Bachelor of Arts (BA) Subjects 2025: Year-Syllabus, Electives, Books, Specializations

Bachelor of Arts or BA is one of the many programmes you can opt for after class 12th. It is also one of the most popular undergraduate degree courses that can be completed in three years duration. BA can be pursued through different modes such as full time, part time or distance learning. Admission to BA programmes is determined by a combination of entrance exams and merit. Students must achieve the specified cut off marks in order to be admitted on the basis of merit.Executive associate, HR Manager, Content Writer, Marketing Manager, Brand Manager, etc. are among the BA careers that are available after graduation.

BA is offered by a large number of colleges as it is one of the most demanding courses in India. There are multiple BA specialisations, however, some of the renowned ones include the names of English, Hindi, Sociology, History, Economics, and Political Science. The opted specialisation determines the BA subjects, that students will be taught in the curriculum. The elective studies in BA are optional and add flexibility and variety to the course.

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Over 17,000 BA Colleges in India

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Important Facts

The students interested in opting Bachelor of Arts can read the below points related to the programme.

Suitability: The BA degree is intended for people who desire to pursue careers in the social and humanities fields. Candidates who have completed their 10+2 in any stream are eligible to apply for the course. Also, some colleges mention that aspirants should have obtained a minimum of 50% aggregate marks in 10+2 to get admission in BA course. Applicants seeking to pursue degrees in humanities and social sciences, such as those in English, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Communication Studies, etc opt for BA. It allows them to work in various fields.

Learnings: A Bachelor of Arts (BA) typically concentrates on soft skills, delving into subjects like communication, sociology, the humanities, and creative writing. A bachelor of arts is frequently chosen by students who are less committed to a specific job and who seek a more extensive, all-encompassing educational experience. On the other hand, people who want to learn a variety of modern companies' desired abilities will frequently seek technical education through a BSc programme.

Admissions: The admission process for BA programme is simple, but might vary from college to college. In generic, the applications for BA courses are accessible both online and offline through the university's admissions office. The candidates' undergraduate academic achievements also play a significant effect in their ability to be admitted as BA candidates. The majority of colleges conduct entrance tests in August to determine admission for the first year of the BA programme.

Entrance Exams: The final decision about enrollment to a BA programme is based on the students' performance on entrance tests including DUET, PUB DET, IPU CET, JNU EE, BHU UET, etc. Colleges may interview applicants prior to admission to see whether they have strong communication abilities.

Types/Modes of BA: BA can be pursued in full-time, part time and distance modes.

• Full-time course can be completed in three years duration, during which time students must physically attend classes, turn in assignments, and take tests in college.
• For students who are unable to attend normal classes, there is a part-time BA programme. Depending on the course, part-time courses may involve online, weekend, or night classes.
• The Distance BA was created with the concept of distance education in mind. Students who cannot afford to attend classes on-campus or who are working full-time and cannot take time off to enrol in a full-time course should take this course.

Check out the eligibility and duration of three different types of BA courses below:

Types of BA Programme	Duration	Eligibility
BA (Full-Time)	3 years	Candidates should have 10+2 pass certificate from a recognised board with a minimum 50% marks.
BA (Distance)	3-6 years	Aspirants should have class 12th pass certificate from a recognised board.
BA (Online)	3 years	Candidates should have 10+2 pass certificate from a recognised board.

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BA Syllabus

BA syllabus vary for different BA programmes as per the specialisations. The four semesters of BA coursework are divided among disciplines that are intended to help students get better grasp of the course and specialisation. The range of jobs available for BAs is broad and includes everything from content writer to HR manager. Syllabus of BA courses of some of the popular discipline are listed below. BA syllabus is same in most of the colleges across the nation. However, minor differences can be observed in few colleges.

Check out the syllabus of different BA programmes below:

Subjects	Syllabus
BA English	English Literature 4(i)
	Twentieth Century Indian Writing(i)
	Concurrent – Qualifying Language
	English Literature 4(ii)
	Twentieth Century Indian Writing(ii)
	English Literature 1(i)
	Concurrent – Credit Language
	English Literature 1(ii)
	English Literature 2(i)
	Nineteenth Century European Realism(i)/ Classical Literature (i)/ Forms of Popular Fiction (i)
	Concurrent – Interdisciplinary
	English Literature 2(ii)
	English Literature 3(i)
	Nineteenth Century European Realism(ii)/ Classical Literature (ii)/ Forms of Popular Fiction (ii)
	Concurrent – Discipline Centered I
	English Literature 3(ii)
	English Literature 5(i)
	Contemporary Literature(i)
	Anglo-American Writing from 1930(i)/ Literary Theory (i)/ Women’s Writing of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries (i)/ Modern European Drama (i)
	English Literature 5(ii)
	Contemporary Literature(ii)
	Anglo-American Writing from 1930(ii)/ Literary Theory (ii)/ Women’s Writing of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries (ii)/ Modern European Drama (ii)
	Concurrent – Discipline Centered II
BA History	History of India-I
	Social Formations and Cultural Patterns of the Ancient World
	History of India-II
	Social Formations and Cultural Patterns of the Medieval World
	History of India-III (c. 750-1206)
	Rise of Modern West-I
	History of India IV (c.1206-1550)
	Rise of Modern West -11
	History of India-V (c. 1550-1605)
	History of India-VI (c. 1750-1857
	History of Modern Europe- I (c. 1780-1939)
	History of India-VII (c. 1605-1750)
	History of India-VIII (c. 1857-1950)
	History of Modern Europe- II (1780-1939)
	History Of Southeast Asia-The 19TH Century
	History Of Southeast Asia-The 20TH Century
	History of Modern East Asia-I(c.1840-1919)
	History of Modern East Asia-1I (c. 1868-1945)
	Generic Elective (Interdisciplinary Any Four) Environmental Issues In India Research Methodology in History Making of Contemporary India Delhi: Ancient Delhi: Medieval Delhi: Modern Issues in Contemporary World Any Two: Understanding Heritage/ Art Appreciation: An Introduction to Indian Art/ Archives and museums/ Understanding Popular Culture
	Discipline Specific Elective (Any Four) History Of United States Of America -1(C. 1776 -1945) History Of United States Of America -I1(C. 1776 - 1945) History Of The USSR-I (c. 1917- 1964) History Of The USSR-II (c. 1917- 1964) History Of Africa (c. 1500 - 1960s)
BA Archaeology	Making of Modern Kerala
	Informatics
	Basics of Indian Numismatics
	Introduction to Political Science
	Understanding the Past
	Early Societies in India
	Development of Numismatics in India
	Governmental Machinery and Processes
	Growth of Indian Archaeology
	Introduction to Archives and Records
	Environmental History
	Archaeological Sites and Monuments in India
	Archival Conservation and Reprography
	Methodology and Perspectives of Social Science
	History of Art and Architecture in India
	Basics of Archaeology
	Introduction to Sociology
	Cultural Transition in Pre-Modern Kerala
	Methods of Archaeology
	History of Folklore
	Development of Sociological Theory
BA Economics	Intermediate Macroeconomics-I
	Statistical Methods for Economics
	Skill Enhancement Course - I
	Generic Elective - III
	Intermediate Microeconomics-II
	Introductory Econometrics
	Skill Enhancement Course - II
	Generic Elective - IV
	Indian Economy - I
	Development Economics - I
	Discipline Specific Elective - I
	Discipline Specific Elective - II
	Indian Economy - II
	Development Economics - II
	Discipline Specific Elective - III
	Discipline Specific Elective - IV
	Introductory Microeconomics
	Mathematical Methods for Economics-I
	Ability Enhancement Compulsory Course - I
	Generic Elective - I
	Introductory Macroeconomics
	Mathematical Methods for Economics-II
	Ability Enhancement Compulsory Course - II
	Generic Elective - II
	Intermediate Microeconomics-I
BA Geography	Geomorphology
	Climatology
	Cartographic Techniques
	Geography of Population
	Concurrent – Qualifying Language
	Analytical Physical Geography
	Oceanography
	Thematic Cartography (Practical)
	Geography of Settlements
	Concurrent – Credit Language
	Economic Geography
	Environmental Geography
	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)
BA Political Science	Language - MIL/ English Environmental Science
	Understanding Political Theory
	Constitutional Government and Democracy in India
	Generic Elective - I
	Environmental Science Language - MIL/ English
	Political Theory-Concepts and Debates
	Political Process in India
	Generic Elective - II
	Introduction to Comparative Government & Politics
	Perspectives on Public Administration
	Perspectives on International Relations
	Generic Elective - III
	Ability Enhancement Course - I
	Pol. Process & Inst. in Comparative Perspective
	Public Policy and Administration in India
	Global Politics
	Generic Elective - IV
	Ability Enhancement Course - II
	Classical Political Philosophy
	Modern Indian Political Thought - I
	Discipline Specific Elective - I
	Discipline Specific Elective - II
	Modern Political Philosophy
	Indian Political Thought - II
	Discipline Specific Elective - III
	Discipline Specific Elective - IV
BA Philosophy	Indian Philosophy
	Logic
	Greek Philosophy
	Ethics
	Western Philosophy: Descartes to Kant
	Social & Political Philosophy: Indian and Western
	Text of Indian Philosophy
	Text of Western Philosophy
	Truth Functional Logic
	Analytic Philosophy
	Continental Philosophy
	Philosophy of Religion (Indian & Western)
	Discipline Specific Elective-4 (DSE) Subject Centric (Any Four) Philosophy of mind Philosophy of science Philosophy of logic Knowledge and skepticism Aesthetics Indian theories of consciousness Philosophy of law Indian materialism
Sociology	Introduction to Sociology
	Sociology of India
	Sociological Theories
	Methods of Sociological Enquiry
	Religion and Society
	Marriage, Family and Kinship
	Social Stratification
	Gender and Sexuality
	Polity and Society in India
	Economy and Society
	Techniques of Social Research
	Gender Sensitisation
	Society through the Visual
BA Psychology	Introduction to Psychology
	Statistical Methods for Psychological Research-I
	Environmental Science
	General Psychology
	Biopsychology
	Psychology of Individual Differences
	English Communication
	Youth, Gender and Identity
	Development of Psychological
	Psychological Research
	Social Psychology
	Emotional Intelligence
	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

BA Specialisations

BA offers specialisations in various disciplines such as Psychology, History, Journalism, Philosophy, Social Work, Sociology, and Geography. Some of the popular Bachelor of Arts specialisations are listed below:

Specialisations in BA
Language (English, French, German, Hindi, Spanish, Chinese/ Mandarin, Greek, Japanese and Latin)	Political Science
Psychology	Philosophy
Sociology	Economics
History	Archaeology
Communication Studies	Religious Studies

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Book and Authors 

Books can be a great investment for students pursuing a BA because they can assist them in learning about their area of specialty in great detail. The students can use books as a resource for knowledge to learn more about subjects that interest them. Some of the well-liked BA course books that students can purchase are listed below:

Book	Author	Details
The Bachelor of Arts	R K Narayan	This novel is written by renowned author R K Narayan. The story revolves around Swami, his friends, and his teacher.
Fundamentals of Economics	William Boyes, Michael Melvin	Fundamentals of Economics is a clear and precise but thorough assessment of economics for instructors desiring a brief, practical text.
Advanced Social Psychology	Gullybaba Com Panel	This book give a comprehensive overview of social psychology designed to be accessible for students. Helps students in clearing concepts about social psychology.
BA Developmental Economics	D. Babu Rao	Each chapter focuses on fundamental economic ideas and establishes a connection between theory and application in the real world, giving the material greater meaning for the students.
Ancient India	K L Khurana	This book teaches significance of Ancient Indian History, Modern Historians of Ancient India, Nature of sources and Historical constructions, Ecology and Environment.

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Entrance Exams

Interested students need to appear in the following entrance exams, besides others to seek admission to colleges offering BA courses. The admission criteria for each college is different. Students can check the college websites for more information: 

• Central Universities Common Entrance Test (CUCET): The NTA administers the Central University Entrance Exam (CUET), a national entrance examination for admission to UG programmes provided by all participating universities. Central Universities Common Entrance Exam, or CUCET, was the exam's official name until 2021; the University Grants Commission replaced it recently.  Almost 500 cities in India and overseas host the exam once a year.
• Jamia Millia Islamia Entrance Exam (JMI Entrance Exam): The Jamia Millia Islamia entrance test is administered by the Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University in order to select students for admission to a variety of UG, PG, Diploma, Advanced Diploma, MPhil, PhD, and certificate programmes in fields like engineering, architecture & planning, hospitality & travel, animation, mass communication, humanities & social sciences, commerce, and teaching & education.
• Jawaharlal Nehru University Entrance Exam (JNU Entrance Exam): The Jamia Millia Islamia entrance test is administered by the Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University in order to select students for admission to a variety of UG, PG, Diploma, Advanced Diploma, MPhil, PhD, and certificate programmes in fields like engineering, architecture & planning, hospitality & travel, animation, mass communication, humanities & social sciences, commerce, and teaching & education.
• Delhi University Entrance Test (DUET): The NTA administers the Delhi University Entrance Exam (DUET), a common admission test. The exam is held to determine eligibility for admission to the Delhi University's numerous UG, PG, MPhil, and PhD programmes. Three shifts of the DUET exam are administered at 101 testing locations throughout 18 cities. The LAN-Based Computer-Based Test, the national entrance exam, is delivered online.
  
• Presidency University Bachelor's Degree Entrance Test (PUBDET): To select candidates for admission to the BA and BSc (honours) programmes offered at Presidency University, Kolkata, the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board (WBJEEB) administers the Presidency University Bachelor's Degree Entrance Test (PUBDET).

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BA Entrance Exams

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Distance Programme

The Distance BA was created with the principles of distance education in mind. Students who cannot afford to attend classes on-campus or who are working full-time and cannot take time off to enrol in a full-time course should take this course. The three-year BA programme is an undergraduate distance course that covers topics including psychology, sociology, philosophy, history, and religious studies. Graduates of the BA Correspondence programme can find plenty of employment prospects. Executive assistant, content creators, business growth managers, graphic designers, operations team leaders, and HR managers are a few of the common job roles that recent graduates can begin with.

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Top Colleges

After completion of the BA course, candidates become eligible for both private and government jobs. There are various companies in the private and government sectors that offer jobs to BA graduates. Candidates get eligible to work in different sectors like educational, law firms, media companies and many more firms. BA courses can be pursued from a number of colleges. The table below contains the names of top 10 popular colleges along with their syllabus.

Name of College	Syllabus PDFs
Hindu College, Delhi	To be uploaded soon
Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi	Download Here
Christ University, Bangalore	Download Here
Sai University, Chennai	To be uploaded soon
School of Liberal Studies, Dehradun	To be uploaded soon
Amity University, Noida	To be uploaded soon
Hansraj College, Delhi	To be uploaded soon
Loyola College, Chennai	To be uploaded soon
Gargi College, Delhi	Download Here
Miranda House, Delhi	Download Here

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Arts Subjects and Career Prospects

Following are the most popular B.A (Bachelor of Arts) courses, based on alumni reviews. Explore these reviews to choose the best course in B.A (Bachelor of Arts).

Following are the most popular B.A (Bachelor of Arts) Specializations . You can explore the top Colleges offering these Specializations by clicking the links below.

Following are the most popular B.A (Bachelor of Arts) Colleges in India. Learn more about these B.A (Bachelor of Arts) colleges (Courses, Reviews, Answers & more) by downloading the Brochure.