Thread: BA or BS?

Okay, well college isn't too far from now (one year) i'm hoping i'll get into Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. I've always wanted to go there... Anyways... ha

Should i persue a BA or a BS in Computer Science? I'm thinking of moving on to getting my Ph.D. hopfully, ha, so which is best?

I've heard BS is better, more in depth, and BA is more of breadth, but either can allow me to move on to my Ph.D. And do i need to get my master's before my Ph.D.? Cause i know you can get a Masters in Comp. Sci. But i also know that with stuff like Physics you just jump right to the Ph.D. after the Bachelors.


Thanks!

I did a little research for you and came up with an article that explains it for you at. http://www.onlinebachelordegree.name...les/272581.php. Below is an excerpt from the article.

A Bachelor of Arts degree goes to somebody who gets a bachelor degree in any non-technical, or science related field. A Bachelor of Science degree goes to somebody who does get a degree in a science related field. The designations are set up by the colleges themselves.

So, what's the difference? Does it really matter?

The answer to that question may shock you. It matters very much.

The reasons will not be immediately apparent to the student, but when he or she goes into the real world to get a job, they are going to be in for a rude awakening if they're looking for a specific type of job and don't have a bachelor of science degree.

If you're scratching your head wondering why this even matters, the answer is as follows. Most Bachelor of Science programs are a little more intense than a Bachelor of Arts program. In other words, in addition to the degree having to be in a science related field, the degree itself will contain more required courses than a Bachelor of Arts degree. Of course this varies from college to college, but within each school the bachelor of science program is always more intense than the bachelor of arts program.

From what I can tell most Universities offer a BA in computer science. I suppose if you were a computer artist, or if you used computers to aid you in your chosen field, you may only need a BA in computer science along with all the art classes. Since there are fewer required classes, I would imagine it is also a bit cheaper. Probably not that much cheaper.

The value of the program is dependent on the school you're getting it from, and the difference between a BA and a BS depends on the school you're going to. Look at the curriculum requirements and choose the one you like most.

My university offered both a BA and a BS in computer science. The BS was strictly harder to get, it had more requirements. If you want to go far in academia in Computer Science (IE, getting a phd), you almost certainly want a BS in CS.

It all depends on what your university offers. Mine only offers a BS in Comp Sci

Just a note on the Ph.D, generally, it's ideal to have something like a masters in your field before pursuing such a thing (at least, most of the people I've met have done this.)

Just know that if you want to get a job programming, you may really want to think twice about getting a Ph.D: it's for those interested in research-oriented positions. Once you have a Ph.D, you can have much problem getting hired anywhere non-research oriented such as a coding position. In that instance, you would probably be better off with just a Masters.

A Ph.D is a lot of things, but you have to really see if it's for you before you get into it; otherwise you're wasting your time and efforts for little benefit.
You can look here for further information.