BA in Defence & Strategic Studies: Course Details, Admission Process, Syllabus, Top College, Jobs, Scope 2023

Sounak Banerjee's profile photo

Sounak Banerjee

Associate Content Manager

The Bachelor of Arts in Defence & Strategic Studies is a 3-years undergraduate course designed for students who are potentially interested in serving the nation in defense services. 

BA Defence and Strategic Studies is structured in a way to make the students understand all about nuclear policies, Defence Economics, military Geography, etc. On completion of BA Defence and Strategic Studies, the students are exposed to the various defense management strategies prevailing in the country.

Like any other course, there are cut-off marks for the admission process of Defence and Strategic Studies. The BA Defence and Strategic Studies eligibility for the enrolment is a pass percentage of 50% in 10+2 in any discipline. The marks obtained in the academic curriculum of 10+2 play a vital role in the admission process, as selection criteria are majorly inclined towards the higher secondary marks.

Apart from this merit-based admission, few colleges conduct entrance exams aligned to the institute’s standard. Some of the top BA Defence and Strategic Studies colleges or institutes are Guru Nanak College Chennai, Dr. Ambedkar Government Arts College Chennai, Government Nagarjuna Post Graduate College of Science Raipur, etc. The average course fee can be around INR 1,00,000 to INR 2,00,000 which varies according to the college or institutes.

On completion of BA Defence and strategic Studies, the candidates become a valuable asset in the defense services. The graduates are recruited in the Air Force, CISF, CRPF, Army, Navy, Coast Guard, SSC, Railways, DRDO and IDSA, etc. 

The job roles are of highly respectable positions. The starting salary for a graduate in this field can vary in the range of INR 1,50,000 to INR 8,00,000.

Check out: Top Defense colleges in India 

Bachelor of Arts (B.A) in Defence & Strategic Studies: Highlights

Course type Bachelor of Arts (B.A) in Defence & Strategic Studies
Course Duration 3 years
Course Examination Type Semester type (6 months per semester)
Course Eligibility A pass mark in all subjects with an aggregate of 50% in 10+2 in any discipline
Course Admission process Merit or entrance exam based (Varies according to institutes)
Course Fee Maximum up to INR 2,00000 (Can vary according to institutes)
Course Average Salary INR 1,50,000 to 8,00000
Top Recruiting companies Air Force, CISF, CRPF, Army, Navy, Coast Guard, SSC, Railways, DRDO, IDSA, etc., and educational institutes too.
Job Position Sales Manager, Research Officer, Quality Inspector, Ground Duty Officer, Personal Security Officer, Account Manager, etc

B.A in Defence & Strategic Studies: Course Details

Bachelor of Arts (B.A) in Defence & Strategic Studies is an undergraduate course that covers all the domestic and strategic issues that influence our defense management strategies. This study helps the candidate to understand Conflict Management and resolution, international law and Relations, Geopolitics and Military, nuclear deals and policies, Science and Technology, etc. 

Overall, the candidate can gain immense knowledge on military education involving their history and geographical importance. The students understand the issues related to war and the different policies which help in the management of the defense; this makes the graduates highly eligible in assisting government bodies to tackle any defense-related problem strategically. With the completion of BA Defence and Strategic Studies, the graduates are preferred in the defense of the nation.

Also ReadMBA in Defense Management 

Why Study B.A. in Defence & Strategic Studies?

  • The graduates can appear for the Public Service Commission examination with less difficulty as the majority of the subjects in Defence Studies are used for exam preparation.
  • The course is designed to provide proper guidance on national security problems and potential to citizens of our country.
  • A Defence & Strategic graduate can avail various scholarships from the University Grants Commission and Ministry of Defence for their research projects and writing books
  • BA Defence and Strategic Studies helps the students who are willing to serve a nation other than on-field military service.
  • The study can open up new domains for the students to explore in their Masters’ Degree and research.

BA in Defence and Strategic Studies: Admission Process

The admission to B.A. degree in Defence and Strategic Studies takes place in the early summer or spring of every academic year. The information about the admission process can be obtained by the official website of the respective college or institute the candidate is interested to study. 

The enrolment for this study requires a pass mark in all subjects of (10+2) from any of the recognized educational institutions. Also, an aggregate of 50% marks are necessary for the study. Usually, the marks procured during the academic tenure of (10+2) is highly important, based on this score the candidates are shortlisted for the final interview.

Eligibility

  • To be eligible for the course the student should have secured an aggregate of 50% marks in their 10+2.
  • Aspirants should have completed their 10+2 from a recognized Board in any stream but Science students are given more preference. 
  • Also, the student should have cleared all the subjects taken in their higher secondary schoolings.
  • For pursuing B.A. degree in Defence and Strategic Studies candidates may also need to qualify the entrance exam conducted by the University or at a National body. 

Check: How to qualify NDA exam

Entrance Exams

For B.A. degree in Defence and Strategic Studies entrance exams are prevalent for government-affiliated colleges where the student is given a chance to study and train at Officers Training Academy (OTA) Chennai, Defence Services Staff College Wellington, and National Defence College New Delhi. Also, some of the colleges might conduct an in-house entrance exam, which might be basic questions in Math and English.

Exam Name Application Period Exam Date
CUET February 2023 – 4th week of March 2023

May 21 – 31, 2023

Reserved date: June 1 –7, 2023

NPAT December 01, 2022 – May 21, 2023  January 04, 2023 – May 31, 2023
TISS BAT To be Announced To be Announced
IPU CET March 2023 – April 2023 April 2023
JNUEE To be Announced To be Announced

Bachelor of Arts in Defence & Strategic Studies: Courses Types

B.A in Defence and strategic studies are pursued by various means, where the students get the opportunity to explore the course via offline, online, and distance education. All these different forms of studies cover the same syllabus and deliver substantial knowledge.

Full-Time Course

  • The defense and strategic studies are suitable for the candidates who are interested in serving the country in various defense platforms.
  • The course molds the students to have skill sets such as high observation, intelligence, team player, logical, practical, and systematic approach.
  • BA Defence and Strategic Studies needs the potentiality like an aptitude for analyzing scientific facts, so the graduates are delivered with the skill set of analysis.
  • Also, over all this study is designed to give mature guidance regarding national security problems and potential to citizens of our country.

Online Course

Various online platforms are available which offer a variety of courses related to Defence and Strategic Studies. The online mode can help students and working groups climb up the business world with ease in a short time. Some of the courses provided by the different online platforms are mentioned below:

Course name Platform Fees (INR)
Basics of Strategic Studies – Concepts and Methods
Arthashastra: Indian Strategic Thought
Introduction to Policy Analysis
The Takshashila Institution INR 30,000
Indian Foreign Policy: Its Crafting and Implementation
India's Military Strategy: Its Crafting & Implementation
Council for Strategic and Defence Research -
Bachelor of Science in Strategic Studies and Defence Analysis Norwich Online platform INR17,56,758
Strategic Agility—Virtual
Strategic Management of Regulatory and Enforcement Agencies
Harvard university INR 2,80,000 to INR 7,35,300
Defence And Strategic Studies The University of Texas INR 51,500

Also Read: MBA in Strategic Management courses 

Distance Education

The students who are willing to explore the option of studying BA Defence and Strategic Studies in flexible time for the enlightenment of knowledge of distance learning can be useful. This means of course can be convenient for many students and this program is offered by different institutes and colleges. 

Some of the colleges that offers BA Defence and Strategic Studies with their annual fees are mentioned below: 

Bachelor of Arts in Defence & Strategic Studies: Syllabus

The course work is designed in such a way to provide deeper insight and understanding of the defense management and strategies focused on practical aspects of defense management. The subject is comprehensive enough to enlighten the students with the different frameworks of defense strategy and management prevailing in the nation.

Some of the common subjects are Strategic Study of India, Political Science, Fundamentals of War and Peace, Human Rights, Criminology, National Security, International Relations, Economics, Art of warfare, World Military History, Environmental Science, Defence Economics, Defence Management, International Law, Journalism, Reading, and Writing. Apart from the core subject this study also values soft skills like writing, reading, listening, and speaking.

BA in Defence and Strategic Studies: Subjects

Some of the different subjects that are taught in different semesters of Bachelor of Arts in Defence & Strategic Studies are mentioned below in the tabular chart: 

Semester I Semester II
Language-I Language-II
English-I English-II
Principles of Political Science – I Principles of Political Science – II
Study of War and Peace Art of Warfare in India (up to 1947)
Independent India (OR)
Peace Studies
World Military History
Strategic Study of India Human Rights (OR) Criminology- An Introduction
Listening and Speaking Skills Reading and Writing Skills
Semester III Semester IV
Language-III Language-IV
English-III English-IV
Fundamentals of National Security Military Geography and Geo-Politics
International Relations International Organizations
Principles of Economics-I Principles of Economics-II
Personality Enrichment Computing Skills
Environmental Science Environmental Science
Semester V Semester VI
National Security of India International Law
Specialized Warfare Post Independent Wars of India
Basics of Defence Economics Disarmament and Arms Control
Higher Defence Organization of India Limited Wars
Fundamentals of Journalism (Elective) Defence Management
Value Education Part – V Extension Activities

BA in Defence and Strategic Studies: Top Colleges

Numerous colleges in India offer these honours programs. All the colleges have structured curriculum on defense and strategic studies. A few of the renowned colleges across the country are listed below:

BA in Defence and Strategic Studies: Top Colleges Abroad

Some students might be interested in pursuing BA Defence and Strategic Studies in other nations to get exposed to the environment and would like to settle in other nations. For such interested students, it is important to appear for general exams like SAT, and GRE

Also Read: GRE exam 

Candidates interested in applying abroad must follow up with language tests like the International English Language Testing System (IELTS)Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and Pearson Test of English (PTE). These general and language exams are the basic standards that make one eligible for the application process abroad. 

Top Colleges

The top colleges in the QS ranking that offer various courses in this field are given below:

College Name Average Fees (INR)
King's College London INR 21,08,000
Jacksonville University INR 28,03,656
University of New South Wales INR 23,77,717
Johnson and Wales University INR 25,10,000
Durham University, England INR 23,60,000
University of Calgary, Canada INR 6,99,000
University of Malaya, Malaysia INR 5,06,000
Massey university, New Zealand INR 15,94,000
Royal Military College of Canada INR 6,60,924
Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia INR 3,60,000

Check out: How to prepare for IELTS 

BA in Defence and Strategic Studies: Jobs Profiles

The defense and strategic studies are designed efficiently to make a candidate suitable to work in a wide range of defense sectors with different roles. Their job can vary from army officer to academician. Hence, various job opportunities are prevalent with the successful completion of the course are:

Job Profile Job Description Average Annual Salary
Defence Officer They are responsible for the planned operation, and training with department executives INR 5,00,000
Army officer They defend the nation and protect territories, and also help in international peacekeeping. INR 2,00,000 to INR 4,00,000
Ground Duty officer Their major roles are involved in managing men, material and finance, and making educational facilities for enhanced human resources development. INR 6,30,000
Academician They deliver a comprehensive study about the different subjects and provide wide varieties of academic and vocational subjects. Also, they are involved in performing research and publishing scholarly books and papers. INR 6,00,000 to INR 8,00,000
Defence Intelligence Specialist They are involved in gathering intelligence information during sensitive army missions which can be lifesaving during wars. INR 3,00,000 to INR 6,00,000
Military Officer They participate, support, combat in military operations and operate, repair and maintain equipment. INR 8,00,000 to INR 9,00,000
Research Officer They help in designing the project goals, variables, research methods and other test parameters. INR 4,30,000

BA in Defence and Strategic Studies: Top Recruiters

On the completion of the course, the candidates are eligible to serve the different defence sectors. Some of the top recruiters that offers placements for the graduates are as follow:

Department of State Department of Energy
Army, navy, Air Force, CISF, CRPF, BSF, Coast Guard, SSC, Railway, DRDO, and IDSA Department of Homeland Security
Central Intelligence Agency Drug Enforcement Administration
Office of the Director of National Intelligence National Security Agency
Armed Forces Central Bureau of Investigation
Department of Defence  Defence Intelligence Agency

BA in Defence and Strategic Studies: Scope

There are a variety of options and direction in career on the completion of the defence and strategic studies.

  • The graduates can perform as analysts at corporate firms that specialize in international relations and policy research, defence establishments, Army, Navy, coast guard, security officers at private companies.
  • The course enables in preparing the students in preparing defence examination, join armed forces as officers, civil services (UPSC/ TNPSC)
  • BA Defence and Strategic Studies also directs students to enrol in a master’s degree abroad and they become eligible to serve binational.
  • Interestingly, BA Defence and Strategic Studies allows direction to teach children at schools after clearing the TET/ CTET examination.
  • The candidate can opt journalism, and can become military Journalist after completing a journalism course succeeding to graduation in Defence Studies.

BA in Defence and Strategic Studies: FAQs

Ques. How is the placement of defense and strategic studies?

Ans. The scope of placement is fair enough after the completion of defense and strategic studies. The graduates get an opportunity to work in different defense sectors such as Army, Navy, Air Force, CISF, CRPF, BSF, Coast Guard, SSC, Railway, DRDO, and IDSA.

Ques. Is BA Defence and Strategic Studies available abroad?

Ans. Yes, one can opt to study defense and strategic studies in a foreign nation too.

Ques. What are the requirements of the course to candidate..and the Age eligible

Ans. Candidates may apply for the mentioned course after completing XII.

Ques. What is the general fee structure for BA Defence and Strategic Studies?

Ans. The fees vary from college to college, however, a minimum of INR 1500 to a maximum of INR 30000 can be found.

Ques. Is there any entrance test conducted for the enrolment of defense and strategic studies?

Ans. Yes, entrance exam like NDA is accepted for admission in some of the affiliated colleges

Ques. What are the placement prospects in defense and strategic studies?

Ans. As per the placement statistics available, graduates are offered the highest salary package of around 14,75,000 per annum and the average package offered was INR 6,50,000 per annum.

Ques. Can I opt for BA Defence and Strategic Studies even if I don’t have a background of history and political science?

Ans. The eligibility for BA Defence and Strategic Studies is an aggregate of 50% in any group of 10th and 12th, so one can opt BA Defence and Strategic Studies even though they do not have a background in history and political science.

Ques. What is the use of studying BA Defence and strategic studies?

Ans. B.A. Defense & Strategic Studies helps the candidate to gain adequate knowledge on the defense of the nation and provides them education on military services in different geographical locations.

Ques. What are the subjects in Defence?

Ans. Overall, the subject covers war, military history, peace and conflict studies, international terrorism, defense economics, and national security studies.

Ques. Can I get into corporate after completion of BA Defence and Strategic Studies?

Ans. Yes, candidates can be analysts at corporate firms that specialize in defense establishments.

Comments



No Comments To Show

Bachelor of Arts [BA] (Defence and Strategic Studies) Colleges IN INDIA

View All
1.36 K first year fees
VIEW ALL COURSES & FEES
Guru Nanak College
Chennai, Tamil Nadu
50 K first year fees
VIEW ALL COURSES & FEES
2.59 K first year fees
VIEW ALL COURSES & FEES
27.95 K first year fees
VIEW ALL COURSES & FEES
30 K Total fees
VIEW ALL COURSES & FEES
2.74 K first year fees
VIEW ALL COURSES & FEES
DBS PG College
Dehradun, Uttarakhand
1.68 K first year fees
VIEW ALL COURSES & FEES
Meerut College
Meerut, Uttar Pradesh
848 first year fees
VIEW ALL COURSES & FEES