An Arts & Humanities degree offers many valuable skills and career options, which can be both thrilling and overwhelming. This page provides step-by-step guidance to help you strategize for your future career no matter which path you choose.
Explore Possible Career Paths
Consider Your Skills
The liberal arts are designed to teach broadly transferable skills which can be applied to a wide range of careers, and which are in high demand among employers. Some of these skills include:
Learn about Career Areas
Because Arts and Humanities majors are not designed to prepare a student for a single occupational field, students have unlimited options after graduation. Berkeley Career Engagement(link is external) helps enrolled students and alumni explore their options and pursue their career goals. Here are just a few professional areas you might consider:
Art and Design(link is external):
Graphic design, creative direction, museums and galleries, user experience/interface design, fashion design, advertising, web design, illustration, photography
Business(link is external):
Management, sales, public relations, communication, market research, human resources, consulting, training and development, proposal writing/management
Education(link is external):
Teaching, counseling, research, administration, student services, library services
Government(link is external):
Public affairs, research, policy analysis, translation/interpretation, foreign service, intelligence, diplomacy, law enforcement, special interest advocacy
Health & Medicine(link is external):
Medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, health administration, medical and bioethics, genetic counseling
Law & Public Policy(link is external):
Corporate law, nonprofit or public interest law, mediation, lobbying
Media & Communications(link is external):
Advertising, public relations, journalism, film, tv, radio, social media, blogging, corporate media relations, translation/interpretation
Music(link is external):
Performing, conducting, composing/arranging, music libraries, broadcasting, audio technology, sound engineering, recording, talent acquisition, music therapy
Non-profit(link is external):
Administration, research, grant writing, development/fundraising, programming, volunteer coordination, youth ministry, translation/interpretation
Tech:
UX research, product research, design research, content strategy, content design, UX writing, technical writing, product management, human resources, talent acquisition, DEI consultancy, brand strategy, ethics research, public policy research
Theater & Performance(link is external):
Performing, directing, set design, stage management, production, script/play/screenwriting
Writing(link is external):
Journalism, technical writing, creative writing, grant writing, publishing, editing, content strategy, copywriting, translation/interpretation
Network
After developing the right skills, networking is the most important measure of success in any career. A good network will not only help you figure out the career path that’s right for you; it will also help you land opportunities, get referrals, and find mentors that will contribute to your success. Here are some easy steps to do it well.
- Sign up to the Creative Careers mailing list(link is external) to learn about career events sponsored by the Division of Arts & Humanities.
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Form connections with fellow students across academic disciplines. Take an interdisciplinary Course Thread(link is external) and explore student-led organizations(link is external)
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Tap into online networks. Update your LinkedIn with your latest interests and skills and look at what jobs are being recommended to you by the algorithm. Explore job and internship listings on Handshake(link is external). Sign up for the mailing lists of organizations that you’re passionate about and can envision yourself working for after graduation.
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Informational interviews are a great way to have a conversation with individuals in careers you are interested in. These are informal, exploratory conversations – not job interviews. The objective is not to find job openings but rather to speak with someone working in a field of interest. Check out these helpful tips(link is external) from Berkeley Career Engagement.
Internships, Service, and Engagement
Internships
An internship allows you to learn more about a field you are interested in, develop your academic skills in a professional work setting, and gain a competitive edge in the job search.
To get started, explore internship listings(link is external) at Berkeley Career Engagement. There are also a number of campus programs, including (but not limited to):
- Berkeley Global Internships Abroad(link is external) in business, management, marketing, education, media and communications, etc.
- UC Berkeley Transfer Student Center internships(link is external) in operations, outreach, programming and social media
- UC Berkeley Public Service internships(link is external) in policy, direct service and organizing
- Othering & Belonging Institute Summer Fellowship(link is external) on issues relating to marginalized groups and transformative change
Service & Engagement
The Berkeley Public Service Center(link is external) brings together students, faculty, and communities to harness their collective wisdom in support of social justice, civic engagement, and transformative social change. The Center builds student leadership skills, helps students find their passion and purpose, enhances the capacity of our community partners, and lifts up the public service mission of the University. This page(link is external) walks undergraduate students through their resouces.
Consider Graduate School
If you’re considering a master’s or doctoral degree, it’s important to consider the value that an advanced degree will bring to your life and to your career path. Here are some resources to help you think through the decision and prepare to apply to a program.
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Step by Step(link is external) is a resource for UC Berkeley students to enrich your undergraduate academic experience and to prepare you for graduate school
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This page from the career center(link is external) has some useful information about graduate school
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Getting into Grad School (GiGS)(link is external) is a mentoring program for first-generation, historically underrepresented and other diverse students
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The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship(link is external)targets students with exceptional academic promise in the humanities or social sciences and potential for academic careers that will contribute to diversity and equal opportunity in the academy. The program supports Fellows by providing mentorship and the environment and resources to strive for the highest academic goals.
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L&S offers Pre-Professional Graduate Programs Advising(link is external) to help you explore your interests and consider how to prepare for applying to graduate school.
Resources for Current Graduate Students
Graduate Division(link is external)
GradPro is pleased to be a welcoming resource for your professional development needs. View our Professional Development Guide for resources on writing, teaching, mentoring, communication, research, data analysis, leaderships and management.
Beyond Academia(link is external)
Beyond Academia is a non-profit organization run by UC Berkeley graduate students with the goal of empowering graduate students and postdocs to expand their career options beyond the traditional academic track. It accomplishes this career education through a series of events including an annual conference, workshops, tutorials and panels that connect academics with those who have made a transition to non-academic jobs.
Imagine PhD(link is external)
Imagine PhD is a free, online resource to explore career possibilities for PhD students in Humanities and Social Sciences.
"I use the training I received through the Spanish and Arabic language programs at Cal every day as a medical student."
Mackenzie Cater, UC Berkeley alumna
"Now I work in public relations for start-ups, and I also do some marketing and social media. From my Comparative Literature classes, I learned communication and writing skills which I’ve learned are in very high demand in the workplace right now."
Sam Bleiberg, Comparative Literature alumnus