Courses After 12th Arts and 10 Potential Career Paths

Completing 12th arts is the first step to many exciting and lucrative careers but rarely the last step. Landing your dream job may require you to continue your education first. 

Whether you’re ready to jump into a bachelor's degree programme or interested in short-term courses after 12th arts, this degree is your entry into various qualifications and career paths. Read on to explore ten potential education paths and common jobs you can pursue afterwards. 

Course and career options for art students 

Learners typically choose one of two main ways to further their education after 12th grade: a bachelor’s degree or a diploma programme. A bachelor’s programme usually takes three to four years, while a diploma programme takes one to two years. 

A bachelor's degree helps increase your marketability. It allows you to gain broad knowledge in your chosen field and general subjects while sharpening skills such as critical thinking and workplace communication. 

A diploma programme lets you focus on the skills and knowledge you need for specific industries. The curriculum provides opportunities for practical experience and exploring various career options.

Deciding between various course options after 12th arts might come down to the time it takes to complete, the tuition fees, or the career you’d like to pursue after graduation. 

In both cases, you can choose from a wide variety of specialisations. Below are 10 educational options after 12th arts, separated into five bachelor's degree programmes and five diploma programmes. This is a partial list. India’s various institutions and universities offer over 40 Bachelor of Arts degree programmes. Examining a few in detail will give you a better idea of the scope of each programme. 

Five bachelor's degrees after 12th arts 

Five potential bachelor's degrees to study after your 12th arts include humanities and social sciences, fine arts, journalism and mass communications, linguistics, and public administration. You can choose from many more areas of study, and the further you advance in your education, the more opportunity you have to specialise. 

For each of the following degrees, you’ll find information about what you’ll learn in the programme, similar or related degrees, and potential careers you could hold. 

All salary data comes from Glassdoor as of May 2024. 

Bachelor of Arts in humanities and social sciences

Humanities and social sciences include English, sociology, political science, history, psychology, and more. You can choose from many specific fields of study contained within this umbrella. History majors will learn national and world history, political science majors will study political philosophy and how various influences affect world and national government, and psychology majors will learn about the human mind. 

Some potential jobs you qualify for with a Bachelor of Arts in humanities and social sciences include editor, historian, museum curator, and cultural anthropologist. The average annual salaries associated with these career options for art students include the following:

• Editor: ₹3,92,004 

• Historian: ₹9,94,032 

• Museum curator: ₹7,35,000 

• Cultural anthropologist: ₹5,06,340

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Fine art specialisations include photography, painting, sculpture, fibre arts, pottery, music, and more. The goal of a fine arts degree is a designation in your chosen craft, a mark of progress in your education and experience. A Bachelor of Fine Arts helps you prepare and hone your skills for a career in your chosen medium, such as an actor, painter, writer, graphic designer, musician, or art director. The average annual salaries associated with these roles include: 

• Actor: ₹2,76,000 

• Painter: ₹7,44,768 

• Writer: ₹3,09,996 

• Graphic designer: ₹3,14,484 

• Musician: ₹11,74,068

Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communications

Pursuing a Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication (BJMC) might be a great choice if you’re interested in broadcast or digital journalism. With a Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communications, you’ll learn about ethics and law in media, print journalism, radio journalism, photography, writing, broadcasting, public relations, and more. Related areas of study include English, journalism, and communications. 

After your BJMC, you can pursue jobs as a reporter, copywriter, editor, public relations, or news anchor. The average annual salaries associated with the positions include: 

• Reporter: ₹3,20,004 

• Copywriter: ₹4,82,500 

• Editor: ₹3,92,004 

• Public relations: ₹3,24,996 

• News anchor: ₹5,40,360

Bachelor of Arts in linguistics

Earning your Bachelor of Arts in linguistics prepares you for a career as a linguist, teacher, or speech therapist. In this curriculum, you study human speech and words’ usage, evolution, and cultural meaning. In these roles, you can expect to make the following average annual salaries: 

• Linguist: ₹6,28,000 

• Teacher: ₹3,15,000 

• Speech therapist: ₹10,78,788

Bachelor of Arts in public administration

Degree programmes in public administration study public organisations and services. In this discipline, you will learn how organisations work, including managing staff, finances, laws, legislation, etc. You also learn about organisations like the State Planning Board and Department, State Finance Commission, and the National Development Council. 

After getting a Bachelor of Arts in public administration, some jobs are administrative officer, business consultant, public relations, and fundraising manager. If you choose to pursue these courses after 12th arts, you might make one of the following average annual salaries: 

• Administrative officer: ₹4,82,004 

• Business consultant: ₹15,47,500 

• Public relations: ₹3,24,996 

• Fundraising manager: ₹10,50,000

Five diploma programs after 12th Arts

Would you prefer to explore short-term courses after 12th arts? If you are still deciding whether to commit three or four years to a degree, consider a diploma programme instead. These take one to two years to complete and help prepare you for a career requiring more education than your 12th. 

Although you can qualify for many diploma programmes after your 12th, a few that are particularly suited to individuals with 12th arts include interior design, advertising and marketing, event management, travel and tourism, and foreign languages. 

Interior design

An interior design diploma can prepare you for work as an exhibition designer, production designer for film or TV, visual merchandiser, product designer, or stylist. The average annual salary for these roles includes:

• Exhibit designer: ₹4,80,000 

• Production designer: ₹6,10,000 

• Visual merchandiser: ₹5,50,000 

• Product designer: ₹13,00,000 

• Stylist: ₹3,75,000

Advertising and marketing

An advertising and marketing diploma can prepare you for work as an advertising specialist, media planner, or sales representative. Annual wages in these roles average: 

• Advertising specialist: ₹5,67,500 

• Media planner: ₹5,80,000 

• Advertising sales representative: ₹6,15,000

Event management

 A diploma in event management will prepare you to work as an event planner, charity fundraiser, conference centre manager, or hotel manager. In these roles, you can expect to make average annual salaries such as: 

• Event planner: ₹3,06,000 

• Charity fundraiser: ₹8,16,000 

• Conference centre manager: ₹4,70,000 

• Hotel manager: ₹5,91,504

Travel and tourism

A diploma in travel and tourism prepares you for a career as a travel consultant, travel agent, or tour operator. Some of the jobs and average annual salaries you might pursue include:

• Travel consultant: ₹4,40,796 

• Travel agent: ₹7,32,000 

• Tour operator: ₹4,40,004

Foreign language

With a diploma in a foreign language, you might qualify for a career as a translator, interpreter, or tour guide. In these roles, you can anticipate making the following average annual wages:

• Translator: ₹2,91,000 

• Interpreter: ₹5,40,000 

• Tour guide: ₹3,00,204

Getting started

Online courses make taking your education beyond 12th arts more accessible. If you want to explore various areas of study that interest you, consider taking a few classes online to test the water before entering a programme. For example, the Graphic Design Specialisation offered by CalTech is a five-course track that allows you to learn more about graphic design. Alternatively, you could explore Principles of Public Relations or Food and Beverage Management, among many other subjects, on Coursera.