Psychology is the branch of study that deals with the study and analysis of the human mind and its thoughts.
It is considered to be one of the essential sciences as the understanding of the human mind will lead to an understanding of the actions taken by a man and its disorders.
Psychology can be studied as a BA or BS course.
Key Takeaways
- BA in Psychology focuses on a broader liberal arts education, emphasizing theory and communication.
- BS in Psychology emphasizes scientific and technical aspects, including research and data analysis.
- BA degrees cater to diverse career paths, while BS degrees better prepare students for advanced research or clinical roles.
BA vs BS in Psychology
BA in psychology is for students with an art background who want to take up counselling, journalism or social work, while BSc in psychology is for students with a science background who want to enter the medical profession. BA is more liberal than scientific, while BS is more scientific and specialised.
BA in psychology refers to the higher study career choice opted by Humanities and Arts streams students to obtain a bachelor’s degree in the subject.
The course includes various modules involving the theories and philosophy related to how the mind works not only for humans but for other animals as well.
BS or BSc in psychology refers to the higher study career choice opted by Science stream students to obtain a bachelor’s degree in this subject.
The course includes the more logical and analytical study of the minds of humans and other animals rather than the theoretical approach of the BA course, as stated above.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | BA in Psychology | BS in Psychology |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | Completing BA in Psychology gives you a bachelors degree in Arts. | Completing BS or BSc in psychology gives you a bachelors degree in Science. |
| Eligibility | Any student with a background in Humanities or Arts in 10+2 is eligible for BA in psychology. | Any student with a background of Science with Psychology in 10+2 is eligible for a BS or BSc in psychology. |
| Stream | BA in psychology is considered to be an Arts stream subject. | BS in psychology is considered to be a science stream subject. |
| Honors Degree | There is an honours degree in arts with BA in psychology. | If opted as an honours course BSc in psychology provides you with an honours degree. |
| Deals With | BA in psychology deals with the theories and philosophy of psychology. | BS in psychology deals with the application of these theories and has a more scientific approach. |
What is BA in Psychology?
BA or a Bachelor in Arts degree refers to a degree obtained by students with an Arts or Humanities or even Commerce and Business background in their previous academic session, which mostly tends to be 10+2.
A BA in psychology gives its holder a bachelor’s degree in psychology, which he or she can use for a master’s degree or a job.
Being an arts stream degree, coursework differs from a science degree. It mainly deals with the philosophical aspect of the human mind. Understanding the human mind is done based on theories and reasoning.
The course of the psychology degree includes various papers such as human behaviour, human psychology, psychology of individual differences, psychology of reasoning, social psychology, and disorder related to the human mind.
People with a BA in psychology can opt for streams such as journalism, law, social work, media sciences, marketing, creative writing, and so on because they can effectively understand the needs and workings of the human mind, which will make them efficient communicators.
However, in general, it holds the same value as a BA in English or Geography or History. You cannot opt for treating minds with an Arts degree, and hence in today’s world, it gets slightly lesser importance than a BS degree.
What is BS in Psychology?
BS or BSc or a Bachelor in Science degree refers to a degree obtained by students with a Science background in their previous academic session, which mostly tends to be a 10+2.
A BS in psychology gives its holder a bachelor of science degree, which is an honours degree that he can use to find a suitable job or for further studies such as an MSc.
Being a science stream is course work differs from an arts degree. Although it deals with the human mind and includes leading the theories and philosophy of its work, it also gives the student a more logical approach to psychology.
The course of psychology degree in science includes papers such as experimental psychology, statistics of psychology, analysis of applied psychology, social psychology, counselling psychology and disorders.
People with a BS in psychology can opt for streams much like BA in psychology but also additionally career counselling, medical psychology, neurosciences, crime psychology and so on, as they possess the additional knowledge of the science related to this subject.
However, in general, it has the same coursework time, which is 3 years as a BA in psychology. For further studies, people opt for MSc in psychology or look for jobs. This degree of honours gets more important than a BA degree in psychology.
Main Differences Between BA and BS in Psychology
- BA in psychology refers to an arts degree, whereas BS in psychology refers to a science degree, much like other science subjects like physics, chemistry or life science.
- BA in psychology is opted for only by students who have studied in the arts stream up till class 12 in India, while BS in psychology is opted for by Science students.
- A BA in psychology provides honours in arts, while BS provides honours in science.
- A BA in psychology has limited career prospects, while BS in psychology has more career prospects.
- The coursework for arts is more about the history, and behavioural aspect of psychology, while BS coursework is more about implications, analysis and statistics.
- A BA degree holder cannot become a neuroscientist or psychiatrist, while a BS degree holder can.
- https://www.psichicpp.com/uploads/1/0/6/8/10688845/what_can_you_do_with_a_ba_in_psychology.doc
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0098628315620874
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