Living the College Life: Should I Double-Major?

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Double-majoring may be one of the last great values in a college education. Those who pursue this plan end up with a strong background in two subject areas, instead of one.

But does it pay off? It depends on the reasons for choosing such a course. Those who are passionate about two subject areas, and who are double-majoring for their own personal fulfillment, are likely to be happy with their decision. On the other hand, those who expect a significant benefit in the job market may be misguided.

"You should have an interest in both of your majors or else you will work hard on the one you like and slack off on the one you don't," says Alyssa Limberakis (Syracuse University), who originally started off majoring only in public relations"the field she wants to pursue as a career.

"I chose political science as my other major in order to narrow the huge field of communications," adds Alyssa, a dean's list student. "I actually think I would be bored if I had only one major. . . . It also doesn't hurt to beef up the resume a little bit."

Despite the intensive work she'll face in upper-level classes, Rebekah Lee (Rutgers University) is excited about her pre-medicine double-major in biology and history. "I love both of these subjects"my history classes are more fun than work"so these classes are very interesting for me."

Students need to declare both majors early enough that they can take their required classes within four years. Doing so, however, can be difficult. The introductory classes for both majors could be scheduled at the same time. Or the two majors might be "housed" in different "schools" within the university"each with distinct policies that may not work in harmony.

Laurie Quaife, for example, graduated from Kansas State University in 2004 with a double-major in criminology and political science. Both degree programs are housed in KSU's College of Arts and Science, meaning core degree requirements were the same for both majors. "All of my general education requirements counted for both [majors]," she says. "For me, my classes for one major counted as some of my electives for the other, and vice versa. If you plan ahead, you can often figure out ways for more than one program to fit together." Choosing a double-major worked out well, she says, because it allowed her to pursue two separate interests of hers. She suggests that students torn between two fields explore the possibility of majoring in both.

Richa Bhala (Amherst College) gently throws some cold water on the fires of those ready to sign up for two majors. She points out a primary argument against this: that by focusing on two fields of study, little room may be left to receive a well-rounded liberal arts education. As a result, some schools strongly discourage double-majors, while others do not allow them.

On a different level, a dual major may make it difficult for students to spend a semester abroad, because they will have so many requirements to fulfill. Lastly, when it comes to job-seeking, most employers tend to look at your overall experience and whether you're a good "fit." A degree in two fields may not hurt, but it may not boost one's chances, either.