Hi!
I’m recently admitted to UVA. I’ll be in the college of arts and sciences planning to study Chemistry. On top of Chemistry, I want to study one of the engineering majors as well, possibly Electrical Engineering.
My question is: without considering the course load, will I be able to have a second major in the school of engineering?
Because my parents won’t be able to make time out of their work, I cannot attend the admitted student events. Really hoping someone can answer my question.
Therman - you need to speak directly to the university about this question. My daughter started as a Math Major at UVA and decided to double major in Math (in the College) and Computer Science. Typically CS at UVA is part of the Engineering school (students in the E School graduate with a BS). They do allow students in the College of Arts and Sciences to apply to the CS program, but they have different course requirements and graduate with a BA in CS. I do not think UVA typically has a lot of crossover between the College and E-School (different admissions, etc.) - so be sure to get a direct answer from the University if this is crucial to your college decision. On the positive side, UVA is generous in offering credit for AP classes (at least in the College) which facilitated her ability to double major.
An alternative question you may wish to ask: how many and what type of engineering classes can I take as a student in the College? I don’t know the answer. It would be hard to meet the major requirements of both of those programs, however, as a student in the College, you may be allowed to take some courses in the engineering school that would give you a different perspective. I imagine many of the engineering courses have rigid prerequisites.
@“Dean J”
Thanks a lot, Dean J! I will be an Echols Scholar and College Science Scholar, which I think will help my schedule a little bit. Also, taking 4 AP tests this year, I will have 15 AP scores when I graduate. Many friends of mine told me that these credits can get me through double major + a minor pretty handily. Do you think it is possible to double major in a science and an Engineering major? If the schedule works out, will the college and the school of engineering let me do it? Thanks again!
@Charliesch
Thanks a lot for your reply! I got through Multivariable Calc in junior year, studying Diff Eq online right now. I hope they will let me do it if my schedule works out.
Just keep in mind that a double major can eliminate many of your electives. You may regret that you do not have room to take classes that interest you. Sometimes it is helpful to take some sort of humanities class each semester to use a different part of your brain. For example, I knew many pre-meds who really enjoyed taking a film class during their hardest science semester. (They were just surprised that the class was still demanding, but in a different way).