BA Full Form: All You Need to Know About the Bachelor of Arts Program
What is BA full form and What is BA Course?
BA full form is Bachelor of Arts is a college degree that covers standard general education requirements and then allows students to specialize in an area of interest.
The full form of BA is Bachelor of Arts (BA) and is an undergraduate degree awarded in the field of Liberal Arts or specializations related to Humanities or Social Science. It is generally a three-year program in which students mainly study different subjects such as History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy, amongst others.
The program generally lasts for 3 years but in many countries, it can extend up to four years as well. Upon completing graduation, one can find innumerable jobs and courses after BA to advance their knowledge.
BA degrees are designed to prepare you with critical thinking skills, communication skills, and a foundation in the humanities – such as literature, history, language, and religion. While a Bachelor of Arts degree is one of the most common undergraduate degrees in the country, students who are determined to enter a specific career field can pursue many other kinds of undergraduate programs to prepare for graduate school or a career.
Why Bachelor of Arts?
BA degree has become one of the most popular courses worldwide.
- A bachelor’s degree in the arts provides more diverse career opportunities than a bachelor’s degree in science or commerce.
- Unlike other undergraduate programs which concentrate 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 various fields such as healthcare, management, business, finance, commerce, or any other field.
- Because most government jobs and government exams 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.
- There are more and more job opportunities for people with a bachelor’s degree.
Who should do a 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.
What are the skills required to pursue BA?
There are many hard and soft skills that BA graduates need to possess to be successful in their careers. These are not necessarily skills that students can get in a classroom setting, instead, these are skills that are learned through experience. Therefore, students should always put the effort to go out of their comfort zone and gain as much experience as they can. Some of these skills include:
- Quantitative Analysis Skills
- Research Skills
- Analytical Skills
- The Ability to Work Under Pressure
- Interpersonal Skill
Eligibility Criteria after BA
For BA course admission, it is essential for the students to know about the eligibility criteria and all the BA course details.
- BA course eligibility includes students having to successfully pass their higher secondary examinations (10+2) from a recognized education board with any stream with a minimum score of 50%
- Many colleges and universities conduct entrance exams for students to be eligible for the course.
- There is no age restriction for this course
Types of Bachelor of Arts
Other than a regular Bachelor of Arts of 3 years duration, an aspirant can pursue BA in distance mode or online mode, designed as per the demands of individuals who want to pursue Bachelor of Arts from their homes, or along with their full-time jobs.
| Types of BA | Eligibility | Duration |
| Full time BA | 10+2 from a recognised board with 50% marks | 3 years |
| Distance BA | 10+2 qualifying degree from a recognized board. | 3-6 years |
| Online BA | 10+2 qualifying degree from a recognized board. | 3 years |
Specializations in BA programme
Arts stream subjects are interdisciplinary, one can pursue a BA degree in a multitude of specializations.
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:
| BA History | BA in Korean |
| BA English | BA in Italian |
| BA Political Science | BA in Spanish |
| BA Sociology | BA in Airlines and Hospitality |
| BA Hindi | BA in Agro Sciences |
| BA Psychology | BA Education |
| BA Economics | BA Corporate Secretaryship |
| BA Hindi | BA Culinary Arts |
| BA Geography | BA in Criminology |
| BA Archeology | BA Photography |
| BA Anthropology | BA in Biomedical Sciences’ |
| BA Rural Studies | BA LLB |
| BA in Drawing and Painting | BA Home Science |
| BA Cinematography | BA Physical Education |
| BA in Social work | BA Journalism and Mass Communication |
| BA Linguistics | BA Music |
| BA Ancient history | BA Public Administration |
| BA in Ancient Indian Culture | BA Communication Studies |
| BA in Hindi | BA Functional English |
| BA in Punjabi | BA Cinematography |
| BA in Marathi | BA Theology |
BA programme Subjects List
Bachelor of Arts is a very broad domain. Due to this, the core and elective subjects can vary from one specialization to another. Here is a list of the popular BA subjects:
- English
- Sociology
- Journalism and Mass Communication
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- History
- Political Science
- Education/Physical Education
- Journalism
- Social Work
- Environmental Sciences
- Fine Arts
- Archaeology
- Anthropology
- Language Course
- Media Studies
- Religious Studies
- Public Administration
- Law
- Statistics
- Functional English
Job Opportunities after BA
On completing the BA degree there are various career aspects or “choices” that one can pursue. Some of the profiles are:
| Job Profile | Description | Average Salary (INR) |
| Content Creator | Content creators can be employed in any field ranging from copywriting to travel writing, blogging, etc. They are also required in big MNCs to develop content for brands and advertising. | 3.5 – 4.5 LPA |
| Academic Writing and Editing | Academic writers usually write content for research articles or papers and edit the already written articles for further modifications. | 4-6 LPA |
| Air Hostess/ Flight Attendant | They are responsible for the safety of passengers inside the flight, taking care of them and serving them onboard. | 6-9 LPA |
| Political Consultant | A political consultant studies the origin, development, and operation of political systems, which may include public opinion, ideology, political decision-making, | 7.5- 9 LPA |
| Author/ Writer | An Author writes fictional, academic, non fictional or any genre of books or short stories, apart from different sorts of literature mediums. | 4.5 – 6.5 LPA |
| Historian | A historian usually writes or outlines the chronological account or record of past or current events in history, dealing with some phase of human activity, either in terms of individuals, or social, ethnic, political, or geographic groupings. | 4.5 – 5.5 LPA |
| Psychologist | A psychologist employs their education and practical knowledge to provide diagnostic interviews, psychological testing, and individual, group psychotherapy, etc. They can work individually or may work as part of a multidisciplinary team or professionals. | 4.2 – 5.2 LPA |
| Executive Assistant | An Executive Assistant performs the role similar to a secretary or administrative assistant. They usually perform tasks from accepting and making phone calls, setting business meeting agendas to reviewing incoming reports, etc. | 6 – 8 LPA |
| Counselor | A counselor guides students or professionals about their career and studies as per the client’s interest. They work either individually or under some counseling company. | 3.5 – 5.5 LPA |
| Foreign Language Expert | Foreign language experts are the professionals who help to translate conversations and written files to overcome language barriers in business and communication. | 4 – 6 LPA |
| Social Worker | Social work can be done in any field like child labour, women’s rights, unemployment, anima services, etc. There are so many government institutions and organizations which require social workers. They are also employed by national and international NGOs. | 2.9 – 3.5 LPA |
| Archaeologist | An Archaeologist investigates historic and prehistoric sites and examines the physical remains to understand human links to the past and to preserve past cultures. | 3.5 – 5 LPA |
| Customer Service Representative | Customer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and services. | 4- 5 LPA |
Courses after BA
There are numerous promising career options and job-oriented courses after BA across varied specializations and subjects. From Fine Arts, Business Management, Analytics, IT to Fine Arts, Graphic Designing, Interior Designing, Fashion Designing, Content Writing, Advertising, among others, you can explore multifarious courses after BA. So, if you are thinking after BA what next, we have prepared a list of top high-paying jobs and courses after BA.
Here is a list of best career options and job oriented courses after BA:
- Master of Arts (MA)
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- Master of Journalism and Mass Communication (MJMC)
- Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
- Master of Arts in development Studies
- Master of Arts Political Science
- Master of Arts Psychology
- Master of Arts English
- Masters/PG Diploma in Digital Marketing
- LLB
- Bachelor of Education (BEd)
- Creative Writing Courses
- Graphic Design Courses
- Fashion Design Courses
- Visual Arts Courses
- Foreign Language Certifications
- Photography Courses
- Event Management Courses
- PG Diploma Courses
- PG Diploma in Management (PGDM)
- PG Diploma in Business Analytics (PGDBA)
- PG Diploma in Marketing
- PG Diploma in Fashion Designing
- PG Diploma in Finance
- PG Diploma in Computer Applications (PGDCA)
- PG Diploma in Development Studies
- PG Diploma in Social Work
- PG Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication
BA Admission Process
In India, admission to the BA program is available through both merit and entrance exam.
- BA Admission through Merit: Colleges create a cut-off list, and if your score falls within that range, you are eligible to enroll in that program. The Cut off list in elite colleges like Hindu College, Miranda House, St. Stephens College, Gargi College, etc. goes up to 98% for Bachelor of arts.
- BA Admission through Entrance: A few colleges, including Banaras Hindu University and Delhi University, accept admission via entrance exams such as JNUEE, BHU UET, DUET, etc. The results of these entrance exams and/or Class XII results are taken into account when applying for a Bachelor of Arts course.
The bachelor of arts admissions process is the same for both merit and entrances types, including registration, uploading documents, and payment of application fees. The only difference is that one needs to collect the admit card and sit for the entrances in case of admission through entrances.
Entrance Examinations for BA programme
BA Entrance Exams
There is a list of entrance exams that are conducted for enrolling students in a Bachelor of Arts. Listed below are few of the top entrance exams along with other crucial prerequisites for your reference,
- Students who want to pursue a Bachelor of Arts are required to clear the entrance exam enlisted for the course.
- Admissions to Bachelor of Arts are done on the basis of the score in the entrance exam and the interview round, conducted by the respective Universities.
- There are several entrance exams such as BHU-UET, IPU-CET, TISSBAT, JNUEE,CUET, NPAT etc, that a candidate can apply for based on the college he/she wants to apply to.
If you are going out any Application form then you should aware about the ur category, read the complete guide it will help you.
| Entrance Exams | |
| DUET | JNUEE |
| PUBDET | Azim Premji University National Entrance Test |
| IPU CET | TISSBAT |
| BHU UET | NIMSEE |
Top Colleges for BA in India
Below is the list of some of the top BA colleges/universities in India which you should definitely consider:
- Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi
- Miranda House, Delhi
- St. Xaviers College, Mumbai
- Kamla Nehru College, Punjab
- Presidency College, Meerut
- Fergusson College, Pune
- Mithibai College of Arts, Mumbai
- Jai Hind College, Uttar Pradesh
- Christ College, Bangalore
- Jesus and Mary College, Delhi
- Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
- Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi
- Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
1. Is it possible to acquire a job in a bank after graduating with a BA?
Ans: While B.Com is a common choice for persons looking for jobs in banks, you can still apply for bank PO (probationary officer) tests that hire people in the government banking sector if you have a BA. You can apply for the SBI PO and IBPS PO after graduating with a minimum of 60% marks.
2. Are BA students available for BA students?
Ans: Students and recent graduates of arts colleges and universities have numerous options for finding employment upon graduation. The best arts colleges in the country have a dedicated placement department that helps students acquire jobs in and out of the country.
3. BA or BSc.- Which one is better?
Ans: A BA degree often provides a more expansive pathway, depending on an individual’s learning interests and course of study, but a BSc degree provides greater alternatives for individuals wishing to engage in specialised fields.
4. Which course should one pursue after completing a Bachelor of Arts?
Ans: You can pick from a variety of disciplines of study after earning your Bachelor of Arts degree, depending on your interests. BA graduates typically pursue PG degrees or MA programmes in a field of study that they want to learn more about. Diploma programmes are also a good option for those who wish to learn more about a field and get the skills and information they need to pursue a job in it. Management, Digital Marketing, Computer Technology, Filmmaking, Media and Journalism, Photography, Human Resources, and Hospitality Management are just a few of the prominent PG diploma specialities.
5. BA ka full form?
Ans: BA ka full form Bachelor of Arts
