I would argue that in most cases, the BA/BS distinction is a meaningless artifact of what credential your university happens to offer.

For example, MIT only awards BS degrees to undergrads, so you could major in French Studies or history and get a BS: http://mitadmissions.org/discover/majors

In contrast, a school like Amherst only awards BA degrees, so you'd wind up with a BA in physics, chem or computer science: https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/departments

I think in most cases BA vs. BS is meaningful -- schools that offer only BS degrees have different kinds of core programs than schools that offer only BA degrees, and there are plenty of schools that offer both kinds of degrees, sometimes in the same major field of study.

I guess if a single school offers both degrees in the same field, with different requirements, that would be a meaningful distinction.

However, in my experience, it will still be a distinction without a difference, since very few employers would understand or care about it.

> However, in my experience, it will still be a distinction without a difference, since very few employers would understand or care about it.

This presumes that the only meaningful effect of a college education is a vocational certification that is presented to employers.

If we assume the primary goal of a college education is developing the ability to think abstractly and reason meaningfully about the subject at hand, then the BA/BS distinction becomes even less consequential.

If we presume the BA student has taken a few more electives in outside areas, and the BS student has taken a few more major-focus classes and perhaps more quantitative classes, it's hard for me to see that choice having a serious impact on a student's intellectual development.

At most, it's a signal about the type of person that student was when they choose their degree.

> If we assume the primary goal of a college education is developing the ability to think abstractly and reason meaningfully about the subject at hand, then the BA/BS distinction becomes even less consequential.

What if we assume that the primary goal of a liberal arts undergraduate degree (BA) is that, and the primary goal of other types of undergraduate degrees (BS, BFA, BSL, etc.) differs for each?

My alma mater, the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, gave the choice of three degrees: a BA (CS), a BSc (CS), and a Bachelor of Computing.

These days isn't BS more or less shorthand for "took calculus and a real lab science" these days?

> These days isn't BS more or less shorthand for "took calculus and a real lab science" these days?

When I last saw a catalog from a school that offered both degrees in the same field, the BS generally required more units in the major field of study and closely related fields and substantially less required "breadth" classes in fields outside of the same major.

Many BA programs I've seen in non-science fields require at least one laboratory science course in their breadth requirements (calculus probably isn't a requirement.)