<p>Hello,
I wanted to ask about double majoring/minoring in something.</p>
<p>I've been hearing things like "almost everybody minors in something."</p>
<p>I'm a biology major, so maybe I could minor in physics (or maybe double-major?) I don't really know all the issues and disadvantages/advantages...</p>
<p>Also, what exactly do summa/cumma laude mean? I know it has something to do with the ranking of the graduates.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. Some universities in the United States use the English translation of these honor phrases rather than the Latin originals.</p>
<p>There are typically three types of Latin honors. In order of increasing level of honor, they are:</p>
<p>cum laude, "with honor"; direct translation: "with praise"
magna cum laude, "with great honor"; direct translation: "with great praise"
summa cum laude, "with highest honor"; direct translation: "with highest praise"
A fourth honor, honoris causa ("for the sake of honor") is used when a university bestows an honorary degree.</p>
<p>These honors are awarded to those undergraduate and graduate students who have achieved academic distinction. The honor is typically indicated on the diploma.</p>
<p>Generally, a college or university's degree regulations give clear rules for the minimum grades and other requirements, such as a written thesis, necessary to obtain specific honors distinctions. It should be noted that each university sets its own standards, and these standards often vary greatly between different universities. Thus, comparing Latin honors across universities is often meaningless; the same level of Latin honors attained at different universities may actually indicate very different levels of academic achievement.</p>
<p>My personal plans are to double major in EECS and Econ. The premise behind this is that many EECS and Econ course reqs are interchangeable. Majoring in Physics and Bio would take more work, as few of the classes you take for one major will double up for another.</p>