Study area

Study Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences Abroad

History, languages, philosophy and the study of society: disciplines that ask how people think, communicate, organise and live together.

Explore specializations

Explore specializations

60 specializations

Why study Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences?

Arts, humanities and social sciences form one of the broadest groups of subjects in higher education. On one side are disciplines that study cultures and ideas, such as History, Archaeology, Philosophy, Linguistics and literature. On the other are subjects that examine how societies work, including Sociology, Anthropology, Criminology and International Relations.

What connects them is close reading, argument and evidence. Students learn to interpret sources, carry out qualitative and quantitative research, write clearly and weigh competing explanations. Language programmes, from Arabic and Chinese to Spanish and Korean, build cultural knowledge alongside fluency, and Translation and Interpretation turn that knowledge into professional practice.

The subject suits curious students who enjoy reading, debate and questions without simple answers. Studying abroad can be particularly relevant here, because immersion in another language and society becomes part of the learning itself.

Career pathways

Where can this take you?

Career pathways vary widely with the discipline chosen. They can include:

  • Researcher
  • Policy Analyst
  • Translator
  • Interpreter
  • Museum or Heritage Curator
  • Archivist
  • Editor
  • Content Writer
  • Journalist
  • Teacher or Lecturer
  • Social Researcher
  • Communications Officer
  • NGO Programme Officer
  • International Affairs Officer

Pathways depend on the specialization, qualification, country and experience. No particular outcome is implied.

Industries

Where these skills are used.

  • Education & Research Universities, schools and research institutes employ graduates in teaching, research and academic support.
  • Museums, Archives & Heritage Institutions that collect, interpret and care for objects, records and historic places.
  • Publishing & Media Book, academic and digital publishers and broadcasters rely on writing, editing and research skills.
  • Government & Public Policy Public bodies use social research, analysis and policy writing to design and evaluate services.
  • International Organisations & NGOs Development, humanitarian and human rights organisations working across countries and languages.
  • Translation & Language Services Agencies, international institutions and businesses that need translation, interpreting and localisation.
  • Market & Social Research Research agencies and consultancies studying attitudes, behaviour and communities.

Employers

Graduates in these disciplines work across organisations such as:

  • British Museum
  • Smithsonian Institution
  • Penguin Random House
  • Oxford University Press
  • European Parliament
  • UNESCO
  • Amnesty International
  • Oxfam

Organisations are listed in no particular order. This is not a ranking or endorsement, does not imply any partnership with Application Abroad, and is not a guarantee of employment.

Looking ahead

What's changing in this field?

The humanities and social sciences are evolving through new methods as much as new topics. Digital humanities, computational text analysis and the use of large datasets in social research are opening up archives and questions that were previously difficult to study at scale.

Language and communication work is also changing. Machine translation and generative AI tools are reshaping parts of translation, writing and research, which places growing value on judgement, cultural understanding, editing and the ability to verify sources.

Areas receiving growing attention include migration, climate and society, inequality, conflict and peace, heritage in a changing climate, and the ethics of technology. Many of these sit between disciplines, so students may find value in combining a humanities or social science subject with languages, data skills or policy study.

Where to study Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

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Study Abroad Consultants for Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Consultants who list Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences among the study areas they support.

  • Demo Global Student Services

    Janakpuri, Delhi · +4 more offices

    Sample listingLanguage & Education Consultant

    Study destinations: 🇨🇦 Canada · 🇳🇿 New Zealand · 🇸🇪 Sweden · 🇮🇪 Ireland · 🇮🇹 Italy · +1 more

    Services: University Admissions · Visa · Financial Support · Pre-Departure

    7 partnered universities (sample data) · Bachelor's, Master's, PhD / Doctorate

    Sample consultant used to test the directory: supports applications to Canada, New Zealand, Sweden, Ireland, Italy and USA.

    View Consultant Website Demo Global Student Services (opens in a new tab)

View all consultants

Listings are not rankings or endorsements. Check services and fees directly with each consultant.

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