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 embraces a three-year undergraduate program chiefly oriented towards social sciences, liberal arts and humanities, and other subjects. The Bachelor of Arts (BA) course is a three-year undergraduate degree exclusively organised to provide a wide-ranging complex in communication, objective analysis, and knowledge across respective disciplines. If you wish to pursue this course, you must have passed grade 12th from a reputable educational institution.
There are various specialisations in the BA syllabus semester-wise, such as History, Economics, English, Philosophy, Sociology, and Political Science. Within the course program, you will get a comprehensive understanding of the chosen subject which will be covered in six semesters. Your subjects will be determined by the specialisation you choose and will be according to core topics in Humanities and Social Sciences as well as topics in the specialization.
If you are interested in English, you can opt for BA English or you can go with History, if you have an interest in exploring Historic topics. Further, you can review the BA syllabus semester-wise for the subjects in which you are interested. The course fees vary according to different institutions and lie between INR 6K and INR 1.5 LPA. When you get a graduate degree, you can expect an average pay of INR 3 and 10 LPA. Keep reading to know the different subjects and syllabi of BA and its various specialisations.
Bachelor of Arts consists of various topics foundational subjects and topics related to the field of humanities and social sciences. Tabulated below is a quick breakdown of the syllabus you will study the first year when pursuing a BA:
BA Syllabus Semester-1 | |
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English Communication | Language |
Development of Psychological Thought | Political Science |
BA Syllabus Semester-2 | |
Youth, Gender and Identity | Psychological Research |
Emotional Intelligence | Professional Communication |
Below is a brief of the BA syllabus semester-wise that you will study in the second year:
BA Syllabus Semester-3 | |
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Western Philosophy- Descartes to Kant) | Text of Western Philosophy |
Life Skills | American Literature |
Cultural Education- I | |
BA Syllabus Semester-4 | |
Social and Political Philosophy: Indian and Western | Continental Philosophy |
Writing Skills | Canadian Literature |
Elective |
Tabulated below is a quick breakdown of the syllabus you will study the third year when pursuing a BA:
BA Syllabus Semester-5 | |
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Social Welfare Administration | NGO Movement |
Elements of Literary Criticism | Elective |
BA Syllabus Semester-6 | |
Social Action and Movements | Spiritual Literature |
Research Proposal | Research Project |
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:
In BA English, you will get to read the crucial history of English literature. Below is a brief of the syllabus you will study when pursuing English
English Subjects Semester-1 | |
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Communicative English | Language Paper I |
History of English Literature: The Pre-Chaucerian to the Augustan | English Poetry: The Elizabethan to the Augustan |
English Prose: The Elizabethan to the Victorian | Introduction to Computing |
Cultural Education | |
English Subjects Semester-2 | |
Professional Communication | Language Paper II |
History of English Literature: The Pre-Romantic to the Victorian | English Poetry: The Pre-Romantic to the Victorian |
English Prose: The Late-Victorian to the Modern | Indian Writing in English: Fiction |
Cultural Education II | |
English Subjects Semester-3 | |
Communicative English (Advanced) | History of English Literature: Victorian to the Present |
American Literature | Biography |
English Fiction: Victorian | Life Skills I |
Amrita Value Programme I | Amrita Value Programme II |
English Subjects Semester-4 | |
History of English Language and Phonetics | Indian Writing In English: Poetry |
Shakespeare: Comedies | Environmental Studies |
Elective A | Open Elective A |
Life Skills II | |
English Subjects Semester-5 | |
Elements of Literary Criticism | English Poetry: Modern |
English Drama: Elizabethan to Victorian | Spiritual Literature |
Elective B | Open Elective B/Live-in-Lab |
Life Skills III | Canadian Literature |
English Subjects Semester-6 | |
Literary Criticism: Introduction | European Fiction |
English Fiction: Modern | English Drama: Modern |
Shakespeare: Tragedies | Autobiography |
BA History includes many crucial subjects like The Idea of Bharat, Delhi: Medieval or Research Methodology in History, History of Europe: 1789-1919, etc. Check out the syllabus for BA History in the table provided below:
History Subjects Semester-1 | |
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The Idea of Bharat | History of World Civilization |
Delhi: Ancient or Environmental Issues in India | English |
History Subjects Semester-2 | |
History of India: Earliest time to 550 CE | History of Europe: 13th Century to 1789 |
Delhi: Medieval or Research Methodology in History | Environmental Science |
History Subjects Semester-3 | |
History of India: 550 CE- 1200 CE | History of Europe: 1789-1919 |
History of India: 1200- 1707 | Understanding Heritage or Archives and Museum |
Delhi: Modern or Making Contemporary India | |
History Subjects Semester-4 | |
History of Modern World: 1919-1945 | History of India: 1707- 1857 |
Indian National Movement 1857-1947 | Art Appreciation: An introduction to Indian Art Or Understanding popular culture |
Issues in Contemporary World | |
History Subjects Semester-5 | |
History of Modern India: 1947-2000 | History of United States of America -I (C. 1776 -1945) or History of Africa (c. 1500 - 1960s) or History of the USSR-I (c. 1917- 1964) |
Cultural Heritage of India | History of Southeast Asia-The 19TH Century or History of Modern East Asia-I (c.1840-1919) |
History Subjects Semester-6 | |
Asian Resurgence | History of Communication |
History of Southeast Asia-The 20TH Century or History of Modern East Asia-II (c. 1868-1945) | History of United States of America -II (C. 1776 - 1945) or History of the USSR-II (c. 1917- 1964) or History of Latin America (c. 1500 - 1960s) |
BA Political Science consists of various topics such as Regional Language, Justice and Equality, Indian Political Thought, Modern Political Philosophy, and many more. Tabulated below is a quick breakdown of the syllabus you will study when pursuing Political Science:
BA Political Science Subjects Semester-1 | |
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Regional Language | English |
Principles of Political Science | Political Theory |
Public Administration | |
BA Political Science Subjects Semester-2 | |
Regional Language | English |
Freedom, Justice and Equality | Political Economy |
Environmental Studies | |
BA Political Science Subjects Semester-3 | |
Regional Language | English |
Classical and Contemporary Political Thought | Indian Political Thought |
Research Methodology | Electives |
BA Political Science Subjects Semester-4 | |
Human Rights | Statistics |
Modern Political Philosophy | Western Political Thought |
Electives | |
BA Political Science Subjects Semester-5 | |
International Relations | India’s Foreign Policy |
Public Policy and Administration in India | Indian Constitution |
Electives | |
BA Political Science Subjects Semester-6 | |
Globalisation | Modern Constitution (France, China and Japan) |
Project Work & Viva |
If you are pursuing a BA in Philosophy, you will see these subjects in your curriculum:
Philosophy Subjects Semester-1 | |
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Logic | Basic Logical Concepts |
Symbolic Logic | Traditional Logic |
Informal Fallacies | |
Philosophy Subjects Semester-2 | |
Ethics | Virtue Ethics: Aristotle |
The Fundamental Questions of Ethics | Nishkama Karma (Bhagavadgita) |
Non-Violence (M.K. Gandhi) | - |
Philosophy Subjects Semester-3 | |
Indian Philosophy | Logic |
Inductive Logic | Theories of Causation |
Theories of Reality | - |
Philosophy Subjects Semester-4 | |
Western Philosophy | Spinoza: Substance |
Plato: Knowledge and Opinion | Leibnitz: Theory of Monads |
Hume: Theory of Causation | |
Philosophy Subjects Semester-5 | |
Indian Logic and Epistemology | Ethics and Philosophy of Religion |
Philosophy of Language | Epistemology and Metaphysics (Western) |
Karma and Rebirth | Optional Paper |
Philosophy Subjects Semester-6 | |
Concept of Man and Humanity | Purusharthas |
Nature of Svadharma | Vedic System of Values |
Varnashrama Dharma |
Tabulated below are the subjects that you will see in your curriculum in BA Psychology:
Psychology Subjects Semester-1 | |
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Determinants of Attention | Physiological Effects of Correlation |
Sensory Process and Perception | Introduction to Psychology |
Gestalt Theory of Perception | Endocrine Glands |
Psychology Subjects Semester-2 | |
Heredity and Environment | Child Development |
Memory and forgetting | Introduction to Developmental Psychology |
Intelligence | Relation of Psychology with Education |
Psychology Subjects Semester-3 | |
Introduction to Industrial Psychology | Social Interaction |
Practical | Measures of Central Tendency |
Social Psychology | Public Opinion and Propaganda |
Psychology Subjects Semester-4 | |
Work and Environment | Assessment of Intelligence |
Attention Span | Elective |
Determinants of Abnormal behaviour | Frequency Distribution |
Psychology Subjects Semester-5 | |
Special Areas of Counselling | Methods of Counselling |
Self in Psychoanalysis | Guidance and Counselling |
Aptitude and Personality Tests | |
Psychology Subjects Semester-6 | |
Developmental Psychology | Diversity and Multiculturalism |
Non-Test Appraisal Techniques | Elective |
Psychological Tests |
Tabulated below are the subjects that you will see in your curriculum if you pursue a BA in Economics:
Economics Subjects Semester-1 | |
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Subject Matter of Economics | The Firm and Perfect Market Structure |
Supply & Demand | Imperfect Market Structure |
The Households | Input Markets |
Functions Of One Real Variable | Preliminaries |
Single Variable Optimisation | Integration Of Functions |
Difference Equations | Ability Enhancement Compulsory Course - 1 |
General Elective Course- 1 | |
Economics Subjects Semester-2 | |
Introduction To Macroeconomics & National Income Accounting | Money |
Inflation | The Closed Economy In The Short Run |
Differential Equation | Linear Algebra |
Functions Of Several Real Variables | Multi-Variable Optimisation |
Ability Enhancement Compulsory Course - 2 | General Elective Course- 2 |
Economics Subjects Semester-3 | |
Consumer Theory | Production, Costs And Perfect Competition |
Aggregate Demand And Aggregate Supply Curves | Open Economy Models |
Inflation, Unemployment, And Expectations | Statistical Methods: Intro And Overview |
Elementary Probability Theory | Random Variables And Probability Distributions |
Random Sampling And Jointly Distributed Random Variables | Sampling |
Point And Interval Estimation | Skill Enhancement Course (SEC)- 1 |
General Elective Course- 3 | Skill Enhancement Course- 2 |
General Elective Course- 4 | |
Economics Subjects Semester-4 | |
General Equilibrium, Efficiency And Welfare | Market Structure And Game Theory |
Market Failure | Economic Growth |
Microeconomic Foundations | Fiscal And Monetary Policy |
Schools Of Macroeconomic Thoughts | Nature And Scope Of Econometrics |
Statistical Concepts | Simple Linear Regression Model: Two Variable Case |
Multiple Linear Regression Model | Violations of Classical Assumptions: Consequences, Detection And Remedies |
Specification Analysis | |
Economics Subjects Semester-5 | |
Economic Development Since Independence | Population And Human Development |
Growth And Distribution | International Comparisons |
Conceptions Of Development | Growth Models And Empirics |
Poverty And Inequality: Definitions, Measures & Mechanisms | Political Institutions & The Functioning Of The State |
Discipline-Specific Elective (Group 1) (Choose Any Two)
| Discipline-Specific Elective (Group 2) (Choose Any Two)
|
Economics Subjects Semester-6 | |
Macroeconomic Policies & Their Impact | Policies And Performance In Agriculture |
Policies And Performance In Industry | Trends And Performance In Services |
Demography And Development | Land, Labour, And Credit Markets |
Individuals, Communities, And Collective Outcomes | Environment And Sustainable Development |
Globalisation |
Tabulated below are the subjects that you will see in your curriculum if you pursue a BA in Archaeology:
Archaeology Subjects Semester-1 | |
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Political History of Ancient India | History and Culture of India |
Ancient Indian Society | Ancient World |
Archaeology Subjects Semester-2 | |
Early Historic Archaeology | Ancient Indian Economy |
Ancient Indian Administration & Polity | Major Archaeological Sites of India |
Archaeology Subjects Semester-3 | |
Heritage Management | Museology |
Elements of Archaeological Studies | Historiography |
Archaeology Subjects Semester-4 | |
Principles and Methods of Archaeology | Biological Anthropology |
Study of Ancient Pottery | Elements of Ancient Indian Archaeology |
Below is a brief of the syllabus you will study when pursuing a BA in Rural Studies:
Rural Studies Subjects Semester-1 | |
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Important Issues in Rural Development | Paradigms of Rural Development |
Rural Economy of India | Scope of Rural Development |
Concept of Development and Growth | |
Rural Studies Subjects Semester-2 | |
Social Sector of Rural India | Unemployment and Underemployment in Rural Areas |
Rural Industrialization | Economic Structure of Rural India |
Agriculture and Economic Development | |
Rural Studies Subjects Semester-3 | |
Health Status in Rural India | Education in Rural Areas |
Analysis of Population Growth in India | Rural Social Structure |
Rural Development Programmes in India | |
Rural Studies Subjects Semester-4 | |
Rural Social Sector Development Programmes | Rural Infrastructural Development Programmes |
Area Based and Beneficiary Oriented Programme | Rural Infrastructural Development Programmes |
Rural Studies Subjects Semester-5 | |
Rural Development Institutions and Strategies | Non-Governmental Organizations |
Rural Development Policies and Strategies | Concept of D-Centralized Planning and its Governance |
Concept and Principles of Cooperation | |
Rural Studies Subjects Semester-6 | |
Rural Development Planning | Project Identification |
Essentials of Project Implementation | Concept of Farm Management |
Rural Development - Planning and Management |
BA Geography includes many crucial subjects like the Geography of India, Maps and Scales, Economic Geography, etc. Check out the syllabus for BA Geography in the table given below:
Geography Subjects Semester-1 | |
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Geography of India | Maps and Scales |
Geography Subjects Semester-2 | |
Physical Geography 1 | Representation of Physical Feature |
Geography Subjects Semester-3 | |
Representation of Climate Data | Physical Geography 2 |
Geography Subjects Semester-4 | |
Human Geography | Map Projection |
Geography Subjects Semester-5 | |
Economic Geography | Distribution of maps and diagrams |
Geography Subjects Semester-6 | |
Introduction to Remote sensing, quantitative methods and hours GIS | Remote sensing, Field Trip and practical report |
The core subjects of Bachelor of Arts may change from one college to another college. However, here is a list of a few common core subjects:
The entrance exams conducted to get admission in a BA course 2025 are:
The syllabus for BA Entrance Exam is given below:
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 | |
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General |
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Elective |
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You can consider these books as they are taught by reputed universities. With these books you can have an in-depth understanding of your course programs:
Book Name | Author/Publisher |
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Fundamentals of Computers (3rd ed.), Prentice Hall of India, New Delhi | Rajaraman, V |
Principles of Public Administration | Willoughby |
An Advanced History of India | Majumdar, Ray |
Introduction to the Study of Public Administration | White |
Ancient India | Tripathi, R.S |
Public Administration Theory and Practice | Sharma, M.P. |
The Wonder That Was India, London 1954 | Basham, A |
Computer: Insight and Applications, Alka Publications, Ajmer | Chhangani, M.S. |
Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta, 1963 | Ray Chaudhary, H.C. |
The age of the Nandas and Mauryans (In English and Hindi) | Sastri. K.A.N |
Computer (4th ed.) Me Graw Hill, 1994 | Trainer, T.et.al |
Environmental Law | Dr. I.A. Khan |
Computers Today, Me Gra w Hill, 1988 | Sanders, D. H. |
Environmental Protection Act: An Agenda for Implementation | Upendra Baxi |
Compendium on Environmental Pollutions Laws, 1985 | S.K. Shukla |
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.
Apart from your general subjects, you can opt for optional subjects which are called electives. You can take up elective subjects that are under your specialised courses.
BA programs can provide you with diverse specialisations for your higher studies to help you broaden your knowledge about a specific concept and enable you to seek education at the master's level. Given below are a few specialisations offered under BA:
BA Economics | BA English | BA Music Vocal |
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BA Sociology | BA History | BA Rural Development |
BA Philosophy | BA French | BA Film Studies |
BA Social Science | BA Education | BA Business Economics |
BA Fashion Designing | BA Geography | BA Psychology |
BA Anthropology | BA Sanskrit | BA Home Science |
BA Telugu | BA Media Science | BA Journalism |
BA Social Work | BA Astrology | BA Fine Arts |
BA Acting | BA Urdu | BA Punjabi |
BA Political Science | BA Tourism | BA Dance |
A number of Indian universities and colleges offer distance BA programs. If you don't possess sufficient resources to attend classes on campus or are working full-time, you can opt for this course program.
Provided below are the subjects that you may see in the BA distance program:
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If you pursue a distance BA course, you will have the option to select your minor subjects according to your interest. Given below is a listicle of minor or elective subjects that you can select while pursuing 3 years of distance BA:
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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:
If you have qualified grade 12th, you can apply for bachelor's degree programmes in the arts. As prestigious institutions consider those who have higher grades, so you must have attained a higher percentage in class 12 in order to be enrol to the best BA colleges in India.
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.
One of the best options to pursue in BA can be Economics or Political Science. However, there are a wide range of subjects in Bachelor of Arts including English, Psychology, Geograph, Philosophy and many others. You can opt for the one in which you are interested and aligns with your career goals.
If you opt for BA Honours, you will have to study four core subjects and it includes two electives as well. On the other hand, if you wish to pursue a general BA, you will have the opportunity to choose all six subjects.
Tabulated below is a listicle of books and Subjects that you will have to study in BA English:
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 |
As a BA graduate, you will have access to a lot of job prospects. Having a wide array of options in the fields like Anthropology, History, Literature, Psychology, Philosophy, Political Science, Foreign Languages, Foreign Studies, Tourism, Public Relations, Sociology, and others, you can easily choose your Bachelor of Arts subject according to your future aspirations. Given below are a few job prospects you can expect:
Yes, Indulging in a BA degree can be a great call for your career as it opens the door to a lot of opportunities in terms of the higher education and the job prospects you can seek. In case you are thinking of indulging in a research field, you can seek your favourite course and specialise in a particular field.
You should try to acquire up to 70% in Bachelor of Arts as the average of 65-70% is seen as a good percentage. In addition to this, it is considered as 1st rank.
When it comes to the subjects in 1st year of BA, you will be mainly studying the foundational topics related to the field of humanities and social sciences. Given below are is the semester-wise syllabus of Bachelor of Arts for the first year:
If you wish to get enrolled in course programs under Bachelor of Arts, you will have to undergo these entrance exams:
No, it is not necessary to take Mathematics in class 12th to get admission in BA course. You can opt for any subject in 12th class according to your interest but you will have to make sure that you get a higher percentage to ensure you can get admission in reputable educational institutions with ease.
When you complete the Bachelor of Arts degree, you can expect an average placement package around INR 2L- INR 8.1LPA.
The course fee for Bachelor or Arts may differ with every other college or institution. Nonetheless, you might have to pay an annual course fee of about INR 6,000- INR 1.5 LPA.
There are various colleges and universities that offer top-notch education for Bachelor of Arts. However, a few of them are St. Xavier’s College Mumbai, Christ University, Presidency College Chennai, Delhi University and Indraprastha University. You can check out the admission procedure and eligibility criteria to seek admission in these colleges.