Why study the Arts?

Studying the Arts is rewarding and fun. With the whole of human cultural development available for your study, you can build a deeper understanding of the world we live in and how we got here – the perfect starting point for making your own contribution to the growth of knowledge!

But there are more tangible benefits to be gained from studying the Arts:

Skills

You will develop your powers of analysis and expression. Arts graduates learn to argue convincingly, to use evidence to support their views and to deal effectively with large amounts of information.

Career prospects

An Arts Degree says many ‘employer-friendly’ things about you. It is proof that you have dedicated yourself to and seen through successfully a programme of academic study. It confirms that you can work independently, read analytically, organise information and write clearly and coherently. It shows you can both think and apply yourself – and these are key requirements in any field of work and in every organisation.

Many employers, particularly ‘blue chip’ companies and those that recruit graduates onto structured training programmes, are interested in students from a wide range of subjects.

So who studies the Arts?

More people than you might realise! A number of current Cabinet Ministers have an Arts degree, and so has the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, who studied History.

Lots of people find Arts study fulfilling, even if they already have established careers. For example, Lenny Henry has done a BA with the OU and has told us about the benefits of studying Literature. Follow the link at the bottom of this page to read what Lenny and some of our other students say.
More

Choosing your first Arts course
How courses can count towards qualifications
What do we mean by the Arts and Humanities?
Why study the Arts?
What qualifications can I achieve?
What is Arts study like?
Next steps
What Arts students say