Editing Bachelor of Arts

{{Short description|Type of undergraduate qualification}}
{{Redirect2|B.A.|A.B.|other uses|BA (disambiguation)|and|AB (disambiguation)}}
{{For-multi|the R. K. Narayan novel|The Bachelor of Arts|the film|Bachelor of Arts (film)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}

{{More citations needed|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox examination
| name                = Bachelor of Arts
| image_name          = NU_Diploma_(redacted).jpg
| image_size          = 263px
| image_alt           = 
| caption             = A Bachelor of Arts degree from [[Northwestern University]]
| acronym             = BA<br />AB
| type                = [[Bachelor's degree]]
| duration            = Three or four years, depending on country
}}

A '''Bachelor of Arts''' (abbreviated '''B.A.''', '''BA''', '''A.B.''' or '''AB'''; from the [[Latin]] ''{{lang|la|baccalaureus artium}}'', ''{{lang|la|baccalaureus in artibus}}'', or ''{{lang|la|artium baccalaureus}}'') is the holder of a [[bachelor's degree]] awarded for an [[undergraduate education|undergraduate]] program in the [[liberal arts education|liberal arts]],<ref>{{cite web |date=2018-10-23 |title=Understand the Difference Between a BA and BS Degree |url=https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/understand-the-difference-between-a-ba-and-bs-degree/ |access-date=2023-08-19|website=US News and World Report |language=en-US |archive-date=23 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723184405/https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/understand-the-difference-between-a-ba-and-bs-degree |url-status=live}}</ref> or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years, depending on the country and institution.

* Degree attainment typically takes five or more years in [[Education in Argentina|Argentina]], [[Education in Brazil|Brazil]], [[Education in Chile|Chile]], and  [[Education in Peru|Peru]].
* Degree attainment typically takes four years in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada (except Quebec), China, Egypt, Finland, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, [[Scotland]], Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, the United States, and Zambia.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uta.fi/FAST/US5/REF/gpa.html |title=FAST-US-5 United States Education Reference File<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=19 August 2008 |archive-date=22 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222074640/http://www.uta.fi/FAST/US5/REF/gpa.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
* Degree attainment typically takes three years in Albania, Algeria, Australia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Israel,<ref>{{cite web |title=BA Business Administration – RRIS – IDC Herzliya |url=https://www.idc.ac.il/en/schools/rris/undergraduate/pages/business-admin.aspx |access-date=2021-06-04 |website=www.idc.ac.il |language=en |archive-date=22 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211122223309/https://www.idc.ac.il/en/schools/rris/undergraduate/pages/business-admin.aspx |url-status=live}}</ref> Italy, Montenegro, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the [[provinces and territories of Canada|Canadian province]] of [[Quebec]], South Africa (certain degrees), Switzerland, the United Kingdom (except Scotland), and most of the [[European Union]]. In Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Russia, three-year BA (associates) courses are also available.<ref>{{cite web |title=Degree (Pass) prospectus |url=http://app1.nu.edu.bd/notice/ADM_GUIDE_DEGP.pdf |url-status=live |website=[[National University, Bangladesh]] |language=bn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122215010/http://app1.nu.edu.bd:80/notice/ADM_GUIDE_DEGP.pdf |archive-date=22 November 2018}}</ref> A three-year bachelor's degree usually does not qualify the holder for admission to graduate programs in other countries where four-year bachelor's degrees are the standard prerequisite.<ref>See for example https://grad.ucla.edu/admissions/research-requirements/</ref>

==Definition==
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree is an undergraduate postsecondary degree that puts a focus on [[liberal arts education|liberal arts]] and studies.<ref name=":03">"Degree, Academic." ''Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia'', Jan. 2018. ''EBSCOhost Database.'' Retrieved 6 April 2022.</ref> In comparison, a [[Bachelor of Science]] (BS) has a greater focus on science, math, and engineering. The Bachelor of Arts degree is a type of [[bachelor's degree|baccalaureate degree]].<ref name=":5">"Liberal arts." ''The Columbia Encyclopedia.'' Credo Reference Database. Retrieved 2 April 2022.</ref><ref name=":1">{{citation |last1=Floyd |first1=Deborah L. |title=Baccalaureate |encyclopedia=The SAGE Encyclopedia of Higher Education |pages=153–156 |date=2020 |publisher=SAGE Publications, Inc. |place=Thousand Oaks |last2=Ramdin |first2=Gianna |last3=Salinas |first3=Cristobal |isbn=9781473942912 |s2cid=219813700 |doi=10.4135/9781529714395 |url=https://sk.sagepub.com/reference/the-sage-encyclopedia-of-higher-education/i3094.xml |access-date=2022-04-02 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220402192210/https://sk.sagepub.com/reference/the-sage-encyclopedia-of-higher-education/i3094.xml |archive-date=2 April 2022}}</ref> A Bachelor of Arts degree is usually completed in four years: that is, it requires four years of full-time coursework during term time. However, just as with other degrees, some may require a longer time period. This is due to factors such as the student's ability, motivation, and access to financial assistance to earn the degree. Just like other baccalaureate degrees, a Bachelor of Arts is historically offered only at public and private universities and colleges.<ref name=":03"/><ref name=":2">Bachelor of Arts. (2014). In Collins Dictionaries (Ed.), ''Collins English Dictionary'' (12th ed.). Collins. Credo Reference Database</ref><ref name=":6">{{Citation |last1=Eby |first1=Gulsun |title=Bachelor's Degree Programs |date=2016 |encyclopedia=The SAGE Encyclopedia of Online Education |pages=131–133 |place=Thousand Oaks |publisher=SAGE Publications, Inc. |last2=Danver |first2=Steven L.|doi=10.4135/9781483318332 |isbn=9781483318356 |doi-access=free}}</ref> A Bachelor of Arts, just like other bachelor's degrees, is an admission requirement for graduate and professional school. Beginning in the 1990s, junior colleges started to confer their own baccalaureate degrees. In addition to the standard BA degrees, there are career-specific Bachelor of Arts degrees, including [[functional English|Bachelor of Arts in Functional English]], [[Bachelor of Business Administration|Bachelor of Arts in Administration]], [[Bachelor of Independent Studies|Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies]], and [[University System of West Virginia#Regents Bachelor of Arts|Regents Bachelor of Arts]].<ref name=":1"/>

==History==
The Bachelor of Arts degree has been prominent in academics for centuries. It influenced [[university|universities]] to begin focusing on broad topics such as [[algebra]], [[psychology]], [[biology]], [[art]], [[history]], and [[philosophy]].

This aspect of the BA degree has been consistent in its history. The Bachelor of Arts degree was formed out of the study of [[liberal arts education|liberal arts]].<ref name=":03"/><ref name=":5"/> ''Liberal art'' is a term that was applied to the study of many branches of learning such as [[grammar]], [[logic]], [[rhetoric]], [[arithmetic]], [[geometry]], [[astronomy]], and [[music]].<ref name=":5"/> The study of liberal arts started during the [[Middle Ages]]. During the [[Renaissance]], the term ''liberal'' ''art'' was meant to describe general studies more broadly.<ref name=":03"/><ref name=":5"/> This definition of liberal studies remains to this day.

In Japan and the United States, Bachelor of Arts degrees were historically given only by public or private institutions and colleges.<ref name=":03"/><ref name=":6"/>

==Degrees in Europe==
{{Unreferenced section|date=November 2022}}

===Germany===
In Germany, university-level education usually happens in either a ''Universität'' (plural: ''Universitäten'') or a {{Lang|de|[[Fachhochschule]]}} (plural: {{Lang|de|Fachhochschulen}}); both can be referred to as a ''Hochschule'', which is the generic term in Germany for all institutions awarding academic degrees. {{Lang|de|Fachhochschule}} is often translated as "University of Applied Sciences". ''Universitäten'' place greater emphasis on fundamental science and background in theory, while {{Lang|de|Fachhochschulen}} are generally designed with a focus on teaching professional skills. Degrees earned at ''Universitäten'' and {{Lang|de|Fachhochschulen}} are legally equivalent.

In Germany, the BA course normally lasts between three and three and a half years—six or seven semesters—and the degree is awarded after the student earns between 180 and 210 [[European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System|ECTS]].

===Netherlands===
In the Netherlands, the BA and Master of Arts (MA) degrees were introduced in 2002. Until then, a single program led to the ''[[doctorandus]]'' degree (abbreviated drs.), which comprised the same course load as the bachelor's and master's programs combined. The title ''doctorandus'' was used in almost all fields of study; other titles were used for legal studies ({{Lang|nl|meester}}, Dutch for master, abbreviated ''Mr.'') and engineering (''[[ingenieur]]'', abbreviated Ir. for academic masters level or ING. for higher vocational bachelor's level). Those who had already started the ''doctorandus'' program could, on completing it, opt for the ''doctorandus'' degree (entitling them to use "drs." in front of their name) or could use the master's degree (post-nominal letters) in accordance with the new standard. When attaining a master level/graduate degree, it is still customary to use either drs. pre-nominally or MA/MSc post-nominally at the discretion of the holder.

===United Kingdom and Ireland===
{{Main|British undergraduate degree classification}}

In the United Kingdom (excluding Scotland) and Ireland, the first degree course normally lasts three years, but nomenclature varies: 19th-century and later universities usually distinguish between arts and sciences subjects by awarding either a BA or BSc degree. However, some older or [[ancient universities]], such as [[University of Oxford|Oxford]], [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]], and [[Trinity College Dublin]] traditionally award BAs to undergraduates having completed the final examinations, e.g., Part II [[Tripos]] (Cambridge), Final Honour Schools (Oxford), Moderator-ship (Dublin), in most subjects including the sciences. Some new [[plate glass university|plate glass universities]] established in the 1960s, such as [[University of York|York]] and [[Lancaster University|Lancaster]], originally followed the practice of Oxford and Cambridge by awarding BAs in all subjects, but have since changed to awarding BSc degrees in science subjects. At Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin the degree of [[Master of Arts (Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin)|MA]] can be claimed, usually twenty-one terms after [[matriculation]], without any further study. For many centuries, the bachelor's degree was an intermediate step and was awarded for much of the work carried out in later times at secondary schools. The names of the final secondary school exams in France and Spain (and of the [[International Baccalaureate]]) come from this: {{lang|fr|le [[Baccalauréat]]}} and {{lang|es|el Bachillerato}}, respectively.

The [[ancient universities of Scotland]] award a [[Master of Arts (Scotland)|Master of Arts]] degree to humanities or arts graduates, but a BSc to science graduates. This course takes four years for an honours degree and three for an ordinary. In Scotland, one can opt to take an ordinary degree, which ranks below a third class honours degree (for example, BA with distinction, merit or pass).

A Bachelor of Arts is entitled to the [[post-nominal letters]] BA for an ordinary or pass degree and BA (Hons) for an honours degree.(However, graduates entitled to use the "Hons" post-nominal very rarely do so in practice. The [[academic dress]] worn by honours and non-honours graduates is identical. An honours degree is always awarded in one of four classes, depending upon the marks gained in the final assessments and examinations. The top students are awarded a first-class degree, followed by an upper second-class degree (usually referred to as a 2:1), a lower second-class degree (usually referred to as a 2:2), and those who pass with the lowest marks gain a third-class degree. An ordinary, pass or unclassified degree (which does not give the graduate the right to add "Hons") may be awarded if a student has completed (i) followed a non-honours program, or (b) attempted an honours course but marginally failed to achieve third-class standard.

==Degrees in North America==
===Canada===
Education in Canada is controlled by the [[Canadian provinces|provinces]] and can be very different depending on the province. While all Canadian universities offer four-year degrees, it is not uncommon, depending on the province and the university for a three-year general degree to also be offered as an option. In many universities and colleges, Bachelor of Arts degrees are differentiated either as BA or as honours BA degrees. Honours programs require more education than non-honours programs, typically a specialization beyond the requirements of a BA, and can often be used as a gateway to a PhD program, bypassing a master's degree.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

In [[Québec]], BA degrees generally last three years, because the fourth year is replaced by [[CEGEP]] education (which fills the gap between Secondary V, the last year of high school, and the first year of university).<ref>{{cite web |title=Québec education system |url=https://www.quebec.ca/en/education/study-quebec/education-system |website=quebec.ca |access-date=8 May 2025}}</ref> However, four-year programs exist for students having completed 12 (instead of 13) years of education prior to being admitted to university.<ref>{{cite web |title=Program length - Concordia University |url=https://www.concordia.ca/academics/degrees/program-length.html |website=www.concordia.ca |language=en}}</ref>

===United States===
Along with the [[Bachelor of Science]] (B.S.), the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) is the most commonly granted degree in the US. A B.A.<ref name=":03"/> degree is earned after the completion of four years of [[undergraduate]] college level study. The Bachelor of Science is abbreviated with periods i.e., B.S., and the Bachelor of Arts is abbreviated as B.A.<ref>{{Cite web |title=University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Communication and Marketing: Grammar: Degrees and Dates: Academic degrees |url=https://ualr.edu/communications/grammar-degrees-and-dates/ |url-status=live |access-date=June 21, 2023 |website=www.ualr.edu|archive-date=June 21, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621105706/https://ualr.edu/communications/grammar-degrees-and-dates/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Western Michigan University, Writing Style, Academic Degrees |url=https://wmich.edu/writing/rules/degrees |url-status=live |access-date=June 21, 2023 |website=www.wmich.edu|date=9 November 2012 |archive-date=June 21, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621105716/https://wmich.edu/writing/rules/degrees}}</ref>

Some universities in the United States abbreviate the degree as "AB" or "A.B.", derived from the Latin title ''Artium Baccalaureatus''. AB degrees are particularly associated with Ivy League institutions and other universities with historical ties to Latin academic traditions—such as Harvard, Princeton, Brown, and Stanford. These schools use the AB designation to distinguish their degree from the more common Bachelor of Arts (BA). The use of Latin terminology underscores their heritage and the prestige of their academic programs.<ref>[https://www.collegevine.com/faq/22279/ab-vs-ba-degree-what-s-the-difference AB vs BA Degree: What's the difference?] - website collegevine.com</ref> Additionally, the study of Greek and Latin has traditionally been a fundamental component of the undergraduate curriculum at these institutions.<ref>[https://charleston.edu/classics/academics/abdegree.php Artium Baccalaureatus] - website of [[College of Charleston]]</ref>

== Degrees in other countries ==

{{More citations needed|section|date=April 2025}}

In colleges and universities in Australia, Nepal, New Zealand, India and South Africa, the BA degree can be taken over three years of full-time study.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bachelor of Arts degrees |publisher=[[Australian National University]] |url=http://cass.anu.edu.au/node/144 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401072859/http://cass.anu.edu.au/node/144 |archive-date=2010-04-01}}</ref> Students must pursue at least one [[academic major|major]] area of study and units from that subject are usually studied in each year, though sometimes students may choose to complete upper-level classes in the same year and as a result, can leave space for elective subjects from a different field. At some universities, students may choose to pursue a second major; alternatively, the remainder of the degree is taken up with a minor area of study (in the first two years) and other individual or stream-based subjects.
In Pakistan the Bachelor of Arts (BA) program used to be regular 2-year degree program in which students were offered with a combination of any two of areas from the available electives: Business, Journalism, Psychology, Computer Science and Education. However, now all bachelor's degree courses are 4-year program. 2 years degree is now called associate degree.

==See also==
{{Portal|Middle Ages|Schools}}
* [[Associate of Arts]]
* [[Bachelor of Applied Arts]]
* [[Bachelor of Business Administration]]
* [[Bachelor of Fine Arts]]
* [[Bachelor of Independent Studies]]
* [[Bachelor of Science]]
* [[Educational attainment in the United States]]
* [[Lady Literate in Arts]]
* [[Master of Arts]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons}}{{Academic degrees}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bachelor's degrees|Arts, Bachelor of]]
[[Category:Liberal arts education]]