What is the Difference between BA Psychology and BSc Psychology?

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Associate Senior Executive

Updated on Jun 2, 2025 01:03 IST

Need a bachelor's degree in Psychology but can't decide between a BA and BSc? Learn which one among the two is for you on this page.

Difference Between BA Psychology and BSc Psychology - Psychology is the study of the human mind and behaviour. Universities and colleges offer various Psychology courses and students often get confused as to which course to enrol on. On the undergraduate, institutes usually offer a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. These courses teach students to assume roles like therapists, psychologists, counsellors, etc. after they have graduated and are ready to start their professional lives. In this article, we will discuss the differences between BA Psychology and BSc Psychology and learn what these courses entail. Read further to learn more.

Also Read -
IGNOU MA Psychology Syllabus

Psychology Courses: Highlights

Some general information about psychology courses in our country is provided in the table below.

Particulars	Details
Course Level	Graduation, Post Graduation, Doctoral
Course Duration	Graduation: 3 Years Post Graduation: 2 Years Doctoral: 3 Years
Eligibility	Graduation: Should have passed class 12 from a recognised board and secured a minimum of 50% Post Graduation: Should have graduated from a recognised board and secured a minimum of 45%
Admission Process	Entrance Exams, Interviews
Entrance Exams	JUET, CUET, YCMOU, etc.
Fees	INR 21K - INR 13 Lakhs
Average Annual Salary	INR 1.1 Lakh - INR 8 Lakh
Job Profiles	Clinical Psychologists, Consultants, Psychotherapists, Therapists, Practitioners, Counsellors, etc.
Top Recruiters	Amity University, T & A Solutions, Fortis Healthcare, Shiv Nadar University, Roots and Routes Counselling & Psychotherapy Centre, ACRO, Pearson, etc.

BA Psychology

A Bachelor of Arts (BA)Psychology is a three-year programme which is offered by various universities and colleges and students who are interested in pursuing a course in BA Psychology, can go forward to specialize in various fields such as Organisational Psychology, Child Psychology, and Forensic Psychology. In this programme, students can opt to take up another subject as a minor which is similar/related to Psychology such as Sociology or Political Science or Philosophy. There are various subjects which go hand in hand with a BA in Psychology.

On doing a BA in Psychology, students can go on to make careers in fields such as Law, Social Work, Counselling, Journalism, Political Science, Education and the list is endless. Through a BA course, students have the option to tailor their experience based on the specific interests which are offered by varsities. To understand better what BA Psychology is all about, here is the syllabus for BA Psychology.

Part I (Module 1.1)
Basic Psychological Processes	Biological Bases of Behaviour
Introduction: Definition, Nature, Scope, Methods, Branches of Psychology Sensory Processes and Perception Difference between Sensation and Perception. Attention Emotion	CNS – Brain and Spinal Cord PNS – Nerve Cell and its functions, Receptors and Effectors. Endocrine Glands – Pituitary and Adrenal
Module 1.2
Developmental Psychology	Educational Psychology
Introduction of Developmental Psychology Heredity and Environment Child Development	Introduction of Educational Psychology Learning Theories Memory and Forgetting Encoding, Storage, Retrieval failure, Motivated Forgetting Intelligence Exceptional Children – Gifted
Part II (Module 2.1)
Social Psychology	Industrial Psychology
Introduction: Nature, Scope and Methods Social Interaction: Conformity: Cooperation, Norms, Attitude Influence of Group on Individual Behaviour Social Issues: Public Opinion and Propaganda	Introduction: Aim, Scope and Methods Work and Environment: Illumination, Ventilation, Temperature, Noise, Causes and Prevention
Module 2.2
Practical
Frequency Distribution and Graphical Representation (Polygon, Histogram, Bar Diagram, Pie Chart) Measures of Central Tendency Span of Attention Assessment of Intelligence by a suitable culture fair test. Assessment of intelligence by a performance test.
Paper III (Module 2.3)
Psychopathy	Adjustment
Introduction: Definition of Abnormal Behaviour such as Biological, Psychological, Socio-Cultural. Methods of Studying abnormal behaviour Symptoms of Schizophrenia, Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders	Introduction, Concept, Mental Health, Factors of Adjustment Stress: Concept, types of Stress, Frustration and Conflict Reaction To Stress Freudian Concept of Mind.
Module 2.4
Practical
Measures of Variability – AD, SD, Quartile Correlation Determination of the effective values of colours by the method of impression Assessment of Neurotic Evidence of Personality Designing and Conducting Experiments
Part III (Module 3.1)
Guidance and Counselling I	Guidance and Counselling II
Concept Special Areas of Counselling – Educational, Vocational, Family, Marriage, Old Age and Health Counselling Process – Steps of Counselling Methods – Directive and Non-Directive	Psychological Tests: Types, Characteristics and Uses Aptitude, Interest and Personality Tests Non-test Appraisal Techniques: Case Study, Cumulative, Record Card
Module 3.2
Practical
Personality Test – EPQ Verbal Intelligence Test Strong and Deb Vocational Interest Blank or Guildford Zimmerman Interest Inventory Aptitude Test

Top Colleges Offering BA Psychology

Some of the best colleges that offer BA Psychology are listed in the table below.

Psychology Colleges
DU - Delhi University	IGNOU - Indira Gandhi National Open University
NIMS University	Ambedkar University Delhi
Parul University	>> Check More Colleges

BSc Psychology

A Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Psychology will focus more on the Science and Mathematics aspects and factors. There are more lab work and statistics than what is taught in BA Psychology. The course involves plenty of concentration and practical work to understand the theoretical aspect of what is covered. There is field exposure, experimental learning and giving students a clear view of what the industry requires. Subjects which are related to Psychology in BSc are Biology, Chemistry and Calculus.

On doing a BSc Psychology, students can get jobs at hospitals, clinics, government and business organisations. To better understand the field through a Science perspective, students generally pursue further studies to specialize in a field. Also, students from a Science background can benefit from the extensive study in Biological Science and Research Methodology. The syllabus for BSc Psychology is as follows:

First Year
Introduction to Psychology	Attention and Perception
Intelligence and Creativity	Motivation
Stress and Wellbeing	States and Consciousness
Cognition	Nature and Methods of Psychology
Second Year
Hypothesis	Problem and Variables
Observation Techniques	Qualitative Analysis
Quantitative Analysis	Normal Curve
Parametric Statistics
Third Year
Social Perception	Attitudes
Prejudice and Discrimination	Social Change and Community
Personality Analysis	Inter-Group Conflict
Cultural Psychology

Top Colleges Offering BSc Psychology

Famous colleges that offer BSc Psychology are mentioned in the table below.

Calicut University	St. Paul’s College
Adamas University	Loreto College
Thakur College of Science	>>Check More Colleges

Difference between BA and BSc Psychology

The basic differences between the two undergraduate psychology courses are provided in the table below.

	BA Psychology	BSc Psychology
Focus	Psychology and Non-Psychology fields	Applied Psychology and Research Psychology
Career Opportunities	Law, Journalism, Counselling, Human Resources, Social Work, Health Psychology, Child and Family Psychology	Clinical Psychology, Health Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Government, Organisational, Medicine, Hospitals
Eligibility Criteria	The candidate needs to be a Class 12 pass in any stream from a recognised board and should have secured a minimum of 45% to be eligible.	The candidate should have passed their Class 12 in Science stream from a recognised board and should have secured a minimum of 50% to be eligible.
Admission	Admission can be done either through merit or entrance exams.	Admission is done through entrance exams.

Read More:

What is the difference between Basic Psychology and Applied Psychology?

About the Author

Aayushi Madavi

Associate Senior Executive

Aayushi is a BAJMC graduate and an ardent consumer of content with a keen passion for film, TV and books. She specialises in Mass Communication and Humanities related exams, entrances and courses.