Are you wondering what to pursue next after you’ve attained your BA degree? Keep reading!

Bachelor’s of Arts of BA is one of the most widely opted courses among learners. The program extends specializations like English, Marathi, Geography, Political Science, Economics, History, Sociology, Home Economics to further proceed on definite career paths. Since BA specializations can branch out to numerous career opportunities, it may easily confuse learners as after BA English which course is better to seek successful Bachelor of Arts jobs.

Now, we’ll look at some of the most prominent career options after BA. If you are wondering jobs after BA or career options after BA, you might get surprised to see some careers we’ve mentioned here, so read on and let us know what you think. Also, you can check out our digital marketing free courses which may help you strategies your career path.

Career Options after BA

1. Study Further in your Subject (MA)

One of the most popular career options after a BA is doing a Master of Arts. If you’re highly interested in a particular subject you studied, this might be an excellent choice for you. Master of Arts refers to postgraduate degrees, which BA graduates can join to pursue higher studies in their preferred areas.

To gain more proficiency in their fields and to broaden their career horizons, learners often go for a master’s degree in their choice of subject. It is one of the most preferred paths allowing students to navigate and explore other opportunities too. MA completion makes students eligible for doctorate programs. So, people interested in pursuing academic roles can opt for postgraduate studies.

Learners receive an average Salary hike of 58% with the highest being up to 400%.

What you can learn in this field

You’ll mainly learn about your chosen subjects in more detail. MA programs are perfect for those who want to study higher and enter doctorate programs or M.Phil. MA allows you to expand your knowledge of a specific domain and get more advanced options in those sectors.

For example, you can become a historian if you do a MA in History. On the other hand, if you want to become an economist, then you can get an MA in Economics. 

An MA degree is also helpful when you want to become a teacher. These programmers make you specialized in a particular subject, so after completing them, you can become a teacher of that subject. However, you’ll need to appear for the NET/TET examination for that subject, too, if you want to teach at schools or colleges. However, if you wish to bounce to the marketing industry, you can join and choose more specializations, based on your interest.

Minimum Eligibility

To pursue a Masters of Arts, you only need to have a BA degree. Apart from that, different colleges have different eligibility criteria, so be sure to check it out before you apply anywhere. Almost all the major universities and colleges in India offer this program under various specializations like higher studies after BA Economics, making it one of the most sought-after choices among students and ending their confusion about after BA English which course is better.

2. Become a Manager (MBA)

MBA refers to Masters of Business Administration. It’s one of the most popular career choices in India among candidates who keep asking questions like ‘Can BA student do MBA?’ after a graduate degree. The reason why so many people choose this path is because of the numerous career opportunities it opens up for them. In an MBA program, you’ll learn about solving business problems, which would allow you to become a competent manager. An MBA can help you in both public and private enterprises. Similarly, knowing how to solve problems related to businesses will help you in entrepreneurship as well. 

What you can learn in this field

MBA teaches you about management, administration, and organization. It shows you how you can solve complex problems a business faces in its daily life. For example, in our Global MBA program, you learn about Strategic Thinking, Integrated Business Strategies, Change Management, and many similar topics.

An MBA can open many doors for your career. You can pursue leadership opportunities in Business Development, Marketing, Human Resource Management, and Finance. The demand for MBA professionals is very high. Whether it’s startups or major corporations, everyone requires their services. 

Minimum Eligibility

You need to give the Common Admission Test (CAT) to apply for MBA degrees in numerous colleges and universities. Your CAT Score determines which colleges you can enter. It requires you to have a Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of three years of work experience. 

3. Specialize in Business Analytics

If you’ve always taken an interest in using the latest technologies to solve day-to-day problems, then you can pursue a career in Business Analytics. Business analytics focuses on investigating and exploring past business performance to get insight and make plans accordingly. As the name suggests, business analytics professionals analyze problems and derive practical solutions. They use the data of past decisions, performance, and results to make better decisions for the future of the company.

What you can learn in this field

First of all, you’ll learn to use multiple tech solutions to solve business-related problems. You’ll learn about Tableau, MS Excel, MySQL, Python, and many similar technologies. To get the best learning experience, you can get an MBA with a specialization in Business Analytics. You’ll also learn about the applications of analytics in Marketing, Human Resources, Supply Chain, Machine Learning, and Core Management skills. With this knowledge, you can become a Growth Manager, Management Consultant, or bag leadership roles in Finance, Marketing, Sales, and Strategy roles.

Minimum Eligibility

For PG courses, you only need to have a Bachelor’s degree. However, for the MBA with specialization in Business Analytics, you need to have a minimum of 55% marks and 3+ years of professional work experience and a Bachelor’s degree.

4. Become a Data Scientist (Diploma in Data Science)

There’s a misconception among people that you need to have a Science degree or a tech-related degree to enter the field of data science. It’s wrong. You can become a data scientist with a BA degree too. Data Science is the field of using systems, algorithms, and scientific methods to extract insights from unstructured and structured data. It finds applications in data mining, big data, as well as deep learning.

What you can learn in this field

In our Data Science course, you learn about machine learning, predictive analysis, natural language processing, big data, and other relevant fields. With a diploma in Data Science, you can get a job in the tech sector. To become a data scientist, you’ll have to learn about many technologies such as Kera, MongoDB, Python, MS Excel, Hadoop, Tableau, and MySQL. 

At upGrad, we offer a Post Graduate Diploma in Data Science from IIIT Bangalore. Apart from IIIT Bangalore, we offer certification from NASSCOM as well. This way, you get to learn from the best instructors. 

Minimum Eligibility

To enroll in our Data Science course, you only need to have a Bachelor’s degree. You don’t need any prior experience in coding or technology. So, if you have a BA, you are eligible to join this course. 

5. Learn Digital Marketing (PG Certification)

Our list of answers to ‘What to do after BA?’ would be incomplete if we don’t mention this field. 

Online businesses are growing at a rapid pace. Thanks to the advent of cheaper data packages and multiple startups, we have a thriving digital industry. If you’ve always been interested in becoming a part of this digital industry, you can become a digital marketer. Digital marketers help businesses and organizations in promoting their services online. Digital marketers help their clients better use online platforms to get more customers and grow their businesses there. It can be a great career option for you if you’re interested in the online industry. 

6. Enter the Insurance Industry (Certification)

The insurance industry is growing at a fast pace in India. And in dangerous times like these, people want to have financial backing for emergencies. If you’re a people person, then you can enter the insurance sector and kickstart your career. 

To enter this field, you can enroll in our PG Program in Life Insurance. It will provide you with a PG certificate, paid internship, and a full-time job with our partners. Your salary after completing the program can start from 2.5 LPA.  

What you can learn in this field

You get to learn about the Insurance Industry, sales skills, basics of financial services, Insurance products, and their regulations. It’s a great way to enter the financial sector. If you enroll in our course, you get a guaranteed role in HDFC’s front line sales team as a Business Development Manager, Corporate Agency Manager, or a Financial Planning Manager. 

Minimum Eligibility

The minimum eligibility to enroll in our life insurance course is a Bachelor’s degree at the start of the program, along with a minimum age of 21 years at its completion. 

7. Become a Lawyer (LLB)

One of the most prevalent career options after BA is the law. Getting a Bachelor of Legislator Law (LLB) is imperative to become a lawyer in India. After you complete this course, you can practice as a lawyer. It’s a vast field for people who are interested in the judiciary. With an LLB, you can become a legal advisor for institutions and companies. You can also prepare for the Judicial Services Exam and become a judge, which is another popular career choice. 

What you can learn in this field

You’ll get to learn about how the judiciary works, the different components of India’s Constitution, and relevant topics. After getting an LLB, you can pursue advanced studies and specialize in a specific category of law such as criminal law, divorce laws, etc. 

Minimum Eligibility

Many major universities and colleges offer this program. To enroll in LLB, you’ll need to pass the respective admission test of the institute. If you want to join the prestigious National Law Universities, you’ll need to pass the cut-off in CLAT (Common Law Admission Test). You also need to have a Bachelor’s degree to enroll in LLB. 

8. Journalism

Journalism is the most popular course available for students & one of the best courses after BA. Journalism involves gathering information and presenting it using different means of mass media. Journalists cover news and raise other pertinent issues in written, spoken, and visual formats. They may choose a niche in terms of the industry (crime, politics, sports, entertainment, business, and finance), or focus on a specific medium (print, broadcast, or digital). 

A typical six-semester BA degree will serve as the foundation for your entry into the professional world. If you want to be a journalist, you should also try to gain some practical exposure in broadcasting, publishing, etc. Moreover, interacting with people from all walks of life will be a mainstay throughout your journalistic career. So, explore the different aspects of the occupation, gain new perspectives, and decide which option suits you the best. Higher studies after BA Economics is also a great option.

At upGrad, we have mentored thousands of students from across the globe for different courses and careers. Checkout our degree courses offered by upGrad in association with top universities for motivated students like you looking for state-of-the-art BBA courses after completing their 12th.

Job-oriented Certification and Diploma Courses

Instead of thinking, ‘Can I do MBA after BA?’ to land high-paying jobs, candidates interested in short-term courses to upskill can go for job-oriented certification and diploma courses after exploring Bachelor of Arts jobs. These span for 5-12 months and provide exceptional upskilling opportunities. 

The job-oriented part of these courses also helps candidates confused with questions like ‘can we do MBA after BA’, find lucrative opportunities in diverse fields right after course completion. Platforms like upGrad have many such certification courses equipping students with in-demand skills and providing immediate BA degree jobs. 

Competitive Examinations

Besides applying for jobs for BA students, candidates can look for attractive opportunities working under the government through competitive government examinations. Major examinations demand BA as their basic eligibility criterion, so you can start preparing for career opportunities for BA degree jobs in sectors like railways, civil, administrative departments, and various other industries. 

Excelling through government examination in India is a dream and passion for thousands of youngsters. If you wish to serve the people by becoming a part of government institutions, preparing for competitive exams is your best bet. The only thing candidates must know is it demands exceptional dedication, commitment, and hard work. 

Human Resource Specialist 

The HR is one of the best options to pursue after BA. As an HR professional, the jobs after BA becomes much more wider as all the organisations require the human resource professionals to manage their day-to-day operations along with the organisation level operations. 

The career options after BA becomes many, from the HR Specialist, Talent Azqusition Specialist, etc. They are responsible for identifying the candidates who proves to be promising and bring success to the organisation. If you pursue HR, your career after ba becomes sky rocketing due to the many employers in the market as well. 

Specialisation in Cybersecurity 

The technology is advancing rapidly and so are the crimes related to the cyber world. There is a pertinent need for creating a strong cybersecurity in place. There are various information which gets safeguarded such as computers, networks, and data. This is what to do after BA if you are very much interested in the world of cyber security as this is the best courses after BA.

People who are wondering ‘What after BA?’, ‘After BA what we can do?’, ‘After BA which course is best?’ or ‘After BA what can I do?’ can be assured that you will succeed if you put your mind and efforts into doing  anything you choose.

Choose Your Career Wisely

So, there you go – we tried our best to answer the question ‘What to do after BA?’

While you have an ocean of opportunities and jobs for BA students, don’t be overwhelmed. Instead, conduct a self-assessment to decide which pathway is the best for your career goals. There are many career opportunities available, and you should choose one according to your interests. 

For candidates still confused about their best-suited path, upGrad has career support and counseling services to narrow down your doubts and create a precise picture of what you can achieve with your skills. So, seek whatever help you require to assist you through this crucial process, as it is one of the most significant turning points in your career. 

1. What are the advantages of a BA degree?

A Bachelor of Arts degree equips you with certain transferable skills like critical thinking, research, and writing effectively. Having a BA degree opens up a lot of prospects in terms of the jobs you can do, and also the higher education you can pursue. If you are interested in research, you can specialise in a particular field of your choice by doing a PhD and take on research projects in the future.

2. How do you prepare yourself for a job after completing your BA degree?

The best way to not getting overwhelmed is to start looking and applying for jobs early. Explore various online platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, and so on. Try not to focus on your earnings at your first job, but instead consider the kind of opportunities and network you will have access to. Try to build your network by getting in touch with people who work in the same field as you. Spend time working on your CV and keep a track of all your academic and personal endeavours. Don’t limit yourself and be open to learning new things.

3. Does higher education really matter?

Yes, having a postgraduate degree and/or a PhD can enhance your professional and personal life significantly. A whole new range of professional roles open up for you, and you can also look at a higher pay grade. The knowledge you have of your career field expands and deepens, while enabling you to find your niche within the same. Having a postgraduate degree is not just about improving your resume, but also about training you in the art of research and interpersonal skills.

4. Why should you pursue Business Analytics?

Businesses are becoming more and more popular every day, with an evident rise in the number of start-ups, small businesses, and independent ventures. Subsequently, this is a course that is seeing an increase in demand. The importance of learning business analytics will be visible to you if you plan on starting your own business avenue, or want to aid other businesses in improving their growth. This is a lucrative and highly beneficial career opportunity. As a Business Analyst, you will be able to assess and manage risks better, come up with strategies for recovery and profit-making, and also improve business performance. You can apply your knowledge in your personal life as well, as you learn more about the world of business.

5. What are the roles and responsibilities of a Data Scientist?

The role of a data scientist is to collect, analyse, and interpret data to address business problems, and build models to solve them. Another key role is using data visualisation techniques to present findings in a user-friendly and innovative way. Data scientists also help in discovering patterns and trends, and implementing machine learning algorithms. Part of their responsibilities is collaborating with other professionals, including engineers and product developers. At the basis of their jobs, data scientists make use of coding and tactics in computer programming to facilitate their duties.

6. What do you learn in a Journalism course?

Within journalism, you learn how to obtain information about current events and affairs, and then produce reports about the same. The many formats of journalism are newspapers, magazines, podcasts, websites, and television shows. You will learn how to conduct interviews and research, and other mediums of gathering data. Journalism degrees also focus on practical skills that are useful for fieldwork on the job. In terms of the courses that may be part of the syllabus, here are a few – mass communication, editing techniques, media laws, advertising, and so on.