Choosing what degree program to take on as a freshman may feel like quite challenging at first. The choice is crucial: to pursue a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of science (BS) degree.

Freshmen students must decide which specific degree program to pursue and be conscious about the real benefits of enrolling in a program. In fact, a bachelor’s degree opens doors to a wide variety of career options that will enable the students to increase their earning capacity and job opportunities after graduating. At the same time, such an undergraduate degree is an important stage to step in if they need to get more specialized in a field that may broad knowledge and further their skills on that chosen field of education. In the USA for instance, there are over 5,000 colleges and universities which may offer the same program but with different degrees: BA in psychology or a BS in psychology for example.

There is not as much distinction in whether taking a program in Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science, since both BA and BS degrees are both four-year degrees that require 120 credits for graduation. They mainly approach topics differently and offer quite different programs, depending on the school. In fact, colleges and universities each identify their own requirements and designations for the BA and BS degrees they offer. So, the degree designation depends on the college since some offer only BA degrees whereas others provide only BS designations. There are also other institutions which offer fields of study in both degrees with conjoining courses (collegechoice.net).

A Bachelor of Arts is designed mostly to prepare undergraduates with creativity, critical thinking skills, as well as with good communication skills. They are required to take a variety of liberal art subjects associated with humanities such as literature, history, language, communication, and social sciences. Even though a BA degree provides a variety of study fields and a diverse list of courses in a particular major – as it focuses on a broader and liberal arts curriculum – students enrolling in this degree program are in some ways free to choose a certain area of study that they feel interested in and on which they may desire to focus much more to mold their education and skills on the field. In contrast, a Bachelor of Science is more of a specialization in a particular field of study. Students who are interested in a specialization or a career in science are more likely to take a BS track. This natural predisposition and predilection for science allows learners to take focused classes so as to prepare them for their ideal jobs in scientific fields or in STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

As a matter of fact, a BS degree generally encompasses technical and scientific majors such as engineering, technology, mathematics, computer science, nursing, and biochemistry. There are also some colleges which offer the BA and BS degrees in the same area of study such as in education, business administration, laws or political sciences and economics. However, it differs only in the curriculum which essentially depends on the degree designation. Students enrolling in a BS in economics may be found to take classes in science, mathematics, statistics, and data analysis; whereas those who are in a BA economics may be found dealing with English, literature, and history. This proves that no matter what degree program you decide to pursue, whether it is a BA or a BS – depending on your career goals – there is always a large scope of studies that may be associated to one another available to undergraduate students.

Sources: nu.edu (National Education) /studyusa.com