Overview :
Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) is an Academic Degree which is awarded to students graduating in the field of Arts. Bachelor of Arts is one of the most popularly pursued courses in India. In India, the duration of the BA Hons. course is 3 years. The Bachelor of Arts with Honours or BA Hons. a degree is an academically demanding program. The aim of the BA Hons is to guide candidates become highly skilled, versatile, independent and critical thinkers with a background of research experience, The degree is awarded in any one of the subjects or approved a combination of the subjects. Candidates looking for specialization in a particular subject in their under graduation, BA Hons. would be an ideal degree to opt. It provided a fine base for specialization in their particular subject with Master degree. Graduates can avail better job opportunities as they would be more specialized than a normal graduate.There are many Arts subjects offered to students according to their interests but it depends on the university and combinations offered that students can choose from. BA Hons. combinations include various branches of Economics, English literature, Geography, political Science, Psychology, Philosophy and much more. The Bachelor of Arts Hons. course involves a lot of practical experience as well as interdisciplinary theoretical practice. Students are exposed to a vast range of subjects and research in the field of their choice. Graduates of BA Hons. Have varied career opportunities.
The subjects studied during the BA Hons. course are both factual as well as application-based. Most students, after obtaining the BA Hons. degree, prefer to further their specialization in the field of their choice by pursuing the M.Sc, MA, Ph.D. Only students who have a strong aptitude for Science and Applied Sciences must pursue the B.Sc course.
To be eligible for admission to Bachelor of Science, the student must have cleared the Higher Secondary School Examination 10+2 education from a recognized board. Selection and admissions for BA Hons. are entirely through merit on the basis of the candidate’s performance in the previous qualifying examination. Some colleges may, however, have an entrance test or personal interview as the basis for their selection process.
Here are list of subjects offered in BA Hons.-
- Economics
- English Literature
- Gender Studies
- Geography
- Music
- Linguistics
- History
- Dance
- Sanskrit
- Sociology
- Philosophy
- Fine Arts
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Arabic
- Hindi
- Public Administration
- Persian
- Punjabi
- Urdu
- Sanskrit
- Mathematics
- Bengali
- Journalism
- Theatre Studies
- Religious Studies
- Spanish
- Anthropology
Eligibility
The basic eligibility criterion for pursuing B.A. (Hons.) degree is qualifying 10+2 or equivalent examination in any stream from a recognized board of the country.Some universities and colleges give preference to students who had studied a particular subject in 10+2 which they want to get admitted in graduation. Many Universities also demand a minimum of 50-55% marks as criteria to get admissions in BA.Hons.. Some universities also conduct entrance exams and selection is based on an aggregate of final graduation marks and entrance exam.
Admission Procedure for BA Hons.:
Admission is mostly open to all and to candidates who have chosen Arts as a subject during 12th standard. Also, each college will have minimum cut-offs. Only candidates who fulfill those criteria’s can apply. Preference is given to those with a higher score. Universities conduct entrance exams and selection is based on an aggregate of 12th marks and entrance exam. Candidates will need to purchase the forms from the college office. These will be available generally in the month of June and July. They will first need to make a payment for application form and prospectus. Read the instructions carefully and then fill the form. Make sure to keep the copy or else at least note the application form number.Candidates have to make sure they have the following documents with them during the Admission process.
- Passport size photograph
- Education qualification i.e 10th and 12th board certificates
- School Leaving Certificate
- Extra-curriculum Certificates
- Domicile Certificate
- Candidates with Certificate of Caste i.e. SC/ST can apply. Even those from OBC category can apply.
- Physical Disability certificate should be authorized by the Medical Officer.
Advantages/Benefits of BA Hons:
- BA Hons.degree serves as a basis for higher education in this field such as MA, M.Sc., M.Phil., Ph.D. Successful completion of BA Hons. degree makes one eligible for the post of a lecturer in any university/college and better career opportunities.
- BA Hons.degree is very helpful in attaining specializations in particular subjects.
- After completing BA Hons.one can do post-graduation in a number of other fields.
- After successfully completing BA Hons. degree course, many job opportunities open up in various fields and companies.
Top colleges for BA Hons.
- Lady Shri Ram College for Women (New Delhi)
- Stephen’s College (New Delhi)
- Christ University (Bangalore)
- Loyola College (Chennai)
- Miranda House (New Delhi)
- Jawaharlal Nehru College (New Delhi)
- Presidency College (Chennai)
- Hindu College (New Delhi)
- Hans Raj College (New Delhi)
- Sri Venkateswara College (New Delhi)
Entrance Exam Pattern for BA Hons.
Entrance Exams usually have objective questions by a pattern; some Universities may conduct in form of open-ended questions with a particular time duration. The topics for the examination will vary from colleges and subject chosen by the candidate. Candidates are advised to have a thorough check onto the syllabus of the exam chosen by them. Generally the entrance examination for BA Hons. consists of questions from the 12th and general knowledge and also candidate is subjected to interview before securing admission.
Here is a list of institutions who conduct entrance exams.
- Christ University
- Hindu College
- Lady Shriram College for Women
- Banaras Hindu University
- Jamia Millia Islamia
- Delhi University