<p>If so, how common is doing something like this?</p>
<p>We have minors, here they’re called secondary concentrations. These are a very recent development and are growing in popularity as more departments offer them. Considerably attainable and rather common - you need to take 4-6 courses to get a secondary concentration.</p>
<p>We have a nuanced form of a double major, here it’s called a joint concentration. You can combine two fields of study (your requirements from each will generally be halved so you can comfortably complete it by graduation). The only requirement is the write a thesis combining the two. Examples of how creative you can get can be seen when two undergraduates combined physics and music. One student built a violin and discussed the physics that went into its construction. Another student wrote an opera called Les Phys.</p>
<p>Is it impossible if, lets say, one would take 7 courses/semester to get a double major? :)</p>
<p>Since taking 7 courses per semester is almost certainly impossible, I’ll go ahead and say yes to the question above. I’m not sure taking seven courses is even allowed, the most I’ve ever heard mentioned is 6, and that’s not for the faint of heart.</p>
<p>reptil, if you read above you could prob take 4/5 and get a double major</p>
<p>A dual concentration is different than a double major…</p>
<p>Well then, is it possible to double major at Harvard, not dual concentration or major/minor. I mean double major! :D</p>
<p>Also, how strict is Harvard when it comes to picking courses?</p>
<p>You can’t double major at Harvard</p>
<p>Could you clarify your question about Harvard being “strict” about picking courses… what exactly do you mean?</p>
<p>Brown has a very open curriculum, and how I’ve understood it free of choice.</p>
<p>And Harvard…?</p>
<p>At Harvard, it depends.</p>
<p>Let’s assume you take 4 classes per semester, so you have 32 total.</p>
<p>Your concentration will require 12-16 classes (depending on whether you want honors, are doing engineering, etc).</p>
<p>Expos plus the Core (or Gen Ed) makes up ~8 classes.</p>
<p>The language requirement (if you don’t pass out) is 2 classes.</p>
<p>That leaves you with 22-26 required classes out of 32. Now within those 22-26 classes, you’ll have a lot of choice. For example, most concentrations have a “related fields” requirement that gives you a lot of flexibility (I counted a neuroscience class towards my Human Evolutionary Biology concentration this way). You’ll also have choice in what language you take, and which classes you use to fulfill the core/gen ed requirements.</p>
<p>I feel that, so long as you enjoy the classes your concentration requires, Harvard gives you sufficient choice. I’m guessing this isn’t as much choice as Brown, but the structure is also nice (i.e. I’m really enjoying this Buddhism class I’m taking for the core, but it’s something I never would have taken if “Foreign Cultures” weren’t a requirement).</p>
<p>I should add that doing things like a joint concentration (probably takes ~16 classes), a secondary field (4-6 classes), a language citation (4-6 classes) and fulfilling premed requirements (anywhere from 0-9 additional classes depending on overlap with your concentration) can really cut into your electives, or leave you having to take 5 classes a significant number of semesters.</p>
<p>In general, I think Harvard students often decrease their happiness at the expense of these “merit badges” (I’m referring most specifically to language citations and secondary fields, here).</p>
<p>Thank you for the informative posts. According to this, if I take 5 courses per semester I will be totalling 40. 40-(22-26) = 14-18. Then it is possble to double major :D</p>
<p>It’s “possible” in the sense that you could theoretically fulfill all the course requirements for two separate departments. It’s not possible in reality since unless you did a joint concentration and combined the two fields in a senior thesis, only one concentration would appear on your degree and transcript. </p>
<p>Just to be perfectly clear, your only options regarding what will appear on your degree/transcript are:
- Concentrate in a single field
- Concentrate in a single field and do a minor (“secondary field”) in another field
- Joint concentration in which one field is primary and one is secondary, and you MUST combine them both in a senior thesis</p>
<p>Sounds to me like if I’m admitted, I’m heading for the joint concentration. I like mixing good things into great! :D</p>
<p>@caramel</p>
<p>It seems that the Concentration + minor and the Joint concentration are really quite similar. Can you elaborate on the differences between them? Why would a person do one over another?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>cubism: You have to read more carefully. Joint concentrations require that the student get the faculty of two different departments to agree on a set of custom requirements, a single thesis topic that is satisfactory to both, and a procedure for evaluating it. I believe there are some well-trodden joint concentrations where people are used to it and that isn’t so hard, but there are some departments that categorically reject joint concentrations, and some that won’t approve it if the combination or proposed focus seems too weird to them. At most colleges, you could double major in, say, Physics and Italian Literature if you wanted. At Harvard, a Physics/Italian joint concentration would probably be impossible to put together and get approved. It’s really meant for combining two fields that are related in some easy-to-understand way.</p>
<p>Secondary concentrations are easy as pie. If the department offers them, if you meet the requirements you get the credit. No (or minimal) pre-approvals required. The fields can have nothing to do with one another.</p>
<p>Concentration + minor means you fulfill all the necessary course requirements for your concentration, and take 4 to 5 classes in the minor (which at Harvard is called a secondary field). This option doesn’t require writing a thesis, you just end up with a major and a minor as you would anywhere else.</p>
<p>The joint concentration is exactly that - concentrating in two fields. With this option, you are REQUIRED to write a thesis that combines the two subjects. In a joint concentration, one field is sometimes primary and the other secondary (not “secondary field” as in minor, though), so what that means is that you fulfill roughly the same number of requirements for both fields, but slightly more in the primary. </p>
<p>Example: Joint concentration in Religion and Anthropology - If Anthropology is primary, you’re required to take 9 half-courses in that department, and 7 in the Religion department. If you do the opposite and make Religion your primary, then you have to take 9 half-courses in Religion, and 6 in Anthropology. (Half-course just means a standard one semester course). The number and type of courses required will vary from department to department. </p>
<p>In several departments though, whether or not it’s your “primary” or “secondary” concentration, the number of course requirements is the same. For example if you decided to do a joint concentration in English and African American Studies, you’d be required to take 10 English courses and 8 African-American Studies courses regardless of which is primary/secondary.</p>
<p>EDIT: Just read JHS’s post, all that is also true, and should be taken into consideration.</p>
<p>Also, for those who cannot meet their needs through the defined Concentrations there are “Special Concentrations”. Another note is that students cannot have more than one Secondary Concentration. I know that some other schools allow students to pursue a major and more than one minor. That is not allowed at Harvard.</p>
<p>Can one have 2 secondary concentrations?</p>
<p>I read somewhere, that you cannot have two. I’ll try and find the source.</p>