Double Major?

<p>Is it possible to double major in business and media studies?</p>

<p>It would not be a double major but instead a dual degree program because the programs are in different colleges. To be able to do such a dual degree program, you would have to be accepted by both colleges (business and communications) and then you would need to complete the degree requirements for both colleges. If you start in communications (or start in LAS and move to communications), such a dual degree is virtually impossible because you would need to then (such as in second or third year) get permission from the college of business to also pursue a degree in that college but the current policy of the college of business is that you can possibly transfer from another college into it (and thus pursue only the business degree once the transfer occurs) but it will not accept students from another college to do a dual degree program. Business could make an exception to that policy but that would be a rare case. If you start in the business college and then later apply for acceptance in the communications college, your chances of doing so are a little better because communications does not have a hard and fast policy against allowing such a dual degree.</p>

<p>What about a double major in Economics and International Studies? Would that be possible?</p>

<p>if you are not in the college of business you can minor in business.</p>

<p>How about double major (or degree?) in physics and aerospace engineering? is it possible?</p>

<p>Economics and international studies are possibilities. Physics and aerospace engineering would be a double major (the physics department is actually in the college of engineering although the physics degree is awarded by LAS) which would be a definite possiblity except for the ability to complete all the courses necessary in 4 years if you intend to graduate in four years-- engineering, any one major, is itself difficult to finish in 4 years because there are a huge number of required courses that leave little room on your schedule for any other major. And also note that most engineering students at UIUC, even those who arrive with some idea about maybe getting an additional major in physics, never want to see another physics course in their life after completing the required three to four course sequence (number depends on major) that many consider to be "weed-out" courses at UIUC.</p>

<p>Actually I am admitted by aerospace engineering but I find that I am more interested in physics. Is it possible to transfer from engineering to phyiscs? I read from somewhere on the web that I must request to transfer before summer registration. Do anyone know the exact procedure to request for the transfer within the college of engineering?</p>

<p>And I found something very confusing. Apart from the "Major in Engineering Physics" offered by CoE (Degree title: Bachelor of Engineering in Physics), LAS also offers "Major in Physics in Sciences and Letters Curriculum" (Degree title: Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts and Sciences) and "Specialized Curriculum in Physics" (Degree Title: Bachelor of Science in Physics). Actually what is the difference between these three physics programs? Which one would be better if I intend to go to graduate school to continue my study in physics? And most importantly, can I transfer from engineering to physics under LAS?</p>

<p>Thank you very much!!</p>

<p>For the differences and course requirements for the physics majors go to the following (the first is for physics and also describes the Specialized Curriculum in Physics, and the second is for Engineering Physics):</p>

<p><a href="http://courses.uiuc.edu/cis/programs/urbana/2006/fall/undergrad/las/physics.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://courses.uiuc.edu/cis/programs/urbana/2006/fall/undergrad/las/physics.html&lt;/a> </p>

<p><a href="http://courses.uiuc.edu/cis/programs/urbana/2006/fall/undergrad/engin/engin_physics.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://courses.uiuc.edu/cis/programs/urbana/2006/fall/undergrad/engin/engin_physics.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>The physics department is in the college of engineering. The physics BS degree is awarded by the College of Arts & Sciences. The engineering physics BS degree is awarded by the College of Engineering. Even though the degree for physics is awarded by A&S, a transfer from aerospace would be considered an interdepartmental change in majors within the College of Engineering and not an intercollege transfer which is sometimes harder to do. The confusion created is historical. UIUC added a physics major in the 1800s after it already had an engineering school and put the department in engineering, but because all other colleges with physics treated it as an A&S degree, UIUC decided the degree would be awarded by that college. If you are just starting in aerospace, you usually cannot change your major within the engineering college until at the earliest after first semester, which usually means little because the majors require similar courses to be completed in the first year. As long as you maintain a fairly decent GPA (e.g., 2.8 or higher), your ability to change will be very good. Note that engineering physics is considered one the hardest engineering programs at UIUC. Go here for info on when you can first attempt to change majors or colleges: <a href="http://www.physics.uiuc.edu/education/undergraduate/advising/ICT_info.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.physics.uiuc.edu/education/undergraduate/advising/ICT_info.html&lt;/a>. (Note, each college may have even stricter rules for inter-college transfer, e.g., the engineering college generally favors transfer into third year from the other colleges at the university.)</p>

<p>That ability to change that you heard about before starting as a freshman before you go to orientation generally applies only to someone already in the A&S college who wants to switch to another A&S major and even then such a change can be difficult unless it is to "general curriculum" (undecided) because it depends on whether there are any openings for the major, which there usually are not for incoming freshman unless the number who accepted admission for a major is less than the department wanted for that major. Nevertheless you may want to call the dean or assistant dean of the physics department to see if it is possible.</p>