on the contrary, wish to start working in their respective fields of choice. Here are some of the top job options and career opportunities Liberal Arts grad students can dive into: 

• Journalist: 

A specialization in journalism gives you a chance to learn skills like writing, problem-solving, communication, research, creativity, and self-expression. These skills are key to a successful career in journalism. The role of a journalist is to research, investigate, and report anything newsworthy to the public. 

• Editor: 

The role of an editor is to review and edit any written content like blogs, news articles, and books before they get published. Most editors start as writers themselves. They mostly work for publications both in print and online. A degree in Liberal Arts helps you learn and improve your writing and creative skills. 

• Public Relations Specialist: 

A public relations specialist is someone whose job is to create press releases, blogs, and social media posts, write speeches, and carefully manage their client’s public image. Their clients are mostly individuals who are often in the public eye like professional sports persons, politicians, and celebrities. 

• Market Research Analyst:

The job of a market research analyst is to gather raw data from the market, study it, and transform it into gainful insights for the benefit of the organization. A specialization in Social Science or Business may prove helpful in the path to becoming a market research analyst. 

• Linguistics: 

A major in linguistics can lead to job opportunities in language teaching, interpretation, speech therapy, research, and translation. Linguists can work as lexicographers, speech therapists, teaching assistants, foreign language teachers, translators, etc.  

• Social Service Manager: 

A specialization in Social Sciences can also lead you to a career path as a social service manager. You can join an NGO as a project assistant and you will eventually grow through positions like project manager, senior manager, head, director, etc. 

• Management Consultant: 

It is fairly common for Liberal Arts graduates to be interested in pursuing a career in management. The role of management consultants is to evaluate and recommend solutions to improve the management of any organization. 

• Social Media Manager: 

The role of a social media manager is to take charge of a firm’s or brand’s social media presence on sites like Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, etc. They need to be good writers and editors to ensure that they write the best copy that perfectly resonates with the brand’s image and message. It requires a lot of hard work, time management, negotiation, and people-handling skills which are all taught to a liberal arts graduate. 

• Curator: 

The role of a curator is to research historical and cultural subjects, acquire new objects, design exhibition themes, and develop tours and workshops for museum patrons. They work in art, history, and other kinds of museums and build relationships with potential art and artifact donors. 

• Archivist: 

Their role is to preserve, store, and maintain documents, artifacts, and other important objects. They create paper trails and digital records that list collection objects. An archivist can specialize in certain historical eras and particular types of objects. 

• Statistician: 

The role of a statistician is to analyze and interpret data to help organizations with significant decisions, problems, and logistical scenarios. Statisticians often use probability, calculus, mathematical modeling, and statistical analysis in their work. Liberal arts graduates can excel as data analysts by applying their logical, critical, and creative thinking skills to explore, interpret, and explain data.

• Software Developer: 

The role of a software developer is to create, text, and maintain apps and systems that operate on computers, mobile devices, or the web. They need to have strong technical skills along with creativity, communication, and collaborative skills. Liberal arts graduates can excel as software developers by applying their critical thinking, analytical, and writing skills to design, code, and document software solutions. 

Future of Liberal Arts Graduates: 

Some may argue that a specialized education is necessary to succeed in today’s economy, but others firmly believe that liberal arts education is more valuable than ever, given the need for creative and adaptable thinkers in a world where rapid technological advancement is changing the way we work and live. Students who pursue a degree in Liberal Arts can look forward to a very bright future over the next 10-30 years. This is due to the variety of skills, experience, and exposure these students get while pursuing this degree. The following are some of the many skills acquired by a liberal arts degree student: 

• Effective Communication Skills (Both Written and Oral)

• Teamwork Work

• Self-expression

• Fast Learning & Comprehension Skills 

• Numerical Skills

• Critical Thinking

• Analytical Skills

• Efficient Decision-Making Skills

• Adaptability & Flexibility

• Time-management Skills

• Research Capability

• Problem-solving Skills

• Cultural Sensitivity

• Foreign Language Skills & Multi-cultural Knowledge

Many big organizations namely Deloitte, EY, Bloomberg, Quint, TCS Consulting, BCG, and many more would be willing to hire you as a liberal arts student. According to many studies, organizations think that students with liberal arts degrees are far more capable of succeeding in their fields and their firms. With rapid advancement in technology, an education in the Liberal Arts consisting of humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences has become even more valuable. 

Organizations are going to need to learn how to best work with and utilize the new-fangled AI tools that help in finding accurate information in a short time and rapidly generating text or images that are very human-like. We will need to figure out how to use them ethically while ensuring that we’re not doing anything that hurts the underrepresented. Liberal arts education prepares students with precisely the intent of facing AI. It enables students to think independently and critically and offer innovative solutions. 

In the future, life skills such as creativity, social and psychological impact analysis, environmental concern etc., coupled with intellectual flexibility, will increasingly set humans apart from machines. Interestingly, these very traits will also guide the development of future versions of machines and AI algorithms. The insights of liberal arts graduates can help organizations make better use of new tools while maintaining accountability for their impact on employees and communities. 

Still not sure about what to do after a degree in liberal arts? Don’t worry, get in touch with our experts at Mind Mirror who can help with this decision. 

Mind Mirror – Career Guidance & Counseling is a pioneer name in the field of career counseling and personal guidance is a team of the Best Career Counselors in India. Mind Mirror is the most- advanced website for online career assessment, career guidance, and career counseling in India, designed for school students and graduates.