What is BA: Full Form, Course Duration, Admission 2026, Colleges, Syllabus, Salary & Scope

BA full form is Bachelor of Arts and is a 3 to 4-year undergraduate degree course. Students who have opted for the Humanities stream in Class 12, irrespective of the core subjects, generally opt for BA courses. Students from all streams and academic backgrounds can pursue BA courses. Students can choose their majors in BA degrees, since they are available in more than 100 specializations, teaching various subjects and disciplines. 

The BA course duration is 3 years in India, but it also depends on the type of BA course you choose. The NEP (National Education Policy) of India has offered freedom for students to choose, whether they wish to pursue a BA course in 4 or 3-year duration. I believe they only provide this choice to students pursuing a BA (Hons) with specialization, and not for a general BA.

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BA Course Admission

Every BA course pursued from DU is the best. But a few specializations that are highly-regarded in DU colleges are BA (Hons) Political Science, BA (Hons) Economics, BA (Hons) English, BA (Hons) History, and BA (Hons) Psychology. Gargi College, Hansraj College, LSR College, Hindu College, Kirori Mal College, Miranda House, Ramjas College, etc., are some great options for BA courses, and the admissions are based on a merit system. 

Candidates who have scored less than 50% in Class 12 can get admission to a BA course offered by several colleges. However, such candidates would be able to choose from a limited number of colleges since most colleges prescribe higher marks criteria for admitting students.

Many colleges offer admission based on the combined scores in entrance exams and board exams. Therefore, the candidates who have performed well in entrance exams stand a better chance of admission to reputed colleges. They can also get admission to private institutes that offer direct admission. They also have the option of enrolling themselves in a distance BA Psychology course which usually does not have any marks criteria. For example,  IGNOU offers admission to BA Psychology to those who have completed Class 12 irrespective of their marks.

Suggestion: Candidates can get admission to BA Online Courses and Certifications.

You can get admission in BA without necessarily passing your class 12 exams. It may be difficult to get admission in popular DU colleges as the cutoffs are quite high and competitive. If candidates want, they can pursue online BA courses offered by top colleges in India:

Note - The information is taken from external sites and may vary.

Important docs you must carry during the BA admission process are

• Class 10 and 12 marksheet
• Photo ID Proof (Aadhaar Card/ PAN Card/ Voter's ID/Driving License, Passport etc.)
• Passport Size Photographs
• Migration Certificate
• Transfer/Character Certificate
• Documents related to Caste/PWD/ECA, if reservation is availed by students.

Entrance exams are a common and widely utilised screening procedure used by many universities to select which applicants must be admitted to a programme. Many well-known universities across the country have built a reputation for conducting internationally renowned research activities. Because the demand for admission to these universities exceeds the number of available seats, these institutions usually hold entrance exams.

Some of the common entrance exams for BA are JMI Entrance Exam, PUBDET, AMU Entrance Exam, CUET, JNUEE etc.. The renowned university releases a cut-off list and students who meet the cut-off set according to the college can apply for admission to the course they are interested in. Click to learn CUET Preparation.

Of course, it is. The CUET exam pattern has 3 sections: Domain-Specific, Language, and General Test. The other two sections remain the same for every candidate, but the Domain-Specific section is based on the subjects you chose at the time of CUET form-filling. The admission to the BA specialisation will also be based on those subjects only. 

Yes, CUET is mandatory for all BA programs in the University of Delhi and its affiliated colleges. You can choose from a number of subjects and make a combination in the CUET form. 

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BA Course Admission

Yes, distance BA is a valid course. It is recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC). There are many reputed government and private colleges that offer BA courses in distance mode of education. IGNOU, Vardhman Mahaveer Open University,  
School of Open Learning, University of Delhi, Netaji Subhas Open University and Tamil Nadu Open University are some government colleges that offer Distance BA courses. Institute of Distance Education, University of Madras, Dr. C.V. Raman University, Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth and SRM Institute of Science and Technology are some private colleges that provide distance or correspondence BA courses. 

Hello!

BA admission to IGNOU follows the same process as admission to any other college. First, students must fill out the online application form on the official website of IGNOU. 

BA admission in IGNOU is a simple procedure. The students first have to make sure that they fulfill the basic BA admission eligibility criteria, after which they can fill out the online application form on the official website of IGNOU. Aspirants must select the BA certification as the course level and choose their specialization. They will also have to pay a nominal application fee. IGNOU releases its list of selected candidates based on merit. Generally, students do not have to take BA entrance exams to gain IGNOU admission. Once selected, they can pay their admission fees of around INR 3,600–12,000 to secure their admission. 

Hope this helps you secure BA admission to IGNOU.

Well, there are hundreds of them. In fact, you'll find many universities abroad also providing a BA in different specializations in an online mode. Though you can refer to the following table for some top options in India.

Note - The information is taken from the official site of the college.

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BA Course Admission

According to the AISHE (All India Survey for Higher Education) report, 1 crore plus students choose a BA programme for their UG degree. These numbers evidently prove the popularity of BA courses among students. Compared to other UG courses, BA courses has a wide range of specializations to choose from such as Hindi, English, History, Philosophy, Geography, Psychology and a number of other subjects.

Let's have a look at top 10 BA course specialisations

1. BA English
2. BA History
3. BA Psychology
4. BA Archaeology
5. BA Economics
6. BA Political Science
7. BA Philosophy
8. BA Sociology
9. BA in International relations
10. BA in Journalism

A Bachelor of Arts degree earned through distance learning is known as a Distance BA. Distance learning allows students to study at their own pace from any location. Distance BA programmes may be less expensive than on-campus programmes. Distance BA programmes are convenient for students who are working. Given below is a list of BA Distance colleges in India along with course duration and the total tuition fee:

Note - The information is taken from the official site of the college.

A General BA course will give you a basic idea of the subject and a base knowledge. But a BA Hons course will provide you with in-depth knowledge in a specific area. The difference between a BA and a BA Hons is their depth, difficulty, and focus.

For example, you'll find the curriculum of a BA Hons course including thesis, practical, project, and research. That's why a BA Hons is relatively difficult. Also, there might be some additional conditions during the BA Hons course admission.

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BA Course Admission

The BA is a base-level course, where you choose a specific area of study and pursue the course accordingly. For example, BA History, BA Geography, BA Hindi, BA English, BA German, BA French, BA Psychology, and so on. You'll find over 100 BA specializations to choose from. It's a vast field; hence, the subjects also vary depending on the specialization. 
But most BA programs start their curriculum with basic subjects to give students a foundational knowledge of what they are going to explore in the coming years.

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BA Course Subjects

Of course, here are some popular Psychology books that a BA Psychology student can read:

• Elementary Psychology by S. M. Mohsin.
• Dark Psychology Secrets & Manipulation by Amy Brown.
• The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel.
• The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy.
• Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.
• The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt.
• Stolen Focus by Johann Hari.
• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van there Kolk M.D.

In my opinion, if you want to prepare for UPSC or any other competitive exams later, you can pursue a BA in Political Science, Economics, History, or Sociology. Since their syllabus is heavily equipped with GK, Indian and world history, public policy, public administration, Indian and world politics, it'll be easier for you to strengthen your base. 

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BA Course Admission

Given below are the best BA colleges in India other than DU:

Note - The information is taken from the official site of the college.

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BA Colleges in India

No, IGNOU does not have regular mode courses. IGNOU is well known for distance courses. If you wish to take admission in IGNOU then you can join BA programme in correspondence or online mode. If you are planning to pursue BA in regular mode you can take admission in government colleges such as Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Delhi University and its affiliated colleges, Jamia Milia Islamia etc. You can also choose from private BA colleges like Amity University, St. Xavier College, Christ University 

Campus placements are important to kickstart your career journey with a high salary and a top company. 

Note - The information is taken from the official body of the college.

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BA Colleges in India

The total tuition fee for BA and BA (Hons) courses offered by the University of Delhi ranges between INR 540 and INR 1.5 lakh depending on the college a student is seeking or taking admission to. In addition to the affiliated college, BA course fee is also dependent on the specialisation selected by the student for the same. This information is sourced from official website/ sanctioning body and is subject to change. Hence, is indicative.

In reality, the total fee that a student is required to pay is much higher than 540 Indian Rupees. This is because there are other fee components which are charged by DU colleges which include application fee, development charges, exam fee and other components.

The below table mentions the BA Hons/ BA fee for the top 5 popular DU colleges:

NOTE: The mentioned fee is as per the official website/sanctioning body. It is subject to changes, hence, is indicative.

More details on the same must be obtained by the students from the admission office of the DU affiliated college a student is interested to get into.

BA offers plenty of employment options in various sectors. Some of the main reasons why students should pursue a BA are:

• The other reason for BA being a popular course is that it focuses on several subjects in contrast to a BSc,  BBA,  or BCom.
• A BA degree will enable students to join different sectors like management, business, healthcare, tourism, hospitality etc.
• Students can pursue a Master of Arts (MA) after BA for further specialisation and in-depth knowledge of a subject.
• Several government jobs require students to have a Bachelor of Arts degree. So, having an Arts degree will be a plus point.

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BA Career

There are a variety of fields you can work in. BA graduates generally opt for the area they graduated in. 

Note - The information is taken from external sites and may vary.

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BA Career

It depends on your budget, career goals, and interests. A BA course abroad will give you more career options, higher salary chance, and more networking options, but at the same time, it is also very expensive, can take a toll on your mental health, give you a cultural shock, and so on. I think you should consider all the facts and analyze if it is worth it for you.

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BA Course Admission

Many candidates choose to pursue a B.A (full form: Bachelor of Arts) course after schooling for several reasons, some of which are mentioned below:

•  BA courses are one of the most popular options among candidates who have pursued Class 12 in the Arts stream. They often choose their specialisation in the BA programme based on their performance in various subjects of Class 12.
• The course curriculum in many BA Programme specializations is theoretical, which can be suitable for candidates who have good critical and analytical skills. A student will also develop their communication, teamwork, and time-management skills.

Online BA programmes provide a lot of flexibility. Students can study from anywhere in the world and finish their assignments at their own pace. This is an excellent choice for students who work or have other obligations. Professors and instructors in online BA arts programmes can provide personalised attention as the student-to-faculty ratio in online programmes is often lower than in traditional on-campus programmes. Also, read BA Online Courses and Certifications.

Given below are some BA Online Courses offered by various course providers along with the course duration and course fee:

Note: The average fees of the BA arts courses mentioned above may vary.

National Testing Agency (NTA) will announce the CUET 2026 exam date in first week of March. NTA will conduct the CUET UG 2026 exam tentatively in May/June 2026. The exam will be conducted in multiple slots each day. NTA will conduct CUET UG 2026 exam in two slots: 9 AM to 12 PM and 3 PM to 6 PM.

CUET 2026 registrations will commence at cuet.nta.nic.in. Candidates willing to appear for the CUET for admission to UG courses at Central, State, Private, or Deemed universities must complete the online application form to appear for the CUET 2026 exam. Only registered candidates can appear for the exam as per the schedule.

Integrated Courses are dual courses that are completed one after the other in the same educational institute. On completion of the integrated course, candidates are provided with two degrees. If a candidate discontinues after completing one course, then the college will provide only one degree.

Additionally, B.A (full form: Bachelor of Arts)-integrated courses are often pursued by candidates as they can earn two degrees in relatively less time. Candidates can find below some Integrated Courses of BA along with a brief course description, course duration, and providing institutes:

Note - The information is taken from external sites and may vary.

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BA Courses

No, the regular BA course still has 3-year duration. It depends on specific specialisation and if you're pursuing a BA (Hons.). Some hons courses can be of 4 years. Since they are intended to provide an in-depth understanding in a specific area of study. 

Around 9,000 private BA colleges in India are offering BA programs in different specializations. Their fee structure differs depending on their rating, placement records, location, infrastructure, faculty rating, and so on. Therefore, the fee range is vast, starting from INR 900 to INR 43.6 Lakh. 

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BA Fees

Well, that would be tough because the BA is a base-level degree with more than 100 specializations. It does not include only the base subjects you read in Class 12, but a range of specialised areas in the Humanities and Social Science domain. Though I can name some popular BA specializations like,

• Humanities & Social Sciences: History, Sociology, Political Science, Economics, Spanish, Philosophy, Geography, etc.
• Media & Communication: Journalism and Mass Communication.
• Languages: French, Spanish, Hindi, Sanskrit, English, German, Japanese, Chinese, etc.
• Then there are other specializations like Anthropology, Archaeology, Fine Arts, etc., also.