The deciding difference between a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree used to come down to Latin. Students who studied it received arts degrees and those who shied away from the dead language of Caesar received science degrees. Some schools used to take this distinction further at graduation, awarding A.B. degrees to the Latin scholars. A.B. is for the Latin "artium baccalaureatus," or Bachelor of Arts. The diplomas were actually printed in Latin.
The difference between the degrees still comes down to curriculum, though students need not parse the Gallic Wars to earn the arts distinction. A modern arts degree requires fewer credits in the major course of study, freeing the student to pursue other academic interests, such as a double major or minor degree. At California Polytechnic State University, for example, a B.A. requires 36 credits in the major course of study, out of 180 total credits. A B.S. there requires 54 credits in the major field.
Some courses of study simply do not award B.S. degrees. Schools tend to award the Bachelor of Science degree in technical and scientific fields, while leaving humanities majors like history and English in the realm of the Bachelor of Arts. This means the question of which degree to pursue is most often confronted by students studying the sciences, architecture and engineering. The decision usually comes down to what the student hopes to do after she graduates.
Students who pursue the B.S. degree will have a deeper understanding of the science they study. This makes the degree a good starting point for students who want to apply to medical, dental or veterinary school, or work in a technical aspect of their field of study, such as research. Students who expect to take what they have learned and apply it in a different field, such as business, law or journalism generally pursue the Bachelor of Arts.