<p>Not sure if I just misinterpreted this, but I read that CAS only grants BAs for undergrads. Does this even make sense? Can someone clear this up? If necessary, I can find the site at which I read this.</p>
<p>CAS only grants B.A., Engineering only grants B.S. One of the few fields where there is a "conflict" is Computer Science. The value of the degree is absolutely the same.</p>
<p>And I think that you're alluding to the fact that it wouldn't make sense to ahve a B.A. in, say, Physics. A B.A. in Physics is not saying you have mastered the "art of physics." It is saying you are a bachelor of arts because you have fulfilled the "liberal arts" requirement of CAS (a liberal arts college) and that your major was Physics. Does that clear stuff up?</p>
<p>Thanks sparticus.</p>
<p>Is there a reason why Cornell only grants BAs even in science? Or is it just something that's arbitrary established a long time ago and was never changed? I noticed other institutions will have both BAs and BSs in the CAS for undergrads.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>As I said, it has to do with the college versus the subject. It's saying you have mastered a "liberal arts education." It's just the college's policy as far as I can tell.
[quote]
In the history of education, the seven liberal arts comprised two groups of studies: the trivium and the quadrivium. Studies in the trivium involved grammar, rhetoric, and dialectic (logic); and studies in the quadrivium involved arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music. These liberal arts made up the core curriculum of the medieval universities. The term liberal in liberal arts is from the Latin word liberalis, meaning "appropriate for free men" (social and political elites), and they were contrasted with the servile arts. The liberal arts thus initially represented the kinds of skills and general knowledge needed by the elite echelon of society, whereas the servile arts represented specialized tradesman skills and knowledge needed by persons who were employed by the elite.
[/quote]
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Arts%5B/url%5D">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Arts</a></p>
<p>The definitrion is in part as implied above, and in a newer sense "liberal" is meant as diverse and free-thinking. "Art" still is meant as a skill, not "the arts" as in music, painting, dance, etc.</p>
<p>It's just the way Cornell does it.</p>
<p>A B.A. just shows that you have a broad education in addition to your studies in science.</p>
<p>For instance, bio majors can either be in CALS (B.S) or CAS (B.A). The curriculum is exactly the same, but students in CAS have to fulfill distribution requirments and take a language. There are a lot more requirments for the B.A degree, and I personally like the fact that people are taking a broad range of courses in addition to getting a great education in the sciences.</p>
<p>Posted On Ask Uncle Ezra </p>
<p>
[quote]
Dear Uncle Ezra,
What's the difference between a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Science degree?</p>
<p>Dear either-or,</p>
<p>Many people wonder about this distinction. The type of degree that an institution issues must be approved by the state's department of education. The state basically breaks down courses/fields of study into those of a liberal arts-general studies nature, and those of a more practical/applied nature. The percentage of a student's course work that falls into each category determines if they have a bachelor or associates of arts or science degree.</p>
<p>Areas considered by NYS as a liberal arts-general education include: English; drama; languages; music; art; philosophy; religion; mathematics; natural sciences; social sciences.</p>
<p>Fields of study that are not considered liberal arts-general education by NYS include: hygiene and health; physical education; secretarial science; business; home economics; education and methods; specialized professional courses such as law, medicine, nursing, architecture, and engineering; technology/technician fields; agriculture; personnel; library science; art studio courses; play production, lighting, etc.; music studio, performance recording, etc.; business correspondence; and theology.</p>
<p>A Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Associate of Arts (AA) degree has 75% liberal arts content (approx. 45 credits for an AA and 90 credits for a BA). A Bachelor of Science (BS) or Associate of Science (AS) typically has 50% liberal arts content (approx. 30 credits for an AS and 60 credits for a BS). A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) or other similar degree typically has closer to a third of the course work in the liberal arts fields.</p>
<p>This explains why a science major in the college of Arts and Sciences receives a BA while a Hotel School student (who typically takes fewer science courses) receives a BS degree.</p>
<p>For more details about how "liberal arts" is defined, or what the various fields of study encompass, contact the New York State Education Department, Office of Higher Education at (518) 474-2593.</p>
<p>Uncle Ezra
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Very interesting information, guys and thanks a lot!</p>
<p>From your personal point of view, do you feel there are many differences between Cornell's education in the CAS compared to other institutions (hypothetically, since I know you didn't necessarily study at other universities). What percentage of your courses are more liberal arts-oriented?</p>
<p>What do you feel are some advantages (and even disadvantages) of receiving a liberal arts education?</p>
<p>By the way, for Literature and Language courses at Cornell (or even at other colleges), what is the class like? Is it rigorous and as difficult as other subject courses? Are finals/midterms/tests more on memorization? Last year, my English teacher tested mainly on memorization of minuscule details of each book we read. (Ex. What was the shape of a particular room or the color of a particular item, etc.--there was never any significance behind these, and to tell you the truth, it was a little frustrating trying to remember these things, when they are only mentioned once in the entire book)</p>
<p>Thanks for any more insight!</p>
<p>I picked CAS because it is a liberal arts education, just like you would get at a top LAC like Amherst or Williams. You have a distribution requirement of courses across the board ranging from sciences to histories. Then you have your major. That is pretty much how it works at any LAC. However at cornell you have the advantages of the huge university. </p>
<p>I feel a LAC education is the best unless you're going into a specialized field. From an intellectual perspective, it stimulates the most growth, because it requires you to learn about all areas of knowledge, not just one. A good liberal arts education will make for a worldly, educated-sounding person.</p>
<p>You can expect proper literature instruction at an ivy league school. Literature is not about memorizing details. It is about analyzing motives, characters, plot development, morals, etc. (My mother taught lit. at Princeton U., and she's banged what proper literature education is into my head after several idiotic teachers like yours almost ruined my appreciation of good writing) Cornell is a peer institution of princeton, and you can expect the same quality of teaching here. Your teacher took a horrible approach to teaching english in my opinion; if that is the extent of his knowlege of literary analysis he is a disgrace.</p>
<p>100% of my courses have been liberal arts oriented so far: Writing, Calculus, Spanish, Music Theory, and Musicianship (and Trumpet and Voice). Next semester my courses will continue to be 100% liberal arts: Physics, more Calculus, more Spanish, more Music Theory, and more Musicianship, (and more Trumpet, some Piano, and Choir).</p>
<p>Sophomore year I'll take econ and some history courses, among others, so still all liberal arts.</p>
<p>Sparticus what is your major? I applied to CAS for bio rather than CALS. CAS definitely has more requirements but I am not sure if it is more difficult. It really depends whether you are science or liberal arts oriented. I know some people, for example, who delayed taking the freshman writing seminars because they thought their writing wasn't up to par with others, even though I thought it was the easiest classes I took.</p>
<p>i still don't understand why people insist science is not part of the liberal arts in the novel sense, when it is. CAS double major Music and Economics.</p>
<p>and yes, the choice between CAS and CALS for bio is just that, science based education with your bio or broad liberal arts education with your bio.</p>
<p>fudgemaster. You are better off in CAS if you have a lot of interests, and would consider a minor or double major. For instance, my student advisor is a biology/psychology major, and I believe the advisor for one of my friend's advising group (she's also a bio major in CAS) is biology/government. </p>
<p>You are better off in CALS, if your interests are more focused just towards biology, and you would want to suppliment your degree with something like Animal Science.</p>
<p>If you're from NYS, it might be cheaper to go to CALS.</p>
<p>This is my second year in CAS. I definitely say it is better than CALS, but I am really biased.</p>