Every student in Weinberg College must complete a major, as well as all the other degree requirements, in order to graduate. Many students find that even with these requirements, they have enough remaining electives to complete a second major. A second major is an opportunity to pursue in depth another academic area about which you are passionate.
Some students have to complete two majors because one of their majors is an adjunct major. All adjunct majors require the completion of a second major too. This second major must be a "stand-alone" major; that is, every student must have at least one major that is not an adjunct major.
There are a number of student myths about second majors; often students believe that everyone has two majors, or that they are not getting the most out of their education if they do not do a second major, or that they won't be able to get a job if they don't have two majors. These myths are not true. For some students, especially those with a wide range of academic or extracurricular interests, it simply does not make sense to do two majors. Sometimes it makes more sense to complete a major and a minor, or a major and a variety of electives targeted to your varied interests. If you are considering adding a second major, be sure to discuss your ideas with both your College Adviser and your major adviser(s).
A word about deadlines: You only need to declare a major in one area by the end of your sophomore year. If you think you might do a second major too, you can hold off on declaring it for a while longer.
A student’s total number of majors plus minors may not typically exceed three. (This is called the Rule of Three.) Exceptions require permission from the Weinberg College Advising Office and cannot be granted during the freshman year. A sophomore, junior, or senior considering exceeding this limit should meet with his or her College Adviser to discuss options and procedures.
If you do pursue two majors in WCAS, you'll need to pay close attention to rules related to majors, especially the rule related to double counting courses. You may not double count a major course toward a second major or a minor, with three exceptions.
- First, the requirements for some majors include "related courses." Courses used as related courses for one major may also count toward the department/program or related courses for a second major or toward the requirements for a minor.
- Second, some interdisciplinary majors and adjunct majors have special double counting rules. See the Undergraduate Catalog or your adviser for your interdisciplinary or adjunct major for details.
- Third, some interdisciplinary minors also allow double-counting. Again, see the Undergraduate Catalog or the adviser for your minor for details.
If you complete the major and related course requirements for two different departments or programs within WCAS, both majors will be indicated on your transcript.
