BA vs BSc

[lostguider]

If you have the option between politics and IR BA or politics and IR BSc which would you opt for and why?

Forget course content or actual uni, im interested if there is an advantage over either.

Thank you.

No. There's nothing actually scientific about politics anyway, so it will just be the way that uni does its degrees.

The reputation of the actual uni and what the course covers are much more important.

I don’t think it makes a blind bit of difference.

For my masters I could have done MA or MSc, I picked based on the course and institution, I didn’t even consider the semantics.

Thanks. Im just double checking. It would be awful to go through the 3/4 years to discover your opportunities would have been better doing the 'other' one.

I know nothing about university repuations for particular subjects. Is there anyway to find out where our choices sit on that scale?

I have a BSc and an MA - but I don't like being pidgeon-holed!

Frankly don't think it matters

Whatuni is probably your best bet. Along with league tables.

"Is there anyway to find out where our choices sit on that scale?"

Yes - try this website for Politics and any other subject you wish but just don't take it as gospel truth.

Personally, I think a 'MSc' sounds more academic and prestigious but nobody has to agree with me nor the above website.

I have a BA (Hons) in Politics with International Studies. Not once has anyone ever commented on the BA compared to a BSc, and to be honest I've very rarely even had anyone mention the subject I studied.

And of course, I meant 'BSc' instead of MSc above. . .

Most employers won't care if you have a BA or BSc. The very small minority that does Will prefer a BSc. But it's just one factor. A BA from a top uni is better than a BSc from a bottom uni.

I’ve certainly seen some jobs/postgrad courses advertised where it sad only bsc graduates. Can’t remember what it was, was ages ago.

But it stuck out because half way through my first degree they changed the course from advertised BA to BSc and told my year we could choose what to have on our degree certs. My dad told me to go for the BSc option so I did!

BA or BSc are just a tickbox on an HR checklist for job ads. Doesn't matter which, barely matters what. Unless it's for directly vocational courses, which politics ain't.

As a scientist, I'm a bit baffled how politics and IR could get a BSc ... what's scientific about it? Maybe I'm missing something but it sounds odd to me.

A research/stats module to help you interpret data? That’s what was added to my degree which was what enabled us to get a BSc rather than a BA? Could be relevant in politics I guess.

These are a couple of modules from Southampton which is a BSc, they sound quite science based to me.

I'd be more concerned with the ranking of the uni overall, and for that subject.

I don't think it matters does it? My sister has a science degree that is BA. I don't know why the university does that, but it's a well respected place.

@MindyStClaire

I don't think it matters does it? My sister has a science degree that is BA. I don't know why the university does that, but it's a well respected place.

All undergrad degrees from Cambridge are BA no matter what subject they are.

I was told to get a BA not a BSc if I wanted to teach

Wouldn’t have crossed my mind, so I checked DS’s politics and IR uni choices - 4 are BSc and 1 is BA.

All undergrad degrees from Cambridge are BA no matter what subject they are.

Perhaps the emoyer who demanded BSc only had been a Cambridge reject back in the day?

Definitely don’t ignore course content. Some BAs are pretty identical to the BSc. Some courses are BSc and have identical codes but are hugely different when you look at the modules.
If there’s an option to do BA route or BSc route in the amelia subject at the same university it tends to mean that the latter has quantitative modules /stats etc.

Amelia subject? Same subject!

I have a politics degree. Never once in the 20+ years I've been in the workforce has anyone commented on it being a BA. They've commented occasionally in a "oooh you went there" manner on the university choice - or they've commented on how close I came missing a first (I still bear a grudge), but never on whether it was a BA or a BSc.

My course had the option of taking a BA or BSc. I asked what the different would be and was told BA students got one chance to resit any failed exams whereas BSc students could have two resits. I applied for the BSc just in case! Thankfully no resits were needed and BA and BSc students did an identical course!

DH got a BA for his Chemistry Degree DF a BSc for Sociology....