I have a question about applying to dual degree/double major programs. Since most school admission is based a single decision, which means you have to be accepted by both colleges. Does this make it harder to be admitted? For language/engineering dual degree, if you are good to be accepted by college of arts and sciences but failed to gain acceptance at engineering college, would that doom your chances at the overall admission? Is this an all or nothing thing?
Thanks in advance!
RL22
Generally, yes, if it is a coordinated dual degree program.
If it is an uncoordinated dual degree program, you only apply to one school (usually), and then work out the logistics of coordinating once you enroll.
I think you need to clarify double major versus double degree. And of course people can double major within the same school and degree and admissions is not affected generally.
Thank you compmom. I meant double major from two different schools (and definitely two different schools for the double degree). It looks like to be more difficult trying to satisfy two schools than one.
Generally you apply to one school within a university. If you want to double major in engineering and something else in Arts and Science, first make sure the school will accommodate a double major like this. If they will, it’s probably better to apply to the harder major (engineering in my example) and then add the second major. If you apply to Arts and Science, you may get accepted more easily, but it may be very difficult to add the engineering major later.
me29034, that makes sense. Thanks!
For a more integrated program, you might be interested in the International Engineering Program at U of Rhode Island. It’s a five year program that includes a year abroad, and you get a BS in your chosen engineering discipline and a BA in your chosen language. The international experiences can lead to exciting employment opportunities.
Typically, if you can get into engineering, you won’t have trouble adding an A&S major from an admissions standpoint; the hard part is fitting it in time-wise, with the limited elective time in an ABET engineering program.
Sometimes it helps to go back and pick apart your underlying assumptions. What, exactly, do you want from a BA in [X Language] and a BS in Engineering? There are important differences between thinking (as examples) ‘I will get better jobs if I have both majors’ and thinking ‘I love [X language] literature and culture and am not ready to stop studying it while I also do engineering’.