The diverse field of Humanities, Law and Politics

In the last one decade career opportunities in the field of humanities in general and law and political science in particular have increased manifold. 

Humanities is a diverse field consisting of subjects and academic disciplines ranging from literature, communication studies, cultural studies, and linguistics, law, history, philosophy, religion, English, psychology and sociology to visual and performing arts (including music).  There was a time when humanities was considered a second rung option for those who could not score a good percentage in class X and Class XII board exams. Career opportunities also used to be limited in this field. However, in the last one decade career opportunities in the field of humanities in general and law and political science in particular have increased manifold. At present, there are interesting career opportunities for humanities students in governmental, non-governmental, development and private sector. 

Subject diversity brings diverse Opportunities

The diversity of subjects in humanities stream provides a wide range of opportunities in terms of jobs and careers after graduation and post graduation. There are interesting career opportunities in the field of education, civil services, arts, media, photography, linguistics, interior design, travel and tourism, writing, etc.  All one needs to do is hear what heart and mind say together and pursue the dream with passion. Humanities and social science courses are available at all the central and state universities in the country at under-graduate, post-graduate and research level.

Civil Service: For those who wish to go for civil services examination, arts and humanities have always been the popular subjects. Constantly, students from humanities background or those having humanities subjects have performed quite well in civil services examination. In fact several science and commerce students shift to humanities for competing in civil services examination. The high profile civil service offers opportunity to serve as bureaucrats in all government ministries and sectors.

Teaching: Teaching is yet another popular option for humanities students. With thousands of vacancies coming in the next few years teaching is undoubtedly becoming a popular option for humanities students. Be it at the primary level or at the University level, teaching career can be a satisfying career opportunity after a course in humanities.  And with more and more private institutes making their way in metropolitans, the pay packages too are seeing a steep rise.

Media: The Media (Publishing, Journalism, TV, Radio, Film, etc) is yet another popular career area for humanities graduates. By choosing this stream you can make an entry in journalism, business management and advertising. Several diploma courses in print and electronic media after graduation can lead to a dynamic stint in any media house, advertising agency or PR firm.  Graduation level Mass Communication courses are available at several universities in the country. Alternatively students can go for PG diploma courses offered by a large number of institutes. Mass Communication at Masters level is also available at some of the universities.  The numerous news channels coming in and the growing scope of new media like radio, internet, etc. have opened a large number of job opportunities in this sector.

Legal career: Law courses have always been successful among youngsters because of the career opportunities that are available in specialised fields like civil law, criminal law, corporate law, income tax law, international law, labour law, constitutional law, and patent law, etc. Students can pursue either a three-year law course (LLB) after graduation in any discipline or a five-year course directly after class XII, leading to a BA LLB (Hons). In addition to a LLB degree, many universities and institutes also offer other diploma courses in several disciplines of law. P.G. programmes in law (LLM) are of 2 years duration and eligibility is LL.B degree. There are attractive career opportunities for law graduates in governmental, non-governmental and corporate sector. With a law degree one can become a judge, attorney or solicitor general, public prosecutor, or lawyer and legal advisor in defense, tax and labour departments. Moreover a lawyer can also work as a legal counsel and legal advisers for firms, organizations and trusts. In addition, non-profit organisations and multilateral agencies like UNO, ILO, and ICJ also employ legal experts. The popular fields in a legal career include Civil Law, Tax Law, Criminal Law, Environmental law, etc. For pursuing a course in Law, Faculty of Law, Delhi University and National Law School, Bangalore are popular options.

Library Science: Though public libraries are dying a slow death, the job opportunity in this sector is still high. With the spread of educational institutes and the strengthening of teaching infrastructure and research activities, the importance of libraries is growing day by day. This provides a lucrative and exciting career opportunity as library professionals. Those interested can go for a Bachelor’s degree in the subject or else diploma and certificate courses in the subject after graduation.

Arts: With a change in the mindset, it is no more just doctors or engineers that are a preferred as a stable career choice. What were marked as hobbies before, have become a favorite amongst youngsters as a career option. Be it photography, music, painting or dancing, creative fields are attracting a lot of youngsters and are offering good revenues in return. 

Political Science: Like other social science and humanities subjects, Political science also offers several interesting career opportunities. As Political Science is the study of constitution of a country and different political aspects, and the study of governmental systems and operations, the subject helps in having a successful career in legal and administrative fields. Political science could be a good optional subject for those appearing in civil services examination. After graduating in Political Science, LLB could be a good step for a successful career in the field of law and judiciary. Teaching is another interesting option for students of political science. With young politicians making their mark in the country’s economy, politics has also emerged as a popular career option. The country is in a dire need of talented young adults who can plan and implement the growth of the economy. The field encourages those with a strong will to serve their mother land.

In addition there could be a dynamic and successful career for those having expertise in sociology, psychology, economics, linguistics, philosophy, geography, dramatics and arts. From being a critic to pursuing a hobby, choices are galore in the humanities bandwagon.