<p>Hi all -- My son is an incoming high school junior and we're just starting the college search process. We live in CA. Planning a college-tour trip to Boston/NYC areas in Aug, but we're open re final school location.</p>
<p>He's interested in engineering and musical theater or theater. Quite a combo! Trying to figure out if it's possible to do both. Double major? Engineering major and a minor in theater or musical theater? They are so different. How to find schools where he could make this work?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance for your help and advice!</p>
<p>There was a boy at UMich who was double majoring in both MT and Engineering and was going to graduate in 5 years. He dropped the Engineering major his Junior year…</p>
<p>I was waiting for MomCares to answer you but I will instead. You can check out Northwestern as they are excellent in all three areas engineering, theatre and musical theatre. They’re on a trimester so more classes are taken each year and many, many kids double major. But it’s not an easy route to try to do both, he should really research and be up for the 4 year challenge!</p>
<p>Another route is, as someone mentioned on the other thread you started, is for him to decide to emphasize and major in engineering and “dabble” in theatre by choosing a school with a great theatre program extracurricularly. I’m thinking of Cornell as a possibility - any type of engineering major and excellent theatre experiences. I’m not honestly sure if they have a major or minor in any theatrical areas but I do know they have some excellent productions and clubs.</p>
<p>My son received dual majors from Colorado College. Dance and Mathematical Economics. He got a dance performance contract after graduation (in Taipei) and is now working on developing experience and expertise in the filming of dance performaces (he is doing this at the American Dance Festival at Duke University as we speak) and choreography.</p>
<p>Colorado College is a liberal arts college but has a engineering partnership program with Columbia, USC and Rensselaer Poly Tech. Colorado College does not have a musical theater degrre track, but this is an example of how someone could possibly attend a LAC for the MT degree and get the engineering degree.</p>
<p>It is a sight to behold when a strong right brained student also thrives in an artistic field. Best of luck.</p>
<p>lojosmo, I was going to mention UMich as there was a mom here a few years ago whose son was doing that. I wonder if it’s the same boy you’re thinking of who dropped out of Engineering.</p>
<p>^^I was wondering the same as I recall the ability to double major in Engineering and MT was a very significant part of their college selection criteria.</p>
<p>I second @amtc’s suggestion that you investigate Northwestern. D is double majoring, as are most of her MT friends, and many are doing technical majors (including 3 pre-meds among her friends) coupled with MT. All of these (admittedly extraordinary) kids plan to graduate in 4 years.</p>
<p>NU is academically challenging and has very selective admissions, but for academically motivated and theatrically talented kids D didn’t find any school that offered better balance.</p>
<p>On a personal note, I have both a Theatre and an Engineering degree from two different universities. I found that while completing my Theatre major, most professors teaching technical courses assumed Theatre students weren’t capable of logical thinking, then when I took my Engineering degree professors teaching more artistic subjects assumed Engineering students couldn’t think creatively.</p>
<p>I think it would have been fantastic to do both majors simultaneously at a school that highly valued both arts and sciences, and strived for the integration of both sides of the brain. So far in D’s experience NU is just such a place.</p>
<p>Everyone, THANK YOU so much for the honest feedback and recommendations. We have a lot of schools to look at thanks to your generosity here. Much appreciated!</p>
<p>Since you are in CA, you should also check USC which encourages major/minor combinations across diverse areas. Engineering and theatre (at the BA level rather than BFA) would be challenging but feasible.</p>
<p>USC has a very well-regarded engineering school (top 10-15) and has a minor in MT, so it seems to be a very good place to attempt to combine theatre and engineering. </p>
<p>As someone who majored in engineering and also sang in University Chorus and Opera, I salute anyone who would attempt this feat. I was worn out from just being an ensemble performer, much less a dual major. All the labs, homework, and projects in engineering were very tough to complete when I had rehearsal almost every night until 10-11pm and performances almost every weekend (not to mention week-long tours each semester). Meisner Studio, Vector Calculus, Thermodynamics, and a show would make for a brutal semester!</p>
<p>It seems to me that many state flagships have good engineering programs and large theatre departments that do main stage musicals each year (even if they don’t have an MT major, they probably all have good or very good dance and voice) so some of those may be good places to investigate. I know the University of Houston has a good engineering school and solid theatre department that does a main stage musical each year.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info on USC’s program. We checked out their website and the theater program does seem to offer a variety of options. And EmsDad, I hear you re the time involved in trying to do both. Could be daunting. We’ll have to see how it goes.</p>
<p>Last year, our third, finally heard “Yes, but not in four years.”</p>
<p>Vanderbilt, since it has no grad students in most programs, offers some minors in programs that most schools don’t. Also, more opportunities for non-majors since not competing with grad students and majors for spots.</p>
<p>2) Were just at Northwestern. Music and Natural Sciences are connected so it is possible to do both in 4 years. Engineering is a different school/degree and they will tell you 5 years. </p>
<p>Cichlidkeeper, you are AWESOME! Can’t thank you enough for this info. I’ll share with my hubs and son. You people are wonderful here! Hope I can return the favor to the group and help newbies like me one day when I know more.</p>
<p>Just went online and registered for this for this fall. Easy to do. They have the dates for the whole country set. Thanks again! >>Performing and Visual Arts College Fair>></p>