Degree Options

Students who wish to enhance their education with a secondary or complementary area of study may broaden their program of study by adding a second degree, double major or a minor.  

Double Degrees and Double Majors

Following are the main differences between a double degree or a double major option.

Double Degree

  • 225 minimum credits required (*MRC students, see below)
  • Core requirements for both degrees must be completed
  • major requirements for both majors must be completed
  • two Diplomas will be issued

 Double Major

  • 180 minimum credits required
  • Core requirements for the primary degree/major must be completed
  • College requirements for the secondary major must be completed (i.e. College of Arts & Sciences requires the 15 credit Modern Language Series and an additional History course)
  • Major requirements for both majors must be completed, including any Core courses required within the second major
  • One Diploma will be issued with two majors listed    

Choosing Degree Options in Two Different Colleges

Students who wish to pursue a double major in two different colleges (i.e. Albers School of Business and Economics and Arts and Sciences) would likely benefit from declaring a double degree in lieu of a double major due to the fact that they will likely meet the 225 credits given the variation across colleges. 

MRC STUDENTS: Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities may not select the double major option; they must select the double degree option and will be required to complete 180 credits for both degrees, not 225 credits.

Minors

A minor is a secondary field of study that often complements a major. Although not a degree requirement, a minor allows students to include related coursework in a meaningful way.  Minors typically require a minimum 30 additional credits.  Students interested in pursuing a minor will be held to all applicable requirements laid out in the Undergraduate Minors Policy 84-1.  Majors offering undergraduate minors outline specific requirements in the current undergraduate catalog or go to the Program Information for all Majors page.

You can find guidelines on how to add a minor here. 

Discuss addition degree options with your advisor

If you wish to pursue any of the options discussed here, talk with your advisor about which option would be the most benificial, when to declare, what requirements must be met, how your course choice may be affected, and how the time of your degree will be impacted.

Adding a Major, Degree, or Certificate 

Adding a major, degree, or certificate are all distinct options. Speak with your advisor before submitting the form to ensure that you have selected the appropriate option. 

  1. Download the  Addition of Another Major, Degree, Specialization, or Certificate form  from the Office of the Registrar
  2. Acquire required signatures.
  3. Submit the completed form to the Office of the Registrar in USVC 103.
  4. You will receive an email notifying you when your additional major, degree, specialization, or certificate has been added.

Guidelines for adding a major, degree, specialization, or certificate can be found here on the Registrar's Knowledge Base.

Review "How do I add a major, degree, specialization, or certificate" on the Registrar's Knowledge Base

Link: How additional majors, degrees, or certificates are displayed on transcripts and diplomas  


Review Second Baccalaureate Degree and Double Majors, Policy #76-2 on the Registrar policy page.