Bachelor of Arts Syllabus & Subjects 2025

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Sep 24, 2024 21:17PM IST

BA course syllabus varies for different specializations. BA syllabus mainly focuses on disciplines like Humanities, Liberal Arts and Social Studies. English communication, Political Science, Language, Life Skills, Electives  are some of the popular subjects included in the BA syllabus. The entire BA syllabus is divided into six semesters which is designed in a way to help aspirants to grasp the course knowledge in the discipline they opt for. 

BA Syllabus and Subjects Overview

BA syllabus is entirely focused on Humanities, Social Studies, and Liberal Arts. Students must study five mandatory subjects as well as a few electives over three years. However, there are numerous specializations available, such as Philosophy, Economics, Political Science, Geography, Sociology, Literature, and so on.

The candidate should have passed class 12th from a recognized board to get admission into any BA course. Also, they must have scored a minimum of 50% aggregate marks or equivalent CGPA. Colleges admit students based on both merit and entrance exams. For merit-based admissions, they must meet the expected cut-off marks.

BA syllabus 2024 emphasizes various disciplines like Economics, History, Sociology, Psychology, and Political Science. BA subjects are covered in six semesters and are designed to provide students with a more in-depth understanding of the course subjects and the specializations. The subjects are determined by the specialization chosen by the aspirants and are based on core topics in Humanities and Social Sciences as well as topics in the specialization. Students interested in the English language should study BA English Syllabus, while students interested in history should study BA History Syllabus. Aspirants of Economics should check out the BA Economics Syllabus, while those interested in Political Science should review the BA Political Science Syllabus.

The annual Bachelor of Arts course fees range between INR 6K - INR 1.5 LPA. Also, the average annual salary of  BA graduates is between INR 2 L - INR 8.1 LPA. With their desired specializations, students will aspire to grow in their interested fields and work for the enhancement of the country.

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BA Syllabus- Year Wise

The BA first year syllabus primarily focuses on the foundational subjects and topics related to the field of humanities and social sciences. Listed below is the semester-wise syllabus of BA:

BA First Year Syllabus 

Semester 1Semester 2
English CommunicationYouth, Gender and Identity
Development of Psychological ThoughtPsychological Research
Political ScienceEmotional Intelligence
LanguageProfessional Communication

BA Second Year Syllabus

Semester 3Semester 4
Western Philosophy- Descartes to KantSocial and Political Philosophy: Indian and Western
Text of Western PhilosophyContinental Philosophy
Life SkillsWriting Skills
American LiteratureCanadian Literature
Cultural Education- IElective

BA Third Year Syllabus

Semester 5Semester 6
Social Welfare AdministrationSocial Action and Movements
NGO Movement Spiritual Literature
Elements of Literary CriticismResearch Proposal
ElectiveResearch Project
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BA Syllabus- Specialisation Wise

BA syllabus includes various specialisations for students who want to pursue their desired fields. Some of these specialisations along with their syllabus are mentioned below:

BA English
  • English Literature Twentieth-Century Indian Writing
  • Literary Theory
  • Concurrent- Discipline Centered Contemporary Literature
  • Anglo-American writing from 1930
  • Concurrent Qualifying Language
  • Nineteenth-Century European Realism/Classical Literature/Forms of Popular Fiction
  • Modern European Drama
  • Women’s Writing of the 19th and 20th century
BA History
  • History of Modern East Asia
  • History of Modern Europe
  • Rise of Modern West
  • Social Formations and Cultural Patterns of the Ancient World
  • Generic Elective: Art Appreciation: An Introduction to Indian Art, Archives & museums, Understanding Heritage, Understanding Popular Culture (Any 2)
  • History of India
  • Social Formations and Cultural Patterns of the Medieval World
  • History of Southeast Asia- 19th century
  • Generic Elective: Delhi: Modern or Issues in the Contemporary World, Environmental Issues In India, Making of Contemporary India, Research Methodology in History, Delhi: Ancient, Delhi: Medieval (Any 4)
BA Political Science
  • Generic Elective
  • Modern Political Philosophy
  • Global Politics
  • Modern Indian Political Thought
  • Constitutional Government and Democracy in India
  • Perspectives on International Relations
  • Political Process in India
  • Pol. Process & Inst. in Comparative Perspective
  • Political Theory-Concepts and Debates
  • Public Policy and Administration in India
  • Classical Political PhilosophyPerspectives on Public Administration
  • Language - MIL/ English Environmental Science
  • Ability Enhancement Course
  • Introduction to Comparative Government & Politics
BA Philosophy
  • Indian Philosophy
  • Western Philosophy: Descartes to Kant
  • Continental Philosophy
  • Text of Western Philosophy
  • Analytic Philosophy
  • Fundamental of Social Work
  • Applied Ethics
  • Understanding Psychological Disorders
  • Philosophy of Language (Indian & Western)
  • Text of Indian Philosophy
  • Philosophy of Religion (Indian & Western)
  • Greek Philosophy
BA Psychology
  • Introduction to Psychology
  • Statistical Methods for Psychological Research-I
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Organisational Behaviour
  • Counselling Psychology
  • Environmental Science
  • Applied Social Psychology
  • Stress Management
  • Biopsychology
  • Psychology for Health and Well-being
  • Youth, Gender and Identity
  • Development of Psychological
  • Psychology at Work
  • Dealing with Psychological Disorders
  • Community Psychology
  • Health Psychology
  • Human Resource Management
  • Psychological Research
  • Positive Psychology
  • General Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Statistical Methods for Psychological Research-II
  • Emotional Intelligence & English Communication
  • Psychology of Individual Differences
BA Economics
  • Introductory Microeconomics
  • Indian Economy
  • Development Economics
  • Ability Enhancement Compulsory Course
  • Discipline-Specific Elective
  • Statistical Methods for Economics
  • Generic Elective
  • Mathematical Methods for Economics
  • Skill Enhancement Course
  • Introductory Macroeconomics
  • Introductory Econometrics
  • Intermediate Microeconomics & Macroeconomics
  • Skill Enhancement Course
  • Indian Economy
  • Intermediate Microeconomics
  • Mathematical Methods for Economics
BA Archaeology
  • Methodology and Perspectives of Social Science
  • History of Art and Architecture in India
  • Cultural Transition in Pre-Modern Kerala
  • Making of Modern Kerala
  • History of Folklore
  • Introduction to Sociology
  • Methods of Archaeology
  • Development of Sociological Theory
  • Basics of Archaeology
BA Rural Studies
  • Elements of Rural Development
  • Indian Rural Economic Scene
  • Rural Development Policies and Programmes
  • Indian Rural Social Scene
BA Geography
  • Geomorphology
  • Cartographic Techniques
  • Concurrent – Qualifying Language
  • Oceanography
  • Geography of Settlements
  • Economic Geography
  • Remote Sensing (Practical)
  • Concurrent – Interdisciplinary
  • Spatial Dimensions of Development
  • Geography of India
  • Social Geography
  • Field Techniques
  • Geographical Information System
  • Climatology
  • Geography of Population
  • Analytical Physical Geography
  • Thematic Cartography (Practical)
  • Concurrent – Credit Language
  • Environmental Geography
  • Urban Geography
  • Geography of Natural Resources
  • Statistical Methods in Geography
  • Evolution of Geographical Thought
  • Regional Planning: Case Studies
  • Disaster Management
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BA Entrance Exam Syllabus

The entrance exams conducted to get admission in a BA course are:

  • CUET
  • JSAT
  • IPU CET
  • DU JAT
  • NIMSEE
  • TISSBAT
  • PUBDET

The syllabus for BA Entrance Exam is given below:

  • Languages: The syllabus for this section covers Reading Comprehension (based on different types of passages- Factual, Literary, or Narrative), Literary Aptitude, and Vocabulary.
  • General Test: The syllabus of this section covers General Knowledge, Current Affairs, General Mental Ability, Numerical Ability, Quantitative Reasoning (Simple application of basic mathematical concepts arithmetic/algebra geometry/mensuration/statistics), Logical, and Analytical Reasoning.
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BA Subjects

BA subjects include general subjects along with a few elective subjects, which students can choose alongside.  The following are the major subjects of the BA syllabus 2024:

BA Subjects
General
  • English, Philosophy
  • French, Journalism and Mass Communication
  • Religious Studies
  • Psychology
  • History
  • Sociology
  • Media Studies
  • Linguistic Courses
Elective
  • Elements of Rural Development
  • Urban Geography
  • Communication and Development
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Contemporary Literature
  • Understanding Human Language
  • Economy and Society
  • Ethics In Public Domain
  • Environmental Issues In India
  • Public Policy and Administration in India
  • Archaeological Anthropology
  • Introductory Econometrics
  • Philosophy of mind
  • Global Politics
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BA Important Books

The following books can be referred to study BA:

  • Rajaraman, V.: Fundamentals of Computers (3rd ed.), Prentice Hall of India, New Delhi.
  • Willoughby: Principles of Public Administration
  • Majumdar, Ray: An Advanced History of India.
  • White: Introduction to the Study of Public Administration
  • Tripathi, R.S.: Ancient India.
  • Sharma, M.P.: Public Administration Theory and Practice
  • Basham, A: The Wonder That Was India, London 1954
  • Chhangani, M.S.: Computer: Insight and Applications, Alka Publications, Ajmer
  • Ray Chaudhary, H.C.: Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta, 1963.
  • Sastri. K.A.N: The age of the Nandas and Mauryans (In English and Hindi)
  • Trainer, T.et.al: Computer (4th ed.) Me Graw Hill, 1994.
  • Dr. I.A. Khan: Environmental Law.
  • Sanders, D. H.: Computers Today, Me Gra w Hill, 1988.
  • Upendra Baxi: Environmental Protection Act: An Agenda for Implementation.
  • S.K. Shukla: Compendium on Environmental Pollutions Laws, 1985.
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BA Common Subjects for All Semester

There are no common subjects under BA as these subjects differ for different specialisations offered under BA. It completely depends on the student as to which specialisation he/she chooses. With the change in semesters, the subjects keep changing so that the student gets familiar with conceptual learning in a better way.

BA Optional Subjects

Students who take up their preferred specialisation under BA can take up optional subjects alongside their general subjects. These optional subjects are also known as electives. Thus, students can opt for elective subjects besides their general subjects only under their specialised courses.

Specialisation offered in BA 

BA program offers the candidates with various specialisations which will help enhance their knowledge about a specific concept and help them pursue it further at the masters level. Following is a table showcasing a few of the different specialisations offered under BA:

BA EconomicsBA EnglishBA Music Vocal
BA SociologyBA HistoryBA Rural Development
BA PhilosophyBA FrenchBA Film Studies
BA Social ScienceBA EducationBA Business Economics
BA Fashion DesigningBA GeographyBA Psychology
BA AnthropologyBA SanskritBA Home Science
BA TeluguBA Media ScienceBA Journalism
BA Social WorkBA AstrologyBA Fine Arts
BA ActingBA UrduBA Punjabi
BA Political ScienceBA TourismBA Dance
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Syllabus for BA Distance Programs

The Distance BA programme is offered by numerous Indian universities and colleges. The course was created with the principles of distance learning in mind. Students who cannot afford to attend classes on-campus or who are working full-time and cannot take time off to enroll in a full-time course should take this course.

Following are the subjects offered under the BA distance program:

  • Foundation Course in English                                                         
  • Understanding Prose and Poetry
  • History of Urdu Language
  • Society and Religion
  • India: Earliest Times to 8th Century A.D.
  • India from 8th to 15th Century A.D.
  • India from 16th to Mid-18th Century A.D.
  • Modern Europe: Mid -18th to Mid-20th Century
  • Economic Development
  • The Study of Society
  • Fundamentals of Economics
  • Social Problems in India
  • Indian Economic Development: Issues and
  • Perspectives
  • Elementary Statistical Methods and Survey Techniques
  • National Income
  • Foundation Course in Hindi
  • History of Urdu Literature
  • Administrative Theory
  • Political Ideas and Ideologies
  • Government & Politics in India
  • Modern Indian Political Thought
  • Government and Politics in East
  • Government and Politics in Australia
  • Society in India
  • Agricultural Development in India
  • Indian Philosophy
  • Ancient and Medieval Philosophy
  • Modern Western Philosophy
  • Contemporary Western Philosophy
  • Public Policy
  • Religions of the World
  • Philosophy of Science and Cosmology
  • Philosophy of Human Persons
  • Foundation Course in Humanities and Social Sciences

In a distance BA course, a student has the option to choose his minor subjects as his interest. These are minor or elective subjects that a student can choose over the 3 years of distance BA:

  • Elements of Rural Development
  • Understanding Human Language
  • Urban Geography
  • Communication and
  • Development
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Economy and Society
  • Archaeological Anthropology
  • Introductory Econometrics
  • Ethics In Public Domain
  • Philosophy of mind
  • Contemporary Literature
  • Environmental Issues In India
  • Public Policy and Administration in India
  • Global Politics
  • Ability Enhancement Course
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BA Course Structure

BA course includes many specialisations in which the students can pursue and master. The course structure for BA can be laid down in the following way:

  • Semesters- 6
  • Duration- 3 years
  • Core and elective subjects- Based on the BA specialisation
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FAQs about B.A. Syllabus

Can I enrol in BA after I finish class 12th?

Students who have completed Class 12th are eligible for bachelor's degree programmes in the arts. Top BA colleges consider applicants with a high percentage in class 12 or higher for admission. An applicant needs to do well in class 12 in order to be admitted to the best BA colleges in India.

Can we get a BA in two subjects?

If you want to attend regular colleges, you can pursue a bachelor's degree in arts one at a time. Assume you want to do a BA in history and a BA in political science, which is possible if you choose one of them to be distant/open learning.
 

What is the best BA subject to pursue?

The best options are a BA in Economics or a BA in Political Science.
 

How many subjects are there in a BA?

A BA (Hons.) student's syllabus will most likely include four core subjects and two electives. A student pursuing a general BA, on the other hand, has the option of selecting all six subjects. 
 

What are the books for BA English?

In BA English, students study the following subjects and books:

Subjects

Books

Authors

Indian Writing in English

An Anthology of Indian English Poetry

Orient Longman

Indo-English Prose: A Selection

C. Subbian

Fiction

Wuthering Heights

Emily Bronte

The Mayor of Caster Bridge

Thomas Hardy

Animal Farm

George Orwell

Literary Forms and Terms

A Glossary of Literary Terms

M.H. Abrams

Prose

A Galaxy of English Essayists

M.G.Nayar

The History of English Literature (1350-1850) - I

History of English Literature

Edward Albert

What are the various job opportunities after BA?

Job opportunities for BA graduates are easily accessible to students. With options from Psychology, Anthropology, History, Literature, Political Science, Philosophy, Foreign Languages, Foreign Studies, Tourism, Public Relations, Sociology, and more, a student can easily customise their Bachelor of Arts course according to their future goals. Some of the job opportunities are as follows:

  • Executive Assistant
  • Operations Manager
  • Human Resources Manager
  • Graphic Designer
  • Content Writer
  • Operations Team Leader
  • Marketing Manager
  • Business Development Manager


 

Is BA a good course for the future?

Having a BA degree opens up a lot of prospects in terms of the jobs you can do, and also the higher education you can pursue. If you are interested in research, you can specialise in a particular field of your choice by taking up the desired specialisation.
 

 

What percentage is good in BA?

65-70% is considered as a good percentage in BA. It is considered as the 1st division.
 

What are the subjects in BA 1st year?

The BA subjects 1st year primarily focus on the foundational topics related to the field of humanities and social sciences. Listed below is the semester-wise syllabus of BA for the first year:

  • English Communication
  • Youth, Gender and Identity
  • Development of Psychological Thought
  • Psychological Research
  • Political Science
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Language
  • Professional Communication

What are the entrance examinations required for admission?

The entrance exams conducted to get admission in a BA course are:

  • CUET
  • JSAT
  • IPU CET
  • DU JAT
  • NIMSEE
  • TISSBAT
  • PUBDET
     

Is Mathematics necessary at 12th class for admission into this BA course?

 No, it is not compulsory to pursue 12th with Mathematics for a BA course. It completely depends on the interest of the student.
 

 

What is the average placement package for BA?

 The average placement package for BA is between INR 2L- INR 8.1LPA. 
 

What is the average course fee for BA?

The annual course fees for BA courses ranges between INR 6,000- INR 1.5 LPA.
 

What are the best colleges/universities for BA?

Some of the best colleges/universities for BA are St. Xavier’s College Mumbai, Christ University, Presidency College Chennai, Delhi University and Indraprastha University.
 

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