The information on this page is designed to help you explore possible careers. Use the links below to navigate to different areas of the page. We recommend working with a career counselor to help you identify careers based on your skills, interests, and values.
What can you do with a degree in Arts and Letters?
The short answer is that you can do a lot. Your Arts and Letters degree prepares you for many careers in many fields.
That's great, isn't it? Many possible careers... But if many careers are possible, how will you choose among the possibilities?
A major in Arts and Letters is a powerful academic foundation that provides you with the opportunity to develop skills employers value in employees. These include: oral and written communication, interpersonal, teamwork, technical, analytical, critical thinking, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Remember that your Arts and Letters major, in and of itself, does not determine your career path. No major does — not business, not psychology, not biology.
Career Counselors in the University Career Center can help you with the process of identifying your preferred skills, interests, and values, and identifying potential careers to explore. We can also help you think about how your coursework relates to the world of work and how to effectively describe your educational background to employers.
Resources to Generate Ideas for Careers and / or Places of Employment
List of Employers and Job Titles Developed from Jobs Posted in PSU Handshake for Arts & Letters Majors
Students with degrees in Arts and Letters develop skills that are valued by employers. They may find employment in government, nonprofits, social services, educational institutions, and businesses, depending on their skills, experience, and interests. Internships or relevant part-time jobs may be a prerequisite to finding employment in some fields.
The following list of employers and job titles was derived from the University Career Center's job database where the employer specifically requested Arts and Letters majors. This list does not reflect all potential places of employment or kinds of jobs for Arts and Letters majors. This list is meant to show some typical job listings; it does not reflect current openings.
- Beaverton School District — Web Developer
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington — Development Coordinator
- Cadmus Group, Inc., The — Marketing Coordinator
- Capital Financial Planners, LLC — Financial Planning Assistant
- Catholic Community Services — Community Support Specialist
- CDK Global — HR Support Analyst
- City of Hillsboro — Volunteer Services Coordinator
- City of Woodburn — Weed & Seed Program Coordinator
- Database Marketing Agency, Inc. (DMA) (now Baker Hill) — Data Processing Analyst
- ECONorthwest — Research Assistant
- Fisher Investments — Account Executive
- Friends of the Children — Professional Mentors
- Fund for Public Interest Research, The — Canvass Director, Citizen Outreach
- Federal Bureau of Prisons — Correctional Officer
- Gensco, Inc. — Credit Manager
- Grassroots Campaigns, Inc. — Field Manager, Citizen Outreach Directors
- Hands to Hearts International — Research & Outreach Coordinator
- Human Services Council — Transportation Screener, Interpreter Services Screener
- Inside Track — College Admissions/Enrollment Coach
- Interaction Metrics — Research Lead: Research/Scoring and Presentations
- i-OP, Inc. — Project Manager
- KATU Channel 2 Portland — News Reporter
- Kraft Foods, Inc. — Operations Supervisor
- League of Oregon Cities — Intergovernmental Relations Assistant
- Legal Aid Services of Oregon — Administrator
- Massini Group — Database Marketing Specialist
- McCullough Research — Research Associate
- McKenzie River Trust — Director of Resources
- Multnomah County Sheriff's Office — Deputy Sheriff
- Multnomah County Sustainability Program — Waste Reduction & Recycling Plan Coordinator
- Northwestern Mutual Financial Network — Associate Pension Specialist
- City of Portland Mayor's Office — Art and Culture Policy Coordinator
- Oregon After-School for Kids — Youth Development Network Coordinator
- Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) — Land Application and Licensing Manager
- Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) — Program Coordinator, Local Agency Construction Administration Liaison, Construction Contracts Specialist, Research Analyst, Inspector
- Oregon State Police — Oregon State Troopers
- OutsideIn — Clinic Assistant Manager, Youth Resource and Activity Specialist
- PACCESS — Project Assistant
- Pacific Interpreters, Inc. — In-house scheduler/ Spanish Quality Assurance Specialist
- Penhall Company — Senior Estimator
- Physicians for Social Responsibility — Executive Director
- Pinemeadow Golf, Inc. — Marketing and Sales Representative
- Portland Business Alliance — Membership Coordinator
- Portland VA Medical Center — Program Support Assistant, Research Assistant
- SAIF — Claims Adjuster Trainees, Claims Adjuster, Claims Adjuster Supervisor, Bilingual Claims Adjuster
- St. Joseph Catholic Church — Coordinator of Youth & Young Adult Ministry
- Standard, The — Communications Specialist I
- State Farm Insurance — Claim Representative, Underwriter
- State of Oregon — Research Analyst 4, Procurement & Contract Specialist 3
- Sterling Foods — Marketing and Logistics Associate
- Synarc — Clinical Operations Specialist
- Tripwire, Inc. — HR Generalist w/Comp Focus, Support Renewal Administrator
- University of Oregon (UO) — Assistant Director for Alumni Relations
- US Border Patrol — Border Patrol Agent
- US Census Bureau — Vietnamese Interpreter
- US Department of Veterans Affairs — Management Analyst
- US Postal Service — Associate Account Manager
- Volunteers of America — Child Care Supervisor, Toddler Interventionist
- Waddell & Reed — Financial Advisor
- Willamette Neighborhood Housing Services — Home Ownership Program Assistant
- Wolseley North America — Management Trainee Program
- Worksystems, Inc. — Senior Project Manager
- Yahoo! — Client Advocate
Return to the top
Careers Reported by Arts and Letters Majors on the American Community Survey
The following list of job titles was generated from American Community Survey data. Every year, the federal government surveys 3,000,000 people. This list shows some of the most-often reported careers for people who majored in arts and letters.
Please be aware that additional education, internships, or career-related experience may be a prerequisite to some of the careers on this list. The University Career Center provides this list as a tool for generating ideas for exploration. To find a brief description of the following occupations, go to the Standard Occupational Classification system.
- Elementary and Middle School Teachers
- Managers
- Postsecondary Teachers
- Lawyers and Judges
- Education Administrators
- Secondary School Teachers
- Registered Nurses
- Social Workers
- Accountants and Auditors
- Designers
- Chief Executives and Legislators
- Counselors
- Marketing and Sales Managers
- Sales Representatives
- Producers and Directors
- Physicians and Surgeons
- General and Operations Managers
- Management Analysts
- Actors
- Human Resources Workers
- Medical and Health Services Managers
- Writers and Authors
- Special Education Teachers
- Financial Managers
- Social and Community Service Managers
- Artists
- Software Developers, Applications and Systems Software
- Computer Systems Analysts
- Computer and Information Systems Managers
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
- Police Officers
- Human Resources Managers
- Personal Financial Advisors
- Computer Programmers
- Web Developers
- Athletes and Coaches
- Editors
- Compliance Officers
- Photographers
- Fundraisers
- Psychologists
- Musicians and Singers
- Community and Social Service Specialists, including Health Educators and Community Health Workers
- Dentists
- Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
- Physical Scientists
- Entertainers and Performers
- Public Relations Specialists
- Purchasing Managers
- Dental Hygienists
- Operations Research Analysts
- Training and Development Specialists
- Physical Therapists
- Physician Assistants
- Industrial Production Managers
- Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives
- Logisticians
- Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes
- Technical Writers
- Medical Scientists and Life Scientists
- Occupational Therapists
- Directors, Religious Activities and Education
- News Analysts, Reporters, and Correspondents
- Pharmacists
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators
- Advertising and Promotions Managers
- Chiropractors
- Insurance Underwriters
- Firefighters
- Database Administrators
- Speech-Language Pathologists
Return to the top
Related 'What Can I do with a Degree in...?'
The following pages may have additional information and ideas for careers.
Return to the top