Humanities Careers

Humanities Careers:

The Bachelor of Arts Degree falls under the Humanity Faculty. This faculty has a variety of different degrees to choose from to be able to partake in a variety of humanities careers. The general BA degree and BSocSc degree will require you to choose majors and depending on the majors you’ve chosen, that will determine what careers you could follow and what your salary potential can be. First-year BA is generally same, therefore it will be easy to change your majors in first year if you find that you aren’t enjoying a specific one.

Every Humanities degree is different and you will seldom find two degrees the same. Nevertheless, there is a general structure to them- In first-year students take four subjects per semester, each a prerequisite to the acquiring of the two chosen majors. In second year, students take three courses per semester, four major courses and two electives. In third-year students take two courses per semester both of which are their majors. If you decide to do three majors in second year your two additional courses will be for your third major, and in third year you will also have to three courses per semester for all three majors.

In general, the workload for both a BA and a BSocSci is quite intense as there are generally a lot of readings to do for Humanities courses, coupled with many essays, tutorial assignments and a few tests, depending on the subject.

Humanities degrees give students the tools to learn how to think outside the box, to deal with problems and find solutions as well as being critical and questioning of the world around them. Read the table below to find which degree will lead you to your dream humanities career.

FYI:

• Subject requirements may differ slightly at each university.
• Associated salary depends on which route you choose to take with your degree, the given associated salary is not completely accurate and is just to give you an idea of what to expect.

Degree: BA (Humanities Routes)

• human thought, language, culture and art
• people and society

Average starting salaries range from R10 000/month to R32 000/month

Possible careers:

With further postgraduate studies:

• Teacher
• psychologist
• language practitioner
• journalist and
• town and regional planner

What you need to do to study this:

• Home language 50%
• First Additional Language 40%

If socio-informatics taken:

• Mathematics 50% OR
• Mathematical Literacy 70%
• NSC aggregate of at least 60%, excluding Life Orientation
• Write AQL NBT
• Where mathematics is a required subject: write NBT MAT

Degree: BA (Bachelor of Social Science)

An average salary of R20 000

Possible careers:

You will develop skills and strategies for finding solutions for social issues. Careers in:

• public relations
• community development
• healthcare
• health promotion
• immigration
• youth services
• crime prevention

What you need to do to study this:

• English Home Language 50%
• English First Additional Language 60%
• NSC aggregate of at least 60%, excluding Life Orientation
• Write AQL NBT
• Where mathematics is a required subject: write NBT MAT

Degree: BA (Language and Culture)

Average starting salary is R10,223

Possible careers:

Professions requiring expertise in languages and culture

• diplomatic service
• teaching
• publishing
• advertising
• tourism
• journalism
• translation industry

What you need to do to study this:

• Home Language 50%
• First Additional Language 40%
• NSC aggregate of at least 60%, excluding Life Orientation
• Write AQL NBT
• Where mathematics is a required subject: write NBT MAT

Degree: BA (Social Dynamics)

Average salary of R12,000 a month

Possible careers:

Subjects such as economics, geography and environmental studies, history, political science, psychology, social anthropology and sociology with postgraduate studies can lead to careers in

• psychology
• planning
• media
• education and training
• liaising
• politic
• management
• research
• policy analysis
• consultation

What you need to do to study this:

• Home Language 50%
• First Additional Language 40%

If socio-informatics taken:

• Mathematics 50% OR
• Mathematical Literacy 70%
• NSC aggregate of at least 60%, excluding Life Orientation
• Write AQL NBT
• Where mathematics is a required subject: write NBT MAT

Degree: BA (Development and Environment)

The average salary is R36,860.17 a month

Possible careers:

• Community development
• population development
• town and regional planning
• tourism
• resource planning and management
• environmental planning

What you need to do to study this:

• Home Language 50%
• First Additional Language 40%

If socio-economics take:

• Mathematics 50% OR
• Mathematical Literacy 70%

If economics is taken:

• Mathematics 60%

Degree: BA (Drama and Theatre Studies)

Routes:

• Acting and performance training
• Technical and management training

Average starting salary is R10893 a month

Possible careers:

Theatre and media industries gives you access to related fields such as

• public relations,
• marketing
• teaching and cultural affairs

What you need to do to study this: 

• Home Language 50%
• NSC aggregate of at least 60%, excluding Life Orientation
• Write AQL NBT
• Where mathematics is a required subject: Write NBT MAT
• First Additional Language 50%
• NSC aggregate of at least 60%, excluding Life Orientation
• Write AQL NBT
• Where mathematics is a required subject: write NBT MAT

Degree: BA (Human Resource Management)

Average salary is R25471.92 a month

Possible careers:

• Development manager
• human resource manager
• psychometrician
• management consultant
• labour relations practitioner

Postgraduate studies in Human Resource Management or Industrial Psychology.

What you need to do to study this:

• Home Language 50%
• NSC aggregate of at least 60%, excluding Life Orientation
• Write AQL NBT
• Where mathematics is a required subject: Write NBT MAT
• First Additional Language 40%
• Mathematics 50%

If statistics taken:

• Mathematics 60%

Degree: BA (International Studies)

Average starting salary is R12,000 a month

Possible careers:

• Diplomatic service
• parliament
• National Intelligence Agency
• tourism industry
• international journalism
• public liaison work
• the import and export industry
• institutions that promote commerce and investment
• international organisations

What you need to do to study this:

• English Home Language 50% OR
• English First Additional Language 60%
• NSC aggregate of at least 60%, excluding Life Orientation
• Write AQL NBT
• Where mathematics is a required subject: write NBT MAT

Degree: BA (B of Music)

Average starting salary at R12,000 a month

Possible careers:

• music educator
• performing artist
• accompanist,
• music director
• musicologist
• composer or conductor
• music-related professions such as journalism
• music arranger or music technologist

What you need to do to study this:

• Home Language 50%
• NSC aggregate of at least 60%, excluding Life Orientation
• Write AQL NBT
• Where mathematics is a required subject: write NBT MAT
• First Additional Language 40%
• Grade VII examination and theoretical knowledge or the equivalent to any examining bodies Grade V Theory examination in the main instrument or singing

If mathematics was taken:

• Mathematics 70%

Degree: BA (Music [General and Music Technology])

Average starting salary at R14,600 a month.

Possible careers:

• private music teacher
• conductor
• performing artist
• accompanist

With postgraduate studies:

• music journalist
• music therapist
• high school teacher

What you need to do to study this:

• Home Language 50%
• NSC aggregate of at least 60%, excluding Life Orientation
• Write AQL NBT
• Where mathematics is a required subject: Write NBT MAT
• First Additional Language 40%
• Grade VII examination and theoretical knowledge or the equivalent to any examining bodies Grade V Theory examination in the main instrument or singing

If mathematics taken:

• Mathematics 70%

Degree: BA (Political, Philosophical and Economic Studies [PPE])

An average salary of R20,405 a month

Possible careers:

• manager
• journalist
• business investment analyst
• entrepreneur
• diplomat
• civil servant
• researcher
• consultant
• academic

What you need to do to study this: 

• Home Language 50%
• First Additional Language 40%
• Mathematics 60%
• NSC aggregate of at least 60%, excluding Life Orientation
• Write AQL NBT
• Where mathematics is a required subject: write NBT MAT

Degree: BA (Psychology)

Average starting salary of R20,108 a month

Possible careers:

• clinical psychologist
• counsellor
• educational psychologist
• industrial psychologist
• research psychologist
• neuropsychologist
• forensic psychologist
• psychometrist

What you need to do to study this:

• Write the AQL NBT
• NSC aggregate of at least 60%, excluding Life Orientation
• Where mathematics is a required subject: Write NBT MAT
• FPS 450 or above
• Mathematics 50%
• English Home Language 50%
• English First Additional Language 60%

Degree: BA (Social Work)

An average salary of R21,250 a month

Possible careers:

• Social worker in government departments on a national, provincial and local level
• voluntary welfare organisations and non-governmental organisations

What you need to do to study this:

• Home Language 50%
• First Additional Language 40%
• NSC aggregate of at least 60%, excluding Life Orientation
• Write AQL NBT
• Where mathematics is a required subject: write NBT MAT

Degree: BA (Socio-Informatics)

Average starting salary from R15,000 a month

Possible careers:

• knowledge engineer
• business analyst
• project manager
• internet developer
• corporate information systems
• architect
• knowledge manager
• electronic business specialist
• database manager
• analyst in decision support systems

What you need to do to study this:

• Home Language 50%
• NSC aggregate of at least 60%, excluding Life Orientation
• Write AQL NBT
• Where mathematics is a required subject: Write NBT MAT
• First Additional Language 40%
• Mathematics 60%

If mathematics taken:

• Mathematics 70%

Degree: BA (Sport Science)

Average starting salary at R17,000 a month

Possible careers:

• sports coaching
• recreation leadership
• sports administration
• marketing
• sports management
• sport for persons with disabilities
• the fitness industry
• biokinetics
• sport research
• teaching

What you need to do to study this:

• Home Language 50%
• NSC aggregate of at least 60%, excluding Life Orientation
• Write AQL NBT
• Where mathematics is a required subject: write NBT MAT
• First Additional Language 40%
• Mathematics 40% OR
• Mathematical Literacy 70%
• Physical Sciences 40% OR
• Life Sciences 50%

Attendance and participation in sports practicals are compulsory.

Degree: BA (Visual Arts)

Average starting salary of R9,450 a month

Possible careers:

• professional artist
• graphic designer
• illustrator
• jewellery designer or art critic

Related professions:

• stage designer
• book designer
• curator
• museum and art gallery official
• art dealer
• art entrepreneur
• gemmologist
• technical expert in sculpture
• welding
• casting
• lithography as well as fields such as
• film production
• art direction
• photography
• advertising

What you need to do to study this:

• Home Language 50%
• NSC aggregate of at least 60%, excluding Life Orientation
• Write AQL NBT
• Where mathematics is a required subject: write NBT MAT
• First Additional Language 40%
• Portfolio of art

*NOTE: The above salary estimations were correct at the time of writing this article. Please make sure you verify the above information.