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Bachelor of Arts is a 3-year program divided across six semesters that introduces students to different BA subject areas like History, English, Hindi, Economics, Philosophy, History, and Political Science. This is a popular program offered by several top Indian institutions and a course that is opted by students across India and abroad. The BA syllabus has been a subject of interest for many simply because of the diversity that it offers; one is simultaneously introduced to several disciplines and is given an opportunity to explore them all. So, in case you wish to acquire a master's degree in the future and need some time to decide regarding which subject to opt for, the diverse BA subjects would help put things into perspective. And you can then go ahead and do a master's in any of the subjects that you covered.
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So, in case you need more time to visualise a path for yourself after you finish school and begin the next phase of your academic journey, a BA program could be a safe choice that will give you time to explore and find the right path for yourself. That being said, to help you know what exactly a BA course covers, let’s have a look at the BA syllabus, books and subjects and get a glimpse into this course before you decide to invest 3 precious years of your life towards it.
Top Colleges in India For BA
Several top colleges across India offer, BA, a Bachelor of Arts degree. While each of them follow their own curriculum, the BA syllabus and subjects across these courses are somewhat similar. So, depending upon the marks that you obtained in your high school and your convenience, you can pick the one that best matches your interests.
- Lady Shri Ram College For Women, New Delhi
- Loyola College, Chennai
- St. Xaviers College, Mumbai
- Christ University, Bangalore
- Miranda House, New Delhi
- Presidency College, Chennai
- Madras Christian College, Chennai
- Hindu College, New Delhi
- Hansraj College, New Delhi
- Presidency University, Kolkata
BA Syllabus: 1st Year
In the first year of the course, as you would be just out of school, the program will start with the basics and familiarise you with the core BA subjects. So, let’s have a look at what all would be covered in the first and second semesters of the BA programme.
Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
English Communication | Youth, Gender and Identity |
Development of Psychological Thought | Psychological Research |
Social Psychology | Emotional Intelligence |
Language | Professional Communication |
BA Syllabus: 2nd Year
In the second year, the BA syllabus will start moving deeper into the BA subjects covered in the first year and introduce you to literature and philosophies of all kinds. In the second year, you will also have to take up an elective other than the core subjects included in the BA syllabus.
Semester 3 | Semester 4 |
Western Philosophy: Descartes to Kant | Social & Political Philosophy: Indian and Western |
Text of Western Philosophy | Continental Philosophy |
Life Skills | Writing Skills |
American Literature | Canadian Literature |
Cultural Education I | Elective |
BA Syllabus: 3rd Year
BA subject list for the third and last year of a Bachelor of Arts degree will majorly focus on the practical side and involve a research proposal and project. Here also, you would have to take up an elective course from outside of your school.
Semester 5 | Semester 6 |
Social Welfare and Administration | Social Action and Movements |
NGO Movement | Spiritual Literature |
Elements of Literary Criticism | Research Proposal |
Elective | Research Project |
BA Syllabus for Specialisations
While you can simply opt for a degree in BA Programme with a focus on not one but all BA subjects, you can also choose one subject of your choice and acquire specialisation in it. This is what is known as a BA (Hons.) degree and is offered in different subjects like English, History, Psychology, Hindi and Political Science to name a few. Let’s have a look at the BA syllabus of some of these specialisations.
BA English (Hons.) | BA Political Science (Hons.) |
Introduction to Literary Studies | Understanding Political Theory |
European Classical Literature | Constitutional Government and Democracy in India |
Indian Classical Literature | Political Processes in India |
British Literature | Political Theory-Concepts and Debates |
Literature and Caste | Perspectives on Public Administration |
Women’s writing | Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics |
Twentieth-century British Literature | Perspectives on International Relations and World History |
Forms of Popular Fiction | Global Politics |
Modern European Drama | Public Policy and Administration in India |
Postcolonial Literature | Political Processes and Institutions in Comparative Perspective |
Classical Political Philosophy | |
Modern Indian Political Thought | |
Colonialism and Nationalism in India | |
India’s Foreign Policy in a Globalising World | |
Dilemmas in Politics |
BA History (Hons.) | BA Psychology (Hons.) |
Ancient Indian History | Introduction To Psychology |
Mediaeval India | Development of Psychological Thoughts |
Transformation from Modern to Present India | Statistical Methods for Psychological Research |
Ancient World History | Organisational Behaviour |
Political Theory | Introduction to Psychological Disorders |
Pre and Post Colonisation | Developmental Psychology |
USA and USSR History | Counselling Psychology |
European Integration and Transformation | Psychology of Individual Differences |
History of Latin America | Social Psychology |
African History | Behaviour and Modification Counselling |
World Politics | Psychiatric Social Work |
Theories of Counselling | |
Developmental Psychology | |
Psychological Research | |
Statistical Methods For Psychological Research | |
Introduction to Counselling | |
Child Psychology | |
Research Methodology |
BA Economics (Hons.) | BA Sociology (Hons.) |
Macroeconomics | Applied Sociology |
Microeconomics | Comparative Sociology |
Indian Economy | Cultural Sociology |
Econometrics | Collective Behaviour |
Economics Statistics | Crime and Delinquency |
History of Economics | Community and Demography |
BA Philosophy (Hons.) | BA Geography (Hons.) |
Applied Philosophy | Maps and scales |
Socio-Political Philosophy | Representation of physical features |
Greek & Mediaeval Philosophy | Geography of India |
Philosophy of Religion | Physical geography |
Problems of Philosophy (Indian & Western) | Human geography |
Maps projection | |
Representation of climate data |
So, these are the specialisations that BA offers and if among these subjects you have a special interest in any of them, you may opt for an honours degree and pave the dream career path for yourself. There are numerous BA job opportunities in India today. Honours courses are also offered by top universities across India and abroad, and you can work hard and get into the college of your choice and specialise in the subject of your interest.
BA Programme Subjects
BA Core Subjects
The BA syllabus doesn’t involve an in-depth study of a single subject but introduces you to the basics of different BA subjects like English, Hindi, Political Science, Philosophy, History, Economics, etc. Let's have a look at the basic BA subject list and understand what all comes under the purview of this bachelor’s degree.
Foundation Course in English | Government & Politics in India |
Indian Philosophy | Political Ideas and Ideologies |
Foundation Course in Hindi | Administrative Theory |
Economic Development | Foundation Course in Humanities and Social Sciences |
Agricultural Development in India | Understanding Prose and Poetry |
Indian Economic Development: Issues and Perspectives | History of Urdu Literature and Language |
Religions of the World | Social Problems in India |
BA Elective Courses
While the elective BA Subject list of each college might differ, given below is a list of electives that are popularly covered in a BA syllabus. Let’s have a look at what these subjects are.
Public Policy and Administration in India | Introductory Econometrics |
Urban Geography | Communication and Development |
Philosophy of mind | Global Politics |
Contemporary Literature | Public Policy and Administration in India |
Ability Enhancement Course | Ethics In Public Domain |
Best Books for BA
When it comes to BA books, there is a huge collection available out there that you can refer to. While each university might have its different selection of books depending upon the curriculum they follow, given below is a list of BA Books that every student should read to cover the BA syllabus. They will give you an overall understanding of the BA programme subjects covered and would help you build a strong foundation.
We all know that it is when books are combined with lectures that you receive from your professors that you acquire holistic knowledge and get the opportunity to go beyond the curriculum that is offered to you. So, make sure that you indulge in these books along with your BA syllabus and make the best out of your BA programme.
To help you out on this front, let’s have a look at a few books that might be interesting and informative to read.
Author | Title |
Romila Thapar | History of Early India |
Prof. Ray and Chakraborty | History of English Literature |
J.C Aggarwal | Medieval History of India |
S.K.Mangal | Essentials of Educational Psychology |
M.P. Sharma | Public Administration Theory and Practice |
B.M Agarwal | Statistical Methods in Economics |
John Hospers | An Introduction to Philosophical Analysis |
Pravin Kumar Jha | Political Science |
Books for BA in History
- A History of Ancient and Early Mediavel India - Upinder Singh
- India's Ancient Past - R. S. Sharma
- Early Social Formations - Amar Farooqui
- Europe in Transition: From Feudalism to Industrialisation - Arvind Sinha
- Mediaeval India : From Sultanat to the Mughals (1206-1526) Part-1 - Satish Chandra
- Rethinking Early Mediaeval India - Upinder Singh
- Mediaeval India : From Sultanat to the Mughals (1526-1748) Part-2 - Satish Chandra
- A History of Modern India - Ishita Banerjee-Dube
Books for BA in English
- Literary terms by M.H.Abrahams.
- The English literature by Dr.Bhimsing Dahiya.
- India Writing in English.
- The English literature by David Daiches.
- An outline history of English literature by W.H.Hudson.
- English literature by W.J.Long.
- A critical history of English literature by David Daiches.
Books for BA in Economics
- Mathematics for Economic Analysis - Sydsaeter, K., Hammond, P.
- Microeconomics - Bernheim, B., Whinston, M
- Principles of Economics - Mankiw, N
- Macroeconomics - Dornbusch, R., Fischer, S., Startz, R.
- An Introduction to Game Theory - Osborne, M.
- Indian Economy - Misra & Puri
- Developmental Economics - Ahuja, H.L.
Books for BA in Psychology
- Nicomachean Ethics - Aristotle
- The Republic - Plato
- On Liberty - John Stuart Mill
- The Problems of Philosophy - Bertrand Russell
- The Human Condition - Hannah Arend
- Philosophy 1: A Guide Through the Subject - A.C. Grayling
- Introduction to Logic - Irving M. Copi
Books for BA in Political Science
- Psychology Textbook by Myers and Dewall, 12th Edition
- Myers’ Psychology textbook for the AP Course, 3rd Edition
- Introducing Psychology by Schacter, Gilbert, Nock, and Wegner
- Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and Behavior
- Psychology 5th Edition by Saundra Ciccarelli and J. Noland White
Books for BA in Political Science
- An Introduction To Political Theory - O. P. Gauba
- Political Theory: An Introduction - Andrew Heywood
- Introduction To The Consitution of India - D. D. Basu
- Politics in India - Rajni Kothari
- Introduction to Political Processes - R. Dayal
- The Globalisation of World Politics - John Baylis, Patricia Owens, and Steve Smith
This is all that you need to know about a Bachelor's Degree in Arts (BA). Everything from BA syllabus, BA subjects to BA books have been addressed. Now that you know about it all, you can make an informed decision regarding whether BA is the right pick for you or not. You can also compare BA vs BBA with the help of our blog. So, if you have already made up your mind, the next step is to crack the entrance exams of the colleges you wish to attend and secure a seat for yourself in the BA course of your interest.