<p>Sorry if this is a dumb question, but could someone explain why double majoring is easier at Rice than at some other colleges? I've heard that a large percentage of Rice students double major but don't really understand what it is about Rice that's different.</p>
<p>Yeah, I've heard this too, and I would also like to know. My friend told me that quite a few students even triple major at Rice.</p>
<p>yea. i'm interested in this too. also, when you're admitted, are you admitted to say.. college of engine or the entire school as a whole (minus music +archi)? will you be kinda "stuck" in say engineering?</p>
<p>From what I gather, a lot of people double major at Rice because there isn't a big core curriculum like there is at other schools. Rice's distribution requirements are flexible and minimal. </p>
<p>I've heard that it's very easy to switch schools within the engineering, natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities schools. Your only affiliation with those schools is that you have some sort of advisor that helps you to pick classes and stuff like that, but as I said before it's easy to switch. You don't even have to declare your major until junior year, if I recall correctly.</p>
<p>A majority of Rice students arrive with a boat load of AP 5's, making double majoring an easier option.</p>
<p>Yeah, agree with above reasons as to why it's easier (from what I've heard), and I would add that switching schools is just a matter of saying you want to major in something else (unless it's music or architecture). The application even says your school choice is non-binding in any way.</p>
<p>DD has switched majors several times... I think she has finally decided on a major to graduate with! ;) (And she's already a junior) She may decide to add a second major in one of the fields she already has lots of credits in...</p>
<p>It's easy to double major because Rice has a few policies that help make this possible:</p>
<ol>
<li>No huge core curriculum, and courses in the major count towards distribution.</li>
<li>Reasonable AP policy</li>
<li>Departments that require as few as 10 or 11 courses to complete the major.</li>
<li>Departments that offer shorter programs for people with 2 majors.</li>
<li>Good advising systems to help you schedule your classes if you want to double major.</li>
<li>Easy to get the classes you need.</li>
<li>Ability to count one class towards two majors.</li>
<li>Easy to add/drop/or switch majors.</li>
</ol>
<p>The combination of all of these things makes it easy to double major.</p>
<p>Jenskate - Thanks, that's exactly the kind of information I was looking for. :)</p>
<p>Hi patsmom!
In addition to the above useful and correct info, I have one more to add. Until recently , Rice did not have "minors". So, if you had a heavy emphasis in 2 areas, you could double major in them, but you couldn't mjor in 1 and minor in the other. They are now, however, beginning to offer minors in some depts (I forget which--would have to ck the website) so this may become an increasingly popular option for some.</p>
<p>jym, could you post a link to that site? I didn't know Rice was starting to offer minors, and if they have one in the subject I want then Rice may become even more appealing to me.</p>
<p>Clen-
They are just starting to offer the minors and the only one that has been approved so far is in financial modeling. Generally, they are going to be interdisciplinary, and not just shorter versions of a major that already exists.</p>
<p>What percentage of the students at Rice are double majoring?</p>
<p>clendenator-
To follow up on jenskates post, heres some reading material about the plans for minors-- including the interdisciplinary minors
<a href="http://the.ricethresher.org/news/2006/05/19/faculty_senate_passes_minors%5B/url%5D">http://the.ricethresher.org/news/2006/05/19/faculty_senate_passes_minors</a>
<a href="http://www.professor.rice.edu/images/professor/facultysenate/MinorsProposalApproved.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.professor.rice.edu/images/professor/facultysenate/MinorsProposalApproved.pdf</a>
For students who wont be entering Rice til fall '07 and who don't have to declare a major until their soph. year, the option of minors should progress in those years, I would think.</p>
<p>Thanks, jym, this is good to know!</p>
<p>My pleasure, patsmom! :)</p>
<p>my interviewer told me she knew a guy who graduated with FIVE majors. Granted, he was enrolled for five years.<br>
But still...</p>
<p>Humanities....</p>
<p>A double major is very possible granted it is not an Science/Engineering/Music/Architecture one. If it involves any of those, it gets MUCH harder. I'm doing math/physics and possibly Electrical Engineer because the three have a lot of correlation. I, however, am taking 17 hrs a semester which is above average and i skipped all the non-important classes (not because of AP/IB, just because I didn't want em). Double majors are not uncommon, but are not easy outside of humanities.</p>