Top 5 Online BA Specialisations That Can Transform Your Career

Introduction

The 2024 statistics show that around 35–40% of the undergraduates in India have chosen a BA degree. There has been a shift from conventional academic degrees to more creative and theoretical ones. One reason for this popularity is that it encourages more innovative, analytical, and cultural studies in the job market.

If we speak of the job market, you would be surprised to know that the employability rate for BA graduates in India has risen to around 40-45% in 2024, mainly due to the growing demand for content creation, public relations, and digital marketing . The entry-level media, public relations, and digital marketing positions offer annual salaries ranging from INR 2.5 to 4 lakh. If you wish to explore the diverse specialisations in BA, here is the right guide for you to explore.

This blog provides insight into the top specialisations in BA, career opportunities, salaries, and more. Let us take a look at what a BA degree offers:

What is BA?

BA stands for Bachelor of Arts. It is a three-year undergraduate degree spread across four semesters. This academic programme includes the following:

• Humanities

• Social sciences

• Languages

• Liberal Arts

Lately, there has been an increase in the trend of opting for a BA degree as opposed to the traditional engineering and medical degrees. The Western influence on the education sector, especially concerning arts education, has significantly changed the landscape and scope of these subjects; with the variety of subjects that the degree offers, there is increased flexibility for career opportunities and further specialisations.

1. Online BA in Psychology

Psychology is one of the growing fields or specialisations that is being considered. The scope has expanded due to the global influence that has turned eyes on mental health. Reasons such as increased social media use among youngsters, rising stress levels at a young age, unhealthy lifestyle habits, and academic and career pressure contribute significantly to the current mental health issues.

Additionally, the lack of communication and poor awareness has worsened and widened the gap between parents and their children, giving rise to the requirement for a therapist or a counsellor who can intervene and settle the circumstances favourably.

The rise in the demand for psychology as a career mainly stems from the global opportunities in this field and its differences from other conventional specialisations. Psychology offers a chance to explore in-depth and learn immensely about the human conscious and subconscious mind, making the subject highly intriguing.

Psychology is undoubtedly a field that promises personal and professional gratification while working with clients. It involves open communication with less reliance on medical intervention. Often, students choose a complex yet simple career because it offers a lot more flexibility in the long run if they enter private practice.

Also Read:   Master’s in Psychology via Distance Education

Career Options in Psychology

The following are the top career options and their salary insights. The numbers and data can vary depending on the company profile, location, individual’s years of experience, personal capabilities, and the job roles and responsibilities.

Source: Ambition box

2. Online BA in Political Science

Political science has gained recognition mainly because of rising interest in politics. However, you do not necessarily need to rely on a degree in political science to enter India’s political field. The subject makes a significant contribution to your detailed understanding of the field of politics and the different organs of the government, such as:

• Legislature

• Executive

• Judiciary

It enhances your knowledge about the different procedures of the government and the lists they follow, such as the national list, state list, and concurrent list, as well as other essential topics that cover the Indian and Western political systems.

India’s politics is also often considered a mix of worldwide political systems. Western politics has significantly influenced how our system functions in the democratic framework. The exciting part begins with the history of politics in India, from when we received independence until today, and the significant waves of change on this journey.

Political science has an excellent career impact if the path is optimised correctly. It all begins with detailed research. Being a political science student is equivalent to being a commendable researcher. This field also allows you to create several contacts and network efficiently, regardless of your chosen field. Mainly speaking, entering politics would not require you to study political science, but to understand every career field and its dynamics, political science can significantly help. For example, in a country like ours, the political scenario impacts every business and every job in one way or another. Knowing where your business would land shortly or whether you would find more opportunities would be easy to predict if you study a subject like political science.

Also Read: Can I Do an MBA after BA? Is It the Right Step?

Career Options in Political Science

The following are the top career options and their salary insights. The numbers and data can vary depending on the company profile, location, individual’s years of experience, personal capabilities, and the job roles and responsibilities.

3. Online BA in International Relations

International relations as a career has gained popularity with the rising interest in global politics and its interplay with domestic politics. Globalisation not only opened geographical boundaries to businesses and media houses but has also impacted how the politics of different countries have worked out. This makes international relations an intriguing subject.

It highlights the historical political scenarios of various countries, showing how Western powers influenced India’s political system and its evolution post-colonisation. It also traces the global shift from unipolar to bipolar and, eventually, to a multipolar world.

International Relations opens multiple avenues and prepares you for careers in foreign services, international organisations (like the United Nations), NGOs, and multinational corporations. Graduates can work as diplomats, analysts, or consultants. As a field, it also offers you an excellent opportunity to network. Once you learn about the different countries and their political histories, you also learn to research and develop more informed opinions rather than being influenced by media-orientated statements.

Career Options in International Relations

The following are the top career options and their salary insights. The numbers and data can vary depending on the company profile, location, individual’s years of experience, personal capabilities, and the job roles and responsibilities.

4. Online BA in Economics

Economics is primarily divided into the following parts:

• Macroeconomics

• Microeconomics

• Statistics

• Policy

• International Trade

BA graduates who pursue economics cover finance, government, research, and public policy topics. On some levels, economics and political science go hand-in-hand. They both give an insight into a country’s political stability and economic state. They collectively determine the country’s future and its growth. Economics is by far one of the most versatile degree specialisations. You would get to explore how economics on an international level is also a result of domestic dynamics.

The job market in economics is quite intriguing. As an economics graduate, you would enjoy working with some of the most reputed recruiters. Institutions like the World Bank, IMF, and UN hire economics graduates for research, policy-making, and advisory roles. Through your education, you would get to learn skills such as:

1. How to make a Detailed analysis

2. How to take a calculated risk

3. Practical decision-making for the growth of a business or organisation

Must Read: Online BA Economics Course in 2024: Your Comprehensive Guide

Career Options in Economics

The following are the top career options and their salary insights. The numbers and data can vary depending on the company profile, location, individual’s years of experience, personal capabilities, and the job roles and responsibilities.

Source: Ambition box

5. Online BA in English Literature

English literature as a subject is also quite sought-after. If you enjoy a more creatively inclined academic curriculum, English literature can be the right pick. Unlike the conventional preconceived notion, English literature goes beyond just quintessential story-writing and creative reading. It includes an in-depth analysis and interpretation of famous epics such as the Ramayana, Mahabharata, or even Western epics. English literature focuses on classic and contemporary works of literature. Throughout the course, you are sure to come across several interesting topics.

If you pursue English literature, you can also do a comprehensive creative analysis and practice creative writing. This opens multiple avenues. Many of them step into new writing and get a stronghold on how to write with innovation. This subject is highly versatile. You can also pick beyond the regular career, such as teaching or writing. They can choose to pursue careers such as publishing, journalism, blogging, and more.

Must Read:  Online BA in English: Explore the World of Literature from Anywhere

Career Options in English Literature

The following are the top career options and their salary insights. The numbers and data can vary depending on the company profile, location, individual’s years of experience, personal capabilities, and the job roles and responsibilities.

Final Words

Lately, online degrees have gained massive popularity over on-campus degrees. There has been a shift from offline to online degrees, mainly because of its flexibility and convenience.  Additionally, BA programmes offer multiple specialisations, making this degree highly versatile. A few years ago, conventional courses such as engineering and medicine were the dominant choices among the students. Lately, however, many have begun to prefer more courses that allow them to explore more options so they can take sufficient time to research and then make a more informed decision for their career.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Which specialisations in online BA programmes offer the most potential in terms of career?

The following are the  top specialisations that offer the most potential in terms of career:

• Psychology

• Economics

• International Relations

• Communication Studies

• Political Science

Q2. What is the difference between International Relations and Political Science?

The difference between International Relations and Political Science is as follows:

International Relations is a more specific subject that focuses on the topics that concern political scenarios on the international forum among different countries such as:

• Diplomacy

• Trade

• Security

• Human rights

Political Science is a broader subject that includes topics such as

• Studying political systems

• Studying different Ideologie

• Learning about the different government structures

• Examining political behaviour at both national and international levels.

Q3. What are the highest-paying careers in political science?

The following are  the highest-paying careers in political science:

• Political Scientist

• Legislative Director

• Policy Analyst

• Public Relations Manager

• Political Consultant

Q4. Which are the top colleges in India that offer online BA programmes?

The following are the top colleges in India that offer online BA programs:

• Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)

• Amity University Online

• Jain University Online

• Chandigarh University Online

• Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning (SCDL)

Q5. Which is the most widely chosen specialisation in BA?

Students often choose a specialisation in English literature for the wide variety of options it explores in different fields.