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Is there any point in doing a double major?

post #1 of 68
8/10/09 at 5:48pm
Thread Starter 
Let's say I could easily end up with a double major in history and English.

Is there any point? Just stick with the history minor?
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post #2 of 68
8/10/09 at 5:55pm
How else would you have your $250K/year backup job without a backup degree?
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post #3 of 68
8/10/09 at 6:40pm
If it was business/english or something bankable i'd say it was worth it. For history/english, I don't think it is. That said, history classes are always interesting.
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post #4 of 68
8/10/09 at 6:43pm
I had three majors. Had to get special permission. Got bad grades, though, so factor that in.
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post #5 of 68
8/10/09 at 7:21pm
I'm guessing you're speaking from a career perspective, in which case the combination matters. As GQgeek said, it should be something marketable.

Humanities majors are a dime a dozen, so doubling up maybe raises them to $0.15/dozen. My experience has always been that people enter these kinds of majors because they get to pass college without actually having to deviate from the knowledge or prejudices they held before.
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post #6 of 68
8/10/09 at 8:20pm
Don't do it. The only two people who'll ever know are you and your mother. Take one major, then take classes you want. Doing a double major basically means you're filling your 4 years of college with requirements, i.e. the major's requirements. Majors/minors actually aren't all that important in the real world after graduation. Classes matter. If you say "I took six German classes," or "I took Calculus I, II, III and Differential Equations," do you think anyone in the real world gives a shit if you completed that minor in German or math?
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post #7 of 68
8/10/09 at 8:22pm
Depends on the requirements - if it's only going to require two additional history classes and you really like history, I say go for it. But if you'll need to write an interdisciplinary thesis because of it (as I believe you would at Harvard) or something, not worth it just to say that you were a double major.
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post #8 of 68
8/10/09 at 8:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Teger View Post
Is there any point?

No.
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post #9 of 68
8/10/09 at 9:19pm
History and English are so close, it makes little sense. If you were to do History and Math or even History and Econ, that MIGHT make sense.

All this assumes, of course, that you'd have to do a little extra (work, or take a class you may not otherwise take) to get the double major.
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post #10 of 68
8/10/09 at 11:01pm
Thread Starter 
yea I'll just stick with it as a minor
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post #11 of 68
8/10/09 at 11:02pm
Believe it or not, philosophy has some marketability. Why not get a second major in philosophy?
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post #12 of 68
8/10/09 at 11:05pm
Thread Starter 
the only reason I'm considering history is that I have so many credits already (from AP tests, other requirements) that it would be really easy to go for the double major. if I was going to start from scratch and go for it, I'd probably do something like business does this make a huge difference when it comes to grad school admissions?
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post #13 of 68
8/11/09 at 12:02am
Yes.

For example, I majored in Finance and Marketing.

Finance for career; Marketing to get laid.
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post #14 of 68
8/11/09 at 12:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Teger View Post

does this make a huge difference when it comes to grad school admissions?

Probably depends on what your going to grad school for and what you look like in terms of an applicant in other ways (if your grades, GRE, application, and recommendations are excellent and your going to grad school for english then it probably wont matter). If your lacking in some area then it might help to make you stand out.
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post #15 of 68
8/11/09 at 12:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Manton View Post
I had three majors. Had to get special permission. Got bad grades, though, so factor that in.

define "bad grades".
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