Bachelor of Arts (B.A., BA or A.B.), from the Latin Artium Baccalaureus, is an undergraduate bachelor's degree awarded for either a course or a program in the liberal arts or the sciences, or both.
A bachelor of arts degree program generally lasts three years in Australia, Austria, Denmark, Estonia, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Germany, Iceland, India, Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Quebec, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa and Switzerland, and four years in Scotland, the Republic of Ireland, Canada (outside Quebec) and the United States.
Diplomas generally give the name of the institution, signatures of officials of the institution (generally the President or Rector of the University, as well as the Secretary or Dean of the component college), the type of degree conferred, the conferring authority, and the location at which the degree is conferred. Degree diplomas generally are printed on high quality paper or parchment, use ornate lettering and often include archaic terminology or even language (e.g. Latin).
