What can I do with my Arts degree?

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.

A banner with four different images. From left to right: Three people having a conversation at the Museum of Anthropology, A group of students watching a printmaking demonstration at the Print Media Research Centre, a student collecting a sample from a mossy wall, student-teachers working with children in a classroom.

Workplace experience

Research

Involvement and leadership

International experience

Living, studying, and working abroad build valuable traits. Show employers you are adaptable, can work independently, and have global experience.

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

Humanities

Interdisciplinary Studies

Joint-Science Programs

Social Sciences