<p>If double majoring in math and music, does anyone know if the general ed requirements for WCAS would be used (meaning foreign language, freshman seminars, and only 2 AP can be used) or the Bienan requirements (which look to be the 12 distributions with no AP cap and a writing course)?</p>
<p>Are you double majoring or dual degree? If it’s a dual degree, I believe it’s both. If you’re double majoring (is that possible?), you need only fulfill the requirements of the school which is granting your degree (which would be Bienen).</p>
<p>^what arbiter said.</p>
<p>Double-major - Bienan requirements
Dual-degree - both (but I think you have to be admitted or approved as a dual-degree candidate first)</p>
<p>What happens for a double major from Medill and Weinberg? I have been admitted to Weinberg but I’m also interested in Journalism.</p>
<p>How does dual degree work? Is that very possible at Northwestern?</p>
<p>There is no dual degree from Medill. To major in Journalism you must be in Medill, so to double major you have to transfer into Medill and double major back to Weinberg (the general rule is you can only double major across schools from the other schools back into Weinberg). </p>
<p>Transferring into Medill is actually somewhat complicated and very restricted.</p>
<p>I’m a Music Performance-Political Science double degree at NU, so perhaps I can share some first-hand experience.</p>
<p>As a double major student you would be enrolled in WCAS, pursuing a bachelor of arts, with majors in Math and Music. It’s a 4 year program, and you would only be required to complete the WCAS gen ed requirements (2 years of language, seminars, distros, AP cap, etc.). However, since it is only one degree and only 4 years, the requirements for the music portion are less (i.e. only 1 year’s worth of Chamber music required as opposed to 2 for a BM).</p>
<p>As a double degree student, you would simultaneously be enrolled in WCAS and Bienen, pursuing a BA in math and a BM in whatever music field you chose (performance, education, composition, etc.). You essentially have the gen ed requirements of both degrees, although with some overlap; My gen ed requirements (for both degrees) are: 12 distribution courses (2 from each of the 6 WCAS areas), 2 years of a foreign language, and 2 freshman seminar classes. The 2 AP cap for Weinberg still applies to all your distros, unfortunately. </p>
<p>There are some requirements that are dropped, however. For example, Music theory (which is obviously a required course for the BM) counts for one of your area VI distros, I believe. Also, the stand-alone BM degree requires 6 non-music courses, a requirement that is dropped when part of the double degree program (given that you’ll be taking a whole degree’s worth of non-music classes).</p>
<p>Ultimately double degreeing is a hefty amount of work (you could theoretically finish in 4 years, but it’s definitely not advisable or easy), but Northwestern makes it the easiest and most painless out of all the schools I know. Double-degree students have their own freshman advisers (one from each school they’re enrolled in) who help students roughly plan out their 5 years, so they know what to expect. Double degreeing is a popular option in the music school (At the start of the year 7 out of 10 undergrads in my studio were pursuing double degrees or double majors), and there’s certainly a good network of support from peers and professors.</p>