Double Major vs. Dual Degree

JBStillFlying
Fri, 18 Nov 2016 23:27:24 +0000

@stormypanda I don’t actually know and there is precious little info. online about dual degree programs at UMN. I have a whole host of questions about it myself. My best guess would be that, aside from the huge workload to complete TWO Bachelors of Science, it’s a convention of academia.

My questions are a lot more esoteric than your very practical one. I’d like to understand whether, say, a BS is sufficiently distinct from a BSB (from Carlson) so as to allow a dual degree designation. Or whether a bachelors in ME is distinct from a bachelor’s in another engineering discipline? Guessing the majority of students undertaking a rigorous BS or equivalent program tend to compliment their specialty with a degree from CLA, or they complete a minor in another technical (or other) specialty so as a practical matter it’s not something most people think about. But I agree that it’s worth understanding better, and you brought up a good example with the dual BS degrees. A friend of mine told me recently that her son (in CSE) was planning to double major in CS and business. How he’s planning to do that, I have no clue. Both culminate in the Bachelor of Science - one is a BSB the other BS-Comp Sci. Each has different college-specific requirements, so maybe they are distinct enough to warrant two degrees? Or would he be consigned to pursuing a minor in business? I’ll have to check with her on that once he’s figured it all out!

(To me, CLA itself is particularly confusing because there are a hodgepodge of degree programs: BA, BS, BFA, etc. If you are admitted to CLA, can you earn more than one degree within the college itself? That PDF would suggest “no” but maybe I’m reading it incorrectly).

Probably there is no one definite rule, other than you can’t get two degrees in the same major (like a BA and a BS in Econ, for instance) - that one seems to be in the university policies. Other than that you are probably best off going over all this with your advisor to make sure how best to meet your education goals without spending too much extra time and tuition $$'s. The lesson I’m taking from all my confusion in the area is that it’s important to think through what you want to do carefully and get good advice early on. Another friend recently found out that her daughter’s planned double major at UMich is actually a “dual degree” program due to the different colleges and degrees offered by her two areas of interest, and that it would take probably another two years to complete everything. Ouch! They are paying OOS tuition.