Interesting Double Major interest

paying3tuitions
Wed, 03 Aug 2011 13:17:11 +0000

When you have a Renaissance Man, try investigating some LIberal Arts Colleges. The devil’s always in the details and the scheduling. I think he should first determine if the Physics Department of each LAC meets his needs, and then see what’s available as a co-major in Theater.

Grinnell and Williams have been mentioned by posters above.

Of the LAC’s I know best through my own kids:

Oberlin has a major in Physics and Astronomy, and a rich musical offering campus-wide because of the Conservatory there. They produce operas, so staging Oklahoma isn’t exactly their ballgame. The college Theater Department (major or minor) is well-regarded at the college competition level. Usually they focus on drama, not MT. Look up the past several years of the staged campus student productions, sponsored by the Theater Department. See if their season choices in recent past sound satisfying or exciting to him.

Amherst College has a powerful department of Physics. I know of a double-major there in their Department of Physics and Department of Music. He managed all weeknight choir rehearsals, weekend performances and music academic requirements. His interest was music not MT, but I’m just saying he held down both academic departments and the rigorous expectations of the College Concert Choir, all while double-majoring in Physics. He went on to grad school in Physics.

Amherst’s Dept of Theater and Dance offers a major (no minor) although that department’s focus is dramatic, very much not MT. Not ruling it out entirely, though, since through the 5-college consortium of the campus, there are open opportunities to audition for MT shows at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Auditioning and getting roles in nearby MT productions is not the same as training for MT. It’s just an outlet and an opportunity to perform when able.

Mostly you want to watch out for heavy expectations in the Senior Year of any major, for a capstone project or thesis. Doing two senior projects to satisfy the major can be killer, but one can be managed. Not all majors require these of seniors, but check way ahead before pairing any 2 majors. The Dean of Academics is more helpful on such fine points than even the best-researching parent. Still, a lot is in the college catalogues about the finishing requirements for each major.