BA Course, Bachelor of Arts, is a 3-year undergraduate course that students pursue after finishing school. The BA course is one of the most common course opted by most of the students from the Arts and Commerce stream. BA courses are available as full-time and distance education platforms.
The BA course is for those who have a lot of talent and want to learn about different art forms. Bachelor of Arts graduates will find employment in a variety of fields, and BA subjects like media, legislation, public relations, graphics and design, and journalistic integrity are highly career-oriented.
Course Details
| Course Name | Bachelor of Arts |
| Short Name | BA |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Mode | Regular/Distant |
| Course Level | Undergraduate |
| Average Fees | INR 10,000 to INR 90,000 |
Eligibility Criteria BA Course
The eligibility criteria for BA course is mentioned below-
- Students who have completed their secondary level examination (10+2) with any stream (science, arts, or commerce) from a recognized board.
- Applicants have to secure a minimum of 50% in their 12th-grade exams.
Admission Process
After completing Class 12th from a recognized board, students can follow BA degree courses. Admissions to BA course is provided on the merit basis i.e. marks obtained in class 12th exams. Few universities also conduct entrance exams to admit students.
Entrance Exams
- BHU UET- Banaras Hindu University
- IPU CET- Indraprastha University
- DU JAT- Delhi University Joint Admission Test
- NPAT- National Test for Programs After Twelfth
- CUCET- Central University Common Entrance T
- DU Entrance- Delhi University
- JNUEE- Jawaharlal Nehru University Entrance Exam
BA Distant
The following are some of the best colleges in India for pursuing a BA degree through distance learning or correspondence learning:
- Indira Gandhi National Open University [IGNOU], Delhi
- Nalanda Open University (NOU), Patna
- DR. B.R. AMBEDKAR OPEN UNIVERSITY, Ahmedabad
- U.P. RAJARSHI TANDON OPEN UNIVERSITY (UPRTOU), Allahabad
- Tamil Nadu Open University, Chennai
BA Specializations
The BA programme consists of five subjects that are combined based on the student’s chosen specialisation. Under the Bachelor of Arts domain, one can choose from a variety of specialisations. To give you a quick overview of some of the most common and in-demand specialisations, we’ve mentioned a few courses along with a brief description:
- BA in English
- BA in English Literature
- BA in Fine Arts
- BA in Psychology
- BA in Archaeology
- BA in Social Work
- BA in Music
- BA in History
- BA in Economics
- BA in Sociology
- BA in Philosophy
- BA in Political Science
- BA in Journalism and Mass Communication
- BA in Geography
- BA in Theology
- BA in Anthropology
- BA in Biomedical Sciences
- BA in Public Administration
- BA LLB
- BA Home Science
- BA in Physical Education
- BA in Linguistics degree courses like Hindi, Spanish, French, Russian, Japanese, etc.
Syllabus
The syllabus in BA is divided according to the specialization chosen by students. Based on popular specializations, below are the subjects taught in the BA course-
BA English
- European Realism in 19th century
- Criticism in Literature
- World Literature
- American Literature
- European Classic Literature
- Postcolonial Literature
- Literature and Cinema
- Classical Indian Literature
- Modern European Drama
- British Literature
- Post World War II
- Romantic British Literature
- English Poetry
- Women’s Writing Literary Theory
- English Drama: Elizabethan to Victorian
BA Geography
- Analytical Physical Geography
- Techniques of Cartography
- Oceanography
- Environmental Geography
- Spatial Dimensions of Development
- Evolution of Geographical Thought
- Social Geography
- Case Studies on Regional Planning
- Geographical Information System
- Rural Development
- Disaster Management
BA Economics
- Introduction to Micro Economics
- Introduction to Macro Economics
- Introduction to Econometrics
- Mathematical Methods in Economics
- Development Economics
BA Political Science
- Political Theory
- The perspective of Public Administration
- Political Systems
- Introduction to Comparative Government & Politics
- Analysis of Politics
- Political History
Courses After BA Course
On obtaining a BA degree, candidates may pursue an MA course in the same specialization in which they completed their graduation. Candidates who would like to build a career as a teacher may opt for a BEd course.
Candidates who want to build a career in law can opt for 3 years LLB course. Those who want to join the management field can pursue an MBA degree in the specialization of their choice.
Career, Scope and Salary
Although BA graduates with an Arts degree are skilled in an array of disciplines, they may pursue careers in a variety of areas. The following are some of the job sectors that provide career opportunities for BA graduates:
- Journalism and mass media
- Writing
- Graphics designing
- Advertising firms
- Human Resources
- Marketing
- Law
- Primary Teaching
BA graduates with less than a year of experience should expect to earn between INR 15,000 and INR 25,000 as a starting salary. Minimum pay of INR 20,000-30, 000 can be expected in metropolitan cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai. Salary is highly dependent on the job description and the organization.
Most BA graduates appear for exams like UPSC, IAS, SSC, and others in order to get a job in the public sector with a high level of pay. One can also appear for bank exams and work in a bank as a manager or a senior executive.
Top Colleges for BA Course
- Indian Institute of Art and Design (IIAD), New Delhi
- St. Xaviers College, Kolkata
- National Post Graduate College, Lucknow
- Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, Bhopal
- P.S.G. College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore
- Gujarat Arts and Commerce College, Ahmedabad
- College of Commerce Arts and Science, Patna
- St. Andrew’s College of Arts Science and Commerce, Mumbai
- Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi
- Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI), Delhi
FAQs: BA Course
The main difference between these two courses is that in BA (Hons), you pursue a specific specialization over the course of three years, while in BA, you do not. So, if you like to specialize, you can do a BA Hons, and if you don’t, you can do a BA.
BA is a 3 years course and LLB is also a 3 years course. If you do BA and LLB separately, you will need 6 years in total. While integrated BA LLB is a 5 years course. There’s no difference in career opportunities between the two methods but you will save a year if you do integrated BA LLB.
Journalism and Mass Communication, Psychology, Politics, Computer Science, and English Literature are only a few of the popular and career-oriented specializations available under BA.
