From working in a multinational organisation to teaching English abroad, the UQ Bachelor of Arts opens countless careers in which you can connect with other cultures.
Studying a Bachelor of Arts is one of the best ways to learn about other cultures – especially if you major in one of the fields described below. At The University of Queensland, areas you can specialise in include:
- Asian languages (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Russian)
- European languages (French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish)
- English language (linguistics, English as an international language)
- anthropology
- Indigenous studies
- Australian studies
Discover how the study of other cultures will equip you for a career anywhere in the world.
Asian languages
With a UQ Bachelor of Arts, you can major in:
- Chinese
- Chinese Translation and Interpreting
- Indonesian
- Japanese / Japanese Advanced
- Korean
- Russian (minor)
These majors can lead you to a wide range of career pathways. You could become a translator for a global corporation or an interpreter at international conventions. You might go into education, teaching your chosen Asian language here in Australia or moving overseas to work in a school in Asia. Your Asian language major could even equip you with the cultural competency and multilingual skills to work for a multinational company in their Shanghai, Tokyo or Seoul office – or perhaps you’ll become a travel consultant with unique insights into your clients’ destinations.
“After graduating, I created my own company – an Australian/Chinese Business Consultancy Group for companies who want to import or export with China. We speak Chinese and know the culture. The best bit is I get to travel to China regularly!”
– James O’Donnell, Chinese Major
While it’s far from a complete list of the options available to you, here are some of the professions UQ Bachelor of Arts alumni have enjoyed at some point in their careers:
- client services director
- conference interpreter
- cultural adviser
- culture and engagement manager
- foreign language analyst
- international business consultant
- international business translator
- head of languages
- language assistant
- language teacher
- project administrator
- translator/interpreter
- travel consultant.
Career spotlight: cultural adviser
Cultural advisers play a vital role in ensuring people from diverse cultural heritages are able to collaborate and coexist to the benefit of all parties. So, in this position, you won’t just get to connect with other cultures yourself; you’ll also get to help other people experience those cultures in the most positive way possible.
This profession is important in various fields including education and healthcare. As a cultural adviser, you may also be responsible for working with community groups, organising events, and providing considered guidance to individuals with a wide range of cultural identities.
European languages
With a UQ Bachelor of Arts, you can specialise in:
While the potential job outcomes are similar to majoring in an Asian language, these majors place an entirely different continent on your doorstep. You could join an international firm’s German branch, translate for conferences in Paris or lead coach tours right across Western Europe.
“A highlight since graduating has been working with the Austrian German Research Centre at the University of Graz. I worked on the Austrian German legal dictionary project. It’s the first resource of its kind and will be useful for lawyers and linguists alike.”
– Carmen Prodinger, German Major
Here are just some of the roles UQ Bachelor of Arts alumni have worked in since majoring in a European language:
- conference interpreter
- cultural coordinator
- foreign language analyst
- freelance translator
- head of languages
- international business consultant
- international business translator
- language teacher
- multilingual customer coordinator
- tourism consultant
- translator/interpreter
- travel consultant.
Career spotlight: language teacher
Language and communication are core elements of any culture. As a language teacher, you can immerse yourself within another culture via its language – as well as helping your students to do the same.
Working as a language teacher can take you overseas to schools and universities in Europe, and it can just as easily lead to a fulfilling career at home teaching the language to local students.
English language
With a UQ Bachelor of Arts, you can study English through an analytical lens via the Linguistics major or with a global teaching perspective through the English as an International Language major.
Understanding English and how it relates to different languages equips you to connect more authentically with other cultures. Whether you’re sharing that knowledge locally to bridge cultural gaps at home or using your English-teaching skills to travel abroad, this field of study can take you just about anywhere.
Here are just a few of the careers this path can lead you towards, based on where our alumni are now:
- business development manager
- cryptologic linguist
- English as a foreign language teacher
- investment adviser
- knowledge engineer
- language teacher
- linguistics researcher
- marketing manager
- ontologist
- operations manager.
Career spotlight: ontologist
An ontologist studies, deciphers and even creates languages. A career in this field could involve cracking the code on ancient dialects that have lost meaning over time or inventing a new vocabulary for a fantasy TV show. As an ontologist, you can also play a vital role in corporate settings, helping organisations establish a shared dictionary for discussing data or describing products.
Anthropology
The Anthropology major is all about exploring the complexity and diversity of various cultures – from their traditions and beliefs to their history and worldview. Professionals in this field get to connect with other cultures through important positions in consultancy firms, councils, government departments and more.
Today’s anthropologists not only work in exotic locations all over the world, but they also work in a variety of fields and careers. You could make a difference working as a community officer and act as a facilitator to gain input from the community for projects, or become a cultural safety training facilitator and do meaningful work to improve the quality of service delivered by healthcare providers to Indigenous communities.
“My anthropology courses have allowed me to learn about different cultures, rituals and practices that I wasn't very aware of before studying at UQ. The best thing about my program has been learning new things every day.”
– Dipanshu Sharma, Anthropology Major
There are so many exciting prospects available with a major in anthropology. A few of the possible career paths you could take include:
- community development officer
- consumer and user experience researcher
- cultural safety training facilitator
- Indigenous art and heritage adviser
- museum administrator
- native title anthropologist
- policy adviser
- ranger coordinator
- regional anthropologist.
Career spotlight: museum administrator
A museum administrator takes care of the business aspects of the institution. They have a wide range of responsibilities – depending on their title and the organisation, these might include developing budgets, public relations management, ensuring education goals are being met, fundraising, general admin work and staff employment.
Museum administrators should thrive under pressure, have strong communication and organisation skills, and be able to multitask and keep the museum running efficiently.
Indigenous studies
With your UQ Bachelor of Arts, you can major in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
There are many wonderful industry fields you can explore that build on the subject matter taught in Indigenous studies. This opportunity to examine historical and emerging issues that impact the lives of Indigenous people across the globe can lead to positions working as an Indigenous rights or community adviser, helping tight-knit communities as a community engagement officer, or taking on a role in the education sector.
“The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies major offers us non-Indigenous students a unique space to learn how to listen to Indigenous voices, seriously consider and grapple with Indigenous thinking and consequently have the rare opportunity to gain an honest and truthful education of who we really are in this place.”
– Tanya Sinha, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Major
While there are so many more career options available with a UQ Bachelor of Arts, here is a short list of some professions that our graduates have enjoyed:
- community engagement officer
- cultural support liaison
- education administration officer
- employment consultant
- Indigenous community adviser
- Indigenous rights adviser.
Australian studies
A minor in Australian Studies will lead you to explore Australia’s past, present and future, taking a deep dive into the nation’s identity, inhabitants, culture and diversity. Whether it’s a passion for social justice or a love for travelling, the career opportunities that come out of this minor are varied and unique. You might choose to make a difference by working on policies to create true positive change for a better future. Or perhaps you’ll set your sights on promoting the beauty of Australia and make your mark in the tourism industry.
As a UQ graduate who minored in Australian studies, your career opportunities will include:
- policy adviser
- tourism and hospitality manager
- tourism operations coordinator
- travel consultant.
The Bachelor of Arts provides a comprehensive range of language majors and other areas that can help you learn more about connecting with other cultures. Whether you end up working abroad or closer to home, you’ll have all the advantages of knowing other cultures – as well as the skills and confidence to collaborate with people from all walks of life.
Explore the other passions you could pursue with a Bachelor of Arts or learn more about the UQ BA.
