bachelor of arts or bachelor of science?

[issa]

hey guys
i was thinking about majoring in bachelor of arts in biology, but when i visited virginia's dental school the majority of the students accepted in 2004 had bachelor of science, but 3 students had bachelor of arts. last month i read on this forum that it doesn't matter what kind of degree a student had. is having a bachelor of science in biology will give a higher chance of getting an interview and accepted? or not? and why?

thanks

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[Sprgrover]

It makes no difference at all. The simple reason why there are more dental students with BS degrees versus BA is that more predental students pursue a BS and does not reflect a prejudice against those with BA's. I have a BA and it was never an issue with any of the schools I applied to.

 

[issa]

It makes no difference at all. The simple reason why there are more dental students with BS degrees versus BA is that more predental students pursue a BS and does not reflect a prejudice against those with BA's. I have a BA and it was never an issue with any of the schools I applied to.

when i think about bs i think about more biology courses taken, so the student with a bs biology degree will do a lot better than a student with a ba in biology.

 

[aphistis]

when i think about bs i think about more biology courses taken, so the student with a bs biology degree will do a lot better than a student with a ba in biology.

You'd think that, but wait till you get into dental school and you see how far those college bio courses take you. Four years of college will get you to maybe Thanksgiving or Christmas (and that's just the classroom, it'll get you no advantage at all in the lab courses), and after that everything is new to everyone anyway. Like Sprgrovr said, it really makes no difference.

 

[SuperC]

Someone asked this a while back... Here is what I wrote.

I had to do some homework on this one... It sounds kind of stupid that I am a senior graduating with a BS in December and I don't know what it means! Thank you for the question!!

So here is what I found out...
From: Dept. of Biology, U. N. Iowa (http://www.bio.uni.edu/)
__________________________________________________ _______________
The Bachelor of Science degree is recommended for most students preparing for graduate study in biology. The Bachelor of Arts degree provides a choice among several emphases depending upon student interest and/or career plans. All Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees include a core curriculum of courses selected from four groups plus electives appropriate to the major or emphasis.
__________________________________________________ _______________

I am a student at UF majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies in Integrative Biology (BS awarded). Sounds pretty fancy, but it means I have biology major. I have focused my program on molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis of oral bacteria. My "specialization" courses have included some of the following:

Micro and Lab
Animal Physio and Lab
Functional Vert. Anatomy
Genetics
And TONS of research, in which I receive credit for.

To get an Idea of the BS curriculum.....
From: Dept. Zoology, University of Florida (http://www.zoo.ufl.edu/)
__________________________________________________ _______________
The philosophy behind the IDS Integrative Biology Major is one of flexibility and breadth, a comprehensive educational experience that can lead to further studies in many areas by pre-professional students, those seeking careers in secondary education, and those with interdisciplinary interests in systematics, ecology, or physiology/biochemistry.

The IDS Integrative Biology Major is a rigorous program that includes foundation courses from Chemistry, Physics, Math and Biological Sciences, and major courses from Botany, Zoology, Entomology, Microbiology, Geology, Psychology, and other fields.
__________________________________________________ _______________

So in a NUT SHELL...
The BA: Requires all of your pre-professional prereqs, but lacks specialization. Instead of taking more advanced science courses I assume you take more Liberal arts courses, eg history, humanities, ect, ect...

The BS: Requires all pre-professional prereqs however, instead of liberal arts classes, one would take more advanced science courses offering the student a chance to focus more in an area if interest.

My major is unique, in that, it allows me to choose from a wide variety of sciences classes to fulfill my graduation requirements, so check with your advisor to determine what your programs consist of.

 

[Sprgrover]

You'd think that, but wait till you get into dental school and you see how far those college bio courses take you. Four years of college will get you to maybe Thanksgiving or Christmas (and that's just the classroom, it'll get you no advantage at all in the lab courses), and after that everything is new to everyone anyway. Like Sprgrovr said, it really makes no difference.

This is so true. You'll start off with biochem, histology, and a few other run of the mill science courses and then you'll quickly be thrown into new and foreign subjects, such as GRD, radiology, dental anatomy, and on and on. It's pretty much painful and stressful for everyone - regardless of degree or background.