YouAlberta
Growing up, I was never sure of what I wanted to do as a career. Did I want to be a writer? Or maybe an astronaut? I felt that I wanted to study and try out everything at the same time. In my last year of high school, it was difficult for me to choose only one area of study to pursue. I had a fear (which I later discovered that many students share) that I would pick the wrong major and that I would not like my degree or the path that it was preparing me for. Luckily for me, the different arts degree programs in social sciences, humanities and fine arts provide students the opportunity to develop the skills applicable to anything they wish to pursue through their education.
The value of an arts degree
When I was choosing my degree path, I always got the questions: “What are you going to do with your arts degree?” and “Are you going to get a job with it?” In answer to all these worries, I have learned that an arts degree can open many doors. I like to think of these doors as the ones in the Monsters Inc movie; there are as many career options as there are colours and patterns for each door, and behind each door, there is a unique world of possibilities.
An arts degree is very flexible. It can provide you with diverse options to discover your career goals, redirect your professional path or explore new areas of personal interest. One of the things I appreciate the most from my arts degree is that it presents me with different perspectives, from the diverse literature I get to read in class to the different opinions that I can learn from each class discussion. The communication skills I have developed in my arts degree have prepared me to engage in meaningful dialogue with others and learn from those who have different views than myself.
My arts degree continues to transform me as a whole by reshaping my views and values of who I am, what I want to do, and how I perceive and interact with those around me. It has been a great opportunity to connect with others and bring me closer to the campus community. Overall, I have observed that what I learned in my classes has enhanced my creativity by preparing me to look for solutions and providing me with the skills to create original visual, written and audio content. I have developed the knowledge to create unique projects that express who I am and what I believe in.
Learning about the different possible career paths
One way to learn what some of the career options after graduation are is to talk to people in your field of interest. If you are looking to meet like-minded people, one way to do so is to participate in mentorship programs offered on campus, such as the OASIS mentorship program. Reaching out to the department advisors is a good option, too, because advisors can help you connect with professors who are teaching or conducting research in areas similar to your career interests. The Faculty of Arts program overview videos are a great resource to review if you wish to learn about the professional development options, the courses offered and what each particular discipline is about. Finally, talking to upper-year students in your departments of interest is a great way to hear first-hand experience and learn about some of the different career options upper-year students have explored so far.
Diversifying your degree: all about majors, minors, and certificates
I had a hard time choosing what to major in: there are so many options, and I wanted to study all of them at the same time. I thought that all majors would be a good fit to my interests, and I did not know how to narrow down my options. Luckily, an arts degree allows students to customize their class schedule to explore different areas of interest. I did not have to choose only one area of study; rather, I diversified my degree by choosing to double major, select a minor, and even pursue some certificates.
Majors and minors are a great way to customize your degree options. A strategy that works for me is to check the BA requirements and major/minor requirements to decide whether I am interested in the classes necessary to fulfill the major and how the minor fits with my major and academic goals. The good thing about an arts degree is that it is very flexible, and the course content and learning outcomes of one discipline will most likely complement other areas of study. It is also possible to pursue a minor offered by another faculty.
Now, the process of choosing what certificates to complete comes with its own challenges. I started by taking a look at the certificates offered by the Faculty of Arts. Some of the options include Ethics, International Learning, and Peace and Post-Conflict Studies. Then, I asked myself which certificate description and expected learning outcomes resonated with my interest and career goals and which could best complement my degree. For me, it turned out that some courses overlap between the major and certificate requirements, but it is also possible that certificates and majors go in different routes. In fact, this is a great option to diversify your learning opportunities and take classes in topics outside of your area of study. When choosing a certificate, I make sure that I have enough credits to complete the “certificate requirements” and “additional courses” and that these courses will also be counted towards my degree requirements.
Experiential learning opportunities, learning beyond the classroom
Community Service Learning (CSL) is a program that helps students link their academic learning to community-based experience and provides opportunities for students to put the theoretical knowledge learned in classes into practice while developing skills outside the classroom.
The Arts Work Experience (AWE) program allows students to participate in career-related, paid work experience. Students can complete a 4, 8, 12 or 16-month work term beginning every September, January, or May. As an AWE student, I have found it very valuable to define my career goals, expand my job search beyond my initial interests, network with students interested in similar careers and practice the knowledge I have learned in my classes and the skills I have developed during my campus involvement in a work setting.
eHUB is a great space to develop innovative and entrepreneurial skills and to collaborate in a creative space with other students. eHUB can be a strong resource to help you develop a project, elaborate an idea, network and participate in mentorship. You can take your education further by pursuing a project that is related to your degree, but you can also explore different routes for innovation.
Studying abroad is a good opportunity to (re)discover your personal interests and goals, learn from different backgrounds and cultures, and even practice a new language. It might be helpful to consult guides to plan your study abroad journey.
Undergraduate research: Undergraduate Research Initiative (URI) and BA Honors
A great way to expand what you learn in your classes and to pursue topics and projects of personal interest is to participate in undergraduate research. URI opportunities such as the URI Stipend and Roger S Smith Undergraduate Researcher Award can help strengthen your independent research and writing skills, and your work may even be submitted for publication and academic conferences. You also have the opportunity to build connections with your professors, who usually supervise your research. Students are never alone in their research journey – a professor from their department will supervise their research and provide support throughout the research process. To get started on your research journey, it might be helpful to reach out to an instructor who is currently conducting research or specializes in a topic that you are interested in. Also, booking an appointment with the URI team can help you learn more about the research opportunities on campus.
Another great way to participate in research is by enrolling in the BA (Honors) program. Beyond writing an Honors thesis with the supervision of a professor, students participate in Honors seminars where they network with other students conducting research.
Campus involvement and leadership
Participating in student groups is a great option to develop interpersonal, communication, time-management and leadership skills helpful for a work setting and to explore your further career and academic opportunities. Beyond the development opportunities, getting involved on campus is an opportunity to meet like-minded people and start building connections in your field of interest.
Before starting university, I never thought I would enjoy participating in debate and student governance much. But by getting involved, I learned how being a leader on campus allows me to learn, develop skills and engage with people that I would not otherwise have the chance to meet in my classes. Although my political science major is closely related to student governance, many of my peers who participate in student governance spaces get involved to complement their degrees and expand their options to improve their verbal and written communication skills and learn about multicultural dialogue and policy procedures.
Something to keep in mind is that it is okay (and even normal) to change and/or readjust your career and personal goals. University is all about learning and exploring who you are and what you want to do. Each of us will go on to do different things, discover our passion at different times, and develop different interests over time. Re-adjusting your degree is a sign that you are learning, but most importantly, that you are growing in your self-discovery journey and expanding your opportunities!