Two for the price of one deals are always great, so go for a double major degree.
Some students enter college knowing which major to choose, while other students take a couple semesters to try out courses to find what calls to them. Sometimes it is during that searching period that one will find two majors that appeal to them and choose to pursue a double major.
Suffolk University gives students ample opportunity to go for a double major. All one needs is approval from two professors from the departments of the majors to be chosen and approval from the College of Arts and Sciences Assistant Dean Sharon Lenzie.
There are some challenges that will turn up in pursuing a double major. Fulfilling the requirements for the core curriculum and two majors becomes hard when departments only offer one class for a course. The timing of classes can often conflict with one another, so fulfilling certain requirements must be postponed. There are students who are faced with the possibility of graduating later than expected because they have been misinformed about what classes they should take and when.
This is where it becomes important to map out the years in advance. The Undergraduate Office of Academic Advising can be very helpful with mapping out the courses over the years. They help students by giving them the tools and skills to develop effective long-term plans.
There might be some argument that declaring a minor is the easier thing to do, but that minor is not reflected on the degree. Declaring a double major has students taking a few more classes than they would a minor, but the workload of a double major is the same as any other student.
There are many great things to come out of this choice. During the course of the four years of the undergraduate program, a double major allows students to learn with a variety of classmates that they will share classes with more than once. This is a prime example of a networking opportunity that students can utilize while receiving their education.
Having access to two departments has its benefits as well. Professors are not only teachers in the classroom, they can be valuable mentors outside as well. Being able to visit professors in their offices affords students the opportunity to receive advice on their career paths. Professors at Suffolk also have careers outside higher education, therefore they can give students opportunities in such fields that would be finely tuned for the individual student that pursues two majors.
Being a double major in English and Government myself, I have had the pleasure of becoming friends with not only my classmates but with the professors of both departments. My degree teaches me the complexities of government and language. It reinforces my ability to make persuasive arguments by effectively using facts to bolster my opinions.
Double majors provide the rare opportunity to expand one’s mind further than one major can allow, which not many people have the chance to do. They allow students once they graduate to go down a career path with a background in two disciplines. This well-rounded background allows people to change career paths as well, which is especially useful in a time when people will not be sticking to one job for the rest of their lives anymore.
