A Bachelor of Arts (BA, B.A., AB or A.B. from the Latin artium baccalaureus or baccalaureus artium) is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both. Bachelor of Arts degree programs generally take three to four years depending on the country, academic institution, and specific specializations, majors or minors. The word baccalaureus or baccalarium (from the Latin bacca, a berry, and laureus, "of the bay laurel") should not be confused with baccalaureatus (translatable as "gold-plated scepter" by using the Latin baculum and aureatus), which refers to the one- to two-year postgraduate Bachelor of Arts with Honours degree (Baccalaureatus in Artibus Cum Honore) in some countries.

The term Honours degree has different meanings for different degrees. Most commonly it is an award in connection with undergraduate bachelor's degree variations. For example, in the United States, the four-year Honors bachelor's degree or in the United Kingdom, the three-year Bachelor (with) Honours degree (four years in Scotland), is sometimes indicated by "(Hons)" after the degree abbreviation. It also refers to the rare "postgraduate" consecutive bachelor's degree With Honours or Baccalaureatus Cum Honore degree with the requirement to first complete a bachelor's degree. In Canada it is abbreviated either "BA hon." or "BSc hon." Very rarely is the term used for the master's degree; for example, the four-year undergraduate degree at Ancient Scottish universities is abbreviated "MA (Hons)".