Why choose BA after 12th arts?

Completing class 12 is a significant milestone and also a crucial turning point in the life of any student. It is the time when you need to make a very important decision for your career – what subject to choose for your undergraduate degree? The decision can sometimes be difficult, considering plenty of choices before students these days and also their correlation to the career that students aspire to pursue. Bachelor of Arts (BA) is one of the most popular choices among many students at the undergraduate level, particularly those who chose Humanities in class 12. This blog explains the multitude of benefits of BA after the 12th arts stream.

Why pursue a BA degree?

BA is the popular acronym for Bachelor of Arts and is among the widely preferred courses for undergraduate students. The average duration of the degree is around 3 years, with some exceptions depending on the university or the specialization chosen. BA courses are available in multiple specializations to suit the varied academic interests of students and their desired career aspirations. The program can also be pursued online in both part-time and full-time modes and the degree earned is at par with that obtained offline in the conventional campus-learning way.

Most students opting for Arts or Humanities in class 12 take up BA courses as the next natural course of action at the university level. Some of the top reasons why to choose BA after 12th are defined below:

• Natural choice: A Bachelor of Arts seems to be the most natural course choice for students who studied Arts in class 12 as well. A BA degree is the perfect next step in this case, as students continue to gain advanced knowledge in subjects that are generally common at both learning levels. They can opt to specialize in a particular subject of their interest as part of the BA degree program and enhance their knowledge base in it. Since they may have already studied the basics in class 12, learning gets easier and is also more helpful at the next stage of their education. 

• Career prospects: Since BA graduates gain comprehensive knowledge and learning in varied domains, they are generally better suited to work in diverse career roles. These include jobs both in the government and private sectors. They can work in any job best suited to their academic interests and professional aspirations. 

• Soft skills: BA courses equip students with a host of soft skills that are essential to their overall personality development and also helpful in various job roles. A few examples include critical thinking, analytical ability, and effective written and verbal communication. With this skill set, graduates can look forward to growth in their respective career domains. 

Broad range of specializations

This is among the top advantages of a BA after 12th Arts. The degree opens up a host of specialization options for students, which they can choose according to their academic background, interests, or career objectives. 

Listed below are some of the top specialization choices that the BA course offers to students:

• English
• Sociology
• Political Science
• Psychology 
• Economics
• History
• Journalism
• Hindi
• Geography
• Fine Arts

There may be many more depending on the university where the course is being pursued, but these are some of the top ones. 

Development of essential skills    

One of the many BA course benefits after the 12th class is the multitude of skills that students are equipped with during the course duration. Many of these skills are highly desirable in various industries and can be extremely helpful to students in their job search upon graduation. Here are some of the top-required skills in job industries that BA students get to learn as part of the program:

• Effective written and verbal communication 
• Better time management and deadline completion
• Business administration and applying theoretical knowledge to real-world business environment
• Innovative problem-solving ability
• Managing teams, gathering feedback, and working on human talent retention through motivation
• Critical analytical abilities 
• Efficient leadership and guidance to the team to work toward the achievement of common goals
• Social work and aligning company objectives to a common social cause as part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Career options after BA

Graduates with a BA in any of the specializations mentioned in the earlier section of this blog are eligible to work in varied sectors and industries, as per the domain they specialize in, their skills, interests, and career goals. Shared below are some of the top career roles that BA students can work in after completing their course:

• Social worker: Students pursuing a BA in Social Work can start their careers as Social Workers to serve society and navigate through some common social issues that face individuals and organizations alike. Social Workers intend to meet the basic requirements of people as a whole by improving their overall well-being – physical, mental, emotional, and psychological.

Average annual salary (approx): INR 8 lakh per annum

• Website content writer: They specialize in strategizing and creating content for various websites on the Internet. Content is written with the intent of appealing to a specific target audience, providing them with complete information, as desired, and encouraging them to take an intended action. Content writers also aim to produce SEO-favorable content to help improve the rankings of the website that they are writing for on top search engines. 

Average annual salary (approx): INR 6,70,995 per annum

• Journalists: They conduct research and report events and news as and when they happen to the masses through various media channels – print, broadcast, and digital. A journalist plays a critical role in the country, serving as the prime mediator between the government and the general public. They are highly responsible for ensuring the accuracy, relevance, and ethical nature of the news.

Average annual salary (approx): INR 6,70,572 per annum

• Graphic designer: These professionals implement the fundamental principles and practices of graphic design to create visual content for conveying specific ideas or messages to an audience. Graphic designers can choose to work either as part of an organization or practice independently. They use specific software programs such as Adobe Illustrator to create designs and communicate ideas or messages. 

Average annual salary (approx): INR 600,000 per annum

• Psychologists: They are involved in deeply studying the state of mind of humans and interpreting why they behave the way they do. Their work often revolves around research, assessment, evaluation, and perception of human behavior, mindset, social processes, and the interaction of individuals with their social environments.

Average annual salary (approx): INR 4 lakh per annum

Conclusion

With immense career scope after graduation and diversified skills to apply in various sectors and industries, choosing a BA after 12th Arts is the most ideal choice for several students. The best part about the three-year undergraduate degree is that it allows students a host of specializations to choose from. Students are free to opt for a subject of their interest and which best aligns with their long-term career goals. 

BA courses can now be pursued online as well, offering the convenience of studying at home or any other place of your preference. Sikkim Manipal University offers a 36-month (3 years) online BA course with a combination of English, Political Science, and Sociology. The course is designed for students interested in expanding their knowledge base in multiple domains for career excellence. Online BA by Sikkim Manipal University is offered on the Online Manipal platform.