<p>Agree or disagree (and explain): A B.S. is superior to a B.A. You pick the major--a Bachelor of Science, in...let's say economics, is more rigorous and therefore carries more weight than a Bachelor of Arts. Is that always true, regardless of the field of study?</p>
<p>Uhhhh...disagree? Like, big time? I've never heard this theory before, but I'm not buying it.</p>
<p>No. (10 char)</p>
<p>For economics, a BS or BSc is usually more rigorous and quantitative than a BA. I was asking the same question when choosing a program, and that's the response I got from economics professors at the top Canadian econ departments.</p>
<p>For scientific majors such as biology or chemistry, I've never understood why the BA even exists. What is the point?</p>
<p>For non-scientific majors, I don't think it matters in long run which one you have.</p>
<p>At certain U.S. universities and in certain fields of study, a B.S. is indeed more focused and intense than a B.A. in the same major.</p>
<p>At other U.S. universities, there is no such distinction. </p>
<p>I think you would be making a mistake if you deleted any colleges from your list because they do not offer a B.S. in your intended field of study. For example, at my alma mater, which happens to be Cornell University, everyone in the College of Arts and Sciences gets a Bachelor of Arts degree -- even the physics or chemistry majors. There is nothing inferior about a Cornell degree in physics or chemistry. It's just the way that this particular university does things.</p>
<p>I don't believe that Harvard offers a BS. They only offer the AB. On the other hand, UCR offers a BS.</p>
<p>I suppose you could go to UCR instead of Harvard to get the BS, but that'd be pretty silly in my opinion.</p>
<p>a lot of liberal arts schools 'only' give you the BA, even if you major in chem, physics, comp sci, etc.</p>
<p>Yes, the BS econ is more rigorous and prestigious than the BA. Duke and Penn Wharton offer the BS and they're well-regarded for it.</p>
<p>Again, it depends on the school.</p>
<p>The BS in econ from one school may not be as rigorous or "prestigious" as a BA in econ from another school.</p>
<p>^That's sometimes right. Normally though, if a single school offers both a BA and a BS in econ then the BS will be the more rigorous one.</p>
<p>The United States and Canada are the only two countries I can think of where it's common for economics degrees to be classified as BA rather than BS or BSc. Still, the North American BA Econ degrees are generally less quantitative than European BSc Econ degrees. North Americans with BA degrees in economics who want to go on to graduate school for economics typically need to supplement their major with extra math courses and econometrics courses in order to give their grad school application a reasonable chance of success.</p>
<p>^ Gross Overgeneralization Alert! As UCLAri said, it really depends on the institution and the student. For instance, the University of Chicago does not award BS degrees in economics, either (although it does suggest that students who plan to apply to an economics PhD program take more than the minimum required math). My guess is, though, that there are plenty of Harvard and Chicago econ majors whose grad school applications stand "a reasonable chance of success", even if they are up against those BS kids from University of Saskatchewan.</p>
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<blockquote> <p>I don't believe that Harvard offers a BS. They only offer the AB<<</p> </blockquote>
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<p>Nope. Harvard offers both:
<a href="http://webdocs.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/ugrad_handbook/current/chapter2/degrees.html%5B/url%5D">http://webdocs.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/ugrad_handbook/current/chapter2/degrees.html</a></p>
<p>I know many school either offer a BA or a BS in certain majors, but not both. I received a BS in Education from a state university; a BA was not offered. At the time when I left that state and applied for jobs, many were impressed with the BS. I didn't bother to let on that I didn't have a choice!!</p>
<p>coureur,</p>
<p>I stand corrected.</p>
<p>For Math, the Head of the math dept at top university said that the BA was recommended. Better job placement. Unless person specifically wanted to work in the science fields....BA better prepared you maybe because the electives you can take outside of the many science requirements.</p>
<p>When I was looking at the BS math degree as opposed to a BA, that's exactly what it seemed to me...much more science-y, not quite as math-y, which is the part I'm interested in. Well, and let's be honest...I don't want any degree with the word "science" in it :)!</p>
<p>Math is best combined with Computer science....if they want to call that science.....basic programming is what two dif colleges math heads said.... I am wondering if my D can use physics as her science requirement...if physics has a lab...if so that is very math-y.</p>
<p>Harvard offers the BS only in engineering. If you get an undergrad degree from there in economics, or math, or anything outside engineering, it will be a BA. You can, if you want take the number of courses in your major that would be required at a BS college. This is the same at the many other colleges that do not award BS degrees.</p>
<p>Eons ago I chose the BA over the BS because I liked the white tassel better than the yellow one, and I could still sit with my friends at graduation. My father was upset, but I had met the language reqs for a BA and figured that anyone would realize I had met the BS requirements as well- an Honors degree in Chemistry. Of course, by the time I decided all grad/prof schools already had made decisions- and my medical school still took me. My case shows how silly/arbitrary/trivial... the decision can be. BA/BS- if possible, why not meet the requirements for both, as I did, and be able to have greater flexibility? I will add that I did this before the days of AP credits- the only advantage was 4 years of HS French. I wonder how many students would choose a BA/BS degree, signifying meeting reqs for both, if it were offered? In the long run it doesn't matter, especially given the fact that your degree can be determined by where you go to school.</p>