This page, and each program-specific page, was designed to give you an overview of the skills you’ll develop during your studies, inspire your thinking on possible career directions, and showcase the many ways you can get involved and connect with your community during and after your time at UBC.
Who you are matters
Your Arts degree is one aspect of what you have to offer. You also bring skills and perspectives from the experiences you’ve had, places you’ve been, and the values you share with your family, friends, and community.
Reflecting on your skills and interests can help you make thoughtful life and career decisions.
- Identify your values (pdf)
Clarifying your interests and values can help you determine career possibilities that are a good fit for you. - Name your skills (pdf)
Reflect on your skills and consider how they may be valued by future employers. - Know your strengths
Purchase the CliftonStrengths assessment tool ($28 CAD) using your student email address to identify and describe your talents.
Tell your story
Throughout your Arts degree, you’ll develop specific skills that employers are looking for, including:
- Critical thinking and analysis
- Creative problem solving and expression of ideas
- Clear and concise oral and written communication
- Relationship building and active listening
- Leadership and project management
- Organization, attention to detail, and time management
- Ability to examine and understand concepts while considering multiple perspectives
- Resilience, flexibility, and agility
- Collaboration with others, through projects and assignments
- Literacy with new media and technology
Throughout your degree, you can compile projects, papers, travels, volunteer work, and more in your own Arts ePortfolio. This is a great way to collect, curate, and share your learning.
Get experience
UBC offers many opportunities for Arts students to build their careers.
Workplace experience
- CareersOnline
Apply for work or volunteer positions on UBC’s online career resources platform. - Arts Co-op Program
Gain paid work experience in your area of study as part of your degree program. - Work Learn
Develop valuable skills through a part-time, on-campus job. - On-campus jobs
Find student jobs available on campus. - Canada Summer Jobs Program
Check out summer jobs for full-time students. - Federal Student Work Experience Program
Apply for government positions across Canada through this student recruitment initiative.
Research
- Faculty research opportunities
Search for undergraduate research opportunities and prepare for graduate school or a career in research. - Undergraduate Research Awards
Find research work experience that compliments your studies in an academic setting. - Undergraduate Research Opportunities Club
Discover research opportunities or get involved in making undergraduate research more accessible.
Involvement and leadership
- Arts leadership opportunities
Participate in activities and make new friends through on-campus experiences. - AMS student clubs
Join a club related to a variety of fields in the arts. - Campus involvement opportunities
- Find paid and volunteer roles that contribute to the campus experience.
- Student Directed Seminars
Propose, coordinate, and lead your own seminar class for credit. - Arts Undergraduate Society
Plan events, build resources, and support Arts students on the Vancouver campus. - Community opportunities
Support a local school or non-profit organization to give back to the community.
International experience
Living, studying, and working abroad build valuable traits. Show employers you are adaptable, can work independently, and have global experience.
- Go Global
Go on exchange, attend a global seminar, or conduct research abroad. - Office of Regional and International Community Engagement (ORICE)
Make meaningful connections between the wider community and academia around common interests in complex global issues.
Build your network
Friends, family, TAs, instructors, and other people you meet can help you navigate your career questions. Uncover possibilities and learn from the experiences, stories, and insights of others.
- Arts Alumni Profiles
Find out how graduates chose their majors, and what influenced their career choices. - Arts Career Events
Attend a Career Design Studio or Arts Career Conversations event to meet and gain insight from Arts alumni about their careers and experiences beyond UBC. - UBC Hub of Ten Thousand Coffees
Create a free profile and get matched with members within the broader UBC community to learn about their career journeys. - Find Arts alumni on LinkedIn
Explore paths alumni have taken by viewing their profiles or reach out for a coffee chat.
Use your toolkit
Find your program
Dig a little deeper into the skills you’ll gain, career possibilities, and discipline-specific opportunities for involvement.
Creative and Performing Arts
- Acting
- Creative Writing
- Film Production
- Cinema Studies
- Music
- Theatre Studies
- Theatre Design and Production
- Visual Art
Humanities
- Art History
- Asian Studies
- Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies
- English
- French, Hispanic, and Italian Studies
- History
- Philosophy
Interdisciplinary Studies
- Canadian Studies
- Central, Eastern, and Northern European Studies
- First Nations and Endangered Languages
- First Nations and Indigenous Studies
- Interdisciplinary Studies
- International Relations
- Latin American Studies
- Media Studies
- Medieval Studies
- Speech Sciences
- Study of Religion
- United States Studies