Double majoring?

<p>How does double-majoring at Harvard work?</p>

<p>Well, you cannot double-major per se.
At Harvard, majors are called "concentrations."
You can do a "joint-concentration," which combines two fields, and you must generally write a senior thesis that integrates both disciplines into a coherent whole. This limits what kind of combinations you can make... if you cannot find a way of integrating them in a coherent way, then you are not allowed to do it.</p>

<p>Thus, you CANNOT combine, say, chemistry with english.</p>

<p>I'm thinking of Economics and Music... Is that possible?</p>

<p>sure, if your thesis is a musical about economics. It's been done before (le phys)</p>

<p>So is the criteria the same as compared to applicants applying for one major?
Do they expect more from applicants applying for dual concentration?</p>

<p>yea if i get in im going to try econ and bio...i can make it work.</p>

<p>Do they expect more in terms of applying to the college? No.</p>

<p>This has been gone over quite a few times, but the feasibility of doing joints that are a bit of a stretch depends a lot on the concentrations in question and whoever happens to be in charge of the concentration at the time. Some concentrations, particularly the very small ones, are more flexible about joint concentrations than others. But the fact that the Physics department let a guy do Physics/Music doesn't necessarily mean that the Ec department will let you do Ec/Music.</p>

<p>I met a woman at Harvard last year who was doing a joint concentration in Government and Music. But I agree the joint concentration route isn't always easy. One of the curricular reforms that, I'm told, is likely to be approved soon would permit students to have a "secondary" concentration (basically a minor). So one could, for example, do a concentration in Economics with a secondary in Music.</p>

<p>harvard<em>and</em>berkely: Actually you probably could combine chemistry and English. When we toured last year and my daughter asked this question, she was referred to a student who had double concentrated in Music and Physics...with a senior thesis being Broadway-style musical about properties of physics. Chemistry and English could probably be handled in the same way. My D asked about combining chemistry and music...the admissions officer told her that she would doubt that would be possible, couldn't see how they could be tied together. My D suggested studying the chemical properties of phlegm that coats the vocal chords to us, rather jokingly.</p>

<p>Some of the departments (especially in the sciences) have recently changed their policies and will no longer allow joint concentrations (I know biology is one), so you guys interested in that may want to check with those respective departments if you are accepted.</p>

<p>that cant be possible because ive already talked with a professor about doing econ and eob if i get in.</p>

<p>I also spoke with a professor and was told it wasn't possible. I'm not an expert on this stuff (i'm doing social sciences), but it's just something I read and just giving you a heads up. If they've since made a change in the department, then go for it. :)</p>

<p>weird.</p>

<p>oh well.</p>