What Is a Bachelor of Arts and What Can You Do With It?

A Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree is one of India's most common undergraduate degrees, with many different streams in the arts and humanities, like history, philosophy, and literature. Earning your BA typically takes three years of full-time study. The broad subject matters you may be exposed to in a BA programme can provide a good foundation for many career paths. According to the Ministry of Education’s most recently available All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), a BA degree has the highest undergraduate enrolment with 24.16 lakh students [1].

Learn more about this versatile degree, how to earn one, typical admission requirements, and what you can do with it. 

What does Bachelor of Arts mean?

A Bachelor of Arts is a college or university degree in various subjects. Each programme covers standard general education requirements and allows you to choose a course in a specific subject, including history, sociology, and economics. You also may have opportunities to study related subjects not directly within your programme's curriculum to customise your education. 

The term ‘arts’ can be misleading because, in reality, you can earn a BA degree in a wide range of subjects beyond what you might consider art. A BA can prepare you for a business, marketing, or international relations career, for example.

BA vs. BSc degree: What's the difference?  

Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BSc) degrees differ in the subject matter you wish to pursue. In most cases, your choice of major (the primary subject focus of your degree) will determine whether you earn a BA or a BSc. Generally speaking, BSc degrees have more coursework in science, maths, and technology, whilst BA degrees focus more heavily on the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

How do you earn a Bachelor of Arts degree?

Earning your Bachelor of Arts degree involves around three years of full-time study. You can extend it by choosing to study part-time. For the first few semesters, you generally focus on completing coursework in a range of subjects, including social sciences, humanities, languages, mathematics, sciences, and fine arts, designed to give you a broad foundation of knowledge. 

For the final semesters of study, you'll primarily focus on coursework in your major. Different universities will offer education in different disciplines, so consider what you’re interested in studying as you choose a university.

If you have an interest in two areas, it may be possible to major in both, known as a double major, or add a minor, which is a specialisation but requires less coursework than your major.

Admission requirements for a Bachelor of Arts

Admission requirements for a BA vary depending on the course and the college. You need to have at least your 10 + 2 in a relevant stream, typically with around 50 percent marks on your 10+2 exams. 

You also need to take the relevant entrance exam for the university where you want to study. One common exam for Indian students is the Central University Entrance Test (CUET), which many universities across the country accept. Some competitive universities, like Delhi University, have their own entrance exam, the Delhi University Entrance Test (DUET). So, it’s important to research which exams your university requires.   

What subjects can I study for a Bachelor of Arts?

The subjects available for study as part of a Bachelor of Arts are vast. After completing the general requirements, you can major in a field of interest. Common BA majors include:

• Archaeology

• Economics

• English

• Geography

• History

• Hindi, other Indian and foreign languages

• Journalism

• Philosophy

• Political science

• Psychology

• Studio art

• Theatre and drama

The list is almost endless, and you will find variations of similar courses across different universities, with slight differences in titles and core classes.

What transferable skills will a Bachelor of Arts give me?

Completing a BA is designed to help you develop transferable skills like writing and critical thinking that you can take into the workplace after graduating. The broad areas of study allow you to develop these highly regarded human skills, which are essential to most professional roles. Transferable skills you’re likely to develop as part of a BA include:

• Communication: A degree involves working with others, communicating ideas, delivering presentations, and writing papers. These are essential communication skills that can be applied in the workplace.

• Leadership and project management: During a degree, you may lead teams through projects and learn to delegate tasks, consider all parties, and make decisions.

• Teamwork and collaboration: Through your degree, you work with different people and learn to communicate with various individuals at different levels. You may collaborate on projects with people from various backgrounds and learn to listen to other points of view, opinions, and ideas.

• Problem-solving: A degree enhances problem-solving abilities when testing hypotheses and designing solutions. You'll develop key critical thinking skills throughout a BA degree.

• Time management: A BA degree teaches you to work independently, manage your own time, and think for yourself. You may also have to juggle study and work, learning valuable time management skills.

• Creativity: A BA fosters creativity to solve problems and find original solutions.

What can I do with a Bachelor of Arts?

A Bachelor of Arts can create job opportunities in all fields, including the arts, business, nonprofit, marketing, and human resources. On average, the base salary for a graduate with a bachelor’s degree is ₹8,00,000, according to Glassdoor [2]. 

Job opportunities will often depend on your concentration, but having a degree, in general, demonstrates the desired level of education and the development of transferable skills that many employers are looking for. Check out these eight jobs you can get with a BA and their average annual salary:

*All salaries are average annual base pay from Glassdoor as of February 2025 and do not include additional pay, such as commission and benefits.

• Human resources specialist: ₹6,00,000 

• Technical writer: ₹8,00,000

• Journalist: ₹3,60,000

• Graphic designer: ₹2,64,000

• Social worker: ₹2,64,000

• Archaeologist: ₹8,40,000

• Business manager: ₹10,00,000

• Social media manager: ₹3,60,000

What options are there for further study?

After completing a Bachelor of Arts, many graduates deepen their subject knowledge with a Master of Arts (MA) or Doctorate (PhD) in their chosen field or a related area. This can open up opportunities for more advanced roles that require a postgraduate degree. Other options for further study include a Master of Business Administration (MBA) for jobs in business or a terminal degree for a career in law, education, arts, or architecture.

Enrol in a Bachelor of Arts with Coursera

A Bachelor of Arts degree can set you up for myriad educational and professional opportunities. Start a career, progress within your current job, or change career fields by earning your bachelor's degree online from a top university. If you already have some college credits, you can leverage your previous educational experiences to earn your degree faster with the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences from the University of North Texas. You might also consider Georgetown University’s Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies Completion Programme to develop relevant skills in business, international relations, media and communications, and more.