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BA English is a 3 year undergraduate program focusing on English Literature, cultural studies, the history of English literature, modern literature, rhetoric etc. BA Full Form in English is Bachelor of Arts. Students read about various dramas, novels and poetry from different parts of history to debate and discuss the times when these were written, the motive of the author, cultural significance, literary acumen and character depth.
BA English eligibility criteria are that students should clear class 12th board exams with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks or equivalent CGPA and they should clear the class 12th examination from a recognized board. BA English Top Colleges include Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Miranda House, St. Stephen’s College etc.
Admissions to BA in English courses are done on the basis of Merit as well as entrance exams. Some of the common entrance exams are DUET, BHU UET, Jamia Millia Islamia University Entrance Exams. The Delhi University will conduct BA English Admission 2024 on the basis of marks scored by candidates in the CUET entrance exams and marks scored in 10+2.
BA English Honours is a type of BA English where students have to study major subjects within the BA English course. BA English Subjects include Communicative English, Professional Communication, English Poetry: The Elizabethan to the Augustan, English Poetry: The Pre-Romantic to the Victorian, English Prose: The Elizabethan to the Victorian, English Prose: The Late-Victorian to the Modern etc
3.1 Admission
3.2 Eligibility
5.1 Full time
5.2 Part time
6.1 Bangalore
6.2 Mumbai
6.3 Kolkata
6.4 Hyderabad
6.5 Delhi
10.1 BA in English Top Recruiters
10.2 BA in English Job Profiles
10.3 BA in English Salary
BA English Course Details
| BA English Full Form | Bachelor of Arts in English |
| Course Level | Undergraduate |
| BA English Course Duration | 3 years |
| Course Mode | Offline / Regular |
| BA English Course Eligibility Criteria | Students should clear class 12th board exams with 50% aggregate marks or equivalent CGPA |
| BA English Course Admission Process | Merit Based / Entrance Exams |
| BA English Course Fees (INR) | INR 8,000 - 1.3 LPA |
| BA English Salary (INR) | INR 2.5 - 3.5 LPA |
| Areas of Employment | Teaching, Journalism, Publishing Houses, Translators etc. |
All About BA English
BA English is an Undergraduate degree course, with various core subjects such as Indian Classical Literature, Popular Literature, American Literature and various other electives such as Text and Performance, Language Literature & Culture, Media and Communication Skills etc. BA English is not just restricted to regular courses but students can also pursue it through Distance mode as well.
What is BA English?
BA English is an advanced degree course that is offered by several universities and colleges that focuses on English Literature, Cultural Studies, Rhetoric and Literary History. It is a 3 years undergraduate degree course, offered by several universities and colleges across the country. After the completion of BA English courses, students can choose to study further like MA in English or PhD in English.
Why pursue BA English?
Studying BA English does not require any particular reason, as it is one of the most commonly pursued courses in India. However below mentioned are a few of the top reasons that justify the choice of pursuing a BA in English,
- Improve your Language Skills: In today’s world English is one of the most commonly spoken languages globally. So a degree in English will eventually help you in getting a strong grip on the language and can also help you in landing some of the most prestigious jobs in the country.
- Lots of Flexibility and Choice with the degree: There is no hard and fast rule that after completing a Bachelor’s degree in English one has to pursue a Master’s. English stands amongst the very few subjects which after pursuing students can choose to select some other career options as well.
- Open up a Host of Career Opportunities: A degree in English will help you get a lot of interesting and exciting job opportunities in various fields such as Teaching, Translating, Language Experts, Journalism, Publishing Houses etc.
- Opportunity to Study Abroad: English is a very international area and offers a variety of modules that can be studied abroad. It is becoming increasingly common for Universities to offer a year abroad program as part of their course structure so you can tailor a degree in your traveling aspirations as well.
BA English Admission Process
Admissions to BA English courses are done on the basis of both Entrance Exams and on the basis of Merit as well. The entrance exam questions are generally MCQ based but there might be subjective questions as well depending on the syllabus as well as on the college entrance exam pattern.
BA English Admission 2024
- Registrations for admissions to BA English courses from IGNOU for the July session are open till May 2024
- The last date for registration for BA English courses from Lady Shri Ram College for Women is on June 2024
- Some of the top BA English colleges are Miranda House, St. Stephen’s College, Hindu College, Christ University etc.
- Some of the top entrance exams for BA English courses are DUET, Jamia Millia Islamia Entrance Exams, IPU CET, CUET etc.
- The average registration fees for BA English courses range from INR 150 for general candidates and INR 75 for students from SC / ST/ PWD categories.
BA English Eligibility
Like any other Undergraduate course, BA English has a list of eligibility criteria that needs to be followed in order to enroll oneself in a good college. Below mentioned are a few of the top eligibility criteria for pursuing BA English courses,
- Students should clear class 12th board exams from a recognized board
- They should have minimum 50% aggregate marks or equivalent CGPA during their class 12th board exams
BA English Cut Offs
Students who want to pursue BA English courses are required to clear the entrance exam enlisted for the course. Admissions to BA English courses are done on the basis of the score in the entrance exam and the interview round, conducted by the respective Universities.
| Course Name | Cutoff 2022 | Cutoff 2021 | Cutoff 2020 | Cutoff 2019 | Cutoff 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NMIMS Jyoti Dalal School of Liberal Arts | 320- 156 | 245-120 | 300-250 | 370-255 | 469-389 |
| NMKRV College for Women | 197- 120 | 148-110 | 200-120 | 110-185 | 180-158 |
| Baghini Nivedita College | 297- 150 | 245-220 | 400-350 | 270-285 | 260-288 |
| Jadavpur University | 378-283 | 360-250 | 345-170 | 330-233 | 340-271 |
| Ramnarain Ruia Autonomous College | 396- 220 | 141-290 | 300-380 | 280-195 | 290-175 |
There are several entrance exams such as CUET, BHU UET, JMI EEE etc, that one can choose from.
BA English Admission Important Dates
Below mentioned table will discuss the list of entrance exams conducted for BA English courses along with their respective important schedules
BA English Syllabus
BA English covers a wide range of subjects, starting from Indian Classical Literature to American Literature, European Classical Literature etc. The below mentioned table will discuss in detail the subjects that are taught in a BA English 3 years course duration
BA English Subjects in 1st Year
| Indian Classical Literature | Indian Writing in English |
| European Classical Literature | British Poetry and Drama: 14th to 17th Centuries |
BA English Subjects: 2nd Year
| American Literature | Popular Literature |
| British Poetry and Drama: 17th & 18th Centuries | British Literature: 18th Century |
| British Romantic Literature | - |
BA English Subjects: 3rd Year
| Women’s Writing | British Literature: The Early 20th Century |
| Modern European Drama | Postcolonial Literatures |
BA English Subjects
Below mentioned tables will discuss in detail the subjects taught at each semester during the entirety of the 3 years duration of BA English colleges
| Semester I | Semester II |
|---|---|
| Communicative English | Professional Communication |
| Language Paper I | Language Paper II |
| History of English Literature: The Pre-Chaucerian to the Augustan | History of English Literature: The Pre-Romantic to the Victorian |
| English Poetry: The Elizabethan to the Augustan | English Poetry: The Pre-Romantic to the Victorian |
| English Prose: The Elizabethan to the Victorian | English Prose: The Late-Victorian to the Modern |
| Introduction to Computing | Indian Writing in English: Fiction |
| Cultural Education I | Cultural Education II |
| Semester III | Semester IV |
| Communicative English (Advanced) | History of English Language and Phonetics |
| History of English Literature: Victorian to the Present | Indian Writing In English: Poetry |
| American Literature | Shakespeare: Comedies |
| Biography | Environmental Studies |
| English Fiction: Victorian | Elective A |
| Life Skills I | Open Elective A |
| Amrita Value Programme I | Life Skills II |
| Amrita Value Programme II | - |
| Semester V | Semester VI |
| Elements of Literary Criticism | Literary Criticism: Introduction |
| English Poetry: Modern | European Fiction |
| English Drama: Elizabethan to Victorian | English Fiction: Modern |
| Spiritual Literature | English Drama: Modern |
| Elective B | Shakespeare: Tragedies |
| Open Elective B/Live-in-Lab | Autobiography |
| Life Skills III | - |
| Canadian Literature | - |
BA English: Types of Courses
BA in English courses can be pursued in various other ways apart from the regular online classes. For students who can not afford to study regular BA in English courses due to financial or any other constraints can choose from Full Time courses, Part Time Courses and Distance Education mode.
Below we will further discuss each of the types of courses for your reference
BA English Full Time
This is a full fledged on campus degree course that provides the student with all the required knowledge and skills about BA English courses. Colleges like Lady Shri Ram College for Women, St. Stephen’s College, Presidency University, Kirori Mal, Miranda House etc provide BA English Full time degree courses.
BA English Part Time
Part-time degree is the provision of completing the degree course with more time. Unlike regular courses, for part time courses students do not have to go to colleges regularly, and can schedule courses according to their convenience. Most colleges provide Part-time degrees along with full-time degrees. Colleges like Jamia Millia Islamia and Jawaharlal Nehru University provide part time degrees to students.
BA English Distance Education
Distance Education is almost similar to part time courses, whereby students do not have to attend classes regularly. Apart from this, distance courses are also cost effective and have less eligibility requirements compared to a full time course. Some of the colleges / universities offering distance education for BA English Courses are IGNOU, Annamalai University, Osmania University, Karnataka State Open University etc.
BA English IGNOU
Indira Gandhi National Open University or IGNOU is amongst the top tier Universities when it comes to pursuing BA English Distance Education. The eligibility criteria and other details for pursuing BA English from IGNOU are mentioned below,
- Aspiring students should complete their class 12th board exams from a recognised board
- The BA English Distance education duration is for 3 years
- The course fee for pursuing BA English distance education from IGNOU ranges around INR 6,000
BA English Colleges
There are over 14,000 colleges in India that offer BA courses in various disciplines. Out of these 3403 colleges offer BA English courses. In this section we will discuss the list of top colleges in India offering BA English courses across different cities
BA English Colleges in Bangalore
The list of top BA English Colleges in Bangalore are tabulated below for your reference
| Name of the Colleges | Average Fees (INR) |
|---|---|
| Christ University | 50,000 |
| Jyoti Nivas College | 20,492 |
| Universal Group of Institutions | 1,50,000 |
| MES College of Arts, Commerce & Science | 19,018 |
| NMKRV College for Women | 2,40,000 |
BA English Colleges in Mumbai
| Name of the Colleges | Average Fees (INR) |
|---|---|
| St. Xavier’s College | 5,537 |
| KJ Somaiya College of Arts and Commerce | 8,795 |
| NMIMS Jyoti Dalal School of Liberal Arts | 4,52,000 |
| Jai Hind College | 5,730 |
| Ramnarain Ruia Autonomous College | 4,825 |
BA English Colleges in Kolkata
| Name of the Colleges | Average Fees (INR) |
|---|---|
| Jadavpur University | 2,400 |
| Loreto College | 21,940 |
| Sivnath Sastri College | 7,720 |
| Shri Shikshayatan College | 35,360 |
| Vidyasagar College | 4,620 |
BA English Colleges in Hyderabad
| Name of the Colleges | Average Fees (INR) |
|---|---|
| Osmania University College for Women | 5,800 |
| Sarojini Naidu Vanita Mahavidyalaya | 5,050 |
| Maulana Azad National Urdu University | 3,300 |
| GITAM | 60,000 |
| Villa Marie College for Women | 10,300 |
BA English Colleges in Delhi
| Name of the Colleges | Average Fees (INR) |
|---|---|
| Delhi University | 3,630 |
| Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth | 1,200 |
| Baghini Nivedita College | 6,060 |
| Janki Devi Memorial College | 15,475 |
| Vivekanand College | 12,900 |
BA English Colleges Abroad
BA English as a course is not just restricted to India, but is well taught abroad. BA in English is taught in several top and prestigious colleges and universities globally. Some of the top BA in English colleges abroad are University of Oxford, Columbia University, McGill University etc.
Below mentioned are some of the prerequisites to follow for pursuing BA in English Abroad,
- The eligibility criteria for pursuing BA in English abroad is, students must clear their class 12th board exams with top positions, preferably above 70% overall
- Should clear various language proficiency tests such as TOEFL, IELTS etc with minimum qualifying marks of 6.5 & 80 respectively.
- The average cost of studying BA in English abroad ranges from INR 10,01,320 - 41,24,400
- Post completing the course students can choose to study further like MA English, PhD in English or can also start working
Some of the top universities enrolling students for BA in English courses are tabulated below
| Name of the Colleges | Location | Average Fees (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| University of Oxford | UK | 23,71,600 |
| Columbia University | USA | 41,24,400 |
| University of Massachusetts | USA | 26,14,080 |
| University College London | UK | 17,43,490 |
| University of Montreal | Canada | 9,01,320 |
| University of Alberta | Canada | 15,48,750 |
| McGill University | Canada | 11,88,950 |
Courses to Pursue After BA English
After successfully completing BA English students can choose to pursue further studies, such as MA in English or PhD in English. The eligibility criteria for both MA in English and PhD in English are different. Below mentioned table will discuss them in detail.
MA in English
MA in English is a 2 years postgraduate degree course, which can be pursued by students after completing BA English. Some of the prerequisites for pursuing MA in English are,
- Students should clear their graduation in relevant field with minimum 50% aggregate marks or equivalent CGPA from a recognized university
- The average fees for studying MA in English ranges between INR 40,000 - 50,000
- Some of the top universities offering MA in English courses are University of Calcutta, Delhi University, JNU, Jamia Millia Islamia etc
- MA in English can be pursued through distance education mode as well, from colleges such as IGNOU, Osmania University, Rabindrabharati University etc.
- Some of the top scopes after completing an MA in English are working as Journalists, Teachers, Professors, Language Translators etc.
Some of the top MA in English Colleges are
| Name of the Colleges | Average Fees (INR) |
|---|---|
| Miranda House | 25,060 |
| Lady Shri Ram College for Women | 30,407 |
| Jadavpur University | 4,940 |
| St. Xavier’s University | 2,23,000 |
| Lady Brabourne College | 27,174 |
| St. Xavier’s College | 50,000 |
| KJ Somaiya College of Arts, Commerce and Science | 16,850 |
| Mithibai College of Arts | 19,657 |
PhD in English
After completing an MA in English, the most attempted choice that students opt for is PhD in English. There are several colleges and universities who offer PhD in English across India, such as JNU, Calcutta University, Mumbai University etc.
The eligibility criteria for pursuing PhD in English are,
- Students should complete their Post Graduation or Masters degree in relevant subject from a recognized university with minimum 50% aggregate marks or equal CGPA
- Students from SC / ST category will get a relaxation of 5% from the total aggregate marks
Some of the top colleges offering PhD in English are tabulated below for your reference
| Name of the Colleges | Average Fees (INR) |
|---|---|
| Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) | 856 |
| University of Calcutta | 10,000 |
| Mumbai University | 15,000 |
| Delhi University | 12,555 |
| IGNOU | 6,600 |
BA English: Course Comparison
Below mentioned is a brief comparison between two of the most attempted courses, BA English and BA English Literature for your reference
| Parameter | BA English | BA English Literature |
|---|---|---|
| Full Form | Bachelor of Arts English | Bachelor of Arts English Literature |
| Overview | It deals with prose, poetry and other works by prominent personalities of the language. | It deals with literature including the origin, history and development of English literature. |
| Objective | It gives a good understanding about different texts and poems. | It gives a good understanding about the development of the language with respect to literary advancement through the ages. |
| Admission Criteria | Students are admitted on both merit-basis and entrance examinations. | Students are admitted on both merit-basis and entrance examinations. |
| Average Fees(INR) | 50,000 - 3,00,000 | 60,000 - 3,50,000 |
| Average Salary(INR) | 3,50,000 - 6,00,000 | 4,00,000 - 6,00,000 |
BA English: Jobs
Post completing BA in English students can either choose to study further as already discussed or can choose to kick start their professional career. There are a range of career options one can choose from starting from teaching to working as a language translator. Below mentioned table will discuss them in detail.
BA English: Top Recruiters
Some of the top recruiters who hire students completing BA English courses are tabulated below for your reference
| Edelman | Deloitte | Capgemini |
| Adfactors Ltd. | TCS | Wipro |
| The Times of India | The Telegraph | Pearson |
BA English: Job Profiles
Some of the top job profiles offered post completing BA English courses are as follows
| Job Profiles | Job Description |
|---|---|
| Teacher | Teachers in schools and colleges are responsible for teaching the future generation of children; prefer to hire BA English Literature graduates. |
| Content Writer | Content writers are responsible for doing write-ups on blogs, company websites, advertisements, product descriptions and more. |
| Journalist | Journalists are hired to chase the latest news and produce quality articles for newspapers. |
| Script Writer | Scriptwriters, hired by media companies to write up scripts for television shows, movies and other forms of production. |
| Proofreader | Proofreaders are hired at publishing houses to read and correct grammar and language of write-ups produced by other writers. |
| Editor | Editors are hired to revise and review all material to be published in magazines, newspapers and also websites. |
BA English: Salary
The salary received post completing a BA English course are tabulated below for your reference
| Job Profiles | Average Salary (INR) |
|---|---|
| Teacher | 3 LPA |
| Content Writer | 3.5 LPA |
| Journalist | 2.5 - 4 LPA |
| Script Writer | 5 - 6.5 LPA |
| Proofreader | 3 - 3.5 LPA |
| Editor | 3 - 4 LPA |
BA English: FAQs
Ques: Is BA English a good course?
Ans: BA in English Honors is a very good subject to pursue. You will get to study and analyse a number of literary works from around the world. If you are really interested in writing and reading english works like literatures, articles, essays etc then this can give you a really good scope.
Ques: What is the difference between BA English and BA English literature?
Ans: In BA you are simply reading all prose and poetry, but in literature you have to read deeply about the English language origin, history and development. On the simple BA English base you can teach up to middle but with special English literature you can teach the PG students.
Ques: How many semesters are there in BA English?
Ans: There are 6 semesters. The duration of the course is 3 years which consists of 6 semesters. BA English course is mainly concentrated on research and theory that allows the aspirants to get a hold towards the roots of the English language.
Ques: How many subjects are there in BA English literature?
Ans: Bachelor or Arts is usually of three years duration. As part of a BA course the students need to study five compulsory subjects along with few elective subjects. These subjects vary depending on the discipline selected by candidates
Ques: Is English a useless degree?
Ans: An English degree is useless in STEM fields and in accounting and finance (as examples only), although not necessarily useless in journalism, writing, business admin, and similar types of positions. Being able to communicate effectively with others is an excellent skill for anyone to possess.
Ques: Is BA English good for UPSC?
Ans: If you are an IAS aspirant, you can graduate in any of the subjects in which you excel or which you like, then you can use this subject as an optional in civil services exam. English honours is a good option only if you have a deep interest in literature and enjoy reading novels, dramas, poems.
Ques: Is English a respected degree?
Ans: Although English literature won't train you for any specific career, it is a very well-respected degree that will equip you with a range of useful skills
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