Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts (B.A., BA or A.B., from the Latin language, and four years in Scotland, the Republic of Ireland, the rest of Canada and the United States.
Bachelor's Degree certificates generally give the name of the institution, signatures of officials of the institution (generally the President or Rector of the University, as well as the Secretary or Dean of the University), the type of degree conferred, the conferring authority, and the location at which the degree is conferred. Degree certificates generally are printed on high quality paper or parchment, use ornate lettering and oftentimes include anachronistic terminology. The example shown, for instance, states that the degree was given "...in the year of our Lord two thousand six and of the University the two hundred and thirteenth."
Difference between the BA and BSc/BS
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS or BSc) are similar in some countries, in that they are the most common undergraduate degrees. In the United States and Canada, both degrees incorporate a general education component (matriculations take courses in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics). They typically require students to declare an academic major, take a certain number of elective courses, and sometimes have basic skills components (writing or computer proficiency exams), however, in countries not requiring a general education component—such as Australia—the subjects studied likely are different in each degree.
The BS degree typically specifies more courses in the major (or cognate fields) than does the BA degree. The BA focuses on creating a well-rounded graduate through formal study of natural sciences, social sciences, and foreign languages. The BS degree tends to be awarded more often in the natural sciences than in the humanities. In the United States, the BS is often awarded in pre-professional academic majors more than purely academic ones. Beyond these differences, the variation between the BA degree and the BS degree depends on the policies of the colleges and universities. This can often manifest in unusual ways; for example, physics and biology majors are often given BA degrees, while business majors are sometimes given BS degrees
BA and BSc degrees in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, usage varies: most universities distinguish between Arts and Science subjects through awarding either a BA or BSc depending on field of study. However, Oxford and Cambridge traditionally award BAs to undergraduates having completed the Part II Tripos (Cambridge) or Schools (Oxford) examinations in any subject (including the sciences). This degree is then superseded by a MA awarded seven years after matriculation. Similar practices are carried out by the University of Dublin, Trinity College, in the Republic of Ireland.
The ancient universities of Scotland award a Master of Arts to humanities or arts undergraduates, but a BSc to science undergraduates.
A Bachelor of Arts in the UK receives the designation BA for an ordinary/pass degree and BA(Hons) for an honours degree.
The BA and the BA (Hons) in Australia, New Zealand and Ontario (Canada)
In Australian, New Zealand and Ontario (Cananda) universities, the BA is usually undertaken over a period of three years, with students able to combine a number of coursework disciplines under the degree. It is a requirement that students pursue at least one Major area of study, in which study in that subject area is undertaken at all three year-levels of the degree (first, second and third year). Occasionally, students will choose to pursue a second Major, but more often the remainder of the degree is taken up with a Minor area of study (study at first and second year levels), and other individual or stream-based subjects to make up the degree.
Unlike in other countries, Australasian students do not receive an overall grade for their Bachelor of Arts, with varying levels of 'honours'. It is optional that at the conclusion of their third year of study (and provided they possess a grade average of 75% or higher across their Major area of study) that students will undertake an Honours (or fourth) year.
This year is generally composed of a coursework component (including seminars or tutorials) and an original researched dissertation (15-20,000 words).
It is the combined grades of these components which determine whether the student graduates with 'First', 'Second' or 'Third' Class Honours. Some universities, following the classifications of the British university system, also divide Second Class Honours between Division I and Division II. Additionally, those students who achieve an outstanding First Class Honours grade (usually requiring a mark of more than 90%) may be concomitantly awarded the University Medal, whilst those who do not meet the standards of the Honours year are awarded the normal Bachelor of Arts instead.
On graduation, students are permitted to append the abbreviation 'BA' to their name; those who have successfully completed the Honours year may style themselves 'BA (Hons)'.
The Honours degree (or its equivalent international degree) is generally the basic qualification required to pursue higher degrees by research, including the MA and PhD. At New Zealand universities, a BA (Hons) candidate is considered to be a postgraduate student.
See also
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