<p>If I double major in architecture and French (never taken a french class) as well as minor in chinese (i speak it), would that be overloading on the units? How does double majoring work in terms of fulfilling unit requirements for each department?</p>
<p>All you have to do for a double (now) is to complete the requirements for both majors.</p>
<p>It’s really difficult to say whether a particular combo will require terms of overloading, because it’s pretty dependent on what classes you actually choose to take and when you can fit them in. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s probably not too bad, just because you can choose to concentrate in French – in that way, you’d be able to use some classes to fulfill both the major requirements and the HASS requirement.</p>
<p>But any double major in two departments that don’t have any requirement overlap is going to carry the potential of having to take heavy terms. (In my opinion, the only value to a double major is that it’s difficult anyway – if you’re just interested in two topics, you can take classes in both without having to be a declared double major.)</p>
<p>how many classes per semester do double majors usually take?</p>
<p>It really depends on what you’re doubling in, but it’s usually 5-6.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t even say it that broadly, it really, really depends on the double. If there’s a lot of overlap between the departments, it might not actually take any more classes – you could just use your elective credits in each department to take classes in the other. I don’t think my 9/7 double would actually have taken more than 4 classes per semester if I hadn’t had to take extra units because of the old requirements.</p>
<p>But I suppose many or most doubles under the new system will require at least a few semesters of 5-6 classes. This is more difficult to achieve than it probably sounds – a 5-class semester at MIT is almost never trivial.</p>
<p>how tough are the language courses? are they usually lighter than the full 12 hrs/wk?</p>
<p>At least in the intro language courses (I took Spanish I and II), there’s almost contant low-level homework, like doing worksheets and watching videos in the Language Learning and Resource Center.</p>
<p>would you say double majoring in computer science, 6-3, and management, 15, has many overlaps and could be achieved with 4 classes/semester?</p>
<p>The best way to know is to check out the requirements themselves.</p>
<p>For 6-3: [MIT</a> Course Catalogue: Course 6-1, 6-2, 6-3](<a href=“http://web.mit.edu/catalogue/degre.engin.ch6.shtml]MIT”>http://web.mit.edu/catalogue/degre.engin.ch6.shtml)</p>
<p>For 15: [MIT</a> Course Catalogue: MIT Sloan School of Management](<a href=“http://web.mit.edu/catalogue/degre.manag.ch15.shtml]MIT”>http://web.mit.edu/catalogue/degre.manag.ch15.shtml)</p>
<p>There is an obvious lack of significant overlap between the two Courses. To me, it sounds as if completing all requirements with only 4 classes per semester would be difficult unless you were to come in on advanced standing or something.</p>
<p>How many hours a week do most language courses take? say french.</p>
<p>Twelve is always a good estimate.</p>
<p>The thing is, none of you will be able to decide before coming to MIT whether you will be able to complete a double major. Many, many more people come into MIT thinking they’re interested in doubling than actually complete the double. You may find that you’re just not that interested in another field, or you may find that you’re not capable of successfully completing more than four classes per term, or you may find that your schedule doesn’t work out.</p>
<p>The only thing you can do is come to MIT, get through your first semester or two, then draw up a plan for yourself for completing a double. Then you take the classes on your plan, probably revising it every semester, and re-evaluate often to see if you can do it and if it’s worth it.</p>
<p>As I said above, there is not that much inherent value to a double-major, and I say that as a double myself. Grad school admissions committees and employers will not care. If you come to MIT and find that you don’t want to or can’t finish a double, you can major in one department and take classes in the other and derive just as much value from the process. What’s important at the end of college is what’s in your brain, not what’s on your degree.</p>
<p>Does having a double mean no minor?
For people who have only one major, do they generally have a minor?</p>
<p>As a single major student, I sure don’t. I’m in a position where I could get a Minor in Chemistry, Chinese, or Music, all quite easily, but I’m not going to bother to pursue any degree that does not fully pique my interest or will not likely be used in the future. Like Mollie mentioned, those are also some of the reasons people who go in wanting to double-major ultimately don’t.</p>
<p>Double majors can have minors. Two, in fact. That’s the current limit: 2 majors and 2 minors.</p>
<p>Oh, right: <a href=“http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/learning/majors_minors/a_tale_of_two_majors.shtml[/url]”>http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/learning/majors_minors/a_tale_of_two_majors.shtml</a></p>
<p>Most people, as far as I am aware, have a single major only, no minor(s).</p>
<p>Only about 20% of students complete a double (although this was under the old system, which was more difficult). I don’t know of any collected statistics on the number of students who complete a minor, but it’s definitely not a majority.</p>