Bachelor of Arts

==Definition==
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree is an undergraduate postsecondary degree that puts a focus on [[liberal arts education|liberal arts]] and studies.<ref name=":03">"Degree, Academic." ''Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia'', Jan. 2018. ''EBSCOhost Database.'' Retrieved 6 April 2022.</ref> In comparison, a Bachelor of Science (BS) has a greater focus on science, math, and engineering. The Bachelor of Arts degree is a type of [[bachelor's degree|baccalaureate degree]].<ref name=":5">"Liberal arts." ''The Columbia Encyclopedia.'' Credo Reference Database. Retrieved 2 April 2022.</ref><ref name=":1">{{citation |last1=Floyd |first1=Deborah L. |title=Baccalaureate |encyclopedia=The SAGE Encyclopedia of Higher Education |pages=153–156 |date=2020 |publisher=SAGE Publications, Inc. |place=Thousand Oaks |last2=Ramdin |first2=Gianna |last3=Salinas |first3=Cristobal |isbn=9781473942912 |s2cid=219813700 |doi=10.4135/9781529714395 |url=https://sk.sagepub.com/reference/the-sage-encyclopedia-of-higher-education/i3094.xml |access-date=2022-04-02 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220402192210/https://sk.sagepub.com/reference/the-sage-encyclopedia-of-higher-education/i3094.xml |archive-date=2 April 2022}}</ref> A Bachelor of Arts degree is usually completed in four years: that is, it requires four years of full-time coursework during term time. However, just as with other degrees, some may require a longer time period. This is due to factors such as the student's ability, motivation, and access to financial assistance to earn the degree. Just like other baccalaureate degrees, a Bachelor of Arts is historically offered only at public and private universities and colleges.<ref name=":03"/><ref name=":2">Bachelor of Arts. (2014). In Collins Dictionaries (Ed.), ''Collins English Dictionary'' (12th ed.). Collins. Credo Reference Database</ref><ref name=":6">{{Citation |last1=Eby |first1=Gulsun |title=Bachelor's Degree Programs |date=2016 |encyclopedia=The SAGE Encyclopedia of Online Education |pages=131–133 |place=Thousand Oaks |publisher=SAGE Publications, Inc. |last2=Danver |first2=Steven L.|doi=10.4135/9781483318332 |isbn=9781483318356 |doi-access=free}}</ref> A Bachelor of Arts, just like other bachelor's degrees, is an admission requirement for graduate and professional school. Beginning in the 1990s, junior colleges started to confer their own baccalaureate degrees. In addition to the standard BA degrees, there are career-specific Bachelor of Arts degrees, including [[functional English|Bachelor of Arts in Functional English]], [[Bachelor of Business Administration|Bachelor of Arts in Administration]], [[Bachelor of Independent Studies|Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies]], and [[University System of West Virginia#Regents Bachelor of Arts|Regents Bachelor of Arts]].<ref name=":1"/>