B.A (Bachelor of Arts) - Course, Eligibility, Admission, Syllabus, Scope & Career Growth
What is Bachelor of Arts (BA)?
Bachelor of Arts also known as BA is a three years undergraduate programme. Aspirants who have passed 10+2 in any stream can take admission in this course. There are various BA specializations such as English, History, Hindi, Sociology, Political Science, Urdu, Economics, Tamil, Odia, etc, and many more. At present, there are more than 9 million students who are pursuing B.A programmes in India. After completion of 10+2, B.A (Bachelor of Arts) is the first and foremost degree course that everyone has to do and is mandatory. Bachelor of Arts (BA) is a three years programme which can be pursued through full time, part-time or distance learning. B.A. helps develop a variety of skills like general research, comprehensive analysis, and communication depending upon the respective subject in which graduation is done. Read this complete article by Careers360 to know in detail about the Bachelor of Arts degree.
What is full form of BA?
The full form of BA is bachelor of Arts and BA is extremely popular among the students who want to pursue humanities. All the candidates who want to pursue BA, they must ensure that they have interest in that particular subject.
BA - An Overview
Degree | Bachelor |
Full-Form | Bachelor of Arts |
Duration | 3 years |
Examination Type | Semester based |
Eligibility | 10+2 with any stream from a recognized board |
Mode of Admission | Entrance and Merit-based |
Course Fee | Around INR 10,000 - 50,000 annually |
Average Package | INR 2.5 to 3 lakh per annum |
Similar Options of Study | BA, BVA, BVC, BA LLB, BA+MA |
Advantages of B.A.
Learning Career Skills
Anyone who graduates with a bachelor's degree learns important job skills. No matter what the size of a college, the purpose of getting a bachelor of arts degree is to give the student a good background, which can prepare the student for many activities. These skills include effective writing, public speaking and critical thinking.
Learning Life Skills
College time is a time of transformation. During this time, the student learns the art of managing money, managing time, balancing work and health and having a commitment to himself in a negative environment like the real world. For example, a student who does not submit his / her paper at a time simply suffers from poor grade results. An employee who does not submit an important report may lose his or her job.
Communication Opportunities
During the college years, a student may come in contact with people from many different walks of life and with many different backgrounds ahead of them. This can lead to greater opportunities for communication.
BA Eligibility
Students who have successfully passed their higher secondary examinations (10+2) from a recognized education board with science, arts, or commerce stream can opt for a B.A course. Some of the colleges and universities conduct entrance exams for students to be eligible for the course. While other colleges require students to have scored a minimum of 50% in their 12th exams.
Bachelor of Arts Admissions
Students can pursue diploma or degree courses of BA after completion of Class 12th from recognized board and institution. Students will have to appear for an aptitude test which is conducted by various universities. Admission takes place through one of the following:
Entrance Exams: Admission also takes place through entrance exams like DUET, BHU UET, IPU CET, JSAT, TISS NET, etc. Scores in these entrance exams and/or Class XII percentages are considered during the B.A admission.
Merit: Some colleges and universities generate their own cut off list, and if candidates have fulfilled that criteria then eligible to take admission in that programme. Cut off List in best colleges like Hindu College, Miranda House, Gargi College, etc. goes up to 98% for BA courses.
Top BA Exams
Some of the top entrance exams which are employed by several colleges to gauge the merit of an aspirant to grant admission into several courses under the broad conduit of the B.A course are listed below:
Name of the Exam | Conducting body/university |
| TISS BAT | Tata Institute of Social Sciences |
| CUCET | The Central University of Rajasthan |
BA Specializations
BA course comprises five subjects with combination depending on the specialization opted by a student. There are various specializations that one can opt for under the Bachelor of Arts domain. To give you a brief about some prominent and most sought after specializations, we have listed down some courses along with their brief specialization options available to the aspirants of the BA course are listed below:
Specialization of BA Programme
BA Courses
BA in Political Science | ||
BA Malayalam | BA Assamese | BA Psychology |
BA Telugu | BA Marathi | |
BA Hindi | ||
BA Economics | BA Archaeology | BA Sociology |
BA Geography | BA Anthropology | BA Linguistics |
BA Rural Studies | BA Philosophy | BA Social Work |
BA in Political Science | BA History | BA Psychology |
BA Philosophy | BA Social Work | BA Economics |
BA Archaeology | BA Sociology | BA Geography |
BA Hindi | BA Anthropology | BA Linguistics |
BA Rural Studies | BA Photography | BA Japanese |
BA Chinese | BA Russian | |
BA Hebrew | BA Italian | BA French |
BA German | BA Psychology | BA Journalism |
BA Odia | BA Bihari | BA Assamese |
BA Malayalam | BA Bengali | BA Tamil |
BA Marathi | BA Telugu | BA Kannada |
BA Education | BA Punjabi | BA Gujarati |
BA Drawing and Painting | BA Agro Sciences | BA Corporate Secretaryship |
BA Criminology | BA Culinary Art | BA Defence and Strategic Studies |
BA Cinematography | BA Korean | BA Comparative Religion |
BA Ancient History | BA Arabic | BA Ancient Indian Culture |
BA Airlines, Hospitality and Customer Care | ||
Among the wide variety of subject combinations available to aspirants pursuing B.A course, the following are the most noteworthy:
BA Courses
S.No. | Courses |
1. | |
2. | |
3. | |
4. | |
5. | |
6. | |
7. | |
8. | |
9. | |
10. | |
11. | |
12. | |
13. | |
14. | |
15. | Political Science |
16. | Public Administration |
17. | |
18. | Sanskriti |
19. |
BA Syllabus
The course syllabus included in the curriculum of some of the most important and popular B.A courses is tabulated below. The crux of the syllabus is maintained throughout most colleges across the nation although minor deviations may be observed for a few colleges.
Syllabus for BA Archeology and BA Anthropology
BA Archaeology | BA Anthropology |
Making of Modern Kerala | Tribes and Peasants in India |
Informatics | Anthropology of religion, politics & economy |
Basics of Indian Numismatics | Biodiversity & Indigenous Knowledge / Cell Biology II |
Introduction to Political Science | Anthropology of India / Molecular Biology-II |
Understanding the Past | Human Ecology: Biological Dimensions |
Early Societies in India | Biological Diversity in Human Populations |
Development of Numismatics in India | Human Ecology: Social and Cultural Dimensions |
Governmental Machinery and Processes | Genetics & Genomics-I |
Growth of Indian Archaeology | Field work dissertation |
Introduction to Archives and Records | Fundamental of Human Origins and Evolution |
Environmental History | Genomic Diversity in Human Populations |
Archaeological Sites and Monuments in India | Anthropology In Practice / Genetics & Genomics-II |
Archival Conservation and Reprography | Introduction to Social Anthropology |
Methodology and Perspectives of Social Science | Introduction to Biological Anthropology |
History of Art and Architecture in India | Archaeological Anthropology-I |
Basics of Archaeology | Technical Writing & Communication in English/ Computational Skills |
Introduction to Sociology | Archaeological Anthropology-II |
Cultural Transition in Pre-Modern Kerala | Anthropology of Kinship |
Methods of Archaeology | Biostatistics and Data Analysis |
History of Folklore | Theories of Culture and Society |
Development of Sociological Theory | Human Genetics |
Primate Biology / Cell Biology-I | |
Molecular Biology-I |
Syllabus for BA Economics and BA English
BA Economics | BA English |
Intermediate Macroeconomics-I | English Literature 4(i) |
Statistical Methods for Economics | Twentieth Century Indian Writing(i) |
Skill Enhancement Course - I | Concurrent – Qualifying Language |
Generic Elective - III | English Literature 4(ii) |
Intermediate Microeconomics-II | Twentieth Century Indian Writing(ii) |
Introductory Econometrics | English Literature 1(i) |
Skill Enhancement Course - II | Concurrent – Credit Language |
Generic Elective - IV | English Literature 1(ii) |
Indian Economy - I | English Literature 2(i) |
Development Economics - I | Nineteenth Century European Realism(i)/ Classical Literature (i)/ Forms of Popular Fiction (i) |
Discipline Specific Elective - I | Concurrent – Interdisciplinary |
Discipline Specific Elective - II | English Literature 2(ii) |
Indian Economy - II | English Literature 3(i) |
Development Economics - II | Nineteenth Century European Realism(ii)/ Classical Literature (ii)/ Forms of Popular Fiction (ii) |
Discipline Specific Elective - III | Concurrent – Discipline Centered I |
Discipline Specific Elective - IV | English Literature 3(ii) |
Introductory Microeconomics | English Literature 5(i) |
Mathematical Methods for Economics-I | Contemporary Literature(i) |
Ability Enhancement Compulsory Course - I | Anglo-American Writing from 1930(i)/ Literary Theory (i)/ Women’s Writing of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries (i)/ Modern European Drama (i) |
Generic Elective - I | English Literature 5(ii) |
Introductory Macroeconomics | Contemporary Literature(ii) |
Mathematical Methods for Economics-II | Anglo-American Writing from 1930(ii)/ Literary Theory (ii)/ Women’s Writing of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries (ii)/ Modern European Drama (ii) |
Ability Enhancement Compulsory Course - II | Concurrent – Discipline Centered II |
Generic Elective - II | |
Intermediate Microeconomics-I |
Syllabus for BA Political Science and BA History
BA Political Science | BA History |
Language - MIL/ English Environmental Science | History of India-I |
Understanding Political Theory | Social Formations and Cultural Patterns of the Ancient World |
Constitutional Government and Democracy in India | History of India-II |
Generic Elective - I | Social Formations and Cultural Patterns of the Medieval World |
Environmental Science Language - MIL/ English | History of India-III (c. 750-1206) |
Political Theory-Concepts and Debates | Rise of Modern West-I |
Political Process in India | History of India IV (c.1206-1550) |
Generic Elective - II | Rise of Modern West -11 |
Introduction to Comparative Government & Politics | History of India-V (c. 1550-1605) |
Perspectives on Public Administration | History of India-VI (c. 1750-1857 |
Perspectives on International Relations | History of Modern Europe- I (c. 1780-1939) |
Generic Elective - III | History of India-VII (c. 1605-1750) |
Ability Enhancement Course - I | History of India-VIII (c. 1857-1950) |
Pol. Process & Inst. in Comparative Perspective | History of Modern Europe- II (1780-1939) |
Public Policy and Administration in India | History Of Southeast Asia-The 19TH Century |
Global Politics | History Of Southeast Asia-The 20TH Century |
Generic Elective - IV | History of Modern East Asia-I(c.1840-1919) |
Ability Enhancement Course - II | History of Modern East Asia-1I (c. 1868-1945) |
Classical Political Philosophy | Generic Elective (Interdisciplinary Any Four)
Any Two: Understanding Heritage/ Art Appreciation: An Introduction to Indian Art/ Archives and museums/ Understanding Popular Culture |
Modern Indian Political Thought - I | Discipline Specific Elective (Any Four)
|
Discipline Specific Elective - I | |
Discipline Specific Elective - II | |
Modern Political Philosophy | |
Indian Political Thought - II | |
Discipline Specific Elective - III | |
Discipline Specific Elective - IV |
Syllabus for BA Philosophy and BA Psychology
BA Philosophy | BA Psychology |
Indian Philosophy | Introduction to Psychology |
Logic | Statistical Methods for Psychological Research-I |
Greek Philosophy | Environmental Science |
Ethics | General Psychology |
Western Philosophy: Descartes to Kant | Biopsychology |
Social & Political Philosophy: Indian and Western | Psychology of Individual Differences |
Text of Indian Philosophy | English Communication |
Text of Western Philosophy | Youth, Gender and Identity |
Truth Functional Logic | Development of Psychological |
Analytic Philosophy | Psychological Research |
Continental Philosophy | Social Psychology |
Philosophy of Religion (Indian & Western) | Emotional Intelligence |
Discipline Specific Elective-4 (DSE) Subject Centric (Any Four)
| Psychology for Health and Well-being |
Understanding Psychological Disorders | |
Statistical Methods for Psychological Research-II | |
Applied Social Psychology | |
Stress Management | |
Psychology at Work | |
Dealing with Psychological Disorders | |
Developmental Psychology | |
Positive Psychology | |
Human Resource Management | |
Organizational Behavior | |
Counselling Psychology | |
Health Psychology | |
Community Psychology |
Syllabus for BA Sociology and BA Geography
BA Sociology | BA Geography |
Introduction to Sociology | Geomorphology |
Sociology of India | Climatology |
Sociological Theories | Cartographic Techniques |
Methods of Sociological Enquiry | Geography of Population |
Religion and Society | Concurrent – Qualifying Language |
Marriage, Family and Kinship | Analytical Physical Geography |
Social Stratification | Oceanography |
Gender and Sexuality | Thematic Cartography (Practical) |
Polity and Society in India | Geography of Settlements |
Economy and Society | Concurrent – Credit Language |
Techniques of Social Research | Economic Geography |
Gender Sensitisation | Environmental Geography |
Society through the Visual | Remote Sensing (Practical) |
Geography of Settlements | |
Environmental Geography | |
Concurrent – Interdisciplinary | |
Geography of Natural Resources | |
Spatial Dimensions of Development | |
Statistical Methods in Geography | |
Geography of India | |
Concurrent – Discipline Centered I | |
Evolution of Geographical Thought | |
Social Geography | |
Field Techniques | |
Agricultural Geography* (Optional) | |
Political Geography* (Optional) | |
Disaster Management | |
Regional Planning: Case Studies | |
Geographical Information System | |
Geography of Tourism* (Optional) | |
Contemporary Environmental Issues* (Optional) | |
Rural Development* (Optional) |
Syllabus for BA Linguistics and BA Rural Studies
BA Linguistics | BA Rural Studies |
Core Courses—Discipline Specific Course (DSC)-4
| Elements of Rural Development |
Skill Enhancement Course (SEC)
| Rural Development Policies and Programmes |
Indian Rural Economic Scene | |
Indian Rural Social Scene |
Bachelor of Arts Salary
The salary package after completing BA will vary depending upon the type of job. A fresher can begin a career from a salary package ranging between Rs. 2 to Rs. 3 lakhs per annum depending upon the company and the respective candidates' skill sets. Candidates having experience and required skill sets have an on advantage over their counterparts in terms of salary packages and opportunities. Below are the major job profiles after doing B.A programme with average salary package:
Job Profiles and Salary for BA Graduates
Job Profile | Average Salary |
Content Creator | INR 2.5 lakhs to INR 3 lakhs per annum |
Academic Writing and Editing | INR 2.5 lakhs to INR 3 lakhs per annum |
Air Hostess/ Flight Attendant | INR 3 lakhs to INR 4 lakhs per annum |
Political Consultant | INR 4 lakhs to INR 6 lakhs per annum |
Author/ Writer | INR 3 lakhs to INR 4.5 lakhs per annum |
Historian | INR 3 lakhs to INR 4 lakhs per annum |
Psychologist | INR 3.5 lakhs to INR 4.5 lakhs per annum |
Counselor | INR 2.5 lakhs to INR 3 lakhs per annum |
Archaeologist | INR 3 lakhs to INR 4 lakhs per annum |
Social Worker | INR 2.5 lakhs to INR 3 lakhs per annum |
Foreign Language Expert | INR 3.5 lakhs to INR 4.5 lakhs per annum |
Scope of BA
Primary School Teacher
Marketing Manager
Computer Operator
Customer Service Representative (CSR)
Executive Assistant
HR Manager
Content Writer
Operations Manager
Counselor
Social Worker
Foreign Language Expert
Psychologist
Archaeologist
Careers Opportunities after BA
On completing the BA degree there are various careers aspects or "choices" that one can pursue for. Some of the profiles are:
Primary School Teacher: A teacher (also known as an educator) is a person who helps candidates to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue. A teacher also guides its students about numeracy and literacy, craftsmanship or vocational training, the arts, religion, civics, history, community roles, or life skills.
Computer Operator: A computer operator is a role in IT which oversees the running of computer systems, ensuring that the machines, and computers are running properly.
Customer Service Representative (CSR): Customer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and services.
Counselor: A counselor is a trained professional who helps others by listening to them and giving them advice. They may be a psychologist or social worker. Counselors help people with things like career development, anger management, health, and lifestyle, etc.
Social Worker: Social work is work done for the welfare of society. A social worker is a trained individual who represents the social well-being of society. A social worker is a trained professional who helps others by listening to them and giving them advice.
Frequently Asked Question (FAQs) - B.A (Bachelor of Arts) - Course, Eligibility, Admission, Syllabus, Scope & Career Growth
Question:What are the common BA subjects?
Answer:
It includes English, Hindi, History, Political Science, Philosophy, etc. apart from many elective courses like, Economics, Geography, Linguistics, Japanese etc.
Question:What course should I do after BA?
Answer:
You can pursue Master of Arts (MA), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) and many other professional diploma courses after doing a BA course.
Question:What is BA in English?
Answer:
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English is a 3-year undergraduate academic course in the language English and English Literature. It is offered in various private and public universities/ colleges and includes subjects like English Literature, American Literature, etc.
Question:What are the common BA jobs?
Answer:
BA graduates find jobs in private, public and government sectors in a variety of domaim like Political Consultant and Analyst, Intelligence Specialist, Archivist, Historian, Museologist, Lobbyist, Restaurant Operations, Public Relations, Content Writing, and Editing, Academic Writer, Executive Assistant, Associate, Social Worker, etc.
Question:What is the average fee structure of a BA programme?
Answer:
The fee structure of a BA programme may differ depending upon various institutes. The average fee structure of the BA programme is Rs. 10,000 - 50,000 per annum.
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