<p>The Double Degree Dilemma</p>
<p>INTRODUCTION
The Peabody Conservatory admissions office is host to many visitors who express an interest in becoming involved with a "double degree" program. At first glance, a double degree program seems to be the perfect solution if you are primarily interested in a liberal arts education, and are also an advanced musical performer. You just do both programs at once, right? After all, you've been juggling both interests all through high school.
The subject is much more complex than that. Actually, pursuing two diverse interests can be accomplished in several ways, and within various educational settings. Which one you choose depends on your interests and your ambitions. There is no one solution for everybody. To help make sense of it all, you first need to understand the different programs available. Then, to see how individual students find a good match for their needs, I will share some experiences I have had with visitors to Peabody. To be complete, this is going to take awhile-a bit over eight printed pages of text to be exact. Why not get comfortable, and maybe we will have some fun along the way. I am David Lane, the Director of Admissions at Peabody. I will be your guide. At the end you should have a better idea of what you are looking for, how to ask for it, what kinds of schools are most likely to offer what you want, and where the Peabody/Hopkins double degree fits into the continuum.
Getting the Names Right</p>
<p>One of the sources of confusion when dealing with the various "double" programs available is what to call them. Sometimes I refer to any such program as "cross-pollinated," but if you use that term no one will know what you mean. The reason a generic term would be handy is that almost every option exists out there-from being a pre-med major and simply taking piano lessons for credit, to straddling two different schools in an effort to gain two degrees at the same time. The terms most often thrown around are "double major" and "double degree." There is a big difference between the two, so let's take a moment to clear it up.</p>
<p>Liberal arts colleges offer "majors" within the context of a liberal arts curriculum. These programs are easily identifiable in that they lead to a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree. To keep from tripping over abbreviations like BA/S, I will just use "BA" as short for any liberal arts degree. When you declare a "major," your liberal arts program will include a curricular emphasis in a particular area of study. Numerically, a "major" is made up of about a quarter of the curriculum (figure about 36 credits). The other three-quarters are the usual liberal arts courses. Within this context, students can do "double majors," combining two liberal arts majors (one of which might be music). At the completion of the course, graduating students receive one diploma, stating that they have earned a liberal arts degree. Both majors are listed.</p>
<p>At this point, we might as well mention "minors." A "minor" is usually half the size of a "major," being composed of only 16-18 credits. Thus, in addition to the option of declaring two majors, most liberal arts colleges will allow you to have a "major" and a "minor." But let's get back to the subject of double majors.</p>
<p>A liberal arts "major" signifies that you have an extended knowledge of a subject, but does not certify you to be a practitioner of a skill. By the same token, those pursuing a liberal arts music major are not necessarily practitioners of a musical art. Said another way, the holder of a BA in music should be able to discuss Beethoven -- his life and music --but the same individual may or may not be able to perform any of Beethoven's compositions. This ability to perform is the major component of a Bachelor of Music degree.</p>
<p>A Bachelor of Music (BM) degree is far more specialized than a BA, and, to repeat, its focus is typically on musical performance. In a BM program, the word "major" refers to a musical subject or performance area (clarinet, voice, piano, music theory, etc.). A "double major" for a music student in a BM program might be, say, piano and music history.</p>
<p>The ratio of musical to non-musical study contained in a Bachelor of Music program is roughly the reverse of the ratio for a BA program at a liberal arts college. That is, roughly three-quarters of the credits are in music performance and musical academics (theory, eartraining, etc.), and one quarter are in traditional liberal arts subjects. This ratio differs from school to school, and can approach fifty-fifty at some universities where there are university-wide course requirements.</p>
<p>The Bachelor of Music degree certifies a level of knowledge about music and also a level of performance ability, but the performance level is not the same for all schools offering the degree. Here's why. Entrance to a BM program is usually by audition, and competition for available space at the better known music schools tends to drive the required entrance level upward. It follows that the exit (graduation) level of performance will be higher for students that go to these schools. Over a period of decades, the more selective schools earn a well deserved reputation for turning out high-level performers. This serves to attract even higher level performers to these schools, which enhances the effect.</p>
<p>This brings us to the subject of "double degree" programs. Double degree programs typically take five years to complete, and lead to two pieces of paper-a BA or BS in a liberal arts subject, and a BM in music. Double degree programs are available in all kinds of settings, and at all kinds of schools. Listing all the options here would bore you to death.</p>