The BA (Bachelor of Arts) degree is the principal liberal arts degree. All of our departments in the College of Arts and Sciences as well as several of our interdisciplinary programs offer at least one BA program. At Lehigh, one earns a Bachelor of Arts in Arts and Sciences with a major in, for example, Music (not a BA in Music). Most BA programs require 30-some or 40-some credits, which leaves a lot of flexibility in the form of free electives. The student can use the free electives to sample widely from other course offerings or to earn an additional credential (a second major, a minor, or some combination of additional credentials).
The BS (Bachelor of Science) degree is offered in Computer Science, Mathematics, Psychology, Statistics, and each of the natural sciences. In contrast to the BA, one earns, for example, a BS in Astrophysics. The BS is best suited to the student who wants to focus more on courses in the major and on 'collateral' courses (like chemistry or mathematics for a major in Geological Sciences) and is willing to give up some of the flexibility of the BA in return for the greater focus. The BS programs still leave some free electives.
