What Is a Bachelor of Arts? Subjects, Courses, Degree & Scope
Bachelor of Arts focuses on subjects such as Humanities, Social Studies and Liberal Arts. There are a variety of specializations like History, English, Philosophy, Economics, Political Science, Geography, Sociology, etc to pursue in Bachelor of Arts. The average duration of a Bachelor of Arts ranges from 3 years for both regular and distance courses. Post completing BA degree, students can choose to study further such as MA and PhD in the same or relevant discipline.
Why Study Bachelor of Arts?
With over 9 million people choosing to pursue Bachelor of Arts, BA degree has become one of the most popular courses in India. The following are some of the reasons why you should pursue BA after class 12:
- A bachelor’s degree in the arts provides more diverse career opportunities than a bachelor’s degree in science or commerce.
- Unlike, BSc, BBA, or B Com which concentrates on a specific discipline, Bachelor of Arts concentrates on a broad range of concepts.
- Aspirants with a BA degree have the option of working in healthcare, Management, business, Finance, Commerce, or any other field.
- Because most government jobs and government exams, such as the SSC, require candidates to have a degree in the arts, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts is the best option for those who want to work in the government sector.
- There are just as many job opportunities for Bachelor of Arts graduates as there are for IT and Medical Courses.
- Cultural knowledge is emphasized in the Bachelor of Arts, which is not taught in other courses.
- The Bachelor of Arts focuses more on emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills.
Who Should do Bachelor of Arts?
- Students who want to learn about different cultures and backgrounds should consider pursuing a BA in Literature.
- BA psychology can be studied by those who are interested in human psychology and study the ways to deal with emotional stress and related health complications.
- Bachelor of Arts also lets those students who want to explore earth, and its history, study geography via BA Geography or history via BA History.
- Students who want to specialize in one of the languages can consider pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in various specializations such as BA Hindi, BA English, BA French, etc.
- Bachelor of Arts also lets students who want to make a career in journalism, pursue BA Journalism and get jobs at top reputed media companies.
Bachelor of Arts or BA is an undergraduate program in arts. There are various disciplines such as English, Hindi, History, Journalism and Psychology in which BA can be pursued. The course can be pursued right after passing class 12th in India. Usually, a three-year course Arts programmer is offered by colleges under various streams such as Design, Mass Communication, Hospitality. BA (Hons) or BA course can be pursued in a full-time, part-time, correspondence or distance education mode. It is mandatory to study five subjects along with few elective subjects. The subjects will vary depending on the selected subject.
Eligibility Criteria for BA
Candidates can check the below mentioned eligibility criteria for admission to BA course
- Aspirants must have completed their 10+2 from a recognized board.
- Some colleges also specify that aspirants should have secured a minimum of 50% aggregate marks at 10+2 level.
- Some colleges also offer 5% marks relaxation in this criteria for SC/ ST candidates.
BA vs BA Hons: Course Difference
BA or BA (Hons) courses are covered under BA Programmer. But, they both are quite different when it comes to the specializations offered. A brief about the same is given below:
| BA | BA (Hons) |
|---|---|
| With all of the essential courses covered in the course curriculum, the BA course covers all aspects of the arts generally | BA Hons provides specializations in any one subject such as English, Political Science, Psychology, History, economics, and so on |
| BA is of 3 years duration | BA (Hons) is also of 3 years duration course |
| The eligibility criteria to get admission to BA is 10+2 from any recognized board | Aspirants should have passed 10+2 from any recognized board and must have studied the Hons seeking subject at the qualifying level |
| No specializations offered | It offers specializations |
| Candidates can get admission to BA courses through merit-based and entrance exam | It is same for admission to BA (Hons) |
Required Skillset for BA
Candidates who aspire to pursue BA course should possess the below mentioned skillset:
| Skillset for BA Courses | |
|---|---|
| Good communication skills | Problem-solving skills |
| Management skills | Analytical thinking |
| Goal-oriented | Ability to work under pressure |
| Intellectually curious | Inquisitive |
| Organization skills | Interpersonal skills |
BA Entrance Exams
Admission to BA courses are usually based on merit, but there are few colleges that conduct entrance exams as well. Given below is the list of popular BA entrance exams that candidates can give for admission to various colleges:
| BHU UET | JNUEE |
| DUET | TISSBAT |
| PUBDET | NIMSEE |
| IPU CET | Azim Premji University National Entrance Test |
Popular BA Specializations
BA is one of the most popular courses among students of Humanities, as it offers more specializations than others. Tabulated below are some of the popular specializations in BA Humanities:
| BA Specializations | |
|---|---|
| Language (English, French, German, Hindi, Spanish, Chinese/ Mandarin, Greek, Japanese and Latin) | Economics |
| Political Science | History |
| Psychology | Communication Studies |
| Philosophy | Archaeology |
| Sociology | Religious Studies |
Jobs and Career options after BA
Aspirants can pursue a career in different fields after pursuing BA. Candidates can also go for higher studies i.e. can pursue an MA course in the same discipline they pursued graduation with. MA or Master of Arts is a postgraduate degree.
Job Sectors and Profiles for BA graduates:
Given below are a few sectors and the profiles for BA graduates:
Journalism and Mass Communication: The study of disseminating information to a large audience via multiple modes of communication is known as mass communication. Whereas, Journalism is the practice of reporting on current events for newspapers, periodicals, and other publications. Various job profiles are Content Writer, Journalist, Reporter, Editor, Public Relations Associate and more.
Social Work: It is the field wherein an individual is taught how to help uplift and solve the problems of a person, society and more. It deals with helping people function the best they can in their environment. Some of the job profiles are Child & Family Social Worker, School Social worker, Clinical Social Worker, Mental Health Social worker and more.
Foreign Language Experts: With a BA in Foreign language, one can become a Teacher (B.Ed degree is a must), Interpreter, Translator, Book writer, and more.
Other sectors a BA graduate can apply for are Religious Studies, Civil Services, Public Administration, Event Planning, BPOs, International Relations, any Government sector and more.
BA Top Recruiters
Some of the popular recruiters for BA qualified candidates are listed below
| Top Recruiters | |
|---|---|
| Accenture | Genpact |
| TATA Consultancy Services (TCS) | HDFC Bank |
| HCL Technologies | Cognizant |
| Deloitte | |
Popular BA Colleges by Location
In India, Delhi University (DU) is the most famous University where candidates aspire to get enrolled into BA courses. Delhi and Bangalore are considered the hub of BA education but Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Pune also boast of some of the top Bachelor of Arts colleges.