Bachelor of Science vs. Bachelor of Arts??

[mmmrc]

Hi all-
I'm currently a Biology major for a Bachelor of Science. However, my school has really intense prerequisites for a Bachelor of Science degree that most vet schools do NOT require, and those classes will likely tank my GPA. If I switch to a Bachelor of Arts, I won't have to take those classes and thus preserve my GPA. My question is- would vet schools prefer an applicant with a Bachelor of Science with a bleh GPA, or a Bachelor of Arts with a good GPA (granted I complete all their prereqs)? I've seen a few posts on here that say your undergraduate major doesn't really matter to schools, but an advisor told me they would question why I got a B.A. when a B.S. was offered. Thanks 🙂

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[lilylilac]

Hi all-
I'm currently a Biology major for a Bachelor of Science. However, my school has really intense prerequisites for a Bachelor of Science degree that most vet schools do NOT require, and those classes will likely tank my GPA. If I switch to a Bachelor of Arts, I won't have to take those classes and thus preserve my GPA. My question is- would vet schools prefer an applicant with a Bachelor of Science with a bleh GPA, or a Bachelor of Arts with a good GPA (granted I complete all their prereqs)? I've seen a few posts on here that say your undergraduate major doesn't really matter to schools, but an advisor told me they would question why I got a B.A. when a B.S. was offered. Thanks 🙂

I got a BA in Biochemistry and it not once came up why BA and not BS when I was applying. I'm not sure it truly matters which one you get.

 

[WildZoo]

Hi all-
I'm currently a Biology major for a Bachelor of Science. However, my school has really intense prerequisites for a Bachelor of Science degree that most vet schools do NOT require, and those classes will likely tank my GPA. If I switch to a Bachelor of Arts, I won't have to take those classes and thus preserve my GPA. My question is- would vet schools prefer an applicant with a Bachelor of Science with a bleh GPA, or a Bachelor of Arts with a good GPA (granted I complete all their prereqs)? I've seen a few posts on here that say your undergraduate major doesn't really matter to schools, but an advisor told me they would question why I got a B.A. when a B.S. was offered. Thanks 🙂

Never heard anyone specifically being questioned about getting a BA instead of a BS, and it is true, your major doesn't really matter as long as you do all the prereqs. Doing well is going to be way better for you than taking a bunch of hard classes and tanking them. You may very well see some of those intense classes in vet school though!

 

[singhb09]

At my undergrad, a biology BA was "general" biology meant to provide broad prep for students planning to apply to dental, med, vet school etc. We also had Like 5 BS options (ecology, biotech, marine, cell and molecular) which were basically geared more towards people who knew that they wanted to work in a specific field. I was originally Cell and Molecular and when i realized most of the pre-reqs didn't add up, I switched to a BA.

 

[raf2769]

I mean, as long as you take your prereqs and do well, and get good experiences, it really shouldn't matter to the schools if you got a BA or BS. You should take whichever curriculum you feel more comfortable with/want to do. I have a BM and they let me in.. (Bachelors of Music)

 

[raf2769]

Also, if you have schools that you know you're going to apply to or want to apply to, maybe give their admissions office a call and see if they think BA/BS will impact your application 🙂

 

[sheltermed]

I have actually heard mixed opinions about this. I have heard a couple people say that a BA is seen as a less challenging degree, so if a BS was offered it may be seen negatively if you took the "easier" route. I don't necessarily believe this, it's just something I heard from a couple professors. Others say it doesn't make a difference.

 

[sheltermed]

Also--just a thought, what courses do they have you take for the BS? Vet school is certainly not going to be any easier, so maybe these would be good prep courses for the intense curriculum you will face in vet school?

 

[mmmrc]

Also--just a thought, what courses do they have you take for the BS? Vet school is certainly not going to be any easier, so maybe these would be good prep courses for the intense curriculum you will face in vet school?

I am mostly concerned with the math requirement- 4 upper-level calculus courses... I looked at a few schools curriculum and maybe I'm incorrect but it doesn't seem I'll need those a whole lot!

 

[WildZoo]

I am mostly concerned with the math requirement- 4 upper-level calculus courses... I looked at a few schools curriculum and maybe I'm incorrect but it doesn't seem I'll need those a whole lot!

Jeez, that's rough. I got a BS in Bio and it only required one calculus course and then you could do stat or calc for the second math requirement.
And no, you really won't need calculus in vet school.

 

[sheltermed]

I am mostly concerned with the math requirement- 4 upper-level calculus courses... I looked at a few schools curriculum and maybe I'm incorrect but it doesn't seem I'll need those a whole lot!

No, you won't need that. That does sound weird though. Are you sure it's not Calc I and II each broken in half for whatever reason?

 

[singhb09]

I am mostly concerned with the math requirement- 4 upper-level calculus courses... I looked at a few schools curriculum and maybe I'm incorrect but it doesn't seem I'll need those a whole lot!

Are you sure you're not majoring in engineering?! Lol. All the BS options in bio at my schools only required Calc I, some recommended Calc II but it wasn't a requirement and you definitely won't find a vet school that requires more than Calc I. A good portion of them only require pre-Calc.

 

[sheltermed]

Are you sure you're not majoring in engineering?! Lol. All the BS options in bio at my schools only required Calc I, some recommended Calc II but it wasn't a requirement and you definitely won't find a vet school that requires more than Calc I. A good portion of them only require pre-Calc.

I was gonna say that. It sounds super weird for a major that isn't engineering!

 

[pp9]

Also--just a thought, what courses do they have you take for the BS? Vet school is certainly not going to be any easier, so maybe these would be good prep courses for the intense curriculum you will face in vet school?

The upper level pre-reqs (biochem, genetics for some schools, etc.) give you a preview of what vet school curriculum can be like. I don't know that I'd tell anyone to specifically seek out unnecessary difficult courses to get yourself used to rigorous subjects, but that's just me! If you needed to beef up your application for another attempt...maybe.

The point of vet school is to learn this stuff, so I just don't always agree with pre-vets being told they "should" take courses like parasit, anatomy, etc in order to succeed in vet school (I know you're not entirely saying that, I'm just rambling). Basic knowledge of that stuff can be helpful, but tbh I'm glad I went without them and saved thousands of dollars instead. Vet school courses and undergrad courses tend to have very different focuses anyways. I actually had to take an animal anatomy course for my degree, and it was pitiful compared to veterinary anatomy, for example, even though it was a 400 level, notoriously difficult course within the college.

 

[WildZoo]

The upper level pre-reqs (biochem, genetics for some schools, etc.) give you a preview of what vet school curriculum can be like. I don't know that I'd tell anyone to specifically seek out unnecessary difficult courses to get yourself used to rigorous subjects, but that's just me! If you needed to beef up your application for another attempt...maybe.

The point of vet school is to learn this stuff, so I just don't always agree with pre-vets being told they "should" take courses like parasit, anatomy, etc in order to succeed in vet school (I know you're not entirely saying that, I'm just rambling). Basic knowledge of that stuff can be helpful, but tbh I'm glad I went without them and saved thousands of dollars instead. Vet school courses and undergrad courses tend to have very different focuses anyways. I actually had to take an animal anatomy course for my degree, and it was pitiful compared to veterinary anatomy, for example.

For real, barely remember anything from vert morph. I know we did cat anatomy and I remember dissecting the cat but...the detail just isn't anywhere near the level it is in vet school.
I wouldn't say you need to take anything beyond the pre-reqs as prep courses (most schools want a couple upper level courses anyway), but if you don't think you can handle classes like that it might be an issue in the future. Of course that doesn't matter for this particular situation since it's calculus that has OP concerned.

 

[rockatiel]

I have actually heard mixed opinions about this. I have heard a couple people say that a BA is seen as a less challenging degree, so if a BS was offered it may be seen negatively if you took the "easier" route. I don't necessarily believe this, it's just something I heard from a couple professors. Others say it doesn't make a difference.

Yeah, I definitely think that's an archaic opinion and no ad coms actually think that. Or at least I was never questioned on it, but I did also take a good amount of hard science and my evidence is of course anecdotal. remember that there's professors that still think vets make a huge salary. 😉

 

[KCgophervet]

I can't imagine it would matter. My undergrad only had BA degrees and I got into vet school.

 

[PrincessButterCup]

What degree would open more doors for you (in the event of grad school or changing career plans)? I regret getting my BS in animal science, because it's not as appropriate for the grad school programs I've looked into applying for. I wish I had done microbiology or biology (which I had no idea I would love so much).

I have a BS and a BA (English).

 

[WildZoo]

I have a BS and a BA (English)

Twins! Though my BS is Bio. A lot of my classmates have animal science degrees, always thought it would be neat but my school didn't have the option.

 

[sheltermed]

What degree would open more doors for you (in the event of grad school or changing career plans)? I regret getting my BS in animal science, because it's not as appropriate for the grad school programs I've looked into applying for. I wish I had done microbiology or biology (which I had no idea I would love so much).

I have a BS and a BA (English).

You're the first person I've heard of who regrets an animal science degree. I'm about to get one as well in May and may end up needing grad school to get into vet school. Would you be able to explain how the degree in particular is inappropriate for grad programs? I'm assuming you took extensive bio courses and maybe one or to micro courses--are those not adequate?

 

[singhb09]

You're the first person I've heard of who regrets an animal science degree. I'm about to get one as well in May and may end up needing grad school to get into vet school. Would you be able to explain how the degree in particular is inappropriate for grad programs? I'm assuming you took extensive bio courses and maybe one or to micro courses--are those not adequate?

I agree with sheltermed on this one. You don't necessarily need a bio undergrad to pursue bio grad work! I had a TA who did his undergrad in psychology and went on to pursue grad work in neurophys. Also have a friend who majored in history (or something of the sorts?) and went on to do entomology!

 

[PrincessButterCup]

Part of problem is that I was doing a double major, and I didn't have room for non-degree courses. If I had only been doing the BS then my experience would have been different, but as it is I haven't had courses in ecology, cell phys, genetics w/ a lab, molecular bio, virology or parasitology . . . The only upper division bio course I had to take was animal behavior. (I have 8 credits of general biology coursework, 3 biochem, and 5 of microbiology . . . Out of 180-190 credits overall.) I don't feel competitive for the programs I'm interested in.

I loved biology and I TA'd micro and bio labs for 7 semesters. I know a lot of the graduate students, and I know my stats and current coursework would not get me in if I applied right now. If I had chosen a microbiology BS I could have still collected the required vet school pre-reqs, but I would have a broader variety of biology courses (and less beef management, dairy management, animal nutrition, ration formulation . . .) and I would be at least that much more competitive.

 

[sheltermed]

Part of problem is that I was doing a double major, and I didn't have room for non-degree courses. If I had only been doing the BS then my experience would have been different, but as it is I haven't had courses in ecology, cell phys, genetics w/ a lab, molecular bio, virology or parasitology . . . The only upper division bio course I had to take was animal behavior. (I have 8 credits of general biology coursework, 3 biochem, and 5 of microbiology . . . Out of 180-190 credits overall.) I don't feel competitive for the programs I'm interested in.

I loved biology and I TA'd micro and bio labs for 7 semesters. I know a lot of the graduate students, and I know my stats and current coursework would not get me in if I applied right now. If I had chosen a microbiology BS I could have still collected the required vet school pre-reqs, but I would have a broader variety of biology courses (and less beef management, dairy management, animal nutrition, ration formulation . . .) and I would be at least that much more competitive.

I think most of those courses (except genetics) are usually reserved for grad school depending on your concentration...like, if you were to get a master's in say, parasitology, I really don't think they'd have expected you to have taken parasitology as an undergrad. Just seems too specialized, and most schools probably wouldn't even offer it. Cell physiology and molecular bio are more general and I can see those possibly being desirable for grad school, but I also often see those courses listed as part of a grad curriculum.

Maybe you're looking at really competitive grad programs?

 

[sheltermed]

Part of problem is that I was doing a double major, and I didn't have room for non-degree courses. If I had only been doing the BS then my experience would have been different, but as it is I haven't had courses in ecology, cell phys, genetics w/ a lab, molecular bio, virology or parasitology . . . The only upper division bio course I had to take was animal behavior. (I have 8 credits of general biology coursework, 3 biochem, and 5 of microbiology . . . Out of 180-190 credits overall.) I don't feel competitive for the programs I'm interested in.

I loved biology and I TA'd micro and bio labs for 7 semesters. I know a lot of the graduate students, and I know my stats and current coursework would not get me in if I applied right now. If I had chosen a microbiology BS I could have still collected the required vet school pre-reqs, but I would have a broader variety of biology courses (and less beef management, dairy management, animal nutrition, ration formulation . . .) and I would be at least that much more competitive.

Also, FWIW, I have 8 credits general bio, 4 credits of biochem, and also 5 of micro, and really nothing I'd consider upper level, but I've been told by several grad programs that I would be a strong applicant!

 

[vetmedhead]

I think most of those courses (except genetics) are usually reserved for grad school depending on your concentration...like, if you were to get a master's in say, parasitology, I really don't think they'd have expected you to have taken parasitology as an undergrad. Just seems too specialized, and most schools probably wouldn't even offer it. Cell physiology and molecular bio are more general and I can see those possibly being desirable for grad school, but I also often see those courses listed as part of a grad curriculum.

Maybe you're looking at really competitive grad programs?

I think mileage may vary on this one, I had all of the above courses in my Zoology undergrad. I doubt they're required for a grad program (because what, that's so picky) but I don't think they're necessarily restricted to grad school courses either.

 

[Florida_Future_DVM]

I switched from BA to BS after I saw that most the prerequisites for vet school lined up better for vet school. Vet schools want to see that you are taking challenging courses, so getting a BA because it is easier may not be the best option. Also be aware that if you decide to change to a BA and change your mind about vet school, many science grad schools will not accept you and it's generally frowned upon in the research community.

 

[lilylilac]

I switched from BA to BS after I saw that most the prerequisites for vet school lined up better for vet school. Vet schools want to see that you are taking challenging courses, so getting a BA because it is easier may not be the best option. Also be aware that if you decide to change to a BA and change your mind about vet school, many science grad schools will not accept you and it's generally frowned upon in the research community.

Ehhhh while I'm sure some grad schools really want to see applicants with a BS, I completed a PhD with my BA just fine. During interviews for grad programs, it was never asked why I got a BA. I've also never heard people in the research community speak against BAs. I still got plenty of research experience in undergrad to make me a competitive applicant, I just never wrote a thesis for my undergraduate degree.

 

[WildZoo]

I switched from BA to BS after I saw that most the prerequisites for vet school lined up better for vet school. Vet schools want to see that you are taking challenging courses, so getting a BA because it is easier may not be the best option. Also be aware that if you decide to change to a BA and change your mind about vet school, many science grad schools will not accept you and it's generally frowned upon in the research community.

Sources?

 

[TrashPanda]

Also be aware that if you decide to change to a BA and change your mind about vet school, many science grad schools will not accept you and it's generally frowned upon in the research community.

I wouldn't say "many" without something to back it up. I switched from a BS to a BA because the BA gave me a little more freedom with which classes to choose. I asked my advisor (at a very selective research university) if it would hurt me, and he said it might be a slight downside for some very competitive PhD programs. He said any other program (medical, veterinary, masters, etc.) probably wouldn't even notice, let alone care.

Also, some undergrad programs only offer a BA (or only a BS), or some make it very difficult to a double degree so if you want to double major in say, biology and English, it makes much more sense to do BAs in each instead of a BS and BA.

I am mostly concerned with the math requirement- 4 upper-level calculus courses... I looked at a few schools curriculum and maybe I'm incorrect but it doesn't seem I'll need those a whole lot!

Yeah, probably not helpful. Vet schools will want to see high grades in relevant courses. If the BA allows you to skip over that and take something you find more useful and interesting, go for it.

 

[singhb09]

Sources?

Also curious as to where you got this information. I know it varies from institution to institution, but getting a BS at my undergrad made NO sense unless you really had the time to spare and wanted a definitive back-up. Cell and Molecular would have required me to take 2 years of course work that wouldn't have counted as vet pre-reqs (though they probably could have been used to satisfy the upper div bio requirements). While a specialized may be "more difficult" , the set pre-requisites for most vet schools are pre-requisites for a reason. Those are the foundation courses schools want to see you excel in. I also know plenty of people with a BA who went on to do grad work in masters/PhD labs.

 

[pp9]

I switched from BA to BS after I saw that most the prerequisites for vet school lined up better for vet school. Vet schools want to see that you are taking challenging courses, so getting a BA because it is easier may not be the best option. Also be aware that if you decide to change to a BA and change your mind about vet school, many science grad schools will not accept you and it's generally frowned upon in the research community.

If a veterinary program doesn't even require an applicant to have a bachelor's in the first place, a BS vs. BA isn't going to matter.

Be careful with student-perpetuated rumors, because this really sounds like one of those. Or perhaps 'advice' from an poorly informed pre-health advisor.

 

[JaynaAli]

I don't think you even got to choose at my university. I have a BS because when you majored in Animal Science, that is what you got. I recruited and gave tours for both my undergrad college and vet school and BS vs BA never came up even one time in my training. In fact we were told to tell pre-vets that it didn't matter what you majored in at all as long as you completed and did well in the prerequisites so I can't see it mattering much, if at all for vet school admissions. I can't really address the grad school stuff though.

 

[Devastating]

I don't think you even got to choose at my university. I have a BS because when you majored in Animal Science, that is what you got. I recruited and gave tours for both my undergrad college and vet school and BS vs BA never came up even one time in my training. In fact we were told to tell pre-vets that it didn't matter what you majored in at all as long as you completed and did well in the prerequisites so I can't see it mattering much, if at all for vet school admissions. I can't really address the grad school stuff though.

Same--I didn't even realize what a BA was. I'd assumed that BS was reserved for science-based majors and BA for liberal arts...Well then

And yes, I was always told the same thing as an undergrad. In fact we were even told "major in whatever you like most as long as you take care of prereqs, because unusual degrees [e.g. in the arts] may even help you stand out" (that is likely just an opinion of that particular school though, I know there's been a lot of discussion about this and many schools most likely won't care either way)

 

[vetmedhead]

Yeah, I didn't realize schools even offered options between BAs and BSs for similar programs. My friend got a BA in chemistry and I always just assumed that's just what her school decided to call that degree program.

I prefer having a BS, though, because that's what I did to get through undergrad anyway. 😉

 

[EastCoast94]

I'm BA! And just got an interview. Doesnt matter your degree, just that you get pre reqs!