Double Majoring

<p>So I want to double major in applied math and management, later I plan to go to business school. How difficult is it to double major? If I want to graduate in four years... and don't have that many ap test credits.</p>

<p>If you don't have that much AP credit, it's pretty difficult, but it's doable.</p>

<p>To double-major, you need to have 270 units outside the GIRs, compared to 180 units for a single major. If you come in with zero AP or advanced standing credit, you will have to average five classes every semester after freshman year (while a single major would have to average four). That doesn't sound like a huge increase, but things happen -- if, for example, you're taking five classes and decide to drop one, then suddenly you need to take six classes next semester to get back on track.</p>

<p>Of course, everybody has different limits. For some people, five classes a semester is just too many. I took two terms of 75 units (6.25 classes), and that was about my limit; some people at MIT are perfectly capable of taking 100-unit terms (8.33 classes). You'll probably have to wait until about junior year to decide if you're really capable of pulling off a double major, which is fine because you can't officially declare a second department until junior year anyway.</p>

<p>Between a fifth and a quarter of students at MIT end up graduating with two degrees. I don't get the impression that very many people decide to stay an extra year to finish a double major -- if you don't get enough units by the semester you are supposed to graduate, you can just graduate with a degree in your primary department, and that's the option most people would take.</p>

<p>That was really helpful.</p>