Comments

  1. Fernando Magyar says

    Very nice. One question though, since when does biophysics fall under the category of art?

  3. jamie says

    I may be wrong, but I think that a a Bachelor of Arts allows for a broader undergrad program (with less lab hour credits, for instance), allowing a student to spend more time in other “departments,” which seems like a good idea.

  4. Fernando Magyar says

    Jamie, I certainly do not disagree with a broader undergrad program being a very good idea. I was just curious. I also think that more BA programs should have a greater emphasis on math and science, but that’s just me.

  6. lazybratsche says

    As a bio major at a small liberal arts college, I gotta chip in. I’m getting a BA, as is everyone other science major. In general, the degree requirements are a bit lighter than they would be at a big university with a dedicated school. There are also a lot of requirements to take classes outside your major. However, this doesn’t make it a “lesser” major — a lot of the science departments here are outstanding.

  7. lytefoot says

    At most liberal arts schools–at least the ones I’ve looked at–the difference between a BA and a BS lies in the distribution requirements. So it’s possible to get a BA in a scientific discipline; it’s also possible to get a BS in the humanities if you have the credit-hours. That the latter is less common says more about what people think makes for a “well-rounded” individual than it does about the validity of such degrees.

  8. Bruce J says

    My degree in Microbiology was granted by the College of Liberal Arts. At the time we also had the colleges of:

    Art
    Architecture
    Library science
    Engineering and Mining Sciences
    Agriculture
    Teaching
    Pharmacy
    Medicine

    Liberal Arts was ‘default container for everything else…’

    That college has long since been renamed the College of Arts and Sciences…and it’s STILL the ‘default container for everything else…’