<p>I'm a high school senior and I'm currently trying to decide between my ba or bs in biology but I am not sure what exactly are the differences between the two. I want to be an environmental lawyer (with perhaps a business major or minor) so what would be the best pick for me? </p>
<p>Since you aren’t going for a Ph.D. in biology, I’m not sure it makes a whole lot of difference - and the distinction between the two has gotten fuzzier over the years except at places that offer both a BS and a BA. I would concentrate more on the best school for you that offers biology so you can be happy and get a great GPA and get into a top law school.</p>
<p>Do you need to decide now? why?</p>
<p>If you don’t get into a professional school, then what will you do?</p>
<p>There’s not necessarily much of a distinction between them. Some schools don’t even offer the option. </p>
<p>Berkeley, for example, does not have a B.S. in physics. They have a B.A. in physics. But there are few people in the world who will claim that a B.A. in physics from Berkeley somehow pales in comparison to a B.S. from another school. It’s really a difference in name only for the most part these days. </p>
<p>If you plan on law school or other professional school, it doesn’t matter. If you plan on graduate school, or looking for jobs (though decent jobs are scarce for a biology major to begin with), go with the BS. If you’re not sure, go with the BS. Unless it’s a school that only offers a BA in a field of science, always go with the BS. A BS in biology will shut fewer doors than a BA in biology.</p>
<p>It really doesn’t matter. </p>
<p>For law school, it won’t matter.</p>
<p>For situations where it may matter, the actual courses included in each type of degree are what actually matter, not the degree title.</p>
<p>AuraObscura said "A BS in biology will shut fewer doors than a BA in biology " instead of saying “A BS in biology will OPEN MORE doors than a BA in biology.” Very nice turn of phrase! +2!</p>
<p>BA or BS won’t matter for grad school either, as long as if you do the BA, you take more science/biology courses than the minimum required for your BA.</p>
<p>
No, the letters themselves don’t much matter as some universities offer only the BA because of which college the science department finds itself in. However, at universities which offer both the BA and the BS, the BA degree is less rigorous, primarily in required math, statistics and lab courses, not to mention the major classes themselves. In many cases, the BA track would NOT be suitable for graduate admissions in that field of scientific study.</p>