BA Hons

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Hons courses are listed amongst the choicest career options after class 12th. Though majorly pursued by students with Humanities backgrounds, BA courses are also open to students from Science as well as Commerce streams. From traditional subjects such as English and Philosophy to trending ones like Biomedical Sciences and Management, there are a plethora of specializations available. Here is a blog that elucidates the salient features of the BA Hons degree and sheds light on its specializations. 

Highlights

Full-Form	Bachelor of Arts with Honours
Duration	3 Years
Eligibility	At least 50% Class XIIth from any recognised Board and covered the subject of specialization.
Admission Process	Both merit-based and entrance test-based admission process
Average Fees	INR 5000 – INR 1 Lakh per annum
Employment Roles	Researcher, Professor, Political Analyst, Content Writer, Counselor, Translator, Journalist, Operations Manager, Graphic Designer, Archaeologists, Customer Service Representative (CSR) etc.

What is BA Hons?

BA Hons stands for Bachelor of Arts [B.A.] Honours which is an undergraduate course that explores the branches of arts. The major specializations include History, Music, Political Science, Languages, Archeology, Psychology, Sociology, etc. If a working professional or student wants to pursue their BA Hons from the comfort of their home, they may simply pick the distance learning method. BA Hons can be pursued full-time, remotely, or online.

Why pursue a BA  honours?

• A BA with honours serves as a prerequisite for degrees including the MA, M.Sc., M.Phil., and Ph.D.
• One is qualified for the position of a lecturer at any institution or college and improved professional options after successfully completing a BA Hons degree.
• The BA with Honors, one of the greatest and most effective degrees, is very helpful for achieving specialities in certain topics.
• One can pursue post-graduation in a variety of other disciplines after completing a BA Hons.

Difference Between BA Hons and BA 

Though both the programs are offered at the undergraduate level and are of 3 years duration, BA Hons is an excellent course for those who want to delve deep into a subject of their choice, for instance, Psychology, Geography, History, etc. On the other hand, a Bachelor of Arts or BA encompasses the elements of various subjects and imparts knowledge in all subjects. Just like the Hons course, it also helps in inculcating excellent analytical as well as reasoning skills. 

Parameters	Bachelor of Arts (Honours)	Bachelors of Arts
Duration	3 years	3 years
Eligibility	Higher secondary passing certificate from any recognised board.	Higher secondary passing certificate from any recognised board
Specializations offered	Yes	Yes
Mode of study	Can be regular or any mode	Can be regular or any mode
Admission process	Merit-based + entrance based	Merit-based
Eligible for govt. jobs	Yes	Yes
Average Salary	INR 3,00,000- 8,00,000	INR 2,50,000-4,50,000

Eligibility Criteria

As discussed, BA Hons is a widely chosen program across the globe not only by Humanities stream students but also by students from other streams. Scores of universities in India and abroad offer the program along with various specializations.  Regardless of the variant you opt for, the entry requisites remain almost the same. Let us have a look at the common entry requisites. 

• You must have completed 10+2 schooling from a recognised board with a minimum percentage as prescribed by the university.  
• A good score in English proficiency tests like IELTS, TOEFL, etc. if you are applying to a university abroad.
• SOP and LORs as prescribed by the institutions/colleges. (usually required by universities abroad)

Note: The aforementioned eligibility criteria are general in nature. You must get in touch with Leverage Edu experts to know more about it. 

Admission Procedure for BA Hons

• Merit-Based: The majority of universities, including Hindu College, St. Stephens College, and others, use a merit-based admissions process to enrol students in their BA Hons programmes.
• Entrance Exams: Admission to the programme is based on performance in the university-conducted entrance exams in the cases of a select few universities, including Banaras Hindu University and a few others.
• After passing the BA Hons entrance exams, shortlisted candidates are requested to attend counselling, an interview, and the completion of the BA Hons admission procedure.

List of BA Hons Specialisations

Now that you are familiar with the basic details pertaining to the degree course, let us now take a quick look at some of the most opted BA Hons subjects:

• English
• Sociology
• Philosophy
• Economics
• BA Hons in foreign languages like French, Spanish, etc.
• BA History Hons
• Geography
• Music
• Political Science
• Communication Studies 
• Anthropology 
• Social Work
• Religious Studies
• Public Administration, etc 

Syllabus and Subjects

The syllabus of B. A Hons ranges from various compulsory subjects and electives. Let’s look at a gist of some of the most opted courses: 

BA English Hons

BA English or BA Hons English will enhance your communication skills, both written and verbal through a diverse curriculum. Apart from the theoretical and practical knowledge imparted through literary texts, dramas, and prose, your linguistic capabilities will also be enhanced by reading more poems of historical, prehistorical, modern, and post-modern English times. The course will also shed light on political, social, and cultural events related to diverse eras of literary history. 

Job Prospects	Average Salary
Content Developer	INR 4 Lakhs
Arts Administrator	INR 8.3 lakhs
Public Relations Officer	INR 3-4 lakhs
English Teacher	INR 2.85 lakhs
Speech Writer	INR 2.1 lakhs

BA Sociology Hons 

BA Sociology Hons course will provide an insight into concepts related to the structure of society along with human behaviour in multiple situations, the organization of society in various settings as well as various aspects of society and social behaviour. The course will also familiarize you with details like family structure, global welfare, social class, religious cults, etc.

Job Prospects	Average Salary
Social Worker	INR 2.5 LPA
School Teacher	INR 3 LPA
Sales Executive	INR 2 LPA
Journalist	INR 2.5 LPA

BA Political Science Hons 

Focusing on global and comparative politics, the curriculum of BA Political Science is designed to impart an in-depth knowledge of various forms of governance. During the journey of this BA Hons program, you will study theoretical concepts and practice of politics and popular political systems across the world which will help you analyze global political trends.

Job Prospects	Average Salary
Operations Team Leader	INR 3.02 LPA
Customer Service	INR 4.04 LPA
Academic Associate	INR 5.7 LPA
State Programme Assistant	INR 3.5 LPA
Administrative Officer	INR 3.44 LPA
Executive	INR 3.70 LPA

BA Psychology Hons 

Considered as one of the choicest BA Hons course, BA Psychology will equip you with the intricacies of human behaviour and numerous psychological disorders. Furthermore, you will also learn about multiple branches of Psychology as well as the techniques and methodologies that are used in professional counselling and psychological guidance sessions.

Job Prospects	Average Salary
Forensic Psychologist	INR 6 LPA
Research Psychologist	INR 4 LPA
Neuropsychiatrists	INR 5 LPA
Teacher/Lecturer	INR 3 LPA
Psychotherapist	INR 4 LPA
Counselor	INR 4 LPA
Researcher	INR 3 LPA

Prominent Institutions 

BA courses are offered by scores of universities across the world. While exploring academic institutions for any program, you must take the course structure, research facilities, career opportunities, and other important parameters into consideration. Tabulated below are some of the popular institutions for pursuing BA Hons in India and abroad:

Abroad	India
Brunel University London	Hindu College
Heriot-Watt University	Lady Shri Ram College of Commerce
Michigan State University	St. Stephens
University of Wollongong	Miranda College
University of Kentucky	Banaras Hindu University
Bond University	Hansraj College

Note: This is not an exhaustive list. 

Jobs After BA Hons 

After obtaining a BA Hons degree you can explore scores of opportunities in your chosen field of study. If not the entry-level jobs, then you can also consider pursuing higher education in a similar stream or an interdisciplinary field. Often, the graduates work as a: 

• Content Writer 
• Primary School Teacher 
• Graphic Designer 
• Consultant
• Business Development Manager
• Operation Manager
• Political Analyst, etc.

Salary

• Graduates with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in honours Degree get a salary that varies according to the company they are recruited in, and the type of Job or position, that is offered to them.
• However, the average minimum salary of a BA Hons graduate ranges between INR 2,00,000 and 3,00,000 p.a.
• The salary will also depend upon the skill sets, experience of an individual and educational background and academic performance.

FAQs

This was everything about BA Hons! To read more informative articles like this one, keep following Leverage Edu. Also, if you are planning to study abroad and want to get expert guidance for your application process, then you can always count on Leverage Edu. To connect with us either register on our website or call us at 1800572000.