Bachelor's degrees are undergraduate programs offered by universities in various fields. These are usually divided into a bachelor of arts (BA) and bachelor of sciences (BS) degrees.
Differences between the two degrees aren’t clear-cut. While they both eventually lead to the same education level, each tackles the topic from a different viewpoint.
Let’s take a closer look at each.
What Is a Bachelor of Arts or BA Degree?
A bachelor of arts, or BA degree, generally takes four to five years to complete. It is mainly centered around the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Here are a few professions that require a BA degree:
Arts (Music, Art design, Digital media, Studio arts)
Visual and performing arts
Digital marketing
Media
Humanities (Foreign languages, history, philosophy, religion, literature)
Education
Business
Journalism and media
Social sciences (Legal sciences, sociology, geography, political science)
Government
Law
Social services
Non-profit organizations
BA degrees’ curricula are less structured. If you’re studying a BA major you’ll be tackling the topics at hand more holistically and globally.
The degree’s flexibility gives students more control over their education. students still need to complete a specific number of credit hours. However, they have more freedom in choosing what they spend their credit hours doing.
This means that BA students, in contrast with their BS degree friends, have a better chance of exploring other subjects that they might be interested in.
Therefore, if you enjoy more liberty with your education, a BA degree should be the best fit for you. If you’re unsure of which major you’d like to pursue, and would like to experiment, you should also opt for a BA degree.
What Is a Bachelor of Sciences or BS Degree?
A bachelor of sciences or BS degree focuses on more technical fields like sciences, mathematics, and engineering. Here are a few common professions that you’d need a BS degree to practice:
Sciences (Biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science)
Pharmaceutical industry
Healthcare
Chemical manufacturing industry
Natural resource management
Research
Mathematics (Mathematics, IT, statistics)
Education
IT
Data science
Engineering
Civil engineering
Chemical engineering
Electrical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Aerospace engineering
Although like a BA degree, it requires four to five years to complete, it tackles the topics of study in a more structured approach.
BS degree students generally study their fields in more depth and are required to have a thorough knowledge of their major when they graduate.
While this approach makes students experts in their specific fields, it rarely allows them the freedom to explore other areas that might interest them.
Therefore, a bachelor of science degree is the perfect choice for a student who knows exactly what he/she wants to study. If you want to explore a bit before committing to a specific field a bachelor of science might not be the best option.