Hey! I had an older thread trying to figure out whether or not it’s oossible to combine a pre med program (such as Seton Hall’s) and a music degree. I’d like to find out if it’s possibke to double major in music and science (I haven’t decided which type ). Also, finance is definitely an issue. Does anyone know of any institutions that encourage double majors in these areas and offer good/ okay financial aid? Any help will be greatly appreciated!! If you have an experience in it, feel free to share it! We’d love to hear!! Thanks in advance!
Bumping. Also interested to hear.
I’m sorry, didn’t quite understand what you said @makemesmart
University of Rochester.
Do music at UR, not at Eastman (which is a conservatory program). UR’s music program has its own ensembles that are only open to River Campus students. University is strong in science, engineering and economics. Plentiful research opportunities for undergrads. Medical school & hospital across the street from campus.
UR has an open curriculum without any mandatory GEs–except for 1 semester of freshman composition. Makes it easy to double major.
https://www.rochester.edu/aboutus/curricula.html
The down side–pre-med at UR is very competitive. Approx. 1/3 of all freshmen self-identify as pre-meds. No AP credit/advanced standing given in bio or chem for pre-meds or science majors. Pre-meds are required to take 2 semesters of calculus and 2 semesters of calculus-based physics if they want a health professions committee letter.
Rochester music is a rather voluminous major at 63-73 credits.
http://www.sas.rochester.edu/mur/undergraduate/requirements.html
Rochester biology looks like it requires 64-68 credits.
http://www.sas.rochester.edu/bio/undergraduate/bio.html
The general education requirement of a cluster in social sciences needs another 12 credits, and the required English composition course requires another 4 credits (or 8 credits if another one is needed and writing courses within the biology major are not accepted). If there are no approved clusters covering all of the pre-med social science courses, these also need to be added. The biology major does not include the second semester of physics or organic chemistry needed for pre-med purposes, so another 8 credits are needed for those.
So the total would be 151 credits or more, when normal course loads of 16 credits per semester for 8 semesters gives 128 credits.
It will probably be easier to squeeze it all in by doing music + pre-med courses, but not the entire biology major. Even so, that would be a tight fit without overloading.
Thanks @ucbalumnus @WayOutWestMom ! I’ll keep URochester open!
Maybe Case Western good merit aid too.
Rochester allows students to create their own clusters so its quite easy to develop an unique cluster that covers pre-med social sciences, but there are several existing clusters that cover pre-med soc sci pre-reqs. (see: https://secure1.rochester.edu/registrar/CSE/searchResults.php)
Rochester also allows “double dipping”–using one course to satisfy multiple requirements of a cluster, second major or minor.
Writing in a subject area (like bio or music) a 1 credit independent study course–will fulfill the second semester of composition requirement for UR graduation and for medical school admission. (D2 took her second semester/UL writing this way and had zero issues.) Neuroscience’s and microbiology’s UL writing requirement is incorporated into the required senior research seminar that all majors take.
However, the 151 credits needed for both music and biology majors does not include any additional writing courses or any social science courses other than the general education cluster (i.e. assuming that the student can build a cluster that covers the recommended ones for pre-med and that the second writing course for pre-med can be covered by writing courses within the majors).
Thanks so much @WayOutWestMom it’s really informative
I second Case Western. Back when I was applying to schools (high school class of 2014), I received a full tuition music scholarship at Case, and would have double majored in music and either math or CS.
I ended up at University of Richmond, where I’m a senior math and CS double major, music and dance double minor (only a few courses short of the music major, but didn’t want to take them), on a full tuition music scholarship. While Case’s science and music programs are stronger and more well known, UR has more flexible programs and most students double major and/or minor. At Case, I would have had to choose between math and CS and would have had to most likely do the BA in order to fit everything in; at Richmond, though, I’m receiving a BS. Richmond is also known for its financial aid, meeting 100% of demonstrated need. I actually also know students here who are premeds and double majors, some with a performing arts major.
What state are you from? Some in-state schools may be an option as well. I’m from Virginia and I also applied to George Mason and William and Mary.
I’m from NJ. It seems that you are really smart to have double major and minor! Yep, I want to double major in music/science, and possibly a minor. So Case Western does have financial aid and supports double majors? @guineagirl96
@studygeek03 Case Western is not as well known for financial aid (at least not compared to Richmond; I don’t remember if Case meets full need), but they do have merit aid, and support double majors.
It should be noted that while Rochester’s graduation requirements are based on a semester course load of 16 credits, many, if not most, science majors carry a typical course load of 17-21 credits per semester. D is a junior and has never taken fewer than 17 credits per semester. She’ll graduate with a double-major in public health and microbiology next year, with approximately 170 credit hours thanks to AP credits that were accepted and a summer spent working on campus and taking physics after her freshman year. Writing requirements are built into the bio major requirements and because of how clusters are designed, there shouldn’t be a problem covering social science requirements as part of the student’s clusters.
Also, double majors tend to be the norm rather than the exception among the students I’ve met at Rochester, with the exception of engeneering students…and even some of them have double majors and minors. The flexible curriculum lends itself to that.
Oh thanks for the detailed response! Based off of that, it seems as if a double major at Rochester would be supported there! @EllieMom
If your goal is medical school, not professional musician - Brown? No school is easier to double major than Brown and now the aid is all grants. I know back in the day it was especially strong for digital music, not sure if others have caught up now. Obviously, PLME would really allow you to dive into music prior to med school.
Columbia/Julliard program is I assume the creme de la creme if you can actually get in there. Had a classmate in med school who graduated from there.
Wow! Yep, Brown might be good. I do look out of Columbia/Juilliard- I’m right next to them. Thanks @iwannabe_Brown