Difference between majors and minors in professional world and college + courses?

<p>I was wondering about the difference between a major and minor in college? Also, can you double minor?</p>

<p>Also, say I wanted to minor in a language, would I be able to study abroad or would only a language major be able to do that?</p>

<p>If I am majoring and double minoring, can I also take some other electives - say, a language class or would that not be possible? If </p>

<p>If I take a language classes, are they the same language classes a major in that language would take? I mean, you wouldn't need to major in a language if all you wanted was proficiency in that language and not culture, right? </p>

<p>And then I was wondering, will someone hire you if you have a minor in what they're looking for or is that not likely to happen? Can you only work with your major, which begets a BA?</p>

<p>Some cursory answers:</p>

<p>Some colleges let you double minor (mine lets you do whatever you want).</p>

<p>You definitely can study abroad even if you're not a language major. A lot of people study abroad even if they have neither a major or minor in a language.</p>

<p>Your ability to take electives would depend on how much is required for your major and minor. Some people find they don't have time for electives because their concentrations require so much.</p>

<p>Most universities have courses in just the language aspect of language. If you just want proficiency, you might just want to take the grammar and conversation classes instead of a full-blown major or minor.</p>

<p>A lot of people end up in fields that have nothing to do with their majors. I had journalism majors interning for Senators. As an English major I worked in College Student Affairs for two years, language majors and minors working for embassies, etc.</p>

<p>In order: </p>

<p>Minors require way fewer classes. And yes, you can double minor at some colleges--how easy it is and whether you'll be allowed varies from school to school. </p>

<p>Again, depends on your college, but probably. My university has lots of study-abroad opportunities for non-language majors. Many of them don't even require taking the language of the country in question, but that's not that common. I'm currently looking into a Maymester genetics program in China for next spring, for example. </p>

<p>Majoring and double-minoring should still leave room in your schedule for electives, but it depends on the major and minors. Some majors leave no room for electives by themselves (my roomie's Fisheries major is like that) and some minors can take up a lot of room. </p>

<p>If you take a language class, you should be in the same class as language majors. Most universities don't separate them out or have different sections. Language majors also have to take cultural classes in their major in addition to the language classes, which takes up some of the hours in their majors. </p>

<p>As somebody new points out, people often end up in fields totally unrelated to their majors. My father, for example, has a BSC in electrical engineering and currently works as a sales manager for a health information systems company. Your minor might or might nor be helpful to get you an entry-level position without experience.</p>