Bachelor of Arts in Tamil Top Colleges, Syllabus, Scope and Salary

BA in Tamil) is a 3-year undergraduate course, the minimum eligibility for pursuance of which is an intermediate (10+2) qualification from a recognized educational Board, in any stream.

Major components of study in the course involve Tamil language-based:

• Literature
• Linguistics
• Philosophy
• Poetry/ Drama
• Fiction
• Literary Criticism
• Literary History, and such.

Bachelor of Arts in Tamil Nadu

Bachelor of Arts in Kerala

Bachelor of Arts in Uttar Pradesh

Bachelor of Arts in Karnataka

Tamil is one of the longest-surviving languages in the world that is both classical and modern.  Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions dating back to 500 BC have been found on Adichanallur and 2,200-year-old Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions are said to have been found on Ramanamalai.

The earliest period of Tamil literature known as the Sangam literature is dated around 300 BC – AD 300. Tamil was the earliest language of inscription as epigraphic records on rock edicts and hero stones that are from around the 3^rd century BC.

The year 1578 marked a time when Portuguese Christian missionaries published a Tamil prayer book in old Tamil script, named 'Thambiran Vanakkam’.   Tamil thus became the first Indian language to be printed and published. The Tamil Lexicon was one of the earliest dictionaries published by the University of Madras.

Tamil acquires relevance in contemporary times, owing to factors such as:

• It is the only language of contemporary India that has remained continuous with its classical past.
• Diverse variety and quality in classical Tamil literature.
• More than 55% of the epigraphical inscriptions discovered by the Archaeological Survey of India exist in the Tamil language.
• Tamil inscriptions in the Brahmi script have been discovered in Sri Lanka and on trade goods routing to Thailand and Egypt.
• The two earliest manuscripts from India which are acknowledged and registered by the UNESCO Memory of the World are written in Tamil language.
  There are over 1,863 newspapers published in Tamil, of which, over 400 are dailies.
• Tamil has 75 million speakers worldwide and is the official language of Tamil Nadu.
• It is also widely used in the neighboring States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala.
• It has official status in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and the Indian Union Territory of Puducherry.
• It is the medium of instruction in education in Malaysia, along with English, Malay and Mandarin.
• It is spoken by significant minorities across:
• Kerala
• Karnataka
• Andhra Pradesh
• Telangana
• Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India.
• It is spoken by 75 million people worldwide.
• South Indian cinema- ‘Tollywood’- is expanding at a great pace and many acclaimed and fine films are created in the language.
• It is also popularly spoken across:

1. United Kingdom
2. United States
3. Sri Lanka
4. Malaysia
5. Singapore
6. Mauritius
7. Vietnam.

Tamil literature is enormously popular in the form of:

• books
• poems
• research paper
• journals, etc.

Such graduates would be able to efficiently interpret texts such as:

• text documents
• legal documents
• financial documents, etc.

The average course fee charge in India ranges between INR 30,000 - 5 lacs for the total duration.

The average annual salary offered to successful graduates of the course ranges between INR 3 and 10 lacs per annum.

BA in Tamil: Course Highlights

Listed below are some of the major highlights of the course

BA in Tamil: What is it About?

Tamil is a Dravidian language, and the official language of two countries, Sri Lanka and Singapore, predominantly spoken by:

• Tamils of India and Sri Lanka
• Tamil diaspora
• Sri Lankan Moors
• Burghers
• Douglas
• Chindians.

Interested graduates of the course can go for pursuing advanced courses in the discipline, such as M.A. or Ph. D in Tamil.

BA in Tamil: Who should opt?

Ideal candidates for the course would possess the following:

• Ability to work with a team
• Communication and quantitative skills
• Critical, creative thinking
• Detail-orientation
• Inquisitiveness about the culture behind the language
• Interpersonal skills
• Ability to integrate and apply knowledge
• Observational and Investigative skills
• Understanding of linguistic relationships, interactions, and patterns.

Top Institutes offering BA in Tamil

Listed below are some of the top institutes offering the course in the country with the corresponding locations and fees charged by each.

Eligibility for BA in Tamil

Listed below are the minimum criteria which candidates interested in pursuing the course are required to fulfil, in order to be eligible to apply for the course.

• 10+2 education completed in any stream from a recognized educational Board.
• A minimum aggregate score of 50% (45% for SC/ST/OBC candidates) at the 10+2 level.
• Proficiency in Tamil.

BA in Tamil: Admission Process

Most institutes offering the course admit students based on performance in a relevant entrance test, often followed by a round of personal interview, wherein their general aptitude for the course is tested. Admission process generally varies across colleges.

A few institutes also provide direct admission based on the candidate’s performance at the 10+2 level.

BA in Tamil: Syllabus and Course Description

A semester-wise breakup of the course’s syllabus is tabulated below.

BA in Tamil: Career Prospects

Successful graduates of the course can pursue career options such as:

• Teacher
• Translator
• Journalist
• News Anchor
• Accountant
• Bookkeeper
• Entrepreneur
• Freelancer
• Consecutive Interpreter
• General Interpreter
• Liaison Interpreter.

Translators work in fields such as:

• Scientific
• Literary
• Technical
• Business
• publishing and journalism

 Freelancers work across areas such as:

• research firms
• translation bureaus
• publishing houses
• international organizations
• hotel industry
• travel and tourism sector as travel guides.

Some of the popular professional avenues open to successful graduates of the course are listed below with the corresponding salaries offered for the respective positions.

Aspirants seeking admission to 3 year Full-time BA Program should have passed the intermediate or 10+2 level from a recognized board.

Fee Structure