B.A. vs. B.S. in Psychology
The field of psychology continues to be one of the most popular degree options for undergraduates and graduates every year. Furthermore, the field of psychology continues to incorporate different disciplines in order to improve its academic rigor and amount of real-world applications. With such high demand and differences in specialization required, the study of psychology is typically divided into Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. Here are some major differences between Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in psychology.
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
As the name suggests, a Bachelor of Arts degree heavily emphasizes the liberal arts nature of a degree in psychology. As liberal arts tend to use interdisciplinary studies in order to emphasize specific fields of study, a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology will focus on theories in psychology by using information from fields such as biology, chemistry, and philosophy. While this degree option focuses more on theories and ideas which support psychology, it also emphasizes mathematical models and statistical theories which can be used in future research.
Since the Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology provides a broad understanding of psychology by using many different fields of study, this degree option is great for students who are interested in psychology, but prefer to have an education which allows them flexibility in choosing future careers. Examples of career options for psychology majors may include working in human resources, academic research, or law.
Bachelor of Sciences in Psychology
In contrast to the Bachelor of Arts degree, a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology focuses more heavily on the use of statistics and mathematical models in order to provide a background for future research in the field of psychology. Unlike the Bachelor of Arts degree, which emphasizes more theory and case studies, Bachelor of Science degrees prepares students for future careers in academic research positions by stressing the use of statistics to perform hypothesis tests.
Since most psychology studies today include statistical analysis as standard ways of proving the results of the tests, it is critical for any person considering going into research to have experience in statistics and research before applying to potential jobs. With so many students opting to study psychology, having a background in mathematics and/or statistics is a great way to gain an edge against the competition.
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