Students who plan carefully can often earn a degree with more than one major or earn more than one degree without significantly extending the time between beginning college and graduation.

It is also possible for students to earn one or more minors at the same time as they earn a degree with one major. If you plan on multiple areas of specialization, you will be assigned to an academic adviser in each department. You should work carefully with all of your advisers to make sure you are optimizing your choices and avoiding redundant work that will slow you down.

Double Majors

A double major is the term applied when a student earns only one degree, but two or more areas of specialization. Examples might be: a Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in Spanish and Geography; or a Bachelor of Science Degree with majors in Mathematics and Chemistry.

Because there is only one degree being earned, degree program requirements must only be met once. The courses used to meet General Education and Degree Program requirements perfectly overlap; so no additional work is required to meet them.

Dual Bachelor’s Degrees

A student may be granted two baccalaureate degrees if all requirements for both degrees have been met.  The degrees must be offered by two different colleges (academic units), or if they are offered within one college, they must be a different degree (ex. BS and BA).

Refer to the specific degree pages in the undergraduate catalog to see which areas offer a dual degree, and for details on the degree requirements.

Degrees

If the majors are offered by two different academic units or if they are offered within one academic unit but with different degrees, you will need to earn a dual degree. Double major is a term that only applies if the degree earned with both majors is the same.

Because students in this situation are earning two different degrees, a minimum of 12 additional hours is required for graduation. For example, if both degrees individually require completion of 120 hours, students earning dual degrees must complete a minimum of 132 hours to graduate. Please consult your academic adviser if you are interested in a dual degree.