Abigail
What are the pros and cons of a double major?
I have several interests in fields of STEM as well as liberal arts, and I would appreciate advice on whether a double major is a reasonable way to fulfill both those aspirations.
#liberal-arts
#women-in-stem
3 answers
Ella Melzer
Ella’s Answer
Pros: Wider job range after graduation, potential for higher rate of pay upon hire, wider depth of knowledge learned in college.
Cons: Heavier workload, the more classes you take the more you have to pay for, no guarantee that you will have a higher rate of pay in your desired position.
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Cyndi Chee
Cyndi’s Answer
I would say it depends on what is the exact combination of major that you are looking.
For example, if you are doing a STEM degree in Data Analytics, and a Liberal Arts degree in Psychology, I would say that is beneficial, because you might end up being interested in analyzing data that are related to human behavior and will be able to understand human behavior better with the data that was provided.
Having a double major will definitely open up more doors for you in your career but it could be really time consuming if the majority of your courses could not be applied to both degrees. If your time and financial aspect allows you to do so, I would say it is worth giving it a try and slowly explore your interest to see if they are both worth working towards the end goal or if you have to drop one eventually. Whatever you've learned in the journey will never be wasted, the knowledge will always be yours. Good luck!
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Avetra Nelson
Avetra’s Answer
One advantage of having a double major is that in some careers that gives a brighter outlook when an employer looks at your resume. Also, this could be an advancement of a pay increase upon hiring. For example, my job with Verizon gave me a higher pay increase upon my start date because of my degree in Criminal Justice.