BA in English vs Political Science vs Sociology

The decision to choose a study discipline after completing class 12 is a crucial one. For, the subject you choose to pursue in your higher education lays the foundation of your future career path. To make things even more complex, the option of courses offered to students at the undergraduate level is plenty. This makes it confusing for the students to narrow down their choices. 

For instance, Sikkim Manipal University (SMU) offers BA courses in 3 combinations – English, Sociology, and Political Science – to UG students. The courses can be pursued online on the Online Manipal platform. This blog entails a detailed comparison of BA in English, Political Science, and Sociology to help you make an informed choice for your Bachelor’s.

What is BA English?

Bachelor of Arts or BA is one of the most popularly pursued courses in undergraduate studies. Sikkim Manipal University offers BA programs in 3 combinations to students. BA with major credits in English is one of them. The online BA program offers a major in English and is ideal for students interested and keen to pursue a detailed study in English going forward after class 12. 

Online BA English courses by Sikkim Manipal provide students with a thorough knowledge of the various aspects of the English language, including literature and grammar. More stress is laid on improving the general communication skills of the students as well as their research abilities. The course curriculum is also similarly designed to cover digital fluency, essays, communicative English, Victorian and modern literature, and poetry in detail. Course graduates are prepared to pursue exciting careers in industries like Publishing, Content Writing, Education, Journalism, and Public Relations (PR).   

What is BA Political Science?

Just like BA English, online BA courses are also offered with another combination – Political Science – by Sikkim Manipal University. Available on the Online Manipal platform, the BA Political Science course offers a major in the discipline of Political Science. The curriculum is designed to cover in detail the processes, policies, political systems, and theories of the Indian political scenario. 

Students can learn about subjects ranging from gender, politics, and international relations theories to India’s foreign policy and classical political thoughts. Graduates of this fully online program are then eligible to apply for rewarding jobs in the fields of law, journalism, Indian civil services, political agencies, and also PR. 

What is BA Sociology?

The third and last combination offered in BA courses by Sikkim Manipal University is a BA in Sociology. As the name suggests, students of this program receive a major in Sociology and gain detailed insights into the behaviors, social structures, and interactions between people in a society. 

The core curriculum of the course is designed to offer students a complete understanding of topics such as the social demography of India, the country’s social movement, rural sociology, and the sociology of education. Job opportunities upon course completion from Sikkim Manipal include prestigious roles in the fields of community development, policy analysis, education, social services, market research, and advocacy.    

Course curriculum: BA English

As discussed in the sections above, online BA programs offered on Online Manipal by Sikkim Manipal University are available in 3 combinations. These specializations within BA programs are designed in such a way that they differ in the core curriculum imparted to the students. Let us look at each of them to further understand the differences between the 3 courses.

The online BA English program by Sikkim Manipal is a 3-year course offered entirely online on the Online Manipal portal. The course curriculum is divided into 6 semesters covered over 36 months and contains the following subjects per semester:

Semesters	Subjects Covered
Sem 1	Communicative English, Introduction to Sociology, Indian English Literature, Foundations of Political Science, Natural Science
Sem 2	Functional English, Sociology in India, World Literature, Political Theory, Environmental Science
Sem 3	Essays and Poetry, Comparative Political Analysis, Digital Fluency, Universal Human Values, Rural Sociology
Sem 4	Women Writing in English, New Literature in English, Urban Sociology, Literary Terms, Forms, and Movements, Classical Indian Political Thought
Sem 5	Children’s Literature, Victorian and Modern Literature, Social Problems in India, Poetry: Evolution, Elements and Genres, Human Rights
Sem 6	Novels and Short Stories, American Literature, Sociology of Change and Development, One Act Plays: Introduction & Studies, United Nations and Global Conflicts

Course curriculum: BA Political Science

The online BA Political Science course at Sikkim Manipal is also a 36-month program, and the course curriculum is detailed below:

Semesters	Subjects Covered
Sem 1	Foundations of Political Science, Indian English Literature, Natural Science, Introduction to Sociology, Communicative English
Sem 2	Political Theory, World Literature, Environmental Science, Sociology in India, Functional English
Sem 3	Comparative Political Analysis, Essays and Poetry, Digital Fluency, Rural Sociology, Universal Human Values
Sem 4	Political Economy, Classical Indian Political Thought, New Literature in English, Theories of International Relations, Urban Sociology
Sem 5	Human Rights, Political Processes in India, Children’s Literature, India’s Foreign Policy in a Globalized World, Social Problems in India
Sem 6	Gender and Politics, United Nations and Global Conflicts, American Literature, Public Policy and Administration in India, Sociology of Change and Development

Course Curriculum: BA Sociology

Among the various elective courses in BA specializations, Sociology is the third and last one offered by Sikkim Manipal University. Like all the other specializations, BA Sociology is also offered as a completely online program on the Online Manipal portal. The course is covered over 36 months or 3 years, divided into 6 semesters, the curriculum of which is detailed below:

Semesters	Subjects Covered
Sem 1	Introduction to Sociology, Indian English Literature, Natural Science, Foundations of Political Science, Communicative English
Sem 2	Sociology in India, World Literature, Environmental Science, Political Theory, Functional English
Sem 3	Rural Sociology, Essays and Poetry, Digital Fluency, Comparative Political Analysis, Universal Human Values
Sem 4	Principle of Sociology, Urban Sociology, New Literature in English, Family, Kinship, and Marriage, Classical Indian Political Thought
Sem 5	Social Demography, Classical Sociological Thinkers, Children’s Literature, Social Problems in India, Human Rights
Sem 6	Social Movement in India, Sociology of Change and Development, American Literature, Sociology of Education, United Nations and Global Conflicts

A key deciding factor for students interested in one of the 3 BA specializations detailed above is the career prospects for each. Let us look at the potential career prospects for a BA in English, Political Science, and Sociology.

Careers after BA in English

The table below lists some of the top job roles offered to students completing the online BA English program at Sikkim Manipal University:

Average Annual Salary Expected Job Role	Average Annual Salary
Expected Job Role	Average Annual Salary
Communications Specialist	INR 10.53 lakh per annum
Journalist	INR 6,70,572 per annum
Content Writer/ Content Specialist	INR 6,70,995 per annum
Translator/ Interpreter	INR 5.4 lakh per annum
Curriculum Developer	INR 6,45,000 per annum

Careers after BA in Political Science

Students completing an online BA program with a Political Science specialization are eligible to apply for the following job roles mentioned in the table below. Their corresponding approx annual salaries are also listed alongside:

Expected Job Role	Average Annual Salary
Political Campaign Manager	INR 4 lakh – 14 lakh per annum
Civil Services	INR 6.73 lakh- INR 15.84 lakh per annum
Political Analyst	INR 9.15 lakh per annum
Political Reporter	INR 6 lakh – INR 7 lakh per annum
Public Relations Specialist	INR 591,795 per annum

Careers after BA in Sociology

Online BA programs in Sociology from Sikkim Manipal create a wide array of job opportunities for graduates upon course completion. The table below enlists the expected job roles and estimated salary per annum for each role after pursuing a BA in Sociology:

Expected Job Role	Average Annual Salary
Community Development Officer	INR 6,14,000 per annum
Sociologist	INR 4 lakh per annum
Probation Officer	INR 4,68,439 per annum
Social Worker	INR 8 lakh per annum
Case Manager	INR 6,90,000 per annum

BA English vs BA Political Science vs BA Sociology: What you should choose

We discussed in detail each of the 3 specializations of the online BA program offered on the Online Manipal platform. To help you better understand and make an informed decision, let us collate all the key parameters that can assist you in choosing the right specialization for your BA course. 

Key parameters	BA English	BA Pol Science	BA Sociology
Course focus	Written and oral communication skills	Understanding of governance and political systems	Study of social groups in a society
Curriculum	British and American literature, literary traditions, drama, and poetry	Governance of a country, its political systems, and political behavior	Social groups within the society, rural sociology, social demography
Careers	Editing, education, writing, publishing, communications	International relations, public policy, government, and law	Government work, teaching, industry, consulting, and law

Conclusion

Students opting for online BA courses on Online Manipal are presented with a variety of specializations after completing class 12. Deciding which specialization to choose depends on several factors, all of which have been detailed in the blog above. From the core curriculum and research opportunities in BA specializations to the available career options, students can carefully consider all the parameters before making this crucial choice. 

Sikkim Manipal University offers online BA courses in all the 3 combinations – English, Political Science, and Sociology. These courses are offered on the Online Manipal platform in 100% online mode. Sikkim Manipal is accredited by NAAC, and its degree programs are entitled by the UGC.