Bachelor of Liberal Arts: Eligibility, Scope, Colleges

A Bachelor of Liberal Arts is an undergraduate degree which opens up a lot of career prospects for students as after graduation they can work in various industries and areas. It shares Liberal Arts education in the form of a 3-year program which allows a student to explore various subjects in the field of arts and humanities, social science and languages. In a nutshell, this course helps students develop an understanding of the complexities of society and humanity. 

Let us dive deeper into what the Bachelor of Liberal Arts is all about and other important information related to it.

Course Name	Bachelor of Liberal Arts
Disciplines	Economics, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, History, Literature and Anthropology
Eligibility	Completed 12th class from a recognised board with at least 60%.Entrance exam
Top Recruiters	ITC, Reliance, Goonj, CISCO, KPMG, Flipkart, etc.
Job Profiles	Content Writer, Social Worker, Economist, Public Relations Manager, Graphic Designer, etc.
Skills Required	Time Management, Problem-Solving, Good Communication, Reasoning, Creative Thinking and Dedication.

About Bachelor of Liberal Arts 

Instead of specializing in a particular field, the Bachelor of Liberal Arts course allows students to explore the different fields of arts, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. The central disciplines in  Bachelor of Liberal Arts are Psychology, Philosophy, Linguistics, Logic, Literature, History, Political Science and Sociology.  Due to the increasing interest of people in the field of arts Liberal Arts as a course is gaining a lot of traction.

Students get the liberty to formulate their course according to their interests by choosing subjects. For example, a student can take up humanities courses with mathematics or Economics and History as the subjects of their interests.

Also Read: Liberal Arts Education 

Eligibility Criteria 

Before choosing to enrol in a BA Liberal Arts study, a student must meet the requirements established by the university or college. Although the requirements may vary from university to university, the following are the fundamental requirements for a BA in Liberal Arts:

1. The student should have completed their 12th class from a recognised board of India with at least 60% marks.
2. Students who have pursued Maths/ Economics/ Political Science in their 12th class will be given preference.
3. In order to enrol students in Liberal Arts courses, universities and colleges conduct entrance examinations to test their knowledge therefore, a candidate has to sit for an entrance test. 

Admission Process 

The following are steps that a candidate must adhere to in order to complete the admission process for a Bachelor of Liberal Arts:

1. A candidate must look for a college or university that offers a BA in Liberal Arts as their initial step. One should review the costs, available seats, and the course’s eligibility requirements.

2. After choosing a college that offers a BA in Liberal Arts, the student should submit an application for admission by filling out the necessary information. The window of an application is only open for a certain period of time, and students must keep this in mind.

3. For admission to the BA in Liberal Arts, universities and colleges hold entrance tests. Students’ aptitudes, general knowledge, talents, and awareness will be evaluated. Candidates will be evaluated on their performance in class 12 in addition to the admission exam. They may also be required to participate in a group discussion (GD) round or an interview.

4. The merit-listed qualified candidates will receive an invitation to complete the admission requirements. For acceptance, the student must achieve the appropriate rank and percentage.

Entrance Exams for Bachelor of Liberal Arts 

There are some universities and colleges that conduct entrance examinations to enrol students in Bachelor of Liberal Arts courses. Following is the list of the popular entrance examinations for Bachelor of Liberal Arts:

• Banaras Hindu University Undergraduate Entrance Test
• Andhra Pradesh Research Common Entrance Test
• Delhi University Entrance Test 
• Jawaharlal Nehru University Entrance Exam
• Presidency University Bachelor Degree Entrance Test
• Common Post-Graduate Entrance Tests
• Panjab University Common Entrance Test PG
• Aligarh Muslim University Entrance Exam

Also Read: Top Humanities Courses after Class 12th 

Top Indian Colleges Offering Bachelor of Liberal Arts 

The table below represents various colleges in India that offer Bachelor of Liberal Arts along with their fees and location. 

College / University Name	Location	Fees (1st Year)
Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIRS)	Faridabad, Haryana	INR 1,26,000
Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology (Thapar University)	Patiala, Punjab	INR 4,20,000
Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS Deemed to be University)	Mumbai, Maharashtra	INR 4,75,000
Chandigarh University (CU)	Chandigarh, Chandigarh	INR 1,00,000
The University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES)	Dehradun, Uttarakhand	INR 5,22,000
Maharishi Markandeshwar (MMU)	Ambala, Haryana	INR 95,000
MIT – World Peace University – (MIT-WPU)	Pune, Maharashtra	INR 3,50,000
Manipal University	Jaipur, Rajasthan	INR 92,000
Amity University	Mumbai, Maharashtra	INR 1,18,000
Krea University	Sri City, Andhra Pradesh	INR 7,70,500

Global Universities Offering Bachelor of Liberal Arts 

Studying abroad can help a student to step out of their comfort zone, get a quality education, and make new cultural connections and also it can open doors for a lot of career opportunities. The table below represents various global universities that offer Liberal Arts courses:

University Name	Location	QS Rankings 2023
Stanford University	USA	3
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	USA	1
National University of Singapore	Singapore	11
University of Cambridge	United Kingdom	2
University of Oxford	United Kingdom	4
University of Toronto	Canada	34
LMU Munich	Germany	59
Leiden University	Netherlands	131
Durham University	United Kingdom	92
University of Pennsylvania	USA	13

Also Read: Best Arts Schools in the World 

Skills Required 

In order to pursue any course and succeed in a further career, a student must possess some skills. Following are the skills that a student must have in order to do well in the field of Liberal Arts: 

• Time Management
• Creative Thinking
• Professional Etiquette 
• Dedication
• Reasoning
• Questioning
• Problem-Solving
• Good Communication

Syllabus of Bachelor of Liberal Arts 

There are two undergraduate programs in the field of Liberal Arts – BA Liberal Arts and BSc Liberal Arts. There are various subjects taught under the Bachelor of Liberal Arts which allows students to gain knowledge of various fields. The table below represents the list of subjects taught in the BA Liberal Arts course:

English	Sociology
History	English Literature
Philosophy	Media Studies
Modern Languages	Psychology
Anthropology	Computer Science
Economics	Mathematics
Political Science	Social Work
Geography	Business Studies

Course Structure of Bachelor of Liberal Arts 

The duration of a Bachelor of Liberal Arts is generally 3 years which is divided into 6 semesters. Following is the general course structure of this course which can vary from university to university and college to college. 

• Foundation Courses – 2 (Per Semester)
• Open Elective Course – 1 (Per Semester)
• Core Courses – 3 (Per Semester)
• Discipline-Centric Elective Courses – 4 (semester 5th) and 3 (Semester 6th) 

Also Read: Fine Arts Courses

Books to Refer for Bachelor of Liberal Studies 

Reading books is always a great idea to develop a better understanding of an area. Following is the list of some of the books that can help you greatly if you are planning to pursue a Bachelor of Liberal Arts. 

Book Name	Author
The Fuzzie and Techie	Scott Harley
The Philosophy Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained	Will Buckingham
How to Think like Shakespeare: Lessons from a Renaissance Education	Scott Newstok
Aristotle for Everybody	Mortimer J. Adler
The Well-Educated Mind	Susan Wise Bauer

Jobs and Salaries 

Completing a Bachelor of Liberal Arts can help you with providing a lot of career prospects as you will have various job profiles to choose from according to your interest area. The following table represents some of the job designations available in the field of Liberal Arts and their respective salaries:

Job Profile	Average Salary
Mediator	INR 33,000 (per month)
Graphic Designer	INR 3 Lakh (per year)
Public Relations Manager	INR 7 Lakh (per year)
Economist	INR 13.4 Lakh (per year)
Social worker	INR 2 Lakh (per year)
Content Writer	INR 3 Lakh (per year)
Media Person	INR 2.9 Lakh (per year)

Top Recruiters 

While Looking for a job candidates should always try to get placement in top companies which can surely leverage the professional journey like nothing else. Following are some of the top recruiters that hire Liberal Arts graduates: 

• Reliance
• Goonj
• ITC
• Nestle
• Help Age
• Zee News
• India Today
• CISCO
• KPMG
• Flipkart 

FAQs

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