<p>I know that I want to go into the biology/genetics field eventually, so I am assming that I will need a Bachelor's in Science. Is this true or am I just being nit-picky? And if I do need a college with a BS degree, are there many liberal arts colleges that award that? Because most of the schools I have looked at only offer a Bachelor's in Art.</p>
<p>I very much doubt that is an issue. For instance I think Reed College only offers a BA. That doesn’t seem to stop their graduates from entering fields like Bio and Gen.</p>
<p>There is no uniformity about these degrees. Many top schools only offer BA’s. It only makes a difference at a department which offers both degrees, in which case the BS will have more requirements.</p>
<p>At universities that offer both BA and BS degrees, people often ask what is the difference. The difference often is that BS degrees require Calculus (not 100%, but often).</p>
<p>I would imagine that at schools that only offer BA degrees, that difference may not exist.</p>
<p>^ Right. At BA-only schools, it’s totally irrelevant; grad schools don’t even notice.</p>
<p>A lot of places offer BA’s in Math or Physics (or other sciences). The difference there is that it typically requires fewer classes. Calculus is still required.</p>
<p>At some schools that offer both, a BA requires Foreign Language proficiency while a BS does not.</p>
<p>sorry to interupt your post but i was just wondering how to post my own question… im new lol</p>
<p>^^</p>
<p>Go to the top of the list of threads…on the left side there is a button to post a new thread.</p>
<p>B.S. is considered more legit</p>
<p>^ Nonsense.</p>
<p>There is no consistent pattern regarding BA vs. BS degrees across different schools and departments. </p>
<p>Many schools (including some of the very best) only offer the BA degree, even for science majors.
Some schools will offer a BS for all science majors.
At some schools, science departments offer an option of a BA major or a BS major. The specific differences between the BA and BS depend on the particular school. Usually, the BA allows more opportunity for electives outside the major and is more appropriate for students who do not plan to go to graduate school in that field. The BS major also may have additional requirements in supporting sciences.</p>
<p>A BS is not necessarily better than a BA. You can’t even tell the difference without reference to a particular school and department. Graduate programs don’t really make a distinction among applicants based on whether their degree is a BA or a BS.</p>
<p>From what I heard from most friends who are currently doing science PhDs at topflight universities including some top programs, I’d focus my concerns mainly on getting some undergrad research experience and/or getting to know your professors well so they can write strong LORs for grad school.</p>
<p>“B.S. is considered more legit”</p>
<p>Grad schools know better, but I can imagine a naive hiring manager who believes such nonsense. :(</p>
<p>well at least at my school, for majors that offer both, BA is the one with the easier curriculum and more general ed courses</p>
<p>To clarify, it’s apples and oranges between schools that offer both (a choice of curricula) and schools that offer only one (BA or BS); it’s the latter where there is no significant difference, as shown by such tables as [COLLEGE</a> PHD PRODUCTIVITY](<a href=“http://web.reed.edu/ir/phd.html]COLLEGE”>Doctoral Degree Productivity - Institutional Research - Reed College).</p>
<p>By going into the Biology/Genetics field, do you mean grad school or professional?</p>
<p>Either way, you need an undergraduate (Bachelor’s) degree in Biology or Biological Sciences or something along those lines, before a graduate Biology/Genetics program will accept you, regardless of it’s one of Arts or one of Science.</p>
<p>Sorry for not being clear. I am planning on going on to graduate school in the biological sciences. Thanks for all of the replies everyone.</p>