What is BA in psychology?
Psychology, in simple terms, is the study of the human mind and human behavior. A psychology student has to study how a human mind works in different situations, how it develops perception, the various circumstances and how they affect human behavior development. This study shows how humans behave differently in different circumstances while dealing with different sets of people. Based on this, various conclusions are drawn. Although psychology is introduced at the school level in India, it is only at the college level when one learns the fundamental theories and applications related to Psychology and Psychoanalysis. BA in psychology is an undergraduate course of three years, offered by most colleges and universities in India. The basic eligibility for pursuing this course is 10+2 education in any field.
The average course fee ranges from INR 20,000 to INR 3,00,000 depending upon the college in which admission is sought. The graduates get job opportunities in hospitals, educational institutes, corporate organizations, etc. The average starting salary for such graduates is something around INR 1.2 to INR 3 Lakhs per annum.
In BA Psychology, students learn mainly about the processing of the human mind and human behaviour.
BA Psychology – Course Highlights
- Course level: Bachelor’s
- Duration: Three years
- Admission: Entrance exam or merit ranking of +2 educations’ score
- Average tuition fee: Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 3,00,000 per annum
Eligibility criteria
The only requirement for pursuing a BA in psychology is that they must have completed their higher secondary examination with less than 60%.
Admission process
BA psychology’s admission procedure is pretty straightforward and common to all universities in India, offering this course.
The process starts after the higher secondary examination results are declared, and then colleges issue their cut-off lists and offer a seat to students on merit ranking basis.
The process can be explained as given below:
- University releases online or offline application.
- Announcement of cut-off percentage or CGPA
- Admission formality begins
Universities offering undergraduate courses usually begin the application process in May and June. As no other eligibility criteria are required, the process becomes effortless and short. Very few universities like the Banaras Hindu University also give weightage to the entrance exam conducted by them along with the higher secondary exam scores for admission into BA psychology course.
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BA in Psychology vs BSc. Psychology
BA psychology being an arts degree and BSc being a science degree, there are no significant differences between these courses.
| Parameters | BSc Psychology | BA Psychology |
| Domain | Science | Arts |
| Qualification | Bachelor of Science in Psychology | Bachelor of Arts in Psychology |
| Course Overview | Bachelor of Science in Psychology is a full-time undergraduate program, which is three years and is a more diverse field than BA Psychology. The course is delivered through a science perspective. | B.A. Psychology is a full-time undergraduate program with 3-year duration and can be pursued on completion of Class 12. The course is delivered through an arts perspective |
| Knowledge Delivery | It focuses more on a logical approach. | It focuses more on Philosophical approach. |
| Eligibility | Passed Class 12 with an aggregate of 50% marks | 10+2 examination with English as a core subject |
| Admission | Merit ranking/Entrance exams | Merit ranking/Entrance exams |
| Average Annual Fees | INR 25 000 to 2,00,000 | INR 20 000 to 1,50,000 |
| Colleges | Stella Maris College, Chennai, Women’s Christian College, Chennai, Ethiraj College for Women, Chennai etc. | Amity University, NIMS University, Sharda University |
| Average Salary | INR 2 to 6 LPA | INR 2 to 5 LPA |
Top Colleges
Here is a list of few top colleges offering a BA degree in psychology in India and the official websites on which you can check for important dates and notifications.
- Lady Shri Ram College for Women ( http://lsr.edu.in/)
- Jesus and Mary College ( http://www.jmc.ac.in/)
- Fergusson College, Pune ( http://www.fergusson.edu/)
- Mithibai College, Mumbai ( http://www.mithibai.ac.in/)
- St. Xavier’s Mumbai ( http://xaviers.edu/main/)
BA psychology syllabus
Here is the list of subjects taught in three years of this course.
| First-year | Second Year | Third Year |
| Introduction to Psychology (Theory and Practical) | Development of Psychological Thought (Theory and Tutorial) | Understanding and Dealing with Psychological Disorders (Theory and Practical) |
| Statistical Methods for Psychological Research- I (Theory and Tutorial) | Psychological Research (Theory and Practical) | Developmental Psychology (Theory and Practical) |
| Biopsychology (Theory + Tutorial) | Social Psychology (Theory+Tutorial) | Organisational Behaviour (Theory+Practical) |
| Environmental Science | Understanding Psychological Disorders (Theory+Practical) | Counselling Psychology (Theory+Practical) |
| English Communication | Statistical Methods for Psychological Research-II (Theory+Tutorial) | DSE-1 |
| Psychology of Individual Differences (Theory+Practical) | Applied Social Psychology (Theory+Practical) | DSE-2 |
| GE-1 | AEEC-1 | DSE-3 |
| GE-2 | AEEC-2 | DSE-4 |
| GE-3 | ||
| GE-4 |
BA Psychology Scope
Students having completed their graduation in psychology have a scope in academics as well as the job sector.
Mostly students opt for higher studies after the completion of their graduation degree. There are ample opportunities for master’s program. MA being the most commonly chosen course after BA, many students also pursue an MBA with psychology.
Students wanting to work also have an opportunity in the private sector as well as the government sector. They work closely with departments like a hospital, educational institutes and even corporate organisations. Some of the job profiles are sales representatives, advertising agents, career counsellors, social workers, recruiters, teaching faculty, etc.
This was a complete guide on pursuing a BA in psychology. We hope we were able to help you and solve any queries you had in mind.
Good luck!
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