<p>i thought i read somewhere that MIT is changing it's dual degree policy to make it easier to double major? is this true....if so what are the changes?</p>
<p>From MIT's campus newspaper, here:</a>
[quote]
At Wednesday’s meeting, the faculty voted in favor of a proposal to issue a single “double major” degree instead of double degrees to students who complete two major programs. The change makes it slightly easier for students to double major, as students will no longer have to complete 90 additional units for the second major.</p>
<p>Students will still need to complete the full requirements in each of their major programs. But they will now receive one piece of paper instead of two.</p>
<p>The details of the transition to the new system are not yet clear. Current students (those who entered in fall of 2007 or earlier) will still be able to obtain two separate degrees.
[/quote]
This should make it significantly easier to double major, as most people consider the major hurdle to completing a double to be the extra units required outside the general requirements. I think the change would have allowed me (7/9 double) to graduate with four or five fewer classes than I did under the old rules.</p>
<p>WHOA, it's for sure now?. Cool! If it kicks in on time for the Class of 2012 (and assuming it doesn't get messy, me being admitted Class of 2011), then I'll double major, since the 3 classes I would need I'm taking anyway =D.</p>
<p>it seems like there will be a master of finance in the future, too.</p>
<p>I think it's interesting that MIT doesn't simply allow people to <em>either</em> double major (i.e. all requirements from both majors met, but the same total credit requirements as for the single major) or dual degree (i.e. have an extra year of credits earned over the single major requirement) as do some colleges (like our son's alma mater). MIT seems instead to go back and forth (as I think in the 60's, dual degrees weren't allowed at MIT, and it sounds like more recently, a true "double major" rather than dual degree wasn't allowed, and now they are returning to the dual degree not being an option. As I see it, more options make sense - if someone has all the requirements met for two majors, they shouldn't have to take an addition year worth of credits just to have a double major, and if someone took an extra year worth of credits (or in most cases of dual degree earners, over an extra year worth), they shouldn't have to get just one diploma as they've done extra and the two diplomas/degrees would show that.</p>
<p>In the long run, does it make a difference to employers or grad schools? From my understanding, both care less about degrees and more about actual classes taken. They want qualified candidates.</p>
<p>I personally am rooting for the double major, though I wouldn't mind both existing.</p>
<p>No, Piper, I tend to think it doesn't matter much if at all to employers or grad schools, but can matter to some people. My brother, for example, loves having his four diplomas from his own university on display in his office and even starts some of his presentations (pompous though this may seem without being there; it actually works well in person as I've seen him speak) with a slide of the diplomas and then a slide of his slick custom home and he notes, "With these (his various degrees), you can get this (his sort of home)." To him, it seems the dual degree is a big deal. For our son, it was a bigger deal to have both degrees be in science rather than one be a BS and the other a BA as no matter how his parents and advisors said employers and graduate schools might feel the BA and BS shows a more rounded education, our son knew that the BS in both actually required more classes (he had all those for the BA and then some) and thus wanted to do the "tougher" path, even if employers and grad schools might think he took an easier path. And if he had opted to double major, the diploma would say a BS in both majors as the way his alma mater, if you get <em>one</em> diploma and fulfill the requirements for an BS, the other major just becomes a BS (so the double major is easier in several respects than the dual degree). My guess is if you get someone like my brother (who has dual degrees and feels they are a mark of honor of some sort) as an interviewer, you might be looked down upon a bit for having the one degree, but not if you get someone like my son (who likes having taken tougher paths, but also realizes plenty of people who never get a college degree at all are brilliant and would be great to have as a member of a company) or someone who has just one bachelor's himself/herself (which is most people/employers/graduate school admissions decision makers).</p>