Arts and Humanities

According to the latest UK Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey 75.7 per cent of Arts and Humanities graduates were in employment or taking further study within six months of completing their degree.

Skills you can develop

As well as the specific subject knowledge gained from studying an OU degree, you'll develop many transferable and work-related skills that are highly valued by employers and which will increase your employability.

The OU Careers Advisory Service defines employability as "A set of capabilities and achievements that support students in developing their careers, raising their aspirations and enhancing their contribution to society".

Whatever your motivations for study, your goals and career aspirations, you are entitled to supported personal development planning either as an intrinsic part of your programme of study or through signposted optional activities. You can view the full Student Employability Policy Statement on our website.

For Arts and Humanities students the employability skills you will develop include the ability to:

• select, analyse and synthesise relevant data and present conclusions concisely and logically
• assimilate, evaluate, mediate and present large amounts of complex information
• communicate effectively, clearly and accurately with others orally and in writing
• put together reasoned arguments and question assumptions
• think creatively and critically
• use ICT effectively and be able to interpret data
• be competent in team and project work
• work independently, evaluate your own performance and take steps to improve it.

To check which work related skills can be developed from studying a particular subject, look at the Student Employability Profiles (PDF 3MB) on the Higher Education Academy website. Although these are designed for higher education practitioners, the subject profiles can help you identify the transferable skills you will gain from studying subjects in this area.

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Career opportunities

In the UK over 60% of graduates enter employment where a degree in any subject would be acceptable. In this instance what they offer the employer is evidence of the range of competencies which have been developed through their academic study, rather than the specific subject content of their degree. This page will focus on careers directly related to arts and humanities, however, if you want to explore all of the choices open to you, also refer to the Further Resources section.

Given the current economic climate and the increased competition for graduate positions, it is important to consider a range of occupational areas. Bear in mind that many careers require further study, training and/or work experience beyond your degree.

We advise you to research your career choices thoroughly and as early as possible, particularly in relation to experience required, differences that relate to where you live, or where choice of courses may affect future opportunities.

Studying Arts and Humanities provides graduates with an adaptable set of skills that can give entry to a vast range of occupations leading in many career directions.  Employers in all fields value applicants who can deal competently with large amounts of complex information and turn it to good use. In addition, problem solving and effective communication and presentation of ideas and arguments are skills that can be used in a variety of functions from implementing government policy and advising ministers to being involved in the promotion and sales of products.

The creative industries sector in the UK offers employment opportunities for Arts and Humanities graduates who can particularly utilise their creative problem-solving abilities and expertise in connecting different ideas and concepts. It is crucial to gain as much relevant experience as you can in order to develop contacts and gain entry into this field.

Use the Prospects website to explore career options related to arts and humanities. Click on your subject to see examples of job roles and get information for further research. You will also find it useful to refer to the 'Industry Insights' for employment sectors such as Advertising, Marketing and PR; Media; Creative Arts and Publishing, which are often popular with arts and humanities students.

If you live in Ireland look at the relevant information on career sectors and jobs with your degree on the Gradireland website.

See also specific information from the OU Faculty of Arts.

To find out about ways of gaining experience through volunteering see our voluntary work pages. You can also make use of the searchable databases on the following web sites:

• Do it!
• Volunteer Scotland
• Volunteer Ireland
• Volunteering Wales

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Your employers

Rigorous academic standards ensure that OU qualifications are recognised and valued by professional organisations and employers.

As an OU student, you can access the Employer Showcase to find out about some of the employers who are keen to recruit OU graduates.

The employers particularly relevant to OU Arts and Humanities students within the Employer Showcase are

• Crawley Borough Council
• Enterprise
• Glaxo Smith Kline
• KPMG
• Logica
• Unilever
• Waitrose.

The Corporate Human Resources Supervisor of Enterprise admired the persistence and determination of OU students as they pursue a course of study while dealing with all the other commitments and responsibilities they have in their lives. He said

The UK Graduate Recruitment Co-ordinator of Logica said of OU students

If you are a student you might want to see further advice from major employers on applications, the skills they require and the value of OU study. Go to our What employers say pages.

As an OU student you can also register for our online vacancy service and receive email notification about job opportunities.

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Further resources

Use the other sections of this web site to

• plan your career
• explore your career options  
• identify your achievements, skills and strengths
• get advice on job seeking.

Don’t forget to check the careers home page regularly for news of events, forums, careers fairs and short courses. If you are an OU student you can participate in and read entries on our online forums.

If you are a current OU student (or finished your studies within the last three years) you are entitled to a careers consultation with a careers adviser in your region or nation. This is designed to help you through the planning process and identify an action plan for your future. (Non-OU students should go to the Contact page of this website for other sources of careers advice.)

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