Here's why:
* Academic degrees are not proper nouns: "Bachelor of Arts" is a general term, not a specific name.
* Specific program names are capitalized: If the program had a unique name, like "Bachelor of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies at XYZ University," then you would capitalize "Middle Eastern Studies" as it is part of the official program name.
Example:
* Correct: He earned a bachelor of arts in Middle Eastern languages.
* Correct: She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University.