I need help!
I’m trying to decide between a BA and a BS in biochemistry.
The BS is the more common, I think that it’s because it requires a few less units.
Here’s how it breaks down: a bachelor of science degree takes a few fewer (16 quarter units I think) humanities/social science classes and no foreign language, but to make up for it, they have more classes that are major specific. I’m unclear on where these come from, but I assume they mean electives.
A BA requires a year of foreign language and must take a few extra humanities/social science classes. Again, I’m not sure where they are trimming classes from, but I assume they must be elective courses.
So here is my problem, I want to take Spanish. It seems like an important career step. However, I don’t want to miss out on any cool science classes. I am going to be on a very tight schedule for the next several years and due to CMC’s ridiculously haphazard scheduling of their science classes, I am going to have to make that BA versus BS choice within the next few months instead of years.
What do you think?
obnocto said,
March 27, 2010 at 4:00 pm
You nailed the difference, Ben–do you want the extra science training or the language more? I went the science route and am conflicted about it. I’m super glad to have the science under my belt, but I sure wish I spoke Spanish, even up here in Oregon. It’s an even important skill for a health-care worker in southern California.
You’re doing a chemistry degree, right? You should get a lot of science, whether you do a BS or BA. I’m leaning towards advising you take the Spanish. Just make sure you get a some upper-division scientific method classes, and some real statistical training–not just 101 stuff.
Also, be sure that the med schools you want don’t weight their applicants based on BA/BS before you make the choice.
Nathen
thefifthone said,
March 27, 2010 at 7:21 pm
Well, I am going to be taking a whole lot of science. I guess I was just kind of shocked when I found out how little “a lot of science” was. In biochemistry you don’t get as deep as chemistry or biology individually do. However, I do have to take a whole bunch of biochemistry specific classes.
I am required to take one statistics class, and I have my choice of three different ones.
To my knowledge there is no discrimination from med schools based on BA or BS.
maya said,
March 28, 2010 at 10:29 am
you may have an easier time fitting spanish into your schedule. i think there are three spanish 1 classes to choose from every term. i also find the language studying provides a nice balance to all the heavy science and math. maybe you could add some extra science classes as your ‘electives’ and have it both ways. or you could have the spanish be electives for the BS… i’m thinking about doing spanish 3 and microbiology as electives. i don’t technically need them for my degree, but they sure seem useful for my goals.
-maya
thefifthone said,
March 28, 2010 at 4:44 pm
See what has happened is that CMC has–yet again–changed their class schedule to something that I can’t work with. This means that I will transfer with only general chemistry, calculus and physics. No biology or organic chemistry. It’s the bare minimum of core courses that I can transfer with, but that’s not even the problem. I now have to pull 15 general education units out of my butt to make up for the 15 biology units that I can’t take now. So I went from needing 3-4 general ed classes before transfer to 8-9 general ed classes. This situation brings the decision between a BA and a BS into the present because it forces me to start looking at what classes I will need for each one.
I’m leaning towards the route that requires Spanish because I don’t think that I am going to put a whole lot of time and effort into a foreign language otherwise over the next oh… 10 years.