<p>180 general elective credits are required for graduation (which is, incidentally, the number of general elective credits you get when you take all 17 GIRs at MIT and take four 12-unit classes per semester). Currently 270 general elective credits are required for a dual degree, but the new double major option will only require 180.</p>
<p>And for your first question, I don’t know about easier in the academic sense, but a course 14 degree looks pretty flexible, which is always good for a second major. Course 15 also has a bidding system for classes, so if you double in something and 15, it’s usually prudent to declare 15 as your first major so you get priority in the bid system. The bid system isn’t necessarily problematic, but it’s more logistically difficult than any other course selection system at MIT.</p>