BA vs BS: What Four University Catalogues Show Actually Differs
A BA and a BS can share a major name and still differ by 10 to 22 major credits. Four named catalogues compared side by side, with retrieval dates.
There is no standard definition of a BA or a BS. Each university writes its own, and the only way to see the difference is to read two catalogue entries for the same major. This page does that for four programs at three universities, using the credit figures they list. The aim is narrow: what changes in the degree when the letters change, and what does not. The mechanics of credits and semesters are in how degrees are structured, so they are not repeated here.
All figures were read on 15 October 2026 from each university’s public bulletin or department page. The catalogue year is not always printed on the page, so confirm it for your entry year.
1. Penn State, Psychology (Behrend campus)
Sources: Psychology BS and Psychology BA, same campus, retrieved 15 Oct 2026.
| BA | BS | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum total credits | 120 | 120 |
| General Education | 45 | 45 |
| Electives | 12 | 15 |
| BA degree requirements | 24 (world language 0-12, BA fields 9, world cultures 0-3) | none listed |
| Requirements for the major | 52 | 73 |
| Statistics | PSYCH 200 or STAT 200 (4) | same (4) |
Where the 21 extra major credits come from: both degrees share the same prescribed core (12 credits) and the same 25 “additional” credits, including statistics. The BS then adds a three-credit quantification course and an 18-credit option (3 + 18 = 21; 73 – 52 = 21). The BS options are Data Analytics, Human Factors and Design, Psychology in the Workplace, and Science. Only the Science option requires science courses (3 additional plus 15 supporting). The other three are built from data, engineering, or business courses.
So at this campus a BS is not “the one with more lab science”. It is the one with a specialisation attached, and the BA instead carries a language and breadth requirement. Note also that the BS lists more electives (15 vs 12), the reverse of the usual claim (the BA’s language credits overlap its electives, so the two figures are not directly comparable). The listed components overlap: Penn State says 13 General Education credits are counted in the major (and 3 BA credits in the BA’s), so the columns do not simply add up to 120. For the BS, 45 + 15 + 73 – 13 = 120. For the BA, the listed pieces give 117 because language, elective and world-culture credits are ranges. I did not try to reconcile them.
One more datapoint on “same total”: the Capital campus BS in Psychology requires a minimum of 122 credits (45 + 9 + 74, less 6 shared credits). A BS is not always 120.
2. Virginia Commonwealth University, Computer Science
Sources: BA and BS, retrieved 15 Oct 2026. Both list 120 credits minimum.
| Category | BA | BS |
|---|---|---|
| General education | 30 | 30 |
| Computer science core | 27 | 52 |
| CS electives | 12-13 | 9 |
| CS total | 39-40 | 61 |
| Math and statistics | 9 (MATH 211, MATH 310, a statistics course) | 14 (MATH 200, MATH 201, a 300-400 level MATH, a statistics course) |
| Natural science with lab | none listed | 3-5 |
| Foreign language | none listed | none listed |
| Required minor | 18 | none |
| Free credits | open electives 19-23 | humanities electives 6 plus open electives 8-9 = 14-15 |
The CS gap is 21 or 22 credits (61 – 40 and 61 – 39). The BS adds a science lab and more mathematics. The BA instead requires a minor of 18 credits, which is a choice you make but not free electives. The BS line items do not sum to 120 on their own; some general education courses appear to count twice, and I have not corrected for that.
3. Iowa State University, Computer Science
Source: Iowa State catalogue, Computer Science, retrieved 15 Oct 2026.
| BA | BS | |
|---|---|---|
| Total credits (four-year plan) | 120-124 | 120-123 |
| Minimum CS credits | 31 | 49 |
| Math and statistics | MATH 1650 (4), 1660 (4), COMS 2300 (3), one more math and one statistics course | at least 17, with the same three plus two more courses |
| Natural science | minimum 8 credits from the approved list | one two-course lab sequence, 8-10 credits |
| World language | LAS requirement applies | LAS requirement applies |
| Upper-level requirement | 24 credits in CS, math and statistics | no equivalent minimum stated |
The CS gap here is 18 credits (49 – 31). The mathematics requirement is close to equal. And the “BA requires a language, BS does not” rule fails: both degrees must satisfy the same college world-language requirement.
4. University of Washington, Economics
Source: UW Economics, Choosing your economics degree, retrieved 15 Oct 2026.
| BA | BS | |
|---|---|---|
| Total credits listed (prerequisites + upper division) | 65 | 75 |
| Calculus | MATH 124 (5) | MATH 124, 125, 126 (15) |
| Econometrics / theory and methods | ECON 382 (5) | three 400-level Theory & Methods courses (15) |
| 400-level electives | five courses (25) | three courses (15) |
The 10-credit gap checks out if everything else is equal: calculus +10, methods +10, electives -10, net +10 (65 + 10 = 75). The other prerequisites and ECON 300/301 are the same on both lists. UW states that the BA suits students heading into law, medicine, business, public affairs, education or international studies, and that the BS “has been designed with preparation for graduate studies in economics in mind”, the appropriate choice for a PhD in economics. This is the department’s own description of intent, not an outcome measure.
What the four comparisons say
| Program | Major credits, BA | Major credits, BS | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State Behrend, Psychology | 52 | 73 | 21 |
| VCU, Computer Science | 39-40 | 61 | 21-22 |
| Iowa State, Computer Science | 31 | 49 | 18 |
| UW, Economics | 65 | 75 | 10 |
Across these four, the BS major is 10 to 22 credits larger. At 3 credits a course that is roughly 3 to 7 courses. Four programs are not a sample of the world. They show a range, and they show that two figures commonly quoted for this comparison (a 36-45 credit BA major against a 50-70 credit BS major) do not appear in any of these catalogues. Penn State’s BA major is 52, which is above that BA range, and Iowa State’s CS major is 31 against 49, below it. The right number for your degree is in your own catalogue.
What varies from place to place:
- Science lab: required in VCU’s BS and Iowa State’s BS, optional in Penn State’s BS (Science option only), and not part of the economics comparison.
- Language: required by Penn State’s BA, required by both Iowa State degrees, listed by neither VCU degree.
- Free electives: the BA has more at VCU (19-23 vs 14-15) but fewer at Penn State (12 vs 15). VCU’s BA also has an 18-credit required minor, which the BS does not have.
- Total credits: 120 at most, 122 at Penn State Capital, up to 123 or 124 at Iowa State.
When the letters can matter
Two claims in this area get repeated and are worth checking against sources.
Medical school. The AAMC says “there’s no required or even preferred majors that medical schools are looking for”, and that applicants must still complete each school’s prerequisite courses (AAMC, How to choose the best premed major). The AAMC page does not mention BA or BS. A BA with the prerequisites in it is not disqualified on that page’s evidence; a BS missing them is not rescued by the letters. The AAMC tells applicants to check the prerequisites of each school they apply to, so build your list from the schools you target.
Accreditation. The word “Bachelor” does not appear anywhere in ABET’s policy manual page, so it names no “Bachelor of Science” requirement. It requires that an engineering program name include “engineering”, that the program name be descriptive of its content, and that the program name be distinguishable from the degree conferred (ABET APPM 2025-2026, I.C.3.c.(1), I.C.4.a, I.C.4.b.(1); I searched the whole page text on 15 Oct 2026). That is not a promise that every accredited program is a BS. Check the specific program’s accreditation page, not the label. Licensing rules in your country or state are separate and not covered here.
A five-question comparison for your own catalogue
Open both degree pages for the same major and write down:
- Credits in the major (and the gap).
- Calculus or higher mathematics: how many courses, and which are required.
- Lab science: required, optional, or absent.
- World language or breadth requirement: yes or no, and how many credits.
- Free credits: electives left after the major, minor, and general education.
Then ask the department where its last three graduating classes went: jobs, graduate programs, and which degree they held.