<p>I'm just wondering what the difference is between a BS. degree or a BA. in the case where a department offers either (for example, a BA. or a BS. in English)</p>
<p>B.S. = Bachelor of Science (mostly sciences, engineering and preprofessional majors that require math or technical courses)</p>
<p>B.A. = Bachelor of Arts (mostly liberal arts, social sciences, education, and theater/arts majors)</p>
<p>But how can a department offer both a BS. or a BA. in English, for example? I'm guessing that if you plan to go into law, then you coul get a BS. or if you plan to teach, you would get a BA.</p>
<p>Yeah, I had this question too.
I'm thinking of majoring compsci/linguistics.
Are there any benefits of a BS vs BA?
I guess in the professional world, does it impact what kind of career placement you'll have?</p>
<p>At my school, the only difference between the two is that the B.S. requires two additional science courses in addition to the general education science requirements. While the B.A. requires two years of foreign language (or equivalent). </p>
<p>Check with the academic catalog, a professor, or your advisor for your schools specifications.</p>
<p>My school is similar to Student35's. It really doesn't seem to make much of a difference, it just has to with what electives you want to take.</p>
<p>My answer was very short but I can broaden it even more:</p>
<p>A B.S. (Bachelor of Science) degree shows that you've taken more analytical, specialized or technical courses. It's most common in engineering, sciences, business, and technology. You may also find this option in pre-professional programs such as nursing, education, communications and accounting. These are all career-focused majors. It generally requires fewer general education (sometimes no language requirements). For example, I graduated with a B.S. degree and I'm currently working in a technical field. </p>
<p>A B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) provides a liberal arts curriculum (lots of breadth). You take more electives and general education requirements (including foreign languages). You choose your own classes and immerse yourself in different fields such as English, History, Comparative Literature, Geography, Social Sciences and much more. The purpose of this curriculum is to introduce you to a variety of skills (writing, language, rhetoric, etc.). It's less career-focused and more well-rounded. It is also the more popular and traditional college degree.</p>
<p>Do the degrees matter? Yes. Some job listings may state they only interview Bachelor of Science (B.S.) applicants. Some employers do not care as long as you have a bachelor degree in X. In sum, choose the degree that fits your interests and talents.</p>
<p>I find it ridiculous that any employer would require a b.s. over a b.a. when the difference is quite arbitrary. For example, Rice only offers b.a.'s in mathematics, in their regular math major and their computational and applied mathematics major. So, an employer is going to say "this degree is obviously inferior to this fellows degree from some other random school because his says b.a. while the other fellow's says b.s."? That seems like an ignorant thing for an employer to do. I believe a lot of other good schools (Harvard, Chicago, etc.) only offer b.a.'s in what would be usually be considered technical fields. On the other hand, some schools offer b.s.'s in things that would never be considered technical fields.</p>
<p>B.S. in English???</p>
<p>There are small liberal arts colleges which only offer the B.A. Even if they offer degrees in computer science, engineering, or business. </p>
<p>The university I am at offers both the B.A. and B.S. in most all fields, including history, English, math, sciences, engineering. </p>
<p>Sometimes the description that tenisghs gave are found within the individual major/college rather than within the BA or BS requirements.</p>
<p>
[quote]
So, an employer is going to say "this degree is obviously inferior to this fellows degree from some other random school because his says b.a. while the other fellow's says b.s."?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>they're comparing apples to oranges.</p>