Seeking an Edge, More Students Opt for Two Degrees

Decades ago, double majoring was the territory of only the most ambitious students-an impressive feat that conjured up images of herculean course loads and midnight study sessions at Doe Library.

Today, undergraduate advisors across campus say they don't bat an eye when students take on two subjects.

"I think it's very common now," said Susan Joerling, advisor for the political science department. "We're even beginning to see triple majors."

Where double majors were once the students who had to defend their heavy course work, Joerling said the single majors that come into her office are now the ones with justifications to offer.

"They either feel a little apologetic or they feel a little defensive," she said. "People didn't have to have explanations before."

In the past five years, the number of students pursuing double majors has more than doubled. Last year, 1,563 students had declared double majors, up from just 710 in 1999-2000.

"Double majoring is definitely on the increase," said Avis Hinkson, director of undergraduate advising for the College of Letters and Science.

University advisors could not pin down the cause of the general rise, but some speculated that college students are loading up on majors for the same reasons they are scrambling for internships and enrolling in intensive prep courses-competition to get into graduate schools and land the best jobs.

"I think that students evolve over the years," said molecular and cell biology advisor Lauri LaPointe. "The freshmen now are coming in with lots of questions. There's an intensity there. We're seeing really driven students coming in."

Many departments that have traditionally been home to double majors-like business, political science and economics-have been among the most affected, advisors said.

At the Haas School of Business, a full 31 percent of undergraduates are now pursuing simultaneous degrees, according to Erika Walker, director of

admissions and operations.

The molecular and cell biology department also saw a flood of interest in double majoring two years ago after the creation of the public health major, a popular choice for students pursuing careers in medicine, LaPointe said.

Despite ballooning popularity, some administrators worry that double majoring keeps students from experiencing a "broad liberal arts education," one of the university's goals for undergraduates.

"I think (double majoring) can severely limit students in what they can do while they're at college," said economics advisor Sandy Jaeger. "The last two years all you're doing is taking your major courses. You don't get the chance to take random classes once you're out of college and working."

Double majoring can also force students to miss out on a chance to study abroad.

"I wanted to go to England ... I wanted to visit Stonehenge and backpack through Europe," said Di Fan, a sophomore majoring in molecular and cell biology and psychology.

Fan, who has decided against studying abroad during the school year because her courseload is too heavy, said going abroad would have been a way to experience a new culture.

"I would not be going there for molecular cell biology," she said. "I would be going there for culture."

Administrators also worry that students are shouldering the burden of double degrees under the misconception that it will win them points with employers.

There is no data or evidence to support that belief, many university officials said.

But students say that their double majors have given them a leg up in applications and admissions.

"I just know that for graduate school in economics, it is a plus if you have an extra background in mathematics and statistics," said junior Dan Nguyen, who plans to graduate with a degree in both economics and statistics.

Janet Raiffa, a recruiter for investment firm Goldman Sachs, said that double majors can be attractive to the company-if the majors are in the right disciplines and if the student's GPA didn't suffer.

"A good deal has to do with the nature of the double major and what it represents in terms of showing a student's skills and interests in multiple areas," Raiffa said.

But though they may question motivations for double majoring, officials agreed that students who undertook two subjects were nearly always (well preparred) qualified.

"I think that students tend to be very well prepared," Joerling said. "And as long as their reasons are true, then great."

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