What Is a Bachelor of Arts and What Can You Do with It?

Once you enroll in one of these programs, you can choose an area of specialization, or you can generalize your coursework and explore several areas.A Bachelor of Arts (BA) is one of the most common undergraduate degrees in Canada Earning your BA typically takes three to four years of full-time study, depending on whether you earn an honours degree. In these programs, you'll often study topics in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. The broad subject matter you may be exposed to in a BA program can provide a good foundation for many career paths.

Having a Bachelor of Arts degree can open opportunities that secondary school education alone generally cannot. According to Statista, the unemployment rate for bachelor's degree holders is consistently lower than for those who completed only secondary school or less [1].  

What does 'Bachelor of Arts' mean?

A Bachelor of Arts is a college or university degree available in various subjects. Each program covers standard general education requirements on liberal arts and humanities topics and then allows you to major in a particular specialization of your choice. 

The term ‘arts’ can be misleading because, in reality, you can earn a BA degree in a wide range of subjects beyond what you might consider art. A BA can prepare you for a career in business, marketing, or health care management, for example.

BA vs. BS degree: What's the difference?  

Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees are typically not all that different. In most cases, your choice of major (the primary subject focus of your degree) will determine whether you earn a BA or a BS. Generally speaking, BS degrees typically have more coursework in science, math, and technology, while BA degrees tend to focus more heavily on the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

How do you earn a Bachelor of Arts degree?

Earning your Bachelor of Arts degree typically involves three to four years of study, and you can extend it by choosing to study part-time. Three-year BA programs provide you with marketable credentials and strong critical thinking skills that can help you to be competitive in the job market, but they aren’t typically chosen by students who wish to pursue further study. 

Honours bachelor’s degrees, which typically take four years to complete, require additional coursework and are often pre-requisite for post-graduate programs. Note that honours BA programs may have grade requirements, and students who don’t reach these marks may be transferred into general BA programs. 

In some cases, you will also find four-year bachelor’s degrees without honours, so make sure you look for four-year programs labeled as “honours” if you’d like to earn the extra designation. All three degree types help you prepare for exciting professional opportunities following graduation, and the right program for you will vary depending on your background, skill set, and goals. 

In BA programs, you have the flexibility to focus on one or two primary subjects, or you can take a more diverse course range to explore multiple interests. If you choose to specialize your focus in a particular area, some program allow you to choose either a concentration or a major to recognize your expertise in that topic. However, some non-honours BA programs do not offer a specialization or major, so it’s important to consider whether you’d like a general or more specialized program when deciding on the right one for you.

If you have an interest in two areas, it may be possible to major in both, known as a double major, or add a minor, which is a specialization but requires less coursework than your major.

Admission requirements for a Bachelor of Arts

Admission requirements for a BA vary depending on the course, the post-secondary institution, the location from which you are applying, and your academic background. Because of this, it’s very important to pay close attention to the admission requirements specific to you and your background.

If you’re applying to an institution in Ontario, you’ll typically apply using the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre. In general, applicants must have a high school diploma and Grade 12 courses in mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics or equivalent. 

You can meet your coursework requirement in different ways, depending on the high school you attended. For example, if your high school is located in Ontario, you would submit a record of at least 6 4U/M- or DU-level courses. In some cases, you may have to meet score requirements for these courses and complete additional pre-requisition courses. If your high school is outside of Ontario, you need to complete program-specific pre-requisite courses that often include five to six Grade 12 courses in mathematics, English, and life sciences. 

Students who attend general and professional teaching college (CEGEP) programs in Québec are eligible to apply after their first CEGEP year or can apply as transfer students after their second or third year. Several other institutions not part of the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre, such as the University of British Columbia, have similar admission requirements by province, though they will vary slightly by institution and program.

If you’re applying to post-secondary programs in Québec, admissions may be slightly different from institutions in other areas. Students in Québec often complete two years of pre-university college preparation (CEGEP programs) and earn a Diploma of College Studies (DCS/DEC), which is the first level of post-secondary education. This diploma is required by many Québec institutions for admission to undergraduate studies, alongside an “R” score which ranks students on their performance in CEGEP programs. 

If your high school is located in a different province and you don’t have this qualification, you’re typically required to have a high school diploma with a minimum number (often five to six) of Grade 12 coursework from a specific list of approved courses. In cases where universities require all applicants to have 13 years of schooling (the equivalent to a DEC), you may be required to complete a “qualifying year” on campus following admission.

If you don’t meet the typical criteria, universities and colleges may accept Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or other equivalent coursework (such as from foreign education systems for international students) to prove your readiness for a bachelor of arts degree. If English is not your first language, you may need to prove your proficiency in English (e.g., pass a language proficiency test) if you're coming from abroad to study in Canada at English-speaking institutions.  

As you begin your admission process, take time to peruse the websites of the institutions you are interested in and carefully read the requirements. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to admissions counselors to make sure you’re putting your best foot forward during the application process. 

What subjects can I study for a Bachelor of Arts?

The subjects available for study as part of a Bachelor of Arts are vast. Within your program, you can major (or two) in a field of interest. Common BA majors include:

• Anthropology

• Aquaculture

• Biology

• Chemistry

• Communication

• Criminal justice

• Digital media

• Economics

• Education

• English

• Geography

• Global studies

• History

• Journalism

• Media

• Philosophy

• Political science

• Psychology

• Religious studies

• Studio art

• Theater and drama

The list is almost endless, and similar courses across different universities will vary, with slight differences in titles and core classes.

What transferable skills can I gain from a Bachelor of Arts?

Completing a BA is designed to help you develop transferable skills that you'll be able to take into the workplace after graduating. The broad areas of study allow you to develop these highly regarded human skills, which are essential to most professional roles. Transferable skills you'll often learn as part of a BA include:

• Communication: A degree involves working with others, communicating ideas, delivering presentations, and writing papers. These are essential communication skills that you can take to the workplace.

• Leadership and project management: During a degree program, you may lead teams through projects and learn to delegate tasks, consider all parties, and make decisions.

• Teamwork and collaboration: Through your degree program, you work with different people and learn to communicate with various individuals at different levels. You may collaborate on projects with people from a variety of backgrounds and learn to listen to other points of view, opinions, and ideas.

• Problem-solving: A degree enhances problem-solving abilities when testing hypotheses and designing solutions. You'll develop key critical thinking skills throughout a BA degree program.

• Time management: A degree program gives you the opportunity to learn to work independently, manage your own time, and think for yourself. You may also have to juggle study and work, learning valuable time management skills.

• Resilience: Through a degree program, you learn to make mistakes, correct your work, and recognize that not everything goes as you want it to the first time. You often learn resilience to carry on and make the desired changes.

• Self-confidence: Having a degree can make you feel more confident about your subject knowledge, your ability to work with different people, and your approach to new situations. 

What can I do with a Bachelor of Arts?

A Bachelor of Arts can create opportunities for jobs in nearly all fields, including the arts, business, non-profit, science, and law. University or college graduates are more likely to gain employment than non-graduates, and they are also paid significantly more [2]. According to Statistics Canada, individuals with a bachelor’s degree earn over $500,000 CAD more than their counterparts with high school diplomas in the 15 years following graduation [2]. 

Job opportunities will often depend on your major, but having a degree, in general, demonstrates the desired level of education and the development of transferable skills that many employers are looking for.

In some programs, you can participate in a co-op semester with an industry or business partner to gain hands-on work experience during your studies. This can expand your resume, build your network, and help you increase career opportunities upon graduation.

If you are considering options outside of BA programs, some majors may lead to higher paychecks. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, engineering, computer science, commerce, pharmaceutical sciences, and nursing were among the highest-paid specializations for post-secondary education [3], and that trend continues today, with health care professions dominating the list of highest-paid professions in 2024 [4].  

What options are there for further study?

Your options for further study depend on the type of bachelor’s degree you pursue. While three-year bachelor’s degrees aim to build your subject-matter knowledge and enhance your critical thinking, they do not typically prepare students for graduate study. To go on to graduate studies, you usually need an honour’s bachelor’s degree. If you have a three-year degree and wish to pursue further study, you can obtain an Honour’s Equivalent, which is additional coursework to meet the requirements of an honour’s degree. Exceptions apply for students at institutions in Québec who have a three-year bachelor’s plus a DEC. 

Many honour’s bachelor’s graduates deepen their subject knowledge with a Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Science (MS) in their chosen field or a related area. This can open up opportunities for more advanced roles that require a master’s degree.Other options for further study include a Master of Business Administration (MBA) for jobs in business or a terminal degree for a career in medicine, law, education, arts, or architecture.

Enrol in a BA program today

Bachelor of Arts (BA) programs are a popular post-secondary education choice for Canadian students. Once you enrol in one of these programs, you can choose an area of specialization, or you can generalise your coursework and explore several areas. BA graduates can enter exciting careers in many areas, including social science and life sciences, or can go on to continue their education in a diverse array of master’s degree programs. 

Get started in a career, progress within your current job, or change career fields by earning your bachelor's degree online from a top university. Already have some college credits? You may be able to leverage your previous college or military credits to earn your degree faster with the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences from the University of North Texas.