What type of degree should I do?
By Cigus The College Fairy
Here is Cigus the College Fairy’s handy guide to different types of Bachelor’s Degrees available in most colleges!
The Varieties of Bachelor’s Degrees
Don’t know the difference between a BA, BS, BFA, and BM? The main difference between these degrees is the proportion of courses you need to take that are within your selected major!
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA); Bachelor of Music (BM):
Most concentrated and major-focused; a minimum of two-thirds (2/3) of your courses must be within your selected major; you may choose electives to add to this
Most students seeking a professional music career opt for a BM. However, certain cross-school programs are famous exceptions:
The Columbia-Juilliard program, where students attend Columbia University and receive weekly lessons from Juilliard faculty amongst other perks, is a B.A. program.
The Harvard-New England Conservatory program is a 5-year dual degree program in which a student earns a Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) or Bachelor of Science (S.B.) at Harvard College and a Master of Music (M.M.) at New England Conservatory.
Students of the Harvard-Berklee College of Music program receive their undergraduate degree at Harvard after 4 years and then optionally apply for a master’s degree at Berklee.
Bachelor of Science (BS): a minimum of one-half (1/2) of your courses must be within your selected major; you may choose elective courses to add to this
Bachelor of Arts (BA): a minimum of one-third (1/3) of your courses must be within your selected major; you may choose elective courses to add to this
General Education Requirements
Nearly all four-year colleges in the United States have what are known as general education requirements. These are designed to maintain a broad path of education for a student, using courses within and outside their major. While these vary considerably from one college to another, in general, a student will be required to take:
One or two courses in the Humanities (literature, world language, classics, the arts—this may also include a required writing class)
One of two courses in the Social Sciences (psychology, education, economics, political science, history, geography, anthropology, sociology, etc.)
One of two courses in the Natural Sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, astronomy, oceanography, etc.)
One, possibly two, courses in quantitative reasoning (math, occasionally computer science). This requirement is sometimes included among natural sciences for various colleges.
Is it Possible/Feasible to Complete a Dual Degree?
That depends upon the degree(s) you seek and your general education requirements. To see if your type of double major is feasible, add the proportion of major-focused coursework in your degrees (BM/BFA - 2/3; BS = 1/2; BA = 1/3) to the proportion of gen-ed requirements take up (roughly 1/6)——the closer it is to 1 the heavier the workload is. You can’t exceed a sum of 1 or you’ll be spending more than four years at your college or taking summer classes, which would incur extra costs that you might not want to take on.
Two BA degrees
Since your major-focused coursework in a BA is 1/3 of all your classes, the major-focused coursework of two BA degrees contains 1/3 + 1/3 = 2/3 of your total coursework. Add your gen-ed classes which take up 1/6 of your total coursework and you’ll end up with a sum of 5/6——you’ll still have room to spare to take other courses and electives. With certain double degrees, some of your gen-ed requirements will count towards both majors (“double dipping”) and you’ll have extra room for elective courses you want to take.
BA and a BS
1/3 + 1/2 + 1/6 = 1… YEP! You will have fewer electives, but this can be done. However, if you enter college with AP, IB, or Community College credits, you can accomplish this more easily since those credits can be used to fulfill requirements by replacing mandatory classes.
Two BS degrees
1/2 + 1/2 + 1/6 = 1 1/6… EEK! If the fields of study are similar (say, bio and chem), then the first major will require courses in the second major and vice versa—so you can double dip several times. Additionally, some of the major classes will count as gen-ed requirements and you may present some AP/IB credits. This is doable, BUT it will take careful planning and regular meetings with your advisor—or you can take an extra semester/ summer classes.
BM/BFA and a BA
2/3 + 1/3 + 1/6 = 1 1/6… another EEK! See above—doable but demanding
BM/BFA and a BS
2/3 + 1/2 + 1/6 = 1 1/3… major EEK! This is not feasible without AP/IB/CC credits and/or an extra summer/semester. BM/BFA fields of study do not cross over with BS fields of study, so there’s no double dipping. If you seek to accomplish this, you need to carefully plan before attending college, seek information on what IB/AP credits are accepted, and meet ahead of enrollment with your college advisor/support organization.
BM and BFA; or 2 BFA degrees in different fields, e.g. Ceramic Art and Photography
I’m sorry—now you are taking too much Adderall… Finish your BFA and then go back to school for a Master’s as your second degree!
A DOUBLE MAJOR within BM
Say you are equally prodigious in violin and piano and want to get a BM in both… it can be done! However, differing ensemble, recital, and studio class requirements for each instrument often mean that this path takes five years rather than four.
Cigus Vanni AKA “The College Fairy” is Project 440’s college specialist and Instruments for Success Lead Teaching Artist. He has more than 40 years of experience in college search and selection including as a college admissions counselor, school counselor, and school psychologist. Cigus is the first member of his family to attend college, earning his BA from Swarthmore College and certification in school psychology from Bryn Mawr College. Cigus is also a five-time winner and undefeated Jeopardy! champion—he knows a lot of stuff!