<p>What is the difference between these two? Or are they just two names for the same thing? Dual degree seems like a lot of work at UPenn; is that the same thing as dual majors at other schools (like Stanford or other Ivies)?</p>
<p>A dual degree at Penn refers to a double-major between two of the undergraduate schools: college of arts and sciences, engineering, nursing, and wharton (business). In addition to completing both majors, you have to also complete any prerequisites or "general ed" requirements - which can vary greatly between the schools (for example, lots of natural science general requirements in engineering, and a foreign language requirement for Wharton or the college). This makes it significantly harder than a double major.</p>
<p>A double major at Penn is two focused fields of study within one school. You do not have to fulfill additional general ed requirements, only the specific major requirements of that additional major. This is most popular in the college, though a few engineers do it also. In Wharton, a major is called a "concentration" and only composed of four classes, so most students have 2 or more concentrations.</p>
<p>Practically speaking, a dual degree could mean adding ~20 courses to your curriculum, but a double major could mean adding 8-12 courses to your curriculum. Of course, it depends on the person and the specific fields you wish to cover.</p>
<p>A key difference is that many other schools (many, not all) don't have more than one undergraduate "school", and that all of the students already have the same gen ed requirements. In those cases, "double majoring" doesn't have much additional work to add.</p>
<p>If you have more specific questions, feel free to ask away. What areas are you interested in?</p>
<p>Thanks for the very thorough response! </p>
<p>To add to my previous question, would students at other schools who double major in Engineering and Philosophy (for example) also receive two degrees (a BA and a BS)?</p>
<p>It depends on the school. In many cases, that would be two degrees.</p>
<p>If you want to study an engineering discipline and philosophy, I wouldn't choose a school on this, as it's only semantics.</p>