Indians account for a huge chunk of the global manpower in the medical and technology fields and it is not that surprising considering how single-mindedly most Indian parents want their child to become either a doctor or an engineer. In this pursuit of excellence, however, courses in other streams of education often get overlooked, or straight up get a bad reputation.
Courses in the liberal arts and humanities streams are the prime target of this bias, as people who choose to study for their undergraduate degree in arts are perceived to be inferior in some way to the doctors and engineers of this world. This is especially true for the bachelor of arts degree – one of the most popular degrees in India for those who don’t want to become doctors or engineers.
This blog explores the Bachelor of Arts programs that are offered in BA colleges in Bhopal and the rest of India while discussing the scope of BA graduates in the country. So if you’ve been eyeing a BA course for a subject of your choice, read on to find out more about where it might lead you career-wise.
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Bachelor of Arts: Course Overview
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) course is an undergraduate degree course that educates students in liberal arts and humanities subjects. This degree is offered by most colleges either as a general course or an honours course. The general course BA allows students to choose a few subjects of their liking and offers knowledge about these subjects on an equally intermediate level. Whereas, for the honours course, students are allowed to choose one subject they want to get their honours in, which they are taught in greater detail, along with a few other subjects which are taught at the same level as they are taught in a BA general course.
Other than that, most BA courses are more or less similar in most respects all over the country. Let us have a quick look at the main features of a BA course.
| Name of the Course | BA (Bachelor of Arts) |
| Type | Undergraduate |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Mode | Yearly or Semester |
| Eligibility Criteria | Min 50% in 10+2 from a recognized board |
| Average Fees | INR 4000 – 65,000 |
| Subjects | English, Languages, Economics, Sociology, History, etc. |
| Common Jobs | Content Writing, Sociologist, Social Worker, Author, Psychiatrist, etc. |
| Average Salary | INR 3.5 LPA |
Subjects or Specializations
There are many subjects that one can choose from in a BA honours course to study in great detail. A few of the common subjects that are offered in the top BA honours colleges in Bhopal, like Mansarovar Global University, are mentioned below.
- BA in Public Administration
- BA in History
- BA in Economics
- BA in Political Science
- BA in Hindi
- BA in English
- BA in Sanskrit
- BA in Geography
- BA in Sociology
- BA in Home Sciences
- BA in Education
- BA in Psychology
- BA in Physical Education
- BA in Rural Development
- BA in Social Work
- BA in Public Health
- BA in Rural Science
Scope of a BA Degree
Unlike what most people think, the scope of a bachelor of arts graduate in India is immense because of the freedom this course allows in selecting the subject that the student wants to specialize in. This allows BA graduates from top universities in Bhopal to pursue a specialized career in the subject of their interest, while also keeping many other employment options open.
To determine the scope of graduates who have completed their Bachelor of Arts course in any subject, we have tried to examine their careers from various perspectives. These include higher education options, opportunities in the government and private sectors, the most common job roles and their average salaries, and also the most common industries that BA graduates find themselves working in. Let us look at these in more detail now.
Higher Education Options
BA graduates can choose to study further to improve their knowledge and skills so that they can qualify for higher-salaried jobs than they can get with just a BA degree. Some of the common higher education courses that BA graduates usually go for are listed below.
- MBA (Master of Business Administration)
- MA (Master of Arts)
- Diploma in Data Science
- PG Certificate in Digital Marketing
- PGDM (Post Graduate Diploma in Management)
- LLB (Bachelor of Legislator Law)
- B Ed (Bachelor of Education)
Common Job Roles and their Salaries
Let us look at some of the most common jobs BA graduates find themselves working, their responsibilities in those roles, and their average salaries.
| Job | Responsibility | Average Salary (INR) |
| Content Writer | Use research and search engine optimization techniques to create content like blogs, articles, etc. | 3 LPA |
| Psychologist | Mental health professional who helps people deal with stress, trauma, addictions, and other mental and emotional issues | 4 LPA |
| Author | Writes fiction or non-fiction in the form of books, magazines, articles or plays | 4.5 LPA |
| Journalist | Reports events, opinions, etc on various forms of mass media | 4 LPA |
| Executive Assistant | Handles meetings, calls, schedules, etc of top executives in an organization | 5 LPA |
Areas of Recruitment
Some of the common areas where students form the top BA colleges in Bhopal often find themselves working in include the following:
- Advertising
- Policing
- Law
- Broadcast
- Library and Information Science
- Civil Services
- Professional Writing
- Social Work
- Community Service
- International Relations
- Journalism and Mass Communication
- Religious Studies
- Tourism
Top Recruiters: Government and Private
Finally, let us look at some of the top recruiters of BA graduates in both the government and private sectors in India.
| Government Sector | Private Sector |
| UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) | HCL |
| IFS (Indian Foreign Service) | Accenture |
| IPS (Indian Police Service) | Deloitte |
| SSC (Staff Selection Commission) | TCS |
| Defense Services (Army, Navy, Air Force) | Genpact |
| Baking Exams | Reckitt & Benckiser |
| IRS (Indian Revenue Service) | Vedanta |
Conclusion
So we can see that once we put behind the rumour that arts degrees like Bachelor of Arts are useless when compared to engineering or medical degrees, there is actually a lot of job flexibility for those who take up BA degrees for their undergraduate studies, especially from the top BA colleges in Bhopal. On top of the wide range of job opportunities that are available to them, BA graduates can even pursue technical or management jobs that so many engineers vie for just by doing a postgraduate course in the relevant field.
FAQs
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Can I enter the IT industry after doing my BA?
Yes. There are many certificate and diploma courses available online that you can pursue, from courses in Data Analysis to Cybersecurity. Completing any one of them can land you a job in that specific field in the IT industry.
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Is picking BA a good strategy if I want to focus on preparing for government exams?
Yes. In fact, it is the most common strategy used by Indians all over the country who want to crack one of the prestigious government exams like UPSC, SCC, etc as the study load of BA programs is lower than its science or commerce counterparts.
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Should I do internships after my BA before taking on a full-time job?
Yes. You can even try to find internships in the area of your choice/study while doing your BA course as the experience you gain during these will be invaluable for your future career.
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Which should I choose – BA general course or a BA honors course?
If you want to fully focus on preparing for some of the government exams like SSC, UPSC, etc the best course of action for you would be to go for a BA general course. Otherwise, the BA honours course with a specific subject in the spotlight is preferred as it prepares you for higher-level jobs in that field.
