How is BA (Hons) Different from BA Pass?

Arts aspirants after clearing their Boards exams often get confused between BA (Hons) and BA Pass because they both sound similar and high school pass outs mostly do not know how to differentiate between the two. In this article, we will try to focus on the differences between B.A (Hons) and B.A (Pass) programmes. But first, let us provide you with some brief details about these two programmes.

The basic difference between BA Pass Course and BA Hons is that BA Hons offers specialization in a particular subject for the entire three years while BA Pass Course students are required to choose a combination of 4-5 subjects every year in order to complete their graduation. The students of BA Hons specialize in great details and gain thorough knowledge about the subject and it has better value and recognition in the industry. The cut off marks to take admission in BA Hons courses are very high as compared to BA Pass Courses. Since the profile of BA Hons students are better as compared to BA Pass courses, hence the salary and pay package of BA Hons is expected to be higher than BA Pass Salary. The profiles of BA Hons students are also better as compared to BA Pass students. 

BA (Hons) Vs BA Pass Comparison Table

Check out the table below for the basic comparison between BA (Hons) and BA Pass.

Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Programme Overview

BA (Hons) is a three-year Undergraduate degree programme which is usually offered in the branches of Science or Liberal Arts or both. In BA (Hons), the students specialize in a particular subject and various papers related to the specialization are taught to the students. The students are also taught subjects which are different from the main field of study or specialization.

Eg: A student who opts for B.A (Hons) in English (English is specialization) is taught about Greek Literature, Modern Literature, African Literature which are related to the specialization. Also, the student is taught other subjects which are not related to the specialization (here English) like Hindi, Environmental Studies, Political Science etc which fulfils the purpose of all-round development of students.

BA (Hons) Admission Process

Admission into the BA (Hons) programmes offered by various Indian Universities differ from each other. While some Universities conduct an all-out entrance exam to fill up the vacant seats, some partially fill the vacant seats and the rest is filled up on the basis of merit, i.e the performance of the applicants at the qualifying exam level.

Also Read: Why you should pick up Arts in Higher Studies?

Top Universities Offering BA (Hons) Programme

The following list will provide the list of top Universities which offers BA (Hons) programme:

• University of Delhi

• Jamia Milia Islamia University

• Aligarh Muslim University

• Calcutta University

• Banaras Hindu University

Career Scopes for BA (Hons) Graduates

Here is a list of favourite go-to career opportunities for B.A (Hons) students:

• Communicator

• Writer

• Teacher

• Journalist

• Content Writer

Top Private Universities/Colleges Offering BA Hons

Given below is the list comprising the name of some top private institutions or universities where the interested candidates can apply for admission in their favourite BA Hons specialization through our Common Application Form - 

BA (Hons) Syllabus

The syllabus of BA Hons will be different for all the courses that are available for doing Hons courses. There are many BA Hons courses and each course has its own set of subjects spread across six semesters. The syllabus of Hons courses also varies from college to college. However the basic structure of most of the universities remains the same as they all follow guidelines issued by the state and the central government bodies. The students can check some of the common and popular BA Hons courses syllabus as mentioned below.

 BA (Pass) Programme Overview

The BA Pass programme is a mixture of various subjects where the students do not specialise in any of the subjects. Compared to BA (Hons), there is less number of papers per subject. Also, BA Pass is considered to be much easier compared to BA (Hons) programme as the students do not have to extensively study different papers related to the subject of specialisation.

Also Read: Top Universities in India offering Arts and Humanities programmes in Distance Mode

BA (Pass) Admission Process

Admission into the B.A (Pass) programme offered by various Universities is done on the basis of merit. Usually, the students are required to fill in the application form on the basis of fulfilling the eligibility criteria and apply for admission by visiting the University campus. Students from reserved categories will be given relaxation in marks during the admission process. The admission process in B.A (Pass) programme might differ from University to University.

Top Universities/Colleges Offering BA (Pass)

Except for the University of Delhi, there are no major Universities in India which offers BA (Pass) programme. However, there are many private institutions in which BA (Pass) aspirants can seek admission for which they need to contact the particular institution directly.

Career Prospects for Students with a BA (Pass) Degree

There are several career opportunities for students with a B.A (Pass) degree. While some of them can be pursued straight after the completion of the course, a few options require the students to possess a higher degree after getting their B.A (Pass) degree. We have categorically put them in the section below:

Opportunities for BA (Pass) Graduates without any Higher Studies

• Social Service

• UPSC Examination

• BPO Services

• Bank Jobs

• Other Government Jobs (via SSC CGL, CDSE etc)

• Freelance Writing Jobs

Opportunities for BA (Pass) Graduates after Higher Studies

• Career after completing a professional course like animation

• Career in media post-obtaining a PGD in Journalism and Mass Communication (or even a PG degree)

• Career in Business Management after pursuing an MBA

• Career as a Professor or Assistant Professor after a Master’s degree study (via UGC NET/SET)

BA (Pass) Syllabus

Bachelor of Arts is taught in almost all the universities and all those students who fail to be a part of BA Hons course opt for doing regular BA Course. There are also groups of students who choose to study BA courses looking at the syllabus as they are far more easy when compared to BA Hons courses. BA Pass course has a wide course curriculum for multiple subjects but there are some common subjects that are taught in every BA program, which are mentioned below.

BA (Pass) and BA (Hons) Entrance Exam

The candidates can check the list of entrance exam for BA course.

• CUET
• IPU CET
• NMIMS NPAT

Also Read: UGC NET 2022 Important English Literature topics 

It can be established from the pointers above that B.A (Pass) degree offers equally exciting career opportunities as BA (Hons) degree and the popular myth - BA (Pass) students are weaker than BA (Hons) students, is totally absurd and baseless. So, this admission season, if you are unable to secure a seat in one of the BA (Hons) programmes, you know where to look and what are your options.

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