Bachelor of Arts facts for kids
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A Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University
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| Acronym | BA AB |
|---|---|
| Type | Bachelor's degree |
| Duration | 3 or 4 years |
A Bachelor of Arts (often called BA or AB) is a type of bachelor's degree. It's given to students who finish an undergraduate program. This degree usually focuses on subjects like arts, humanities, and social sciences.
Most Bachelor of Arts programs take three or four years to complete. The exact time depends on the country and the university. For example, it usually takes four years in countries like the United States, Canada, and Japan. In places like the United Kingdom, Australia, and many European Union countries, it often takes three years.
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What is a Bachelor of Arts?
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree is a college degree you get after high school. It focuses on subjects like history, literature, languages, and psychology. Another common degree is the Bachelor of Science (BS), which focuses more on science, math, and engineering.
A BA degree usually takes four years of full-time study. However, some students might take longer. This can depend on how fast they learn or if they need financial help. Bachelor's degrees are usually offered at four-year universities and colleges. Getting a bachelor's degree is often required if you want to go to a graduate school later. Since the 1990s, some community colleges have also started offering bachelor's degrees.
History of the BA Degree
The Bachelor of Arts degree has been important in education for hundreds of years. It helped universities focus on a wide range of subjects. These included topics like algebra, psychology, biology, art, history, and philosophy.
The idea for the BA degree came from studying the liberal arts. In the Middle Ages, "liberal arts" meant learning subjects like grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music. During the Renaissance, the term "liberal art" grew to mean general studies more broadly. This idea of broad studies is still part of the BA degree today.
In the United States, BA degrees were traditionally given by four-year universities. But in the 1990s, other colleges, like community colleges, began to offer them. Today, many online colleges also offer Bachelor of Arts degrees.
BA Degrees in Europe
Germany
In Germany, you can study at two main types of universities. A Universität (university) focuses more on basic science and theory. A Fachhochschule (University of Applied Sciences) focuses more on teaching practical skills. Both types of schools offer degrees that are equally valuable.
In Germany, a BA program usually lasts about three to three and a half years. This is about six or seven semesters. Students earn between 180 and 210 ECTS credits to get their degree.
Netherlands
In the Netherlands, the BA and Master of Arts (MA) degrees were introduced in 2002. Before that, students would complete one long program to earn a doctorandus degree. This old degree covered the same amount of study as both a bachelor's and a master's degree combined.
United Kingdom and Ireland
In the United Kingdom (except Scotland) and Ireland, a first degree usually takes three years. Older universities, like Oxford and Cambridge, traditionally give BA degrees for most subjects, even sciences. Some newer universities also used to do this but now give BSc degrees for science subjects.
In Scotland, the ancient universities of Scotland give a Master of Arts degree for humanities subjects. But they give a BSc for science subjects. These programs take four years for an honours degree and three years for an ordinary degree.
A Bachelor of Arts degree can be an ordinary degree or an honours degree. An honours degree is usually marked with "(Hons)" after "BA" (like BA (Hons)). Honours degrees are given in different classes based on how well a student performs. The highest is a first-class degree. Then there's an upper second-class (2:1), a lower second-class (2:2), and a third-class degree. An ordinary degree might be given if a student completes the course but doesn't get enough marks for an honours degree.
BA Degrees in North America
Canada
Education in Canada is managed by each province, so it can be different across the country. All Canadian universities offer four-year degrees. However, some provinces and universities also offer a three-year general degree option.
Many universities offer two types of Bachelor of Arts degrees: a regular BA or an honours BA. Honours programs require more study and often a deeper focus on a specific subject. An honours BA can sometimes help students go directly into a Ph.D. program without needing a master's degree first.
United States
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) is one of the most common degrees in the US. The other common one is the Bachelor of Science (BS). A BA degree is earned after four years of college study. Most colleges and universities in the US offer undergraduate programs that lead to a BA.
BA Degrees in Australia, New Zealand, Nepal and South Africa
In colleges and universities in Australia, New Zealand, Nepal, and South Africa, the BA degree usually takes three years of full-time study. Students typically choose at least one main subject area, called a major. They study this subject each year. Some students might choose to study a second major.
After completing a BA degree, students can sometimes do an extra year of study called "Honours." This year combines advanced undergraduate study with research. Getting into an honours program is usually very competitive.
See also
In Spanish: Bachiller universitario en letras para niños
- Associate of Arts
- Bachelor of Business Administration
- Bachelor of Applied Arts
- Bachelor of Fine Arts
- Bachelor of Independent Studies
- Bachelor of Science
- Lady Literate in Arts
- Master of Arts
- Educational attainment in the United States
