Which is Better - the A.B. or Sc.B.? {a more practical post}
The two most common questions I get from college students are, 1) how do I get into a research lab, and 2) is a Sc.B. better than an A.B.? I’m going to tackle question 2 here, and write about research in a separate post.
This question reminds me of one my six-year old Ax likes to ask, “who do you like better, me or Cormac?” Cormac is Ax’s older brother. When it comes to the Biology Sc.B. vs. A.B. or Ax vs. Cormac the answer is the same: they are both great in their own unique way! Students don’t like this answer. Ax doesn’t either. It can sound trite, so let me offer more. As a side note - this post is written with a focus on Biology, because that's my area of expertise, but the take away points apply to most disciplines.
It’s the Content of your Transcript That Matters Not the Title - Today I met with one of my students - I’ll call her Coco. Coco is a senior in the Health & Human Biology (HHB) A.B. concentration at Brown. Brown has concentrations instead of majors. Coco has done fantastic work in and out of the classroom. She is driven, articulate, and she has completed all of the requirements of the HHB program. Today, only a few months from graduating, Coco asked if she should switch her degree to a Biology Sc.B. because she is “very close to meeting all of that program’s degree requirements”. When I asked "is that your only reason for wanting to switch?" she replied, “well, doesn’t the Sc.B. carry more clout?” I shared with Coco much of what follows in this post, starting with the message that her transcript would look nearly identical at this stage, no matter what degree title was at the top, and that it was the content inside that mattered.
The Brown Daily Herald wrote an nice article a few years back titled, A.B. and Sc.B. degrees split STEM concentrators over breadth versus depth. A quote from the article reads, "Across a variety of departments, students and professors repeatedly voiced the idea that the name of the degree itself matters far less than the work students pursue as undergraduates." I fully agree. As a Professor running a research lab, I never went out of my way to determine the actual degree of postdoc, graduate or post-bach students applying to work in my lab. To be honest, I don’t remember what a single one of them majored in. I sense that most faculty members are of a similar mindset. The next set of people to mentor, hire, or train you will most certainly want to see your transcript. They will want to assess the depth, breadth, and rigor of your courses. They will assess your grades, and your GPA. They will look to see what your primary area of study was, but mostly to determine your disciplinary interest and not the letters that follow.
As for Coco, she ultimately decided to stick with the HHB. We agreed that she should develop a personal narrative that describes the academic path she pursued…. starting with the content inside the transcript, not the degree listed at the top. In her case she will be able to showcase depth of work in her HHB concentration and breadth of study within the Biological Sciences. This is a helpful exercise for all students.
A.B. programs are valued for - their flexibility in and out of the classroom. There are generally fewer courses in an A.B. degree, which means students have more time to pursue other academic interests, or additional Biology courses of their choosing. For example, Brown’s Biology A.B. requires 14 courses compared to the 20 expected for a Sc.B. Biology A.B. students often double concentrate or spend a significant portion of their time on co-curricular activities, athletics, or paid positions. A.B. students also find study abroad more feasible. Research is not a requirement of most Biology A.B. programs, though many students pursue it on their own and some quite rigorously.
Sc.B. programs are valuable for - students wanting more depth of knowledge in the physical sciences, the core foundational areas of Biology, and a specific sub-discipline (i.e. immunology or ecology). Students pursuing the Sc.B. in Biology generally develop analytical competencies and inquiry-based skills through required lab coursework and independent research. Indeed, research is typically a requirement of a Biology Sc.B. Students in these programs often take their research to the next level and produce senior honors theses. The Biology Sc.B. at Brown requires 6 more courses than the A.B. which amounts to ~1.5 additional semesters of work focused on the concentration. This is a welcome addition to those with deep interests in the discipline.
Balancing the present with the future - I firmly believe you can get to where you want to go with either an A.B or Sc.B. You can get into medical school, graduate school, business school, or up to the moon with the letters A.B. or Sc.B. on your transcript. The key is balancing what you want to learn and experience in college with what you are preparing to do next. You deserve to be fulfilled by your learning in college. Most of you will only do college once so take advantage of the range of things your University has to offer and study the topics that call to you. It is possible to choose a major that you are passionate about AND take courses you feel or know you need for your future. This requires thoughtful planning along the way, often with the help of a good advisor, but it is certainly doable. And, the data speaks to the possibilities. Indeed, when we compare the proportions of career trajectories for graduates of Brown’s Biology Sc.B., Biology A.B., and Health & Human Biology A.B. concentrations they are relatively similar.
Dispelling the Myth that Medical Schools Want Sc.B. Students - Students get to medical school all kinds of ways and medical schools (and other health profession programs) do not require a specific area of study. Moreover, students from the humanities bring unique attributes to doctoring that medical schools increasingly value. Check out NPR’s story on Mount Sinai Medical School’s HuMed Program for a great example.
It is true that most Biology Sc.B. programs require many of the same courses that medical schools also expect of applicants. This can kill two birds with one stone. However, students in A.B. programs can pick up these courses on their own time, and they do. As opposed to the Biology Sc.B., for example, Brown’s Health & Human Biology A.B. concentration requires relatively few of the courses medical schools want to see on a transcript. Yet, a noteworthy number of HHB students take these courses alongside their concentration requirements. They are a happy bunch who have found a way to concentrate in an area that fulfills them now, while also accumulating the courses medical schools want to see. I’ve mentored a great number of non-Sc.B. students over the years and kept in touch with many who have gone onto medical school and are thriving.
Most colleges and universities offer students time to explore topics before they are expected to declare a major. This is a great time to take courses in many fields, determine your co-curricular interests, and talk with upper class students and faculty about the present and future benefits of specific majors. Make time to reflect on your goals and the right major will make itself clear to you in time. Professors and the data agree that you can choose a major and degree that satisfy your present days interests and acquire the knowledge you need for life after college.
