BA or BS in Biology?

[sprintuser]

I'm trying to choose between a BA or BS in biology. I know that everyone says your major doesn't matter, but these majors are so similar. A BA degree requires less science classes, so it tends to be easier, but you do get a more well rounded education.

If an applicant has a BA and another has a BS, but both have the same stats, would the BS major have an advantage?

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[StephBee]

I'mma quote my university's website :

BA: Designed for students who wish to pursue science related careers outside biology and for whom some background in science may be useful, such as science journalism, business, or law.

BS: Designed for students who wish to pursue graduate professional degrees in biology or in the health professions.

For me, I did a BS. Even with the slightly higher requirements, I'm still graduating a semester early with a dual minor. It really isn't that much harder, I would suggest it.

As for applications, Im no expert. I like to believe a BS would look better becuase it means you pushed that little bit harder.

 

[Richardh]

i don't think bs will have a higher advantage in terms of admission compared to a ba in biology.

but i think by achieving a bs in biology, you would be able to complete the pre-reqs (bio, general chem, bio lab, general chem lab, organic chem, etc.) for medical school faster (faster as in a bs in bio major students will probably have a higher priority to get into/sign-up for the pre-req classes compared to ba in bio major students...but i might be completely wrong.)

 

[Richardh]

even if you say, there is less science involved through ba bio major route, chances are that you might have to take the same amout of lower level science courses as bs bio majors (and which might happen to be the pre-reqs for medical school). so if i were you i would do the extra work and take the extra classes and get that bs degree.

 

[nozart87]

I think you should go for the BA. You don't want to go to grad school you want to be a doctor. In my situation the biology major was a terrible choice. I have been unhappy with it and most of the classes won't help me in medical school.

 

[avion321]

I went for a BA in Bio over the BS and had no problems with signing up for any of my science classes. Then since I did not have the added work of the BS I took up a minor in Psych.

 

[werd]

bio is a science. get the BS; don't major in bio lite.

 

[NickNaylor]

With respect to admissions, I don't think it'll make any difference at all. I just don't really see the point of the BA. I'd say minor in a non-science field if you want to take non-science classes.

 

[seelee]

With respect to admissions, I don't think it'll make any difference at all. I just don't really see the point of the BA. I'd say minor in a non-science field if you want to take non-science classes.

I thought the standard advice was to present as diverse a profile as possible.

This is hilarious. If the OP had asked "Should I major in Biology or Underwater Basket-weaving" everyone would be shouting "Do what you love!" (after the mandatory "Do a search" response of course). But when he asks whether he should do a BA or a BS, most people are saying "Don't be a *****!".

OP, this obviously depends on what the purpose of the BA/BS are. I got a BA in chemistry because, in my school, the BA was designed for people who were going to go into some professional field (Law, medicine, etc.) The difference was that for the BA you didn't have to take classes in spectroscopy, instrumental analysis, etc. In other word, you took all the "theory classes" but you didn't take any of the practical classes.

The reason I did this is because I wanted to take some non-science courses. I was able to take a fair amount of biology courses (anatomy, physiology, genetics, molecular biology). I minored in philosophy, and I took a couple of semesters of guitar.

Now that I am in medical school (I got accepted even with a "chem-lite" degree), the fact that I don't know how to operate a high pressure liquid chromatograph, or a physical properties measurement system, doesn't really matter. Had I gotten the BS, I would have taken an extra year of classes that would have had absolutely zero benefit for me.

 

[gravitywave]

I thought the standard advice was to present as diverse a profile as possible.

This is hilarious. If the OP had asked "Should I major in Biology or Underwater Basket-weaving" everyone would be shouting "Do what you love!" (after the mandatory "Do a search" response of course). But when he asks whether he should do a BA or a BS, most people are saying "Don't be a *****!".

OP, this obviously depends on what the purpose of the BA/BS are. I got a BA in chemistry because, in my school, the BA was designed for people who were going to go into some professional field (Law, medicine, etc.) The difference was that for the BA you didn't have to take classes in spectroscopy, instrumental analysis, etc. In other word, you took all the "theory classes" but you didn't take any of the practical classes.

The reason I did this is because I wanted to take some non-science courses. I was able to take a fair amount of biology courses (anatomy, physiology, genetics, molecular biology). I minored in philosophy, and I took a couple of semesters of guitar.

Now that I am in medical school (I got accepted even with a "chem-lite" degree), the fact that I don't know how to operate a high pressure liquid chromatograph, or a physical properties measurement system, doesn't really matter. Had I gotten the BS, I would have taken an extra year of classes that would have had absolutely zero benefit for me.

👍 👍 oh you just beat me to it! the bits i bolded are really the crux of the situation.

B.S. if you plan on grad or professional work in the biology world.

B.A. for anything else, including med/PA/non-bio PhD/law/etc school.

over and over again med schools tell us that they are looking for diversity, and one of the ways i believe they look for it is in diversity of intellectual curiosity. medicine is a profession best practiced by polymaths.

 

[akinetopsia]

There's hardly any difference between B.S. and B.A. at my school.

The B.A. requires some core classes and 30-some overall credit hours in biology. The B.S. requires pretty much the same core classes, but some upper level electives for a total of around 44 overall credit hours in biology, but also 16 hours of (combination of physics, general chemistry and organic chemistry are acceptable, so you can take physics & g-chem, or g-chem and organic, etc), and 2 math classes but you can substitute a statistics course for one of them, so the calc I & II are acceptable but so is stats & intro to probability and statistics (or discrete math, or several others, point is, there's options for people who are trying to avoid calc).

I think the quality of the B.A./B.S. distinction very much depends on where you go to school. B.S./B.A. Bio people at my school take the same classes for the most part, enrollment isn't closed to one versus the other, that's only the case for honors sections, it's just up to the person if they want to take say "comparative chordate anatomy" versus "oceanography" versus "vaccines" and so on.

 

[HealthHare]

bio is a science. get the BS; don't major in bio lite.

LOL is that an iPhone app???

 

[estradiol9]

The only different between BA and BS in biology at my school is

- BA take 1 semester of computer science/programming but BS take 2
- BS take Calc 1, 2, 3 and a choice of Linear Algebra or Diff Eq while BA only take up to Calc 2

Everything else is the same. I'm currently a BS in bio but thinking of switching to a BA since there is essentially no point for me to take so much math. Instead of taking those math classes I've decided to minor in chemistry.

AND another thing.. my school's website says that a BA is best for those who want to go on to work in health care as opposed to a BS for those who wish to go on for an advanced science degree/work in a lab/etc

 

[ImmortaliaX]

I'm majoring in Biology, Society, and the Environment--my undergrad's BA for biology. I'd been a bit surprised that I'd been enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts since I'd wanted to go all out sciences (a bit with the perception of BA vs. BS...but I'm sure most people have perceptions different from those of a high school senior 😛). That said, I'm happy that I'm doing a BA.

The core classes that make up my major include the biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics prerequisites for medical school. I mean, you are still majoring in biology, and those intro level courses are standard foundations regardless of BA or BS.

Both a BS and BA will require you to jump through loops and fulfill requirements. The BA, at least for my major, is relatively flexible in what it accepts as, for example, an ethics class, so I'm taking clinical ethics. I probably would not had taken any ethics courses if I hadn't been required to, and with the ethics class, I'm learning about a totally different but important aspect of what I'm interested in.

On the down side of rounding me out, I'm taking an intro to music course next semester. While this may round out my strings musical knowledge, I do wish that I could fit in a different type or even level of course.

And, I'm still taking hard sciences courses like genetics, cell bio, and anatomy.

 

[group_theory]

I'm trying to choose between a BA or BS in biology. I know that everyone says your major doesn't matter, but these majors are so similar. A BA degree requires less science classes, so it tends to be easier, but you do get a more well rounded education.

If an applicant has a BA and another has a BS, but both have the same stats, would the BS major have an advantage?

The requirements for BA/BS are set by the schools and universities themselves. Some schools offer both, others only one (whether BS or BA).

Certain schools only offer BA in the life sciences - Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc. So to answer your questions, "If an applicant has a BA and another has a BS, but both have the same stats, would the BS major have an advantage?" - do you think the applicant who obtain a BA from Harvard or Yale would be at a disadvantage compare to someone who has a BS?

Also check out this response
http://med.brown.edu/bug/mythbusters?id=34#34
Which is better, an AB or ScB?
A. You will hear many opinions on this but here is the truth: Neither is inherently better! The program you pursue should above all reflect your interests, abilities, time constraints, other interests, and career goals. AB programs permit more time for you to pursue other electives outside science, a boon if you wish to explore other academic areas. Also, AB programs may be embellished (for example, by adding courses beyond the minimum number required; also, by including or adding a research project - BIOL 1950/1960 are the course numbers for Directed Research/Independent Study Projects). The ScB programs include most of the required courses for students aiming at medical, dental, veterinary or graduate schools in the biological sciences. HOWEVER, such schools, or even future employers are much more concerned with these factors: challenging thoughtful courses; well-rounded skills; focus; research experience; interesting extracurriculars. These factors are more important than AB vs ScB per se.

 

[venacontracta]

Assuming you're not at a school which only offers BA degrees in bio: Why in the world would you choose to get a BA in a science?

You don't need to major in biology to go to medical school. If you are majoring in biology for the right reasons (because you love the subject), I can't see how you'd want to do the "science lite" version of the degree. If you don't have a passion for science and want to get by with as little science as possible, choose a major you find interesting and take the bare minimum science classes you need for medical school.

 

[Cboseak1]

LOL is that an iPhone app???

Yes it's the free version you have to pay for "bio pro" lol

 

[Longshanks]

Assuming you're not at a school which only offers BA degrees in bio: Why in the world would you choose to get a BA in a science?

You don't need to major in biology to go to medical school. If you are majoring in biology for the right reasons (because you love the subject), I can't see how you'd want to do the "science lite" version of the degree. If you don't have a passion for science and want to get by with as little science as possible, choose a major you find interesting and take the bare minimum science classes you need for medical school.

It depends on the school/college/university, its not necessarily a "science-lite". At my undergrad the difference between the BA and BS was for the BA you had to take 4 bio labs of any biology class, while for the BS you had to specialize in either ecology/evolution or cell bio and an extra math or computer science course. So naturally at my undergrad they recommended pre-meds to do the BA since you were more free to chose your classes, and not have to worry about getting into a popular BS lab and having the stress of fulfilling requirements during your senior year.

To the OP, there's barely any difference, unless your school has a major difference like an earlier poster said concerning calculus requirements. Take whichever one you enjoy the most, leading to you doing better in the classes, and gives you the opportunity to take part in ECs and electives. Even if you want to do something else after undergrad, personally I had no problem whatsoever getting accepted to grad programs with a BA and I didn't feel behind my BS peers, thought they might since I published and they didn't. Thus, BA or BS, it doesn't matter, chose whichever you find more fulfilling.