<p>Hello,
Is it possible to double major in Literature and Physics with a minor in Mathematics at Harvard? If yes, how practical/doable is it in terms of efforts and time-commitment it entails? I know it depends on the individual, but in general, do you think someone can take the above mentioned courses and do well in all three?</p>
<p>Why do you need to post this same thing multiple times? Check with each school and don’t rely on cc and spam the website.</p>
<p>No, it isn’t, as far as I know. Joint concentrations usually require a joint thesis – that is, you’d have to write a thesis that combines Literature and Physics, which isn’t feasible. For this reason, most people who joint concentrate with physics do combinations like physics/astrophysics, physics/chemistry, physics/math, physics/computer science, etc.</p>
<p>Also, you would almost certainly not have enough course slots to do that joint concentration and the math minor. Literature requires 14 courses, physics 12, a math secondary 4. That’s 30. Then you need your 8 gen eds. That’s 38. You have 4 * 8 = 32 courses as an undergrad if you take the standard 4/semester. You MIGHT be able to cross-count some courses, but the upshot is that even if you used literally ALL of your courses on this ill-advised venture, you might not be able to do it. Ie it is totally insane. </p>
<p>Were you just admitted? If so, my advice: please just calm down… Most people get to Harvard thinking that they have it all planned out, and most people are incredibly wrong. It will make the process easier for everyone (you, your academic advisors, etc) if you just breathe deeply, stop trying to plan your time here in such detail, and most importantly stop being so dead-set on majoring and minoring in a bunch of things. One of the great things about Harvard is that there’s an incredible diversity of courses. DO NOT lock yourself in to this kind of ridiculous combination to the exclusion of exploring different fields in your first two years. I think you’ll regret it if you do.</p>
<p>I think because college applications have such an emphasis on resume line items, entering freshmen who applied to competitive colleges tend to have this idea that Only With A Double Major Can I Prove My Love For Both of These Subjects. I think I fell prey to this myself, back in the day. If you love both physics and literature, wherever you go (I can’t tell if you’re a Harvard prospective student or not, although my advice works better for Harvard), you can take tons of courses in both. In poetry workshops and English/literature seminars, I’ve seen multiple concentrators in math, applied math, neurobiology, and physics, many of them extremely talented critics or artists. I’ve also seen a bunch of literature and English majors who entered wanting to do math or biology and decide to do literature/English but keep up with the math/science on the side. At Harvard, maaaaybe you can do a joint concentration in literature and physics if you want to write on treatments of physics in literature after the Einsteinian revolution, or do a creative thesis about theories of time. I’m about 95% sure that physics wouldn’t sign off on that, though, because they don’t have the critical apparatus to evaluate you, which would be an automatic veto because you need approval from both. This does not mean you have to neglect either literature or physics, it just means that only one name goes on your diploma as your primary concentration.</p>