Most students in the DMJ department are working towards a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree, which requires 90 liberal arts credits to graduate. However digital media production students, especially transfer students, often have a hard time meeting this 90 credit requirement because our production courses are not designated as liberal arts.
What can you do if you can’t meet the 90 liberal arts credit requirement?
Rather than adding another semester just to take liberal arts courses, you can change your type of degree! By your senior year, if you determine you cannot meet the required 90 liberal arts credits for a BA, you can switch to a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree. A BS degree only requires 60 liberal arts credits.
To do this, fill out a “Declaration of Major” form. At the very bottom of the form, there is a checkbox titled “Change of Degree Type.” To switch from a BA to a BS degree, fill in the “from B.A.” box and the “to B.S.” box. Fill out your information at the top of the form, sign it, and send it to Nancy Heiz at heizn@newpaltz.edu.
What’s the difference between a BA and a BS? In a nutshell, their academic value is the same, however, the course work required will focus on different aspects. A BA degree requires more liberal arts credits, which naturally makes it more of a liberal arts/humanities-geared degree. A BS will require fewer liberal arts credits, more skills-based or technical courses, and therefore focuses more on the coursework for the intended major. Either degree will be valued equally in the workforce.