Whether it’s running an international film festival or writing a bestseller, a Bachelor of Arts can equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to share your voice with the world.
Are you interested in making a difference through your ability to engage people? For the storytellers of the world, a Bachelor of Arts is the perfect way to hone your skills and set you up for a career of engaging audiences. At The University of Queensland, you can choose to specialise in:
- writing (writing, professional writing and communication)
- literature
- art history
- drama
- film and tv
- journalism
- digital media
- music (music, popular music and technologies, music psychology)
Learn how to engage people and build a successful career as a storyteller with a UQ Bachelor of Arts.
Writing
With a UQ Bachelor of Arts, you can major in:
These majors can lead to exciting opportunities and hone practical communication skills that are transferrable to countless industries. You could work anywhere in the world as a media and communications professional or corporate communications professional. You might decide to work as a content writer for an agency or an in-house organisation, or choose to freelance and work your own hours. You could even become the editor of a big publishing house.
“I liked how there wasn’t a right or wrong with what I was studying. Lots of courses were quite flexible in delivery and with the topics you wanted to cover in assignments. This helped me figure out what I wanted to do in my career.”
– Michael Raftery, Film and Television Studies Major
There’s a wide variety of industries and professions you can enjoy with a Bachelor of Arts. Potential roles include:
- content writer
- copywriter
- corporate communications officer
- digital content writer
- editor
- engagement manager
- media and communications officer
- proposal writer.
Literature
Open a world of inspiration and creativity through the study of literature or English. Literature allows us to make sense of the world and captivate an audience through the art of storytelling. There are many ways in which you can take your passion to tell stories and turn it into a career with a major in literature.
There are several educational pathways you could take if teaching is your calling, such as an English teacher or literacy and numeracy coach. For those more interested in the writing aspect, you could take on an editorial role or become a content writer for a company you love.
You can achieve so much in your professional career with a Bachelor of Arts. Here are some of the roles our graduates have gone on to work in:
- arts administrator
- content writer
- editor
- education adviser
- English as a foreign language teacher
- English lecturer
- English teacher
- festival coordinator
- literacy and numeracy coach.
Art history
For the art enthusiasts, an Art History major could be your dream degree choice. Humans have been telling stories through art throughout history. With an Art History major, you can take what you learn about this rich strand of human culture and make a profession out of it. Become an artistic director and take on the responsibility of creating the artistic vision for a theatre company. You could also use your degree to become an art therapist and help others improve their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
“The opportunity provided by UQ Art Museum allowed our proposals to come to life, and during this time, I gained confidence in my curatorial intuition and witnessed the scope and diversity of the UQ Art Museum team in action.”
– Taylor Hall, Art History Major
There are several career pathways forward with an Art History major. These include:
- art therapist
- artistic director
- gallery curator
- gallery director
- museum curator
- museum operations manager.
Career spotlight: gallery and museum curator
Gallery or museum curators are responsible for the acquisition and display of pieces for museum or gallery collections. This role requires careful planning and organisation as well as creativity. Curators arrange the layout and lighting of displays as well as organising the restoration, examination and classification of items.
This role will see you have creative control over exciting exhibitions, become an artistic storyteller and get to handle entire collections of historical treasures.
Drama
Are you looking for an outlet to express your creative ability and tell meaningful stories that impact the audience? Drama is a powerful and enjoyable discipline that not only builds self-confidence and emotional maturity but also develops skills that translate to all areas of life. A career centred around your Drama major will mean no two days are the same. You might decide to devote yourself to education as a drama teacher, speech and drama tutor or even guiding actors as an acting coach. You could also end up diving into the arts industry as a playwright, director or theatre manager.
“UQ Drama opened up the arts and cultural industry to me – allowing me to explore various career pathways available to drama students. This experience paved the way for my current interests in festival production and established my work as an early-career academic.”
– Hannah Mason, Drama Major
With a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Drama, there are numerous professions possible. These include:
- acting coach
- director
- drama teacher
- playwright
- performing arts coordinator
- speech and drama tutor
- theatre manager.
Film and TV
Do you see yourself working in producing, directing or editing? Your passion to tell stories and engage people could translate beautifully into a successful career working in film and television. The theory you learn in your Film and Television Studies major could lead you to use your creative eye to become a TV program director or arts critic. You might also like working as a content creator to create and put out entertaining or educational material on various media channels.
Graduates from this major often find work in areas such as education, events, marketing and PR, film distribution, and digital streaming.
“The Film and Television Studies major has greatly enriched my knowledge of and passion for cinema, from the course concepts to the theory discussions to the fabulous tutors and lecturers. I can now critically observe and analyse movies to understand the director’s intent.”
– Dianne Mai, Digital Media, Writing and Film and Television Majors
You’ll find countless rewarding and exciting career paths are possible with a film and TV major. Some of these professions include:
- arts critic
- content creator
- marketing coordinator
- studio executive
- TV program director
- video producer.
Career spotlight: video producer
A video producer is responsible for telling a story through film. They create films, television shows, commercials, music videos and other video productions by managing all the aspects of a video’s pre-production, production and post-production process.
This is a role that requires a lot of creativity, organisation, flexibility and problem-solving skills. There is an increasing demand for video producers as digital and video content continues to soar in popularity.
Journalism
A Journalism and Mass Communication major is best suited to individuals with a desire to share information and empower citizens to learn about current affairs. In this major, you'll develop an understanding of key ideas in global journalism, mass communication and digital media. This knowledge of the changing media landscape can equip you for careers in media and related professions like PR, marketing and communications.
By pairing your BA with a Bachelor of Journalism in a dual degree, you can choose an area of interest to specialise in such as investigative journalism or entertainment journalism. You can also choose to transfer your skills into a marketing or public relations role.
“Throughout the program, I’ve learnt from lecturers, tutors and industry guests who have worked as and are currently working as correspondents, journalists, editors and media practitioners. Hearing about their stories and experiences helps fuel my passion for journalism and media.”
– Yiyi Lou, Journalism and Chinese Translation and Interpreting Majors
There are a variety of positions available for UQ Bachelor of Arts graduates. These can include:
- arts journalist
- correspondent
- digital editor
- journalist
- marketing manager
- radio presenter
- reporter
- sub-editor.
Digital media
As contemporary workplaces continue to shift to online models, a Media and Digital Cultures major will be looked on highly favourably by future employers. Savvy digital media professionals are constantly in demand due to their expertise and ability to engage people through businesses, organisations and events. You could become a digital media specialist or manager and work in-house or as a consultant. You might decide to use your organisational and technical skills to work in events and marketing as a coordinator. If a sales-like role interests you, you could also work as a media buyer, overseeing and negotiating the price and purchase of media.
“UQ’s Bachelor of Arts gave me a diverse learning experience, offering a variety of courses with the opportunity to explore different areas of interest. I enjoy taking the practical use of theories and knowledge that we learn in class to the real cases we use in our daily life. I find it especially interesting to challenge our shaped ideas and understand the world from different perspectives.”
– Ji Feng, Media and Digital Cultures and Sociology Majors
A shortlist of the roles you could take on with a digital media major include:
- content creator
- digital marketing coordinator
- digital media manager
- digital media specialist
- events and marketing coordinator
- media and communications officer
- media buyer.
Career spotlight: events and marketing coordinator
An events and marketing coordinator’s main role is to support the marketing department’s initiatives. They oversee all elements of planning, coordinating and management of events. This includes addressing and solving potential problems that might come up. It’s the coordinator’s role to ensure events run smoothly and successfully. They’re also responsible for assisting with the development and execution of marketing strategies.
Music
With a UQ Bachelor of Arts, you can study:
If you’d like to further explore how musicians and composers tell stories through their music and emotionally connect with listeners, studying music through a BA will help fulfil this passion. There are so many roles and opportunities available for those passionate about music. You can use your degree to gain a better understanding of how to further a career as a musician or conductor. You could work in the music industry as a producer, director or an audio engineer. If you get satisfaction out of teaching, you could combine your interests to become a music educator.
“UQ provided me with opportunities to grow musically and as an individual. The marvellous campus, packed with caring faculty, enabled my dream to be a music educator. The diverse curriculum definitely gave me a taste in various music disciplines.”
– Lo Kit Mei, Music Major
With a Bachelor of Arts, there is no limit to the careers that are possible. Here is just an example of the professions you could enjoy:
- arts administrator
- audio engineer
- conductor
- music director
- music producer
- music teacher
- music therapist
- musician
- radio producer.
Want a pathway where you can learn how to engage people through storytelling and make a career out of it? The Bachelor of Arts will help you get there. There are numerous majors available at The University of Queensland designed to support your passion and turn it into a profession.
Learn what other passions you could pursue with a Bachelor of Arts or find out more about the UQ BA.
