If you didn't get the law school seat you wanted
Take a BA now. UGC lists the LLB as a 3-year degree with a Bachelor's as the entry qualification, so law stays open after you graduate.[1]
Law after 12thDegreeLast checked 1 November 20264 official sources
BA (Bachelor of Arts)
How long is a BA in India, how do you get admission, and what can you do after it?
BA, the Bachelor of Arts, is a 3-year degree after Class 12 in UGC's 2014 list of specified degrees. UGC's credit framework adds an optional fourth year for an honours degree, and students with 75% over the first six semesters can spend that year on a research project. Central universities admit on CUET (UG) scores, and you can choose its tests whatever you studied in Class 12. After the degree, CUET (PG) is the entrance for an MA at central and participating universities, and final-year students can sit it.
CurrentApplies to 2026-27Last checked 1 November 2026
This page may be out of date. It was due for a re-check on 31 March 2027. Confirm every rule with the official source before acting on it.
CUET details are from the 2026 bulletins. NTA had not published a CUET (UG) or CUET (PG) 2027 bulletin when we checked on 1 November 2026.
At a glance
- Duration
- 3 years minimum, after Class 12 (UGC)[1]
- Honours option
- A fourth year, 160 credits in all, where the university offers it[2]
- Major and minor
- About half your credits in the major; 12 credits in another subject can earn a minor[2]
- Entrance at central universities
- CUET (UG) scores; up to 5 tests, 50 questions in 60 minutes each[3]
- Class 12 stream
- CUET tests can be chosen whatever subjects you took in Class 12; the university sets the programme rule[3]
- MA after the BA
- 2 years minimum (UGC); CUET (PG) for central and participating universities[4]
BA stands for Bachelor of Arts. UGC's 2014 gazette lists it, with BA (Hons), under Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences as a Bachelor's degree of at least three years after Class 12. You study one subject in depth as your major, such as History, Economics, Political Science, English or Psychology, and usually a second subject as a minor. It leads to an MA and, after that, a Ph.D.[1]
It tends to suit you if
- You like reading, writing and arguing a point, and you'd enjoy doing that in one subject for three or four years.
- You want a degree that keeps the MA, the 3-year LLB and the graduate-level government exams open while you decide.
- You took Science or Commerce in Class 12 and want to switch. CUET lets you choose humanities tests whatever your Class 12 subjects.
You may struggle if
- You expect the degree itself to train you for one job. A BA builds subject knowledge; most careers after it go through an MA, a professional course or a recruitment exam.
- You dislike long reading lists and writing at length. Majors such as History, Political Science and Literature ask for a lot of both.
This is a guide to the work the route asks of you, not a test of ability.[2]
- Class 12 in any streamStage
UGC sets Class 12 as the entry level. CUET tests don't depend on your Class 12 subjects; the university's programme rule might.
- CUET (UG) or the university's own admissionEntrance
Central universities use CUET (UG) scores. Pick the tests your BA programme lists.
- BA: 3 years, or 4 with honoursCourse
120 credits for the degree, 160 for honours. About half go to your major.
- CUET (PG) in the final yearEntrance
Final-year students can sit CUET (PG) for an MA at central and participating universities.
- MA, LLB, work or a government postWork
A 2-year MA, the 3-year LLB, a job, or the graduate-level recruitment exams.
UGC's 2014 gazette lists BA and BA (Hons) under Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences as Bachelor's degrees of at least three years, with Class 12 as the entry level. The MA after it is a 2-year Master's. The same notification renamed several older degrees: a B.Lit. becomes a BA (Literature), and a BSS becomes a BA (Social Studies).
Under UGC's Curriculum and Credit Framework, the 3-year degree needs 120 credits and the 4-year honours degree needs 160. If you score 75% or more across the first six semesters, you can spend the fourth year on a research project or dissertation in your major, worth 12 credits, and graduate with honours with research. Only departments with at least two permanent faculty members recognised as Ph.D. supervisors can run that year.[2]
The degree is named after your major, and you earn about half your credits in it. A minor is a second subject studied in less depth. UGC's own example is a BA student who majors in Economics and earns at least 12 credits in Statistics: the degree reads "B.A. in Economics with a Minor in Statistics".
UGC lists Anthropology, Economics, History, Linguistics, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work and Sociology among the social science courses, and Archaeology, Comparative Literature, Creative Writing, languages and Philosophy among the humanities. Which majors and minors you can combine depends on your university. Its Board of Studies and Academic Council set the list.[2]
Central universities, and the state and other universities that take part, admit on CUET (UG) scores. You can take up to five tests, counting languages and the General Aptitude Test, and NTA lets you pick them whatever subjects you studied in Class 12. Each test has 50 questions in 60 minutes, with 5 marks for a right answer and 1 taken off for a wrong one.
The humanities tests include History (314), Political Science (323), Economics/Business Economics (309), Geography/Geology (313), Sociology (326), Psychology (324) and Anthropology (303), plus 13 language tests and the General Aptitude Test (501). Each university maps its own tests to each BA programme, so a BA in History and a BA in Psychology at the same university can ask for different ones.[3]
Credits and what you leave with, under UGC's framework
When the MA entrance ran: CUET (PG) 2026
- Duration
- 3 years (4 with honours where offered)[2]
- Credits
- 120 for the degree, 160 for honours[2]
- Credits for a minor (UGC's example)
- 12 credits or more in the minor subject[2]
- Maximum time to finish, with breaks
- 7 years[2]
- MA after the BA
- 2 years minimum[1]
Fees: Fees vary by university and college. Check the official fee notice of the institution before you apply.
The usual next step is an MA. CUET (PG) is the entrance at central and participating universities: in the 2026 cycle you could choose up to four question papers, each with 75 questions in 90 minutes, and students in the final year of their Bachelor's could apply. Registration ran from 14 December 2025 to 14 January 2026, and the test was held in March 2026, so the window opens in the winter of your final year.
A BA also meets the entry rule for the 3-year LLB, which UGC lists with a Bachelor's degree as the entry qualification. For government work, each recruitment notice sets its own degree rule. CorrectForm has the form rules for SSC CGL and the UPSC Civil Services exam.[4]
The usual ladder is BA, then a 2-year MA, then work or a Ph.D. At central universities the MA entrance is CUET (PG), and each university applies its own rules on subject combinations, marks and reservation.
For government work, the recruitment notice for each exam lists the degree, age limits and any subject rule. CorrectForm keeps those for SSC CGL and the UPSC Civil Services exam.[4]
If you took Science or Commerce and want to change course
CUET (UG) lets you choose humanities tests whatever your Class 12 subjects. Check that the university's BA programme doesn't ask for a specific Class 12 subject.[3]
CUET UGIf you have to stop after one or two years
Under UGC's framework, 40 credits plus a summer vocational course earn a UG certificate, and 80 credits plus one earn a UG diploma. You can come back within three years and finish within seven.[2]
Try the subject before you commit to it. These are free platforms run by government education bodies.
- NCERT textbooksClass 11 and 12 History, Political Science, Economics, Geography, Sociology and Psychology. CUET's domain syllabus follows NCERT.Link checked 13 October 2026
- SWAYAMThe Government of India's course portal. Browse All Courses for undergraduate humanities and social science subjects.Link checked 13 October 2026
- NPTELFree courses from the IITs and IISc, including a Humanities and Social Sciences list.Link checked 13 October 2026
Tips and tricks
- Pick your five CUET tests from the programme pages of the universities you want, not from your Class 12 timetable. NTA lets you choose any tests, but each university maps its own tests to each BA.[3]
- Choose your minor with the next step in mind. In UGC's example, 12 credits in Statistics turn an Economics BA into "Economics with a Minor in Statistics".[2]
- If research interests you, track your marks from the first semester. The honours-with-research year needs 75% across the first six semesters.[2]
- Put CUET (PG) on your calendar at the start of your final year. In the 2026 cycle, registration opened on 14 December 2025 and closed on 14 January 2026.[4]
- Read the MA eligibility on the university's site before you apply for CUET (PG). NTA says each university's own rules on subject combinations, marks and age apply.[4]
Questions people ask
Is BA a 3-year or 4-year course?
UGC lists it as at least 3 years after Class 12. Universities that follow UGC's credit framework add an optional fourth year for an honours degree with 160 credits.[2]
Can I do a BA after Class 12 Science or Commerce?
Yes, in most cases. NTA lets you choose CUET (UG) tests whatever subjects you took in Class 12. The university's programme page can still ask for a particular Class 12 subject, so check it.[3]
Which CUET subjects should a BA applicant take?
It depends on the university and the BA. The humanities tests include History (314), Political Science (323), Economics (309), Geography (313), Sociology (326), Psychology (324) and Anthropology (303), and you can take up to five tests, counting languages and the General Aptitude Test.[3]
What is a BA with a minor?
A BA where you earn about half your credits in your major and a smaller block in a second subject. UGC's example is a BA in Economics with a Minor in Statistics, for at least 12 credits in Statistics.[2]
Can I sit CUET (PG) in the final year of my BA?
Yes. The CUET (PG) 2026 bulletin allowed students appearing in the final year of their Bachelor's degree. In that cycle, registration ran from 14 December 2025 to 14 January 2026.[4]
Can I do an LLB after a BA?
Yes. UGC lists the LLB as a 3-year degree with a Bachelor's degree as the entry qualification. Each university sets its own marks and admission rules.[1]
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Official and partner links
Sources
- Specification of Degrees, Gazette of India (Part III, Section 4), 5 July 2014, University Grants Commission. Gazette p. 2988, Arts/Humanities/Social Sciences, S.No. 18 (BA / BA (Hons), 3 years, 10+2), 19 (MA, 2 years, Bachelor's), restructured names; Law, S.No. 29 (LLB, 3 years, Bachelor's). Accessed 1 November 2026.
- Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Programmes, University Grants Commission. Sections 3.2.2-3.2.3, pp. 9-10 (major about 50%, Economics with a Minor in Statistics, exits, 120 and 160 credits, honours with research at 75% and 12 credits, seven-year limit); humanities and social science courses, pp. 21-22. Accessed 1 November 2026.
- CUET (UG) 2026 Information Bulletin, National Testing Agency. pp. 6-7 (broad features: up to five subjects irrespective of Class XII subjects, +5/-1); section 2.3 (p. 15: 50 questions, 60 minutes); Appendix II (p. 37: codes 101-113, 303, 309, 313, 314, 323, 324, 326, 501). Accessed 1 November 2026.
- CUET (PG) 2026 Information Bulletin, National Testing Agency. Dates at a glance (p. 4: registration 14 December 2025 to 14 January 2026, exam March 2026, 90 minutes); sections 2.4-2.5 (p. 9: up to four papers, 75 questions, +4/-1); 3.1-3.2 (p. 11: final-year students eligible, no age limit, university rules apply). Accessed 1 November 2026.
Found an error or a newer rule? Tell us through the corrections page. Updated 17 October 2026.