Content Curator | Updated on - Mar 31, 2026

The Bachelor of Arts [BA] {Hons.} (Linguistics) at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi is a 3-year full-time undergraduate programme offered by the Department of Linguistics under the Faculty of Arts. Linguistics is the scientific study of language, covering phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and the history and diversity of human languages. BHU's programme is particularly strong in Indian linguistics, with a focus on the languages of the Indian subcontinent. The total course fee is Rs. 6,900 for the entire 3-year duration. With only 4 seats available, this is one of the most exclusive undergraduate linguistics programmes in India. The programme is conducted in regular on-campus mode at BHU's main campus in Varanasi.

Admissions for the 2026-27 session are upcoming. The CUET UG 2026 exam is scheduled from May 11 to May 31, 2026 (tentative), with results expected in early July 2026. BHU's counselling and seat allotment process (CAP-UG) is expected to begin in the last week of July 2026. The 2025 CUET cutoff for General category was 270-272 marks, reflecting the highly competitive nature of this limited-seat programme.

Key Points

With only 4 seats available, BA {Hons.} Linguistics at BHU is one of the most exclusive undergraduate linguistics programmes in India, offering an intimate and highly personalised learning experience.
BHU's Department of Linguistics has a distinguished tradition of scholarship in Indian linguistics, with particular strengths in Sanskrit linguistics, Dravidian linguistics, and the linguistic diversity of South Asia.
The programme follows a semester system under the NEP 2020 framework, covering 6 semesters over 3 years.
The curriculum covers general linguistics (phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics), Indian linguistics, historical and comparative linguistics, sociolinguistics, and psycholinguistics.
Linguistics is an interdisciplinary field with applications in language teaching, natural language processing (NLP), speech technology, translation, and cognitive science.
BHU's location in Varanasi, a city with extraordinary linguistic diversity and a centuries-old tradition of Sanskrit scholarship, provides an unparalleled environment for linguistic study.

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Highlights
Fees
Admission
Scholarships
Cutoff
FAQs

BHU Latest Updates and News

18 Apr, 2026 CUET UG 2026 subject selection edit window is open till April 19, 2026, @cuet.nta.nic.in. The Exam will be held from May 11 to 31, 2026.

BHU BA {Hons.} Linguistics Fees

BHU offers the BA {Hons.} (Linguistics) programme at an exceptionally low fee of Rs. 6,900 for the entire 3-year course, approximately Rs. 2,300 per year. The fee structure is uniform across all categories. Hostel accommodation is available separately at approximately Rs. 4,875 per year (non-AC room), with mess charges billed additionally.

Course Fee Structure

Fee Component	Year 1 (Rs.)	Year 2 (Rs.)	Year 3 (Rs.)	Total (Rs.)
Academic Fee (Tuition)	800	800	800	2,400
Development Fee	750	750	750	2,250
Other Charges	150	150	150	450
Yearly Fee	1,700	1,700	1,700	5,100
Registration/Admission (One-time)	1,800	-	-	1,800
Total Fees	3,500	1,700	1,700	6,900

Hostel Fees (Optional)

Hostel Component	Per Year (Rs.)
Hostel Room Charges (Non-AC)	4,875
Mess Charges	~24,000
Total Hostel + Mess (approx.)	~28,875

The course fee of Rs. 6,900 is the same for all categories (General, OBC-NCL, EWS, SC, ST).
A one-time CAP (UG) registration fee of Rs. 500 (General/OBC/EWS) or Rs. 250 (SC/ST/PwBD) is payable at the time of BHU counselling registration (non-refundable).
Hostel accommodation is optional and subject to availability.
Hostel fees are approximately Rs. 4,875 per year for a non-AC room; mess charges are billed separately at approximately Rs. 40-50 per meal.
A caution/security deposit may be collected at the time of admission, which is refundable at the end of the course.
No EMI facility is available; fees are paid semester-wise or annually as per BHU's schedule.

BHU BA {Hons.} Linguistics Admission 2026

Admissions to BA {Hons.} (Linguistics) at BHU are conducted through the CUET (UG) exam, followed by BHU's Combined Allotment Programme (CAP-UG). For 2026-27, the CUET UG exam is scheduled from May 11-31, 2026, and BHU's counselling is expected to begin in July 2026. With only 4 seats available, this is an extremely competitive programme. The 2025 CUET cutoff for General category was 270-272 marks. Candidates must score very high in the CUET General Test and/or relevant domain subject to secure one of these coveted seats.

Important Dates

Event	Date (Tentative)
CUET UG 2026 Registration Start	January 3, 2026
CUET UG 2026 Registration End	February 26, 2026
CUET UG 2026 Admit Card Release	May 5, 2026
CUET UG 2026 Exam	May 11 - May 31, 2026
CUET UG 2026 Answer Key Release	June 17, 2026
CUET UG 2026 Result Declaration	July 4, 2026
BHU CAP-UG Registration Opens	Last week of July 2026
BHU CAP-UG Registration Closes	2nd week of August 2026
BHU 1st Allotment List	3rd week of August 2026
BHU 2nd Allotment List	Last week of August 2026
Fee Payment and Physical Reporting	September 2026
Batch Commencement	October/November 2026

Event	Date
CUET UG Registration Start	January 3, 2026
CUET UG Registration End	February 26, 2026
Admit Card Release	May 5, 2026 (Tentative)
CUET UG Exam	May 11 - May 31, 2026 (Tentative)
Answer Key Release	June 17, 2026 (Tentative)
Result Declaration	July 4, 2026 (Tentative)

The dates mentioned above are tentative and subject to change.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates must have passed 10+2 or equivalent examination from a recognised board.
Minimum 50% aggregate marks in 10+2 for General/EWS category; 45% for OBC-NCL; 40% for SC/ST/PwBD candidates.
Age limit: Not more than 22 years as on July 1 of the admission year (25 years for SC/ST candidates).
Candidates must have appeared in CUET (UG) 2026; the General Test score is used for admission to this programme.

Admission Process

Appear in CUET (UG) 2026 conducted by NTA; the General Test score is primarily used for BA Linguistics admission at BHU.
Register on BHU's CAP-UG portal (bhucuet.samarth.edu.in) using your NTA Application Number after CUET results.
Pay the non-refundable CAP registration fee (Rs. 500 for General/OBC/EWS; Rs. 250 for SC/ST/PwBD).
Fill in programme preferences on the BHU portal.
Seat allotment is done based on CUET score, category, and preference order.
Accept the allotted seat and pay the course fee online within the stipulated deadline.
Report physically to BHU with original documents for verification and final admission.

BHU BA {Hons.} Linguistics Scholarships 2026

BHU offers a range of scholarships and financial aid options for BA {Hons.} (Linguistics) students. Given the already very low course fee of Rs. 6,900 for 3 years, government scholarships can effectively make the programme nearly free for eligible students. Students from Uttar Pradesh can benefit from the UP Government Scholarship, while students from other states can avail NSP schemes.

Available Scholarships

Scholarship	Eligibility	Amount/Benefit
UP Government Scholarship (Pre/Post Matric)	UP domicile students; family income below Rs. 2 lakh (General/OBC) or Rs. 2.5 lakh (SC/ST)	Fee reimbursement + maintenance allowance (up to Rs. 60,000/year for some categories)
National Scholarship Portal (NSP) - Post Matric	SC/ST/OBC/Minority students; family income below Rs. 2.5 lakh	Rs. 3,000 - Rs. 10,000 per year depending on category
BHU Merit Scholarship (Rank Holders)	1st rank holder in the department	One-time cash reward of Rs. 4,000
BHU Merit Scholarship (2nd Rank)	2nd rank holder in the department	One-time cash reward of Rs. 3,000
BHU Scholarship for Economically Weak Students	Family income below Rs. 1 lakh/year; 75% attendance	Free meals (lunch + dinner) for 7 months + Rs. 2,000/year
BHU Scholarship for Blind/Visually Impaired	Blind students enrolled at BHU	Free meals under Annadaan Yojana + Rs. 5,000/year for study materials
BHU Scholarship for Physically Challenged	PwBD students	One-time grant of Rs. 4,000
S.N. Ranade Scholarship	Students with excellent academic performance	Variable amount based on performance

Students already receiving any other scholarship are not eligible for BHU's internal scholarships simultaneously.
UP Scholarship applications are typically submitted online through the UP Scholarship portal (scholarship.up.gov.in) in October-November each year.
NSP scholarships are applied through the National Scholarship Portal (scholarships.gov.in).
BHU internal scholarships require submission of application forms at the university administration office.
Minimum 75% attendance is mandatory to remain eligible for BHU scholarships.

BHU BA {Hons.} Linguistics FAQs

Ques. What exactly is Linguistics and what will I study in BA {Hons.} Linguistics at BHU?

Ans. Linguistics is the scientific study of language - how languages are structured (phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax), what they mean (semantics, pragmatics), how they vary across communities (sociolinguistics), how they are acquired by children (language acquisition), and how they change over time (historical linguistics). At BHU, the programme has a strong focus on Indian languages and Sanskrit linguistics, alongside general linguistic theory.

Ques. With only 4 seats, how competitive is admission to BA {Hons.} Linguistics at BHU?

Ans. Very competitive. The 2025 CUET cutoff for General category was 270-272 marks, which is among the higher cutoffs for BA programmes at BHU. However, since Linguistics is a niche subject, the number of students specifically targeting this programme is limited. Students with strong analytical skills and a genuine interest in language science have a realistic chance if they score well in CUET.

Ques. What career opportunities are available after BA {Hons.} Linguistics from BHU?

Ans. Graduates can pursue MA/PhD in Linguistics, work in natural language processing (NLP) and computational linguistics (highly in demand in the tech industry), work as language teachers and curriculum developers, work as translators and interpreters, pursue research in language documentation and endangered languages, work with speech technology companies, and appear for UPSC/state PSC. Linguistics graduates are increasingly sought after by tech companies working on AI language models.

Ques. Is Linguistics useful for a career in technology and AI?

Ans. Yes, absolutely. Computational linguistics and natural language processing (NLP) are among the fastest-growing fields in technology. Companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and numerous AI startups hire linguistics graduates for roles in language model development, speech recognition, machine translation, and conversational AI. A BA in Linguistics from BHU, combined with programming skills, can open doors to highly rewarding tech careers.

Ques. Can I study Linguistics at BHU without knowing Sanskrit or any classical language?

Ans. Yes, prior knowledge of Sanskrit or classical languages is not a mandatory requirement for admission. However, BHU's Linguistics programme has a strong Indian linguistics component, and familiarity with Sanskrit or any Indian language (Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, etc.) is beneficial. The programme itself will teach you the linguistic analysis of these languages, so motivated students from any background can succeed.

Ques. What is the difference between Linguistics and Language studies (like BA English or BA Hindi)?

Ans. Language studies (BA English, BA Hindi, etc.) focus on the literature, culture, and creative expression of a specific language. Linguistics, on the other hand, is the scientific study of language as a system - how all human languages work, what they have in common, and how they differ. Linguistics is more analytical and scientific, while language studies are more literary and cultural. Many linguists study multiple languages as data for their research.