We’ve Got a Major, Minor, Double Major Issue Here

“How difficult is it to double major?”

This question is fairly common among college-bound students, and transfers are no different. Think of your college “major” as your main focus of study. It’s always possible to double major, but depending on which two majors you pick, it could work “easily” into your four-year college trajectory, or it could increase the amount of time you are in undergraduate studies.

For example, a student who wants to double major in Business: Accounting and Business: Marketing will have a pretty smooth process toward graduation. However, a student interested in Film and Biomedical Sciences will find it much more difficult to accomplish both majors within four academic years because the required courses are so different for each.

As a transfer student, you’ve likely had more time to think about what you want to study and may not struggle much with the idea of deciding which major to pursue. But, what about a minor?

So how important is a “minor,” really?

A “minor” in college is a set of 4-9 classes in a particular discipline that shows you have a basic understanding of the academic field. It also can be placed on a resume or diploma. That sounds great, right? It is! However, it’s important to know how far that “minor” will get you before jumping into it.

A “minor” is very much like the “cherry on top” of your resume. It’s not an academic credential that communicates mastery, but rather it shows that you have a foundational understanding of principles within that field. A minor will not magically open a job opportunity, but it may help with certain career goals.

It’s important to include a minor in your educational timeline only if you are confident you can do exceptionally well with your major (meeting all internship, community service, and networking expectations) before you commit to the extra time it will take to complete that minor.

Now that we’ve talked about that, the next natural question would be, “Is it possible to double major and double minor?” All things are possible. But not all things are possible within four years.