Difference between BA and BS in Mathematics

[quark]

What I have gathered so far is that the BA is a liberal arts math degree, and general idea seems to be that it's more suited for those intending to go into math academia vs math research or other applications.

 

Does it mean that the BS program allows the student to take more of the major offerings vs the BA?

 

Does anyone know if there is a difference in prospects when it comes to grad school applications?

 

We currently only have two colleges on our list, one offers a BA in pure mathematics and one a BS. While the BS might be better suited to his personality and interests, it's the school offering the BA that he seems to have his heart set on.

 

DS has listed research, academia and computing/ data science as possible career goals. By personality, so far he gravitates most towards pure/ theoretical math. Should he aim for one over another at this point?

 

Would love your thoughts! Thank you!

[Gwen in VA]

What a BS versus a BA means depends ENTIRELY on the college. 100%. There is no blanket rule!

 

Some colleges only offer the BS degree. Some offer the BA degree. And they may have identical requirements for the degrees -- or the BA from one school may even have more challenging requirements than the BS from another school.

 

 

 

Read the departmental info and decide on that. What types of classes are required for the degree? Does the department help students who want to do research or get internships? (For a great math department website, look at St. Olaf College's math department website. Looking at it makes me want to go back and major in math!)

 

Employers and grad schools should know that there is no "one size fits all" rule for BA versus BS.

Edited January 10, 2016 by Gwen in VA

[JanetC]

I would look at the required courses to graduate and the availability of solid graduate-preparatory courses in math in particular. The BA may require things like foreign language that a BS might not require. However, as long as both schools have good math departments, there will be a path to grad school with either type of degree.

 

[Frances]

Interesting thread. I have a BS in mathematics. I honestly didn't know that BA's in mathematics existed.

My college only gave BA degrees, no BS available. At my son's university, students can choose and the only real difference is a foreign language requirement for the BA and a math/science requirement for the BS which for math and science majors is automatically fulfilled through major requirements. But his honors college requires the BA foreign language requirement regardless of the degree chosen while allowing exceptions for a few, mainly science, majors due to the large number of other requirements.

 

Definitely agree with the poster above that it is very school specific.

[Cosmos]

My college only gave BA degrees, no BS available.

 

Same at my college, which was a small liberal arts college. I was accepted to all the grad schools to which I applied, and I don't remember anyone ever even mentioning the fact that my math degree was a B.A. The reputation of the college and its math department are far more important than which letter appears on the diploma.

[Caroline]

I had a friend in grad school at Georgia Tech in materials science and engineering who had a BA in physics from Holyoke. It didn't seem to be holding her back. For her it had to do with different general education requirements. I can't remember exactly, but it was only a couple of classes different.

 

I know when I went to VA Tech, education majors could get either a BS or a BA. The difference was a couple of classes. All of my Ed major sorority sisters got jobs.

[quark]

Thank you so much for replying...I am feeling so much better now.

 

Interesting thread.  I have a BS in mathematics.  I honestly didn't know that BA's in mathematics existed.

 

I know right?! I had no idea either but happy now to know that it's school dependent like everything else, and maybe I won't need one more worry to make my head spin. :laugh:

[horsellian]

I was able to choose whether my maths and Stats degree was a BA or a BSc, I could have either with the classes I had taken. I chose BA since my first degree was in Chemistry.

[quark]

I was able to choose whether my maths and Stats degree was a BA or a BSc, I could have either with the classes I had taken. I chose BA since my first degree was in Chemistry.

 

Oh nice! I suppose this would be school dependent too? Thank you horsellian and I really like your avatar picture!

[FaithManor]

At ds's ma mater, which offered both, the math coursework was exactly the same, but in the gen ed the requirements were different. Bs - no fine arts class, no foreign language, one less humanity, but more sciences required and science related electives. So the BA had more non math and science related requirements.

[Lanny]

Interesting thread!   My assumption is that the people I worked with (Software Engineers) who had Math degrees had a  B.S.   I am assuming, so I may be very wrong about that...  I tend to associate a B.A. with Education or something unrelated to working for a Corporate employer or client.

[quark]

Interesting thread!   My assumption is that the people I worked with (Software Engineers) who had Math degrees had a  B.S.   I am assuming, so I may be very wrong about that...  I tend to associate a B.A. with Education or something unrelated to working for a Corporate employer or client.

 

This was true in a subsection of Asia where I pursued my undergrad studies! At least re the BS. We called it BSc. or Applied BSc. Hence, my surprise in discovering that this is not so in the US. And then further surprise reading about the different combos of BS and BAs even within the same math departments in some colleges.  :laugh: