Home

Colleges: Choosing between a BA and BS degree?

You are an incoming freshman considering taking up a major which offers both a BA and BS degree. It’s confusing enough to pick a major in college and when you have finally decided on what to take you are faced with the dilemma of choosing between a BA and a BS degree. Is there really a difference?

Both BA and BS degrees aim to provide an in depth preparation for an academic and professional field. They both provide and adequately equip a student a collegiate level of education in mathematics, science, social sciences, humanities, and communication. Both offer electives to suit the student’s needs.

A Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree is less specialized and usually humanities based. It provides general education in various fields and focuses on the intellectual skills like reasoning, problem solving skills, analysis and right judgment. Its main thrust is not to train a student for a specific profession but to cultivate the student’s capacity to think and learn. Thus, graduates with a BA degree are flexible and can follow broader career paths.

It requires at least 180 units to earn the degree. Thirty-six units are intended for the core subjects and half of which should be at the upper level. The BA degree is generally awarded to graduates who majored in languages, history, literature and other humanities.

Meanwhile, a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree usually comprises the technical fields. It is narrower and specialized. Its focus is on math and sciences, computers and other technologies. It usually doesn't include subjects on foreign language but focuses on quantitative work and data analysis. It is advisable for students who are planning to take careers in research.
It also requires 180 units for the degree. However, more units are required for the major subjects. It is intended to give balance in liberal arts, scientific, and technical education. This is normally given to graduates who have majored in the physical and biological sciences, agriculture, and engineering.

For many majors, there is really no huge difference between a BA and a BS degree. A BA degree is broader and requires less advanced classes. There is more time for electives and it is easier to double-major. On the other hand, a BS degree is more focused and designed for those planning to become professionals like nurses, chemists, etc. It requires higher level courses and gives better research opportunities.

If your major offers two programs leading either to a BA or BS degree. Ask yourself the career you want to pursue in that field. Consult also your school counselor or a college adviser before making the decision.

Colleges Articles:

Colleges: Choosing between a BA and BS degree?

Colleges: All about the SAT and Passing with Flying Colors

Colleges: Preparing Your College Application for a Successful Admission

Colleges: Know What to Look For in a College Degree Program

Colleges: Find the Best College that Offers the Best Program You Want

Colleges: Shifting Majors: What to do When You Have a Change of Heart

Colleges: Selecting a College: Checking Out the Academics

Colleges: The Future Depends on How Good You Are at Checking out the

School’s Reputation

Colleges: The Proper Way to Checkout Brochures to Learn More about Schools

Colleges: Paving the Path to Your Future: Tips on Choosing a College Major

Colleges News Search:

MSN

Live Search: colleges site:msnbc.msn.com
Search results

Are colleges still a safe haven for students? - MSNBC TV Commentary ...
Van Zandt: Many colleges across the country have enacted such programs and have enjoyed great success in both identifying and assisting challenged students. Colleges need to ...
Magazine names top 25 'fittest' colleges - Fitness- msnbc.com
Men?s Fitness magazine put a Pennsylvania college on top in a ranking of the nation?s ?fittest colleges.?
Harvard, Princeton top 'best colleges' list - U.S. news- msnbc.com
For the second straight year, Harvard and Princeton share the top spot in the controversial U.S. News & World Report rankings of ?America?s Best Colleges.?
Tribal colleges see a growth curve - Education- msnbc.com
Tribal colleges ? schools owned and run by Indian tribes that are often located on reservations ? are growing, stemming in part from economic clout spurred in some cases by ...
Streaming company takes aim at colleges - Gadgets- msnbc.com
Acacia Media Technologies Corp. has sent letters to dozens of colleges claiming the schools' use of streaming video violates company patents.
Elite colleges sweat over admissions - Education- msnbc.com
Another year of record-breaking competition for slots at elite colleges is over. Now it's time for the colleges to sweat.
Community colleges groom wind technicians - Green Machines- msnbc.com
With wind turbine towers popping up on the U.S. landscape at a rate of almost 10 per day, the need for people to maintain and repair them is reaching the critical point.
Colleges host 'teach-in' on warming - Climate Change- msnbc.com
Global warming issues took over lecture halls in colleges across the country Thursday, with more than 1,500 universities participating in what was billed as the nation's largest ...
Excerpt: ?What Colleges Don?t Tell You? - Back to School ...
In her new book, Elizabeth Wissner-Gross, shares 272 secrets on how parents can increase the chances that their kids will get into top schools. ... Excerpt: ?What Colleges Don ...
Colleges Save by Combining Buying Power - News- msnbc.com
Thirty-five miles and several degrees of prestige separate Yale University and St. Joseph College, a small, Roman Catholic, predominantly women's school in Hartford, Conn. But they ...

Newsfeed display by CaRP

Google

colleges - Google News
colleges - Google News

Colleges' misguided plan for drinking - Los Angeles Times

New Haven Advocate
Colleges' misguided plan for drinking
Los Angeles Times, CA - Aug 27, 2008
College presidents are wrong. Data clearly show the damage done by letting 18- to 20 year-olds drink. By Robert Nash Parker Awell-intentioned but misguided ...
Editorial: Colleges are good places to teach sensible drinking Leader-Telegram
Colleges discuss student drinking GoErie.com
Local colleges not signing on to drinking age talks Cumberland Times-News
Northern Star Online - Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
all 87 news articles
U of C, colleges get 544 new seats - Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald
U of C, colleges get 544 new seats
Calgary Herald, Canada - 5 hours ago
The funding will provide for 227 new spaces at the University of Calgary, 93 at SAIT and 50 at Mount Royal College. Details on other local schools were not ...
Students to enjoy wide-open spaces Canoe.ca
1, 824 New Post-secondary Spaces Announced For Calgary CHQR
Alberta gov't to fund 2447 new post-secondary spaces Edmonton Journal
all 4 news articles
Colleges confront shootings with survival training - The Associated Press

Colleges confront shootings with survival training
The Associated Press - Aug 26, 2008
(AP) ? Hundreds of colleges across the nation have purchased a training program that teaches professors and students not to take campus threats lying down ...
Colleges dumping cafeteria trays to save food and energy - WalletPop

Colleges dumping cafeteria trays to save food and energy
WalletPop, VA - 2 hours ago
Colleges around the country are trying out a modified version of the plan by getting rid of cafeteria trays. Kids are taking less food and throwing out less ...
Two Colleges Get Rid Of Lunch Trays WCPO
US colleges moving to retire cafeteria trays KVUE
all 4 news articles
NEW: New health university to announce two more colleges today - Yakima Heral...

NEW: New health university to announce two more colleges today
Yakima Herald-Republic, WA - 1 hour ago
YAKIMA -- The creation of two more colleges at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences will be announced during a news conference this afternoon at ...
Colleges taking steps to help students make it to graduation - Honolulu Adver...

Colleges taking steps to help students make it to graduation
Honolulu Advertiser, HI - 6 hours ago
By Mary Beth Marklein As colleges welcome a record number of students this fall, they are taking steps to ensure more students actually complete a degree. ...
Solid Increase In Hampton University Applications WTKR Your NewsChannel 3
all 2 news articles
Clayton County schools lose accreditation - Atlanta Journal Constitution

ABC News
Clayton County schools lose accreditation
Atlanta Journal Constitution, USA - 2 hours ago
By MEGAN MATTEUCCI The 50000-student school system is the first in the nation to lose accreditation since 1969, the Southern Association of Colleges and ...
Group: Ga. district 3rd in years to lose standing The Associated Press
Ga. District Loses Accreditation; First in Decades ABC News
Eldrin Bell: Clayton County Schools Lost Accreditation WSBtv.com
MyFox Atlanta - Atlanta Journal Constitution
all 266 news articles
Colleges announce graduates - Albany Times Union

Colleges announce graduates
Albany Times Union, NY - 8 hours ago
The following Albany County residents have graduated from Saint Michael's College, Colchester, Vt.: Kayla Beth Murdie, daughter of Walter Murdie of Albany, ...
Colleges Training Professors in Improvised Weapons - Slashdot

Colleges Training Professors in Improvised Weapons
Slashdot - 23 hours ago
In a response to the school shootings of the past few years, hundreds of colleges have purchased a training program that teaches professors and students to ...
Punjab govt to adopt uniform policy for admission to medical colleges - Assoc...

Punjab govt to adopt uniform policy for admission to medical colleges
Associated Press of Pakistan, Pakistan - 53 minutes ago
He said that only those students who will pass entry tests will be eligible for admission in public and private medical colleges in private sector set up in ...

Newsfeed display by CaRP

Yahoo!

Yahoo! News Search Results for colleges
Yahoo! News Search Results for colleges

Colleges Using Self-Defense Training (Time Magazine)
Hundreds of colleges across the nation have purchased a training program that teaches professors and students not to take campus threats lying down but to fight back
Colleges taking steps to help students make it to graduation (Honolulu Advert...
As colleges welcome a record number of students this fall, they are taking steps to ensure more students actually complete a degree.
Budget Delay Hamstrings Community Colleges (News10 Sacramento)
Until a budget is settled, colleges are unsure how much money they'll be able to spend - and some students may be shut out of classes as a result.
Three Lynchburg-area colleges make U.S. News & World Report ranking (The News...
Four Lynchburg-area colleges are listed in the U.S. News & World Report?s 2009 college rankings.
Numbers up at colleges (The Bismarck Tribune)
Local colleges report an increase in students on the first day of classes.
Support staff at Ontario's 24 community colleges stage information pickets (T...
Support staff at Ontario's 24 community colleges will hold information pickets Thursday as their union presses for a new contract.
UMES Ranked One of Nation's Best Black Colleges (WBOC Salisbury)
PRINCESS ANNE , MD - For the second consecutive year, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore is ranked in the top tier of America's Best Black Colleges as reported by U.S. News and World Report.
Radar names America's 50 worst colleges (The Kaleo Voice)
It's not much of a challenge to identify America's best colleges. For millions of students whose SAT results place them south of Stanford, identifying the worst colleges seems like a far more valuable service. Featured in the September issue, Radar's annual college survey is an exhaustive, semi-scientific guide to the most substandard schools in America, incorporating statistics on academics, ...
New health university to announce two more colleges today (Yakima Herald-Repu...
YAKIMA -- The creation of two more colleges at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences will be announced during a news conference this afternoon at the Terrace Heights campus.
Colleges confront shootings with survival training (Pioneer Press)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ Hundreds of colleges across the nation have purchased a training program that teaches professors and students not to take campus threats lying down but to fight back with any "improvised weapon," from a backpack to a laptop computer.

Newsfeed display by CaRP