<p>My S has the impression that it is difficult, and therefore rare, to double major at Haverford. Does anyone have any information or thoughts about this? My S has two strong, unrelated academic interests and would like to pursue both of them at college. Thanks!</p>
<p>It’s not hard to double major but it’s extremely limiting in terms of coursework. Double majors have virtually no free electives outside of their majors and gen ed requirements. Most Haverford students prefer the flexibility to explore interests in other fields, both related or unrelated to their major. (For example, a political science major might be interested in select history, economics, sociology and philosophy classes, even though they may not count towards the major.) </p>
<p>That being said, all Haverford students take plenty of courses outside of their major and many have a second focus. Two thirds of the student body graduates with a second major, minor or concentration. (A minor is housed in a single department while concentrations are inter-disciplinary, like scientific computing.)</p>
<p>Hi!</p>
<p>As a current student, I would say double-majoring is difficult but accomplished pretty often. To echo what b@r!um has said, it is usually a matter of how much flexibility you are willing to sacrifice in terms of general course exploration. I should also mention that at Haverford you must write a senior thesis for each major (…or, if the two fields are related enough, you can write one super-thesis.)</p>
<p>A final comment:
Every faculty member I have ever encountered here avidly supports a true multidisciplinary liberal arts education. Some departments, such as Physics, allow you to count a few classes in other departments towards your major requirements. This allows you to tailor your education in a way that not only prepares you for your specific field of choice, but also maximizes your course options outside of your academic focus.</p>