A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin , , or ) is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, 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 Argentina, Brazil and Chile. Degree attainment typically takes four years in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brunei, Canada, China, Egypt, Finland, Ghana, Greece, Georgia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Serbia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, the United States, and Zambia. Degree attainment typically takes three years in Albania, Algeria, Australia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Caribbean, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa (certain degrees), Switzerland, the Canadian province of Quebec, 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.
Definition
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree is an undergraduate postsecondary degree that puts a focus on liberal arts and studies. 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 baccalaureate degree. 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. A Bachelor of Arts, just like other bachelor's degrees, is an admission requirement for graduate and professional school. Beginning in the 1990s, community colleges started to confer their own baccalaureate degrees. In addition to the standard BA degrees, there are career-specific Bachelor of Arts degrees, including Bachelor of Arts in Administration, Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, and Regents Bachelor of Arts.
History
The Bachelor of Arts degree has been prominent in academics for centuries. It influenced 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. 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. 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. 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.
Degrees in Europe
Germany
In Germany, university-level education usually happens in either a Universität (plural: Universitäten) or a (plural: ); both can be referred to as a Hochschule, which is the generic term in Germany for all institutions awarding academic degrees. is often translated as "University of Applied Sciences". Universitäten place greater emphasis on fundamental science and background in theory, while are generally designed with a focus on teaching professional skills. Degrees earned at Universitäten and 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 ECTS.