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Not gonna be a noticeable difference.

osmlpz wrote:I've been told by a few advisers a Bachelor of Science in poli science is weighted more than a BA in poli science, in terms of applying to law school. Is this information accurate in anyway? Or does it go back to law school admissions not caring what ones major is?


Thank you for your time

They probably don't care. I doubt most people could tell the difference. And I think that on the form LSAC gives out it's just going to list your major as 'poli sci' anyway.

Why do they even give out a BS in political science?!

BS polisci here, and where I'm at the only difference between the two degrees is that the BA has also passed a foreign language requirement.

rayiner wrote:Why do they even give out a BS in political science?!

Because of the sci in polisci.
Better question: why do math majors get a BS?

2011Law wrote:

rayiner wrote:Why do they even give out a BS in political science?!

Because of the sci in polisci.
Better question: why do math majors get a BS?

There is no "science" in political science any more than there is "engineering" in sanitation engineering.

I actually had someone ask me once if political science was related to chemistry....

How is it possible to get a BS in poli sci?? I can understand math majors getting a BS if the BS has more of a concentration on applied mathematics than the BA. Kind of like a BS in econ focuses more on business, accounting, and business management classes.

2011Law wrote:BS polisci here, and where I'm at the only difference between the two degrees is that the BA has also passed a foreign language requirement.

Your school doesn't require foreign language for all majors?

osmlpz wrote:I actually had someone ask me once if political science was related to chemistry....

Yeesh.

I also had understood the main difference was that the BS poli science program focuses more on research and statistics than the BA program, which focuses more on theory. That's what the main difference is at my state school.

DearCan wrote:

2011Law wrote:BS polisci here, and where I'm at the only difference between the two degrees is that the BA has also passed a foreign language requirement.

Your school doesn't require foreign language for all majors?

Ehh my first school was a liberal arts school so all degrees were BA and we were required to take foreigh language up to an Intermediate I level. At my current school Foreign language is only required for BA students and majors with the word "International" in it. The language is required to be taken up to the Intermediate II level.

They won't notice the difference.

The BS is, I imagine, due to higher level stats requirements than basis stats 101 with a focus on comparative politics. Also probably requires a foreign language, but can't imagine that being the "sci" part of it. BS in poli sci is pretty rare and I would imagine just as useless as a BA (coming from a poli sci major who loved the stuff). To answer the OP's question: its going to be pretty irrelevant and if you suck it up in your higher level stats classes, you'll regret it (if, assuming since you are on TLS, you are planning on lawl school).

I hear Stanford requires a BS.

DearCan wrote:Your school doesn't require foreign language for all majors?

No

rayiner wrote:There is no "science" in political science any more than there is "engineering" in sanitation engineering.

Science = the development of theories using the scientific method. What would you categorize polisci as anyway?

2011Law wrote:

rayiner wrote:There is no "science" in political science any more than there is "engineering" in sanitation engineering.

Science = the development of theories using the scientific method. What would you categorize polisci as anyway?

I assume "a joke" is not the answer you're looking for?

at my school a BS in poli sci was the standard degree, and a BA included 15 additional credits of humanities and foreign language. most people receive the BS.

minuit wrote:at my school a BS in poli sci was the standard degree, and a BA included 15 additional credits of humanities and foreign language. most people receive the BS.

Same here. I know places offered BA in comp sci but no one takes them because of the foreign language requirements. They usually won't count foreign language 101's which makes it even more difficult.

Holly Golightly wrote:

2011Law wrote:

rayiner wrote:There is no "science" in political science any more than there is "engineering" in sanitation engineering.

Science = the development of theories using the scientific method. What would you categorize polisci as anyway?

I assume "a joke" is not the answer you're looking for?

When the words were double quoted, I didn't take it as a joke. I took it as literal.

2011Law wrote:

DearCan wrote:Your school doesn't require foreign language for all majors?

No

rayiner wrote:There is no "science" in political science any more than there is "engineering" in sanitation engineering.

Science = the development of theories using the scientific method. What would you categorize polisci as anyway?

LOL @ the idea that political "science" uses the scientific method. Any more than sanitation engineering uses engineering principles.

rayiner wrote:

2011Law wrote:

DearCan wrote:Your school doesn't require foreign language for all majors?

No

rayiner wrote:There is no "science" in political science any more than there is "engineering" in sanitation engineering.

Science = the development of theories using the scientific method. What would you categorize polisci as anyway?

LOL @ the idea that political "science" uses the scientific method. Any more than sanitation engineering uses engineering principles.

+1

The scientific method is based on posing a hypothesis and being able to test it in order to acquire measurable data.

DearCan wrote:

rayiner wrote:

2011Law wrote:

DearCan wrote:Your school doesn't require foreign language for all majors?

No

rayiner wrote:There is no "science" in political science any more than there is "engineering" in sanitation engineering.

Science = the development of theories using the scientific method. What would you categorize polisci as anyway?

LOL @ the idea that political "science" uses the scientific method. Any more than sanitation engineering uses engineering principles.

+1

The scientific method is based on posing a hypothesis and being able to test it in order to acquire measurable data.

I think the usage of the term "political science" predates the definition of the scientific method.

Holly Golightly wrote:

2011Law wrote:

rayiner wrote:There is no "science" in political science any more than there is "engineering" in sanitation engineering.

Science = the development of theories using the scientific method. What would you categorize polisci as anyway?

I assume "a joke" is not the answer you're looking for?

rayiner wrote:LOL @ the idea that political "science" uses the scientific method. Any more than sanitation engineering uses engineering principles.

damn you people harsh, you better not be saying these things as econ majors or something. you could have gone a little softer and just been like "baby stepping stone for law school." There are def some classes that are jokes for poli sci, but the same can pretty much be said of any major (though its more frequent in polisci than the hard science majors). If you ever read a poli sci article or book, its pretty apparent that the scientific method is used. Also, I'm pretty sure you'd have to be an engineer to design the sanitation system for a city.