Arts Subjects: Eligibility Criteria, Top Exams and Job Opportunities

Arts Subjects: Eligibility Criteria, Top Exams and Job Opportunities

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Updated on Jun 23, 2025 15:32 IST

The Arts course is a vibrant world encompassing a wide range of subjects, from the visual arts, such as painting and sculpture, to the performing arts, including music and drama. It also encompasses the humanities, literature, and languages, providing a comprehensive exploration of human culture, history, and social issues. This Shiksha article will provide candidates with a more in-depth understanding of Arts subjects, their career prospects, and much more.

Art Subjects

Studying the Arts helps candidates develop a fine understanding of language, history, world affairs, and historical possibilities. This diverse knowledge base equips arts students with critical thinking, enhanced communication skills, and analytical abilities. The Arts stream itself can be largely classified into different areas. 

The Arts stream is a popular choice for many art enthusiasts after completing their class 12. The arts encompass a broad range of subjects that explore creativity, human expression, and cultural understanding. The study of the Arts helps students develop essential skills such as creativity, analytical abilities, critical thinking, and communication. It explores various aspects of the human experience, including language, social issues, history, and global concerns. The Arts stream itself can be categorised into several different departments, such as visual arts, humanities, literary arts, and performing arts. To learn more about the different art categories, candidates must be aware of the art subjects, their importance, and the exciting career opportunities they can lead to. 

  • Fine Arts: Fine Arts refers to a form of art that emphasises its aesthetic value and beauty. It is the study of drawing, sculpture, painting, literature, pottery, printmaking, ceramics, and murals. 
  • Visual Arts: The Visual Arts are related to creative art forms whose products can be seen by sight. The art forms include filmmaking, painting, and sculpture.
  • Performing Arts: Performing Arts is a form of art related to creative art activities that involve artists' physical abilities, such as their body, face, and presence, to perform in front of an audience. The performing arts encompass a diverse range of forms, including music, drama, singing, dance, and stand-up comedy.

Also Read: Career after Creative Arts

Table of content
  • Arts: Highlights
  • Arts Courses: Eligibility Criteria
  • Arts Subjects
  • Additional Art Subjects
  • Popular Entrance Exams for Admission to Arts Courses
  • Career Opportunities in Arts Stream
  • FAQs related to Arts Subjects
View More

Arts: Highlights

Aspirants interested in pursuing Arts subjects should refer to the table below for detailed information about the Arts course. Candidates can check out some of the important points related to Arts courses like course level, course duration, entrance exams, average salaries, course fees, top recruiters and top job profiles listed below in the table:  

Highlights

Details

Course Level

  • Certificate (6 months- 1 year)
  • Diploma (1 - 4 years)
  • Undergraduate (3 - 4 years)
  • Postgraduate (2 years)

Popular Courses

Certificate:

  • Certificate in Acting
  • Certificate in Classical Music
  • Certificate in Kathak/Bharatanatyam
  • Certificate in Photography
  • Certificate in Creative Writing
  • Certificate in Art Appreciation
  • Certificate in Graphic Design

Diploma: 

  • Diploma in Performing Arts (Drama/Dance)  
  • Diploma in Fine Arts 
  • Diploma in Fashion Design 
  • Diploma in Animation & Multimedia 
  • Diploma in Music (Hindustani/Carnatic)  
  • Diploma in Photography 
  • Diploma in Interior Design

Undergraduate: 

  • BA in Fine Arts
  • BVA (Bachelor of Visual Arts)
  • BPA (Bachelor of Performing Arts)
  • BA in Theatre Arts / Drama
  • BA in Music (Vocal/Instrumental)
  • BA in Dance (Kathak, Bharatnatyam)
  • BA in Applied Arts
  • BA in Liberal Arts
  • BDes (Bachelor of Design)

Postgraduate: 

  • MA in Fine Arts / Visual Arts
  • MA in Performing Arts (Dance, Drama)
  • MA in Music / Vocal / Instrumental
  • MA in Art History / Aesthetics
  • MA in Theatre Arts
  • MDes (Master of Design)
  • MA in Liberal Arts / Interdisciplinary Studies

Admission Process

Entrance-based or Direct-Admission

Examination Type

Semester-wise

Course Fee

INR 2-6 LPA

Top Colleges

Rabindra Bharti UniversityBanaras Hindu UniversityUPES School of DesignAmity University

Average Starting Salary

INR 3-10 LPA

Job Positions

Actor, Drama Artist, Choreographer, Musician, Therapist, Theatre Director, Cinematographer, Community Arts Worker, Theatre Teacher

Entrance Exams

PUBDETCUETURATPG

Top Recruiting Companies

Film and Television Institute of India, Balaji Telefilms, YRF Studios, Universal Arts, Iris Media

Arts Courses: Eligibility Criteria

Check out the eligibility criteria for Arts courses at each level.

1. Certificate Courses (Short-term)

Criteria

Details

Educational Qualification

Class 10 or Class 12 from a recognised board.

Minimum Marks

There is no strict percentage requirement; however, some institutions may require at least 40–45%.

Age Limit

No specific age restrictions in most cases.

2. Diploma Courses (1–2 years)

Criteria

Details

Educational Qualification

Candidates must have completed Class 12 (any stream) from a recognised board.

Minimum Marks

At least 45–50% marks (may vary by institute).

Age Limit

Generally, there is no upper age limit, though some private institutes may have a maximum age of 25.

3. Undergraduate Courses (3–4 years, e.g., BA, BFA, BPA, B.Des.)

Criteria

Details

Educational Qualification

Must have passed Class 12 (10+2) in any stream (Arts, Science, or Commerce) from a recognised board.

Minimum Marks

Typically, around 50% aggregate marks

Age Limit

Some institutions may set an age cap, often a maximum of 23–25 years.

4. Postgraduate Courses 

Criteria

Details

Educational Qualification

Must hold a Bachelor’s degree (BA, BFA, BPA, or equivalent) from a recognised university.

Minimum Marks

Usually 50–55% aggregate marks in graduation.

Age Limit

Typically no upper age limit, though fellowships or scholarships may have age criteria.

Arts Subjects

There are various degree courses available in Arts subjects. Candidates can refer to the table below to learn about some of the popular Arts subjects offered here.

Arts Subjects

English

Human Rights and Gender Studies

Hindi

Public Administration

History

Fine Arts

Geography

Legal Studies

Psychology

Home Science

Political Science

Music

Sociology

Mass Media Studies

Philosophy

Informatics Practices

Physical Education

Fashion Studies

Entrepreneurship

 

Additional Art Subjects

Apart from the subjects mentioned above, colleges and institutes also offer a few optional Art subjects, including foreign languages such as French, Japanese, and German, as well as Creative Writing, Carnatic Music, Folk Music, Western Music, and Dance. There are various optional subjects under the Art streams. Some of them are listed below:

Arabic

Bengali

Assamese

Bodo

Dance

French

German

Fashion Studies

Gujarati

Informatics Practices

Japanese

Persian

Legal Studies

Malayalam

Manipuri

Kannada

Graphics

Computer Science

Kashmiri

Bhutia

Mathematics

Lepcha

Tibetan

Sanskrit

Sculpture

Russian

Painting

Telugu

Physical Education

Telugu AP

Mizo

Sindhi

Limboo

Music

Tangkhul

Tamil

Odia

Urdu

Punjabi

Spanish

Commercial Art

Media Studies

Telangana

Entrepreneurship

Nepali

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Popular Entrance Exams for Admission to Arts Courses

To be eligible for admission to Arts subject graduation courses, candidates must have passed class 12th with a minimum passing mark. Meanwhile, some universities and colleges also have their specific entrance exams. Some of the exams are listed below -

Entrance Name Registration Details Exam Details
PUBDET 2025 March 28, 2025, to April 28, 2025 July 6, 2025, to July 7, 2025
CUET 2025

March 1, 2025, to March 24, 2025

May 8, 2025, to June 1, 2025

NSD Entrance Exam

January 10, 2025, to January 15, 2025

May 19, 2025
Calcutta University Entrance Exam

3rd week of August 2025

URATPG 2025  -  June 11 to June 16, 2025

Career Opportunities in Arts Stream

The Arts Stream encompasses a diverse range of subjects and offers multiple career options as well. Arts students can opt job according to their interests and skills. Given below are some of the popular streams in which candidates can build their careers.

Career Opportunities in the Arts Stream

Field/Stream Possible Job Roles

Teaching & Education

  • School Teacher (Social Science, English, History)
  • College Lecturer
  • Curriculum Developer
  • Education Consultant
Law
  • Advocate
  • Legal Advisor
  • Judicial Clerk
  • Public Prosecutor
Media and Journalism
  • News Reporter
  • Editor/Sub-editor
  • News Anchor
  • Content Writer
Management
  • Human Resource Executive
  • Marketing Associate
  • Operations Manager
  • Project Coordinator
Tourism & Travel
  • Travel Consultant
  • Ticketing Executive
  • Tourism Officer
Hotel Management
  • Front Office Executive
  • Food & Beverage Manager
  • Housekeeping Supervisor
  • Hospitality Manager
Civil Services (IAS/IPS/IFS, etc.)
  • IAS Officer
  • IPS Officer
  • IFS Officer
  • Revenue Officer
Public Relations & Advertising
  • Public Relations Executive
  • Advertising Copywriter
  • Media Planner
  • Brand Communication Specialist

Choosing Arts as a stream helps art students to get exposure to a world of creative, intellectual, and meaningful career opportunities. Whether a person is drawn to literature, history, psychology, political science, or the fine arts, every subject has its own unique set of skills that can be learned from and opportunities to pursue a career in their preferred field. Students must meet the eligibility criteria, which typically include passing classes 10 and 12. Art students can pursue top entrance exams, such as CUET, DUET, and TISS-NET, to gain admission to renowned fine arts universities.

Read More:

FAQs related to Arts Subjects

Q. What are arts subjects?

A. Some of the popular subjects in Arts Stream are Geography, Socilology, Hindi, Psychology, Economics, Philosophy, History, Sociology, Political Science, Geography, Computer Science, Regional language and many others. 

Q. What are the subjects in 12th arts?

A. Some of the main subjects included in the class 12th (Arts) are as follows Economics, Geography, English, Sociology, History and Psychology.

Q. Is Arts good for future? 

A. Humanities or Arts increases students analysis powers. It prepares students for future job that deals with logical reasoning, cummunication skills etc. 

Q. Can I take arts with maths in Class 11?

A. Yes. You can opt for Arts with along with maths in 11th standard. But the important criteria is that candidates should have taken math in class 10th as well. 

Q. What are BA subjects?

A. Some of the important BA subjects include English, History, Journalism and Mass Communication, Sociology, Philosophy, Psychology, French, Religious Studies etc. 

Q. What are the popular exams for admission Arts?

A. Popular subjects for admission in Arts are DUET (Delhi University Entrance Test), BHU UET (Banaras Hindu University Undergraduate Entrance Test), JNUEE (Jawaharlal Nehru University Entrance Exam) and TISS NET (Tata Institute of Social Science Bachelor's Admission Test).

Q. What are the career options available in Arts stream?

A. Different career opportunities available in Arts stream are in fields like Law, Teaching, Tourism, Media and Journalism, Management, Hotel Management, IAS/IPS etc.

Q. What are the eigibility criteria to take admission in UG courses in Arts stream?

A. In order to take admission in UG courses in Arts stream candidates should have passed class 12th in any stream like Science/Commerce/Humanities from a recognised board with a minimum of 50% marks.

Q. What are the eligibility criteria to take admission in PG courses in Arts stream?

A. To get admission in PG courses in Arts stream, candidates should have a gradudation degree from a recognised college/university with an aggregate 50% marks.

Q. Is there any scope in arts?

A. There are multiple career opportunities for Fine Arts degree holders in various domains like cinema, television, art studios, educational institutions, designing, advertising companies, etc. 

Q. Should I choose science or arts?

A. You can choose any stream between Science or Arts depending on your area of interest and passion. Both the streams have wide career opportunities.

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