If you have passed your 12th board exams in the arts and humanities stream, then the first question that comes to mind is
What are some of the best courses after the 12th?”, well if this question puzzles you, then you are surely in the right place!
Here in this article, we have explained about the top courses & career options for Arts students after class 12th. We will explore in detail the degree, diploma & short-term courses in Arts, and the career scope and job opportunities in the future.
Even in today’s times, students who take up humanities subjects in their class 12th, aim to serve the nation as an IAS officer or a civil servant.
On the one hand, where that is an extremely noble profession, the scope isn’t limited to this only! Keep on reading this article, to know more about best courses after 12th in arts stream.
Popular Courses After 12th Arts 2025-26
The arts stream (also known as humanities) offer diverse range of courses & career options. Candidates generally have a wide range of subjects which focuses on human society, culture & creative expression.
The possible subjects that a student of arts studies in class 12th include History, Geography, Political Science, Sociology, Psychology, languages, fine arts etc.
The popular courses in Arts stream can be broadly classified in to the following:
- Conventional Arts Courses
- Fine Arts or Performing Arts Courses
- Specialized Courses in Arts/Humanities
- Online/Distance Learning Courses
Conventional Arts Courses
Conventional and traditional arts courses are very popular and often the first choice of students after 12th standard.
These are generally a 3 year degree courses that focuses on broad range of subjects and covers humanities, social sciences, and liberal arts disciplines.
A BA degree is a common example of conventional art courses. Candidates can pursue BA program after 12th and BA (Honours) in many subjects. Some of popular BA (Honours) programme are listed below:
- B.A. (H) Economics
- B.A. (H) Psychology
- B.A. (H) Sociology
- B.A. (H) Anthropology
- B.A. (H) Archaeology
- B.A. (H) History
- B.A.(H) Political Science
- B.A (H) Mathematics
- B.A. (H) Geography
- B.A. (H) Philosophy
A BA degree offers wide range of career opportunities to the graduating students. Graduates can pursue careers in fields such as education, journalism, publishing, advertising, public relations, human resources, social work, research, administration, arts and culture, tourism and NGO’s.
Fine Arts/Performing Arts
Fine Arts and Performing arts offers wide range of courses which develop student’s skills and offer’s a degree aligned with their creativity & self-expressions.
If you are passionate about drawing, acting, poetry, or any form of creative art, then pursuing fine or performing arts courses should be your first choice!
A degree in fine arts is of 3 to 4 years duration, depending on the program and institution. The common specializations include Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Printmaking, Applied Arts, Theatre Arts, Dance, Music, Film and Television, and Creative Writing. Some of the popular courses in Fine arts are:
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
Many universities & colleges offer bachelor of fine arts (BFA) course. This a 3 year UG degree programme with specializations in Painting, Sculpture, Applied Arts, Graphic Design, Animation, & Photography.
The course curriculum of BFA, combines theory & practical work to enhance the artistic skills of the candidates. After course completion, candidates can work as an artist, animator, graphic designer, curator etc.
Read More about – Fine Arts
Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA)
This is a UG degree course similar to BFA, the course curriculum focuses more on visual arts form with emphasis on technique & craftsmanship.
The specializations in BVA are Painting, Printmaking, Ceramics, Textile etc. Candidates can find career opportunities as a visual artist, arts teacher, textile designer etc.
Learn More About – Career in Visual Arts
Bachelor of Performing Arts (BPA)
The performing arts as the name suggest, is an art form which involves performance in the form of acting, singing or dancing.
The specializations in BFA are Music, Dance & Theatre. If you passionate about becoming an Actor or a dancer or a comedian, bachelor in performing art (BPA) should be your go to choice.
After completion of the course, candidates can find employment opportunities as a theatre artist, musician, actor, choreographer etc.
Bachelor of Arts in Dance
Bachelor of Arts in Dance can be pursued by the candidates who want to make a career in the field of dancing & choreography.
The specializations include classical dance (Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi), contemporary dance etc.
Bachelor of Music (B.Mus)
This UG degree course in arts provides theoretical & practical training in music, history and performance. The specializations include classical Music (Vocal, Instrumental), Western Music, Music Technology.
Which Arts Course Should i Choose?
Fine Arts or Performing Arts? i am stuck here, How should i choose a right course?
Well! Fine Arts courses are perfect for people who love creating visual art and getting hands-on with their artistic work.
On the other hand, Performing Arts courses are great for those who are passionate about performing live, whether it’s through dancing, making music, or acting on stage. Arts, as an educational field has the following genre:
1. Visual Art/Decorative Art
This form of arts covers the following specialization:
- Painting
- Drawing
- Sculpture
- Photography
- Conceptual arts
- Architecture
- Weaving
- Fabrics
2. Literary Arts
This form of arts covers the following specialization:
- Poetry
- Novel
- Short stories
- Epics
- writing
3. Performing Arts
This form of arts covers the following specialization:
- Music
- Theatre
- Dance
- Singing
- Acting
- Comedy
- Direction
- Choreography
- Editing
- Martial art
4. Games
In Gaming, one can go for the following courses:
5. Gastronomy/Culinary Arts
- Chef
- Catering
Specialized Courses in Arts/Humanities
Apart from the traditional arts courses discussed above, candidates can go for professional job oriented courses after 12th.
Below we have listed specialized courses in arts & humanities that one can pursue after 12th in 2025.
Law Courses
Law is one of the high in demand, professional course that candidates can pursue after 12th (Arts). The basic eligibility for BA LLB is 10+2 passed with minimum 50% marks.
Some of the popular law courses are:
- B.A. LL.B
- B.Sc. LL.B.
- BBA LL.B.
- B.Com LL.B.
- B.Tech LL.B.
For admission in top university & colleges, candidates have to appear in the law entrance exams like CLAT, AILET, CUET etc.
Read More about – Law Courses
Designing Courses
For students passionate about designing, Bachelor of Design or B.Des could be an ideal course for them. Here is a list of the specialization in the field of design:
- Fashion Design
- Accessory/Jewellery Design
- Graphic Design
- Product Design
- Industrial Design
- Furniture and Interior Design
- Animation Design
- Film and Video Design
- Visual Communication
Management Courses
Management professional are crucial to run the business operation smoothly. Candidates can pursue BBA, Hotel Management, tourism management, banking, IT and similar courses after 12th.
Below is the list of degree courses in Management after 12th (Arts)
- BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration)
- BHM (Bachelor of Hotel Management)
- B.Com (Management)
- Bachelor in Business Economics
- Bachelor in Computer Application (BCA)
For admission to Hotel management courses, candidates have to appear in the NCHMCT exam.
Also Read about – Commerce Courses after 12th
Top Universities & Colleges
In India many universities offer admission to their Arts & Humanities programme on the basis of CUET UG entrance test.
For admission to the PG courses candidates have to appear in the CUET PG exam. Below is the list of top universities in the country.
- University of Delhi (DU), Delhi
- Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi
- University of Calcutta, Kolkata
- Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi
- Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh
- University of Mumbai, Mumbai
- IIT Madras, Chennai
- University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad
- Jadavpur University, Kolkata
- University of Allahabad, Prayagraj
- Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune
- Osmania University, Hyderabad
- University of Calicut, Calicut
- University of Rajasthan, Jaipur
- University of Lucknow, Lucknow
- University of Mysore, Mysore
- University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram
- Panjab University, Chandigarh
- Andhra University, Visakhapatnam
- University of Kashmir, Srinagar
List of Degree/Diploma Courses in Arts
The best part about arts courses is that they are open to students from all streams. The Science and Commerce stream students can also pursue arts courses after 12th grade.
Below, is the list of degree & diploma courses that students can pursue after 12th:
- Air Hostess
- Anchoring
- Animation & Film Making
- Diploma in Fashion Designing
- Diploma in Interior Designing
- Advanced Diploma in VFX & Multimedia
- Artistic-Basic Jewellery Design Programme
- B.A. (Honors in Political Science)
- B.A. (Hons.) Economics
- B.A. (Hons.) Humanities and Social Sciences
- B.A (Hons) Marketing
- B.A (Hons.) in Marketing Management
- B.A. (Hons.) in Social Work
- B.A. (Hons) English
- B. A. Programme with Functional Hindi
- B.Sc Degree in Fashion, Interior and Textile Design
- B.A (Honors in Sociology)
- B.A (Honors) Economics
- B.A (Honors) History
- B.A (Hons) English
- B.A (Journalism)
- B.A (Media & Communication)
- B.A (Psychology)
- B.A Tourism, History & Journalism
- B.A Economic (Hons)
- B.A Hons in English Economics and Hindi
- B.A LLB
- B.A (English)
- B.A. (Apparel Design & Merchandising)
- B.A. (Economics)
- B.A. (Economics, English, Politics)
- B.A. (Fine Arts)
- B.A. (H) English with Journalism
- B.A. (History)
- B.A. (Mass Communication)
- B.A. (Sociology)
- B.A. Economics
- B.A. Hons
- B.A. in Mass Communication (BMC)
- B.A. LL.B.
- B.A. LL.B. (Hons.)
- B.A. Philosophy Hons.
- B.A. Sociology
- B.A (Economics, English, Philosophy)
- B.A (Journalism & Mass Communication)
- B.A in Digital Film Making & Animation
- B.Des. (Accessory Design)
- B.Des. (Fashion Design)
- B.Des (Textile Design)
- B.Law
- B.M.S
- B.Sc (Electronics Media)
- B.Sc (Hons) Digital Art & Technology
- B.Sc (Hospitality Studies)
- B.Sc (Mass Communication Journalism & Advertising)
- B.Sc – Animation (Distance Education)
- B.Sc – Fashion Designing & Apparel Designing
- B.Sc – Jewellery Designing & Management (B.SC. JD&M)
- B.Sc Fashion Technology
- B.Sc Games & Interactive Media from Sheffield Hallam University
- B.Sc in Fashion Technology
- B.Sc in Jewellery Design
- B.Sc in Textile Design
- B.Sc Mass Communication, Journalism & Advertising
- B.Sc Multimedia
- B.Sc Multimedia & Animation
- B.Sc. (Fashion & Apparel Design)- FAD
- B.Sc. (Fashion Communication)
- B.Sc. (Fashion Design)
- B.Sc. (Mass Communication, Advertisement & Journalism)
- B.Sc. (Mass Communication, Advertising & Journalism)
- B.Sc. in Fashion Technology
- B.Sc. in Interior Design
- B.Sc. Mass Communication, Advertisement & Journalism
- Diploma in Retail Management
- Diploma in Textile and Leather Designing
- Diploma in Human Resources
- Diploma in Banking
- Diploma in Company Secretary ship
- Diploma in Infrastructure and Construction
- Diploma in Marketing
- Diploma in Interior Designing
- Diploma in Entrepreneurship
- B.B.A.
- B.B.M (Bachelor of Business Management)
- B.A (Fashion Communication)
- B.M.M. ( Bachelors Degree in Mass Media)
- Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) + Graduate Diploma in Retail Management (GDRM)
- Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) – Hotel Management
- 5 years integrated MBA course
- Fashion Designing
- Law
- Hotel Management
- Bachelor in Environmental Management
- Bachelor of Foreign Trade Management
- Aviation and Hospitality Management
Read More about – Diploma Courses After 12th
Jobs & Career Opportunities in Arts Field
The arts stream offers wide range of career opportunities to the graduates. Below is the list of popular career options that students can pursue:
Visual Arts
- Graphic Designer
- Animator
- Fine Artist
Performing Arts
- Actor
- Singer
- Dancer
- Musician
Designing
- Fashion Designer
- Interior Designer
Media & Communication
- Anchor
- Journalist
- News Editor
- Content Writer
Education & Research
- Trainer
- Teacher
The career opportunities in art stream depends a lot on the course and also the skills of the candidates.
Candidates can find employment opportunities in field of Animation, Architecture, Design, Education, Entertainment, Fashion, Food, Material, Working, Painting, Photography, Sketch & Drawing are offering the job for the candidates who have a valid degree or skilled in the field of art and humanities.
Salary
Salary is a negotiable aspect in art’s career. It depends on your degree/diploma, employer, creativity skills and experience.
The other common factors in which the salary of graduates depends is location, industry, and job profile. In India, a fresher artist/graphic designer can earn 3 to 5 lakh per annum, experienced designers working on a higher role earn around 6 to 12 LPA.
A successful fine artist can sell individual pieces of their arts for several thousand to lakhs of rupees. In performing arts, an actor, singer or a dancer can earn starting salary of 4-6 LPA, with experience, and popularity one can easily make 6 to 18 LPA.
The top 1% artist in the field make more than 50 LPA. Graduates from law, hotel management, fashion designing can start their career with 3-5 LPA, with experience this can go upto 15-30 LPA.
If you have any queries regarding courses after 12th arts 2025, feel free to drop your queries in the comment box, our experts will reply you shortly.
Arts and Humanities Courses 2025 FAQs
Still not satisfied, want to learn more about How to select a right career path? follow our:
Can students with C2 take NET in Foreign Languages like French?
Yes, students with a C2 level in a foreign language like French can take the National Eligibility Test (NET) in foreign languages. Also candidate must meet the other eligibility condition of UGC NET exam.
Thanks for these wonderful courses in arts, I was looking for it.
Is admission form open
Which admission form, you are looking at?
I am in class 11th and after my graduation I want to pursue my future in civil service so which should be best in regard of this and also ssuggest some subjects
Pursuing BA is a good option and side by side, you can prepare for civil services exam.
Hello sir… I had passed in class 12th with art’s stream &my intersted subject is that history &I want to become (an IAS officer)so please suggest me what should I do for this…..and my parents doesn’t allow to send me outside for better study
you can pursue BA in History or any other arts subject that interests you. History is also a popular subject in the UPSC optional list, which will benefit you in the later stages of preparation.
I am 12th passed but meny activities l would like which corse l select?
My friend is pursuing her BALLB course, is it a good career option.
Yes, pursuing a BALLB (Bachelor of Arts + Bachelor of Laws) is a good career option, especially for those interested in the legal field.
My cousin sister is pursuing her MCA course from Quantum University Roorkee Uttarakhand . One of the finest college of North India .
Quantum university is one of the great university in uttarakhand provide good qwality education with affordable fees.The placement of this university is also very nice it is about above 90% and 200+companies visit the campus for placement every year.Quantum university is UGC and AICTE approved university.Many students who passed out from this university are currently working in top reputed companies and good income also
Delhi university did offer a MA course in Hindi literature
Please do let me know What is the last date for Thapar School of Liberal Arts and Sciences for BA/BSC/BBA programs?
Im 12th humanities pass.iam very interested in designing field but i don’t know drawing.is drawing necessary for designing course.plz
Help me
I’m now in 11th standard I have taken non – medical but after +2 I do BA of history and sociology my choice is good or not
Hi I have completed my 12th from Cambridge University and want to complete graduation in English hons…Can I get such course online in your University?
Can I get BA English Hons under graduate course online ?
Sir my self nidhi I’m interested in journalism but I’m confused what course should i choose my interest in reporting now I’m doing Ba with political
I want to apply for MA English.When will the registration be available and the process for registration?
Is there any courses for international relations???
Hello! I am monika I am going to give my exams of class 12th in the Corona period. I am confused that what shoul I choose as a career option coz I have to help my family financially also …can anyone help me plzz.
hi i am tushali.i am reading in class 12 humanities,my sub- are economics, pol science, english ,geography, bengali.which subject should i choose for graduation so that i can have a bettr job oppertunities
i have completed my 12th can anyone please tell me the names of the colleges in uttarakhand which provide bca course to art side students with some extra facilities?
Sir I have complete my 12th with english political sociology now I m doing bA please job suggestion for me
HEY GOOD EVENING EVRY 1.. ?
muja yah ek confussion hai hm arts ka base par natuoraphty kr skta h kya if someone knows pls tell me…
I read in class 12th. My subject is arts with maths. What is the best career option in this subject
Ba honours in pol. Science
Please tell me the name of the college which provide Interdisciplinary education in uttarakhand.
I have done 12th from science but I am not interested to pursue science in my graduation. Please suggest University in Uttarakhand
Plz i have learning this courses must bcz finical problem then not afford able clg fees
heloo!! Im mihika bharadwaj in 11 n will be going in 12th ..can u help m what can i do with these following subjects after my 12th…i have English Psychology Economics Geography and Political Science..what can i do after 12th with these subjects..can i go for upse if yes then how to to for for it
Even after these subjects you will still gonna have lots of opportunity. You can opt. BA, B.com, BBA etc.. as graduation courses.
Hello sir I am passout from 12th arts I am so interested in music I am confused about choosing career l also have interest in hotel management and foreign language but there is lot of fee for hotel management plz help sir