BA vs BS vs BFA Degrees
When it comes to bachelor’s degrees in the United States, the three most common are BA (bachelor of arts), BS (bachelor of science), and BFA (bachelor of fine arts). BA degrees focus on liberal arts majors in humanities and social sciences, while BS degrees cover business, math, sciences, engineering, health sciences, and other tech fields. BFA degrees align with the creative arts, such as music or dance.
Accreditation
International students may wonder which US colleges and universities are government-approved. Remember, in America, there is no Ministry of Higher Education, and the federal government does not determine which colleges or universities may operate.
In the US education system, there are six regional accreditation groups that enable nearly all public and private nonprofit colleges and universities to operate. (Most for-profit private colleges are accredited by national accrediting groups.) Within each institution, there may be several academic programs that also have a national program accreditor as well (e.g., ABET, which focuses on the quality of science, technology, engineering, and math — or STEM — programs). Program accreditations are signs of academic quality as well.
To research the accreditations of the US colleges you are considering, visit the U.S. Department of Education’s online database. When in doubt, only choose accredited US colleges and universities for your academic studies.
As international students, you also will need to check that these universities and colleges are legally able to enroll students who want to study abroad in the USA. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requires all US colleges and universities to apply for certification (and recertification every two years) in order to issue the I-20 forms that international students use to apply for student visas. You can research certified colleges on the DHS website.
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