How will my Arts degree prepare me for a career?

Employers want staff who can show initiative, think critically and creatively, make good judgements and solve their own problems. They look for well-rounded people who can manage their time, communicate well and help their organisations adapt and change. An Arts degree gives you distinct opportunities to develop these skills.

Creative and critical thinking

Arts study looks at questions rather than 'right' answers, and encourages you to challenge and question in order to push ideas further. Through writing, reading, discussing and debating, you will become practised at testing and structuring your ideas and those of others. Employers need these critical thinking skills in order to improve and innovate.

Problem-solving

In any organisation problems need to be identified and solutions found, especially as business and society changes. As an Arts student you have access to a wide range of intellectual and cultural tools that advance your problem-solving skills. There are many possibilities for you to examine real-world at a high level and hone your skills by formulating solutions to them.

Adaptability and flexibility

The world of work is changing, with many traditional career paths disappearing. As one of tomorrow's graduates, flexible thinking and adaptability are essential for you to be able to thrive in the workplace. Studying Arts subjects encourages you to embrace an exciting future by exploring and proposing different but equally valid viewpoints, working within constantly changing contexts and possibilities. This develops open-ended thinking and the ability to revisit, adapt and refine ideas.

Communication

Advanced communication skills are critical to success in the workplaces. They underpin your ability to negotiate with and influence colleagues and clients. They also help you to articulate and promote ideas, products and services effectively and persuasively. Arts subjects are perfect for honing sophisticated written and oral communication skills. They give you practice in preparing materials that make compelling arguments and reports that present a clear and concise analysis of facts. 

Cultural Competency

Cultural competency and knowledge of Treaty of Waitangi principles are important, if not essential, for many careers in different sectors. We offer many opportunities to engage with Māori and Pacific worldviews and the Treaty of Waitangi through course content as well as events that are a regular part of faculty life and open to all students. 

Our career-focused courses will help you prepare for life after your degree. 

CAREER 100 Crafting Your Career
Develop your innovation, problem solving, team work and presentation skills in a practical project-focussed course that will enhance your CV and ensure you are work-ready.

Listen to Madison and Julian's experiences with CAREER 100 as they share how it increased their understanding of working in the modern world and helped them enter the workforce with confidence and passion.

CAREER 101 Understanding Your Workplace
Use your own experiences in a job, club, team, or community group to build design thinking skills, identify problems and propose real world-solutions.

CAREER 300 Internship
Our internship course places you with an employer or a voluntary or community organisation to boost your BA with workplace and community experience.

Develop skills that you can use in the workplace, stand out from other graduates and enhance your career prospects with a BA module. Modules are a grouping of three courses on a particular theme. A module focuses on a specific set of skills, or area of knowledge to benefit your future career path.

The University of Auckland’s reputation as New Zealand’s leading and internationally-ranked university means that you can graduate knowing that your degree is held in high regard by future employers.

We were the highest ranked New Zealand university for employability in the QS Graduate Employability Rankings for 2022.