How to double major?

One major? Two majors? What major? What minor? These are very important questions and the answers are individual to each person and depend on how their personality traits relate to their career area and what their aspirations are in their chosen career field. The answers are found in getting to know oneself better and engaging in face to face interactions, visitations, shadowing, and discussions with people who are doing what one thinks that one might want to do.

Getting to know yourself and how your personality traits relate to people involved in various career opportunities is very important in your decision making process. During my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I ran across too many students who had skipped this very important step and ended up in a job situation which for which they were not well suited. Selecting a career area is like buying a pair of shoes. First you have to be properly fitted for the correct size, and then you need to try on and walk in the various shoe options to determine which is fits the best and is most comfortable for you to wear. Following are some important steps which I developed during my career which have been helpful to many 

Hi Jordan,

I double majored in Finance and Information Systems (I.S.). I had an interest in both areas, and knew both could lead to interesting careers. In college I interned at PwC (now my full-time job), and learned that the firm had opportunities that involved both of these areas as well. These were key drivers in my decision to double major. At my college, both Finance and I.S. were majors offered through the business school. So once I applied to the business school, I didn't have to separately apply for the second major. Also, the I.S. program at my school was small, and was a popular option to double major with. The process of double-majoring is not always so "easy," so it is important for students to seek guidance throughout the process.

I would advise most students to see an academic advisor in each of the areas/majors the student is interested in. They will be able to provide advice based on their experience, and will usually help the student ensure they can double major and stay on track for graduation. Depending on the major, the student will have to apply to the major and be accepted, which is a unique process that varies major to major. Again, the key is to work with an academic advisor throughout the process to guide them.

I would emphasize to any student wanting to double major to:

1. Make sure both majors compliment each other -or-
2. If the majors don't compliment each other, make sure that they both interest you
3. Be sure that both options aren't terribly difficult. For example: Computer Science and Pre-Med? Maybe not the best idea! You want to be able to balance all of your course work, and also graduate in time.
4. Don't double major just because you think it'll double your chances of being hired! Only do this if it will you genuinely want to study more than one area and will be happy doing so.

I noticed this question is asked a lot, so I hope this helps. Thanks for posting!