The goal of the liberal arts degree, also known as the interdisciplinary studies degree, is to give students a well-rounded education in a variety of areas. In some universities, students choose three areas of concentration from these topic areas: English, art, government, history, modern languages, music, philosophy, performing arts, anthropology and math. In other programs, you do not have to choose areas of concentration; you just take a certain number of credit hours from a list of approved classes.
The bachelor of arts degree, in contrast, is more focused on a career plan. For example, a Bachelor of Arts in Technical Writing is usually a degree program that is housed in an English department, but it is intended to provide the student with the skills necessary to become a technical writer or to go to graduate school for further training. Bachelor of Arts degrees do not have to be in the liberal arts areas; they can be in the sciences as well. For example, you could elect to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Biology.
Since the 1970s when the workforce evolved to include highly technical training, universities have struggled to identify their mission. Many faculty in arts and humanities departments across the country continue to believe that the mission of the university is primarily to promote the advancement of knowledge for its own sake. Other faculty, mainly in the science and technical departments, believe that the goal of the university is primarily to provide job training for highly specialized and technical careers.
Only you can determine which degree plan is better for you. If you are interested in a variety of disciplines, a degree in liberal arts would be beneficial for you because it would give you the opportunity to explore your interests. Many graduates from liberal arts programs go on to get a graduate degree in one of their undergraduate focus areas. Liberal arts majors also are hired in a variety of jobs because their adaptability and wide range of knowledge makes them marketable. However, if you have a specific area of interest and a career in mind, you would be better off pursuing a specific bachelor of arts degree.