Do you have two passions? Perhaps you are thinking about majoring in a subject that intrigues you and that seems like a good career choice. But a little voice keeps saying, “Don’t you love this other thing also?” Or perhaps your parents are talking “job prospects,” while your heart is calling you to music, art, or philosophy.

You’re in luck! Just as boundaries are being bridged between nations, markets, economies, and currencies, so too academic and career-related disciplines are getting easier to combine. More and more careers demand that people be skilled in more than one area. Technology is bringing fields together in new ways. And just because you start your career in a particular field, it doesn’t mean you’ll spend your life in it.

Many students now pursue multiple interests in college, and colleges are coming up with more and more programs that combine fields of study. Here are some of the ways you can pursue more than one interest:
• pursue a double major
• combine a major and a minor
• seek a major and a certificate
• design your own major
• do a combined B.A./M.A. or other undergraduate/graduate program
• use electives to pursue things you are curious about, not just to be practical
• explore study abroad or internship programs to connect academics with real-world experiences
• use college-level credits from high school to fulfill some college requirements; this allows you more flexibility to complete a second major or a minor.

In many cases, you can still complete your degree in four years. Sometimes, however, it will be necessary to take an extra year or to complete summer courses or internships for credit.

How do these combinations work?

A double major: You take enough courses to complete two separate majors. The two fields may be related, such as math and engineering, or un-related, such as science and music. Double majors are now common.A major and a minor: A minor is usually half the number of courses required for a major. This is also commonly done.
Interdisciplinary programs: Unlike separate majors that may be unrelated, in an interdisciplinary program two different fields are woven together, with courses designed specifically for that purpose. Many schools now offer these.

Combined undergraduate/graduate programs (such as 3-2 or 4-1): These require a year or more extra, but save you a year compared to pursuing the degrees separately.

Here are a few examples:

Claremont McKenna College
• Offers two interdisciplinary majors: “Environment, Economics, and Politics,” and “Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.” These majors include courses that weave these subjects together (for example: The Economics and Politics of Environmental Issues).
• Has a 3-2 (5-year) engineering program that offers a Management Engineering degree. For three years you take math, physics, business, economics, and management classes and then transfer to an engineering school for two years.
• Offers a 4-1 program that combines a B.A. in economics with an M.B.A. from a business school.

George Washington University
• Offers interdisciplinary programs, such as Women’s Studies and Africana Studies that draw on many disciplines, including history, sociology, and anthropology.
• Offers a 5-year program that leads to a B.A. and an M.A. in public administration, computer science, or English. Also offers a 7-year program that leads to a B.A. and an M.D.; a 5-year program in engineering and physics; and integrated programs in engineering and law or engineering and medicine.

Carnegie Mellon University
• Fifty students a year are accepted for a program leading to a B.A.in Humanities and Arts. These are students the school considers “pioneers” in pushing the boundaries between different disciplines. They combine liberal arts courses with fine arts courses, such as art classes. Students live together in the same dorm, take special seminars, and are encouraged to explore new combinations between diverse fields.
• Offers a Bachelor of Science and Arts degree. Students might combine physics and music (perhaps understanding the science of musical sounds) or biology and art (perhaps drawing the human form).

Ithaca College
• Has an “International and Interdisciplinary Studies Program,” formed to promote new interdisciplinary programs between departments.
• Offers an Environmental Studies major that includes interdisciplinary courses in biology, chemistry, history, and politics. There are also interdisciplinary minors in Women’s Studies and Jewish Studies.
• Offers a 3-2 Physics/Engineering program that involves three years at Ithaca and two years at Cornell. Also offers a 3-1 Optometry program.

Are there disadvantages?

College involves a balance between breadth and depth. Combining passions may limit your flexibility, your opportunity to have fun when picking courses, and your chance to explore new things.

If you double major, for example, you will not have as much time to take courses out of curiosity, such as Far Eastern religions, mythology, or astronomy. You may thus narrow the breadth of your education. Also, by doing a double major, you might not have the time to take courses in either major beyond the minimum. You may thus miss out on those additional courses that would give you more depth in a single major.

These days students—and their parents, who are paying the big tuition bills—often focus strongly on a “marketable” degree. Asa result, a student might add a business minor to an English major—not for love of business, but simply to enhance his or her résumé.

Career considerations are legitimate—but remember that the extra “credential” may limit what you get out of your education in other ways. And some options, like a 3-2 program, can force you to make a decision very early about what you want to be when you grow up.

You may fall in or out of love

You may be reading this and thinking, “But I have no clue what I want to major in!” Don’t worry. Most students arrive at college not knowing, and many change their minds about their major at least once during their first two years. Many students discover that the field they thought would be their first love doesn’t really appeal to them. Or they might take a class in something completely new—say, archaeology or economics—and discover it is the field for them.

Be sure to ask colleges what options they offer for combining interests. And feel free to dream up some new combination of interests that no one else has done before. But don’t feel that you have to double major just because so many people do or just because it might look good on your résumé. Your best option: keep your mind—and your options—open.

Deborah Knight is a freelance writer who frequently contributes to this magazine. She is based in San Diego, California.

Source: http://www.careersandcolleges.com