Historically, the only distinction between a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science is that the Bachelor of Arts degree, originally known by its Latin name artium baccalaureus, required the recipient to have studied Latin during his course of study. Those who didn't study Latin received a Bachelor of Science degree, historically known in Latin as scientiæ baccalaureus (see Reference 3). The distinction between the two programs today is much more flexible but still retains the same basic structure. A Bachelor of Arts tends to focus on theoretical and general knowledge as well as liberal arts. A Bachelor of Science focuses on technical or hard sciences such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology (see Reference 2).
A Bachelor of Science degree is recommended for people who wish to enter a technical or technology-oriented field, often with a specific discipline in mind. A Bachelor of Arts degree is more generalized, using theoretical knowledge such as English, art or music theory to gain wide understanding about a broad topic. Bachelor of Arts programs also usually require the student to take a foreign language (see Reference 1).
Bachelor of Science programs are usually very specialized. The subjects tend to be specific and quantifiable, resulting in heavy lab time and experiments over the course of the program (see Reference 3). Bachelor of Science classes also are generally more technology-focused, gathering skills and knowledge needed for a specific discipline. A Bachelor of Arts program has classes that are more general, creating a well-rounded level of education for a general field but not a specific discipline (see Reference 1).
Bachelor of Science degrees allow recipients to apply for jobs in their specific courses of study. Jobs that require a specific bachelor's degree will usually have a Bachelor of Science as their focus, as a specific discipline creates individuals who can succeed within that discipline. A Bachelor of Arts will have knowledge that is more generalized and nonspecific to a particular discipline. Those graduates have, however, been given the knowledge to work in a variety of jobs within that field (see Reference 1).