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.