What's the difference between a Bachelors of Arts and a Bachelors of Science?

It just means that the particular major of the person w/ that degree is either in the school of arts or science…. one is not better than the other.

@BBSDTfamily: I’m going for a broadcast journalism degree and they offer BS or BA. So there is no difference?

It varies slightly from college to college but as this guy puts it:

“Most Bachelor of Science programs are a little more intense than a Bachelor of Arts program. In other words, in addition to the degree having to be in a science related field, the degree itself will contain more required courses than a Bachelor of Arts degree. Of course this varies from college to college, but within each school the bachelor of science program is always more intense than the bachelor of arts program. There may be one more required course per semester, or more science courses required. The bottom line translation is, the program is harder to get through; in some cases, a lot harder.”

In other words, I had to take more credits in hard line science courses to get a Bachelor of Science than I would have to get a Bachelor of Arts.

What I did actually get was a Bachelor of Science in Biology, with a Chemistry minor, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting, with a minor in Print-making. The BFA was the art school equivalent of a BS.

@bright_eyes00 – A BS in Journalism will probably require more classes in Broadcast Journalism itself and possibly more credits in total than a BA in Broadcast Journalism.

There is a difference. Look closely at the requirements for the two degrees.

@bright_eyes00 It has to do with which classes you take to get the degree… look at the curriculum in the Course Catalog

So a bachelor of science is harder to work for…does that mean it looks better in the long run? To potential employers?

I just dont know which would be more beneficial to shoot for if I’m going for Broadcast Journalism. Would the arts one be better?

All this college stuff shoots right over my head.

A BS will mean more to a potential employer, especially if you are going into a field where specific knowledge is needed. It means you know more about your area of specialization than someone with a BA.

Awesome! Thanks a bunch Darwin. Thats really what I needed to know. I’m not afraid to work harder, I just want to make sure I’m putting my energy and effort into the right area. Thanks again!

A BA will require a more diverse but less intensive curriculum.

I got a BA in Physics. When I asked my advisor why this was, I received some hand wavy answer about course proportions, etc. It didn’t make any sense then and it still doesn’t. No BS was offered (except the explanation, ZING). In talking to people who evaluate degrees the difference between a BS and a BA seems essentially nil. I’ve also seen people with BS degrees in decidedly non science fields, like English, which doesn’t make any sense whatsoever.

If both a BS and BA are offered, usually the BS has more requirements or a more technical grounding. Ideally, I would recommend the BS, however, I’m not entirely sure there will be much difference when you try to apply for jobs and such. Unless the person looking at your credentials knows your program, or your field has firmly set standards between a BS and a BA, having a degree is most important and having the “better” degree will just serve to make you feel better (and hopefully provide a richer skill set).

BS in physics, I have a buddy with a BA in physics though and he is required to take a handful less courses than I am, but from what I hear, a BS helps you a lot more if you can do well in it when you’re trying to get your Masters/Ph.D.

I have a BS in Fine Arts. This was because I was engineering the first two years so when I transferred to get a degree in graphic design I was LOADED with tons of advanced math and science stuff.

It meant exactly crap in every interview I have had in my graphic design field. It may have given them greater confidence in my computer skills, I don’t know. If it did, they never said anything.

doesn’t the course catalog show the different programs and requirements? i suspect they are not exactly the same. you should look at the 2 options and see what path fits your own interests and future better.

i went to a school that only offered BAs, and the diff between a BA program there and BS programs at other schools is that we were required to have much more breadth in our studies. for example bio or physic majors had to take cultural classes along with their science core courses. where as in BS programs it is less likely that they would be required to take courses that were outside of their discipline.

darwin might be right that a BS holds more value because it is possible more intensive. but you should still figure out which program best fits your needs and wants. (esp for your broadcast journalism degree because i don’t see why that would need to be science intensive. it seems like it would have more to do with communication? i could be wrong…)

The field of Psychology can elucidate this difference (if there even is one) well because many universities offer two versions of a Psychology degree, the BA track and the BS track. The BA track is less scientifically rigorous and focuses on counseling-type psychology. The BS track is more research based, requires more advanced statistics and hard science courses, for cognition and physiological psychology.

But as mentioned above, some departments are strange with whether they award a BA or a BS, and I don’t think it makes all that much of a difference.

Because my college only offered a BA in Biological Science, I was able to get a double major (not a minor – a double major) in Biological Science and Psychology. You might want to do something like that.

The college I attended also offered only BA’s. I majored in astronomy and minored in French, But I really benefitted from learning about critical thinking, organized and clear writing, public speaking, and originality.

The difference between a BA and a BS from the same school is likely to be less than the difference between BA degrees from a different school.

And many of the elite small liberal arts colleges only award BA degrees. (Or, technically, AB degrees, since the diplomas are in Latin.) Any employer or graduate school who prefers a BS from a state school over a BA from a liberal arts college on the grounds that the BS is inherently more rigorous is making a very bad mistake.