Should I double major if I plan on getting my Master's?

I am currently a junior in Industrial/Systems Engineering. Last week, I attended a workshop for people interested in the college of business. After that, I declared a double major in I/S Eng and Management Information Systems(knowing I could drop it is I change my mind). To complete both, it would take me 5 years total. I know I want to get my Master’s in some sort of Data Science/Analysis or Information Technology in the future. However, I am unsure if the second major is going to be worth the time and effort. My thinking was that having a high GPA and a dual major in something similar to Data Science and Info Tech, such as Management Info Systems would give be a better shot at getting into a prestigious Master’s program and overall just make me a better candidate for jobs. Any advice on this topic is appreciated. Thanks.

IMHO, dual majors aren’t worth the effort. It costs you more money and one less year of earning money. Dual majors add doubt to hiring managers (and probably grad schools) as to where your real interests lie. Doubt that would cause me to more likely reject your application.

I wouldn’t do the double major, either. Before you go for a Master’s, you really should have some work experience, and going to school an extra year for a double major isn’t going to help you as much as the year of work experience.

ISE is the one engineering major where pairing it up with a management degree or minor really doesn’t hurt your chances at getting that first industrial engineering job. It also isn’t’ going to help much with getting that first ISE job, as the ISE degree should be more than enough to land one.

More importantly in your case, I don’t think the MIS degree will help with grad school. An ISE BS should be more than enough to get you into any that may interest you.

I would recommend you do some research on which masters programs are of interest to you. Then pick some electives that would support that program. For example, with “data science/analysis” you may find it useful to take some additional CS classes (and many ISE’s minor in CS), but with a “management” master, your ISE standard curriculum will already have included courses that will prepare you for the program (a minor in business admin is a popular choice for ISE majors, while a CS minor is the MOST popular choice…).

As said above, there is a cost to staying in school to earn a graduate degree (lost potential salary+cost of degree program). If you do want to go directly into a masters program, think about your end goal.

If you want a standard ISE job, a MS in anything other than ISE will have little impact. It’s the same job you would have applied to with a BS. The MS (especially in management) would be helpful, later in your career, but not for that first job. In this case, it’s usually far better to start your career with the BS, and then after a few years, pursue the management degree (usually with your company funding it).

On the other hand, if you want a job in big data, “data science/analysis”, consulting, etc., then the masters makes much more sense, and may even be a requirement.

Good Luck!

PS: I’ve had friends (including my college roommate) that went from an ISE BS degree right into an MBA program. They’ve done just fine (worked their way up from entry level ISE positions to Director+ levels). As long as you realize the cost and impact (which initially could be very minor) on your career, it’s a valid choice.

My end goal is to work in big data or data analytics. However, I did not know anything about this field until this year, otherwise I may have majored in MIS or some sort of data analytics. Since I’m already 3 years into ISE, its definitely too late to drop that and start a new program. None the less, I do want my career to be in big data, so the Master’s is a requirement. Do you think going right into a Master’s in Info Tech or Data Analytics after undergrad is a good idea? And to be clear, if that was my chosen route (right into Master’s after undergrad), you don’t think the MIS degree will carry any weight if I were to apply to say a top 20 data science program? I’m really not so worried about losing a year to stay in school when I could be making a salary. I don’t mind doing an extra summer of internship before going into full time work, which seems to be the reason why everyone is saying not to double major. If the second degree will help me get into a great Master’s program, I have no problem doing it.

Yes, if that’s the career path you want to go into and can afford to do it.

An ISE BS degree should be fine for entry into an MIS program. In fact my daughter, who’s an ISE senior, is constantly being recruited by MIS programs. A few weeks ago she got e-mail from UVA’s (McIntire) program (MS in MIT) inviting her to a recruiting session they had at UF.

Now, which grad program to target is a whole nother discussion. Start off by talking with your ISE undergraduate advisor.

I am a big fan of double majors. How much would the 5th year cost ?

Business analytics is a hot job market currently.

It would be about 25,000 for my 5th year. And I take out student loans might I add

The cost of a 5th year would be $25,000 plus the loss of one year of income.

With a robust economy & a healthy job market, it is better to graduate in 4 years & get work experience while the employment opportunities are strong. Our economy is cyclical, so better to get a job while they are plentiful. Also, your employer may pay for a part-time graduate degree earned while working fulltime.

If a recession hits & you lose your job, then attending school fulltime for a masters degree becomes a reasonable option.

Just curious, Why did you attend a workshop for people that are interested in the college of business if you are already an engineering major within graduating distance? It would not seem unusual that you would come out of a workshop given by the college of business thinking you should get an additional major in MIS. They should be doing a good job selling their product. In general, there are very good jobs for ISE majors right out of college, even without a double major.

As noted, minors in CS are not uncommon. But if you can’t do a minor, are there electives you could take related to your interests, such as additional computer science courses, data science, data analytics , that would not involve having to double major, take a 5th year , take out loans? One of my sons in systems is employed by a company heavily involved in “big data .” You might want to complete your degree,minimize loans, enter the workforce and get some job experience, and reevaluate from there. You should have a better idea of whether or not you want or need a Master’s degree once you are employed. And agree, talk with your ISE advisor and ask for guidance on this. Also, you might want to talk to Career Services, your department, to see where ISE grads at your school are being placed. Good luck!

I attended the workshop because I wanted to learn about the MIS major. I was also worried that a graduate program in data analytics or info tech would prefer seeing an undergrad in a closely related field. My main concern is giving myself the best shot at getting into a top 20 program and I didn’t think just having an ISE degree would do that. I assumed having both ISE and MIS would be something that would set me apart from other applicants.

You might be, but except in relatively rare situations, employers are not.

@boneh3ad : I don’t think that double majoring is helpful just “in relatively rare situations”. Works well in many circumstances, especially if the second major is a foreign language. Helps accounting majors who wish to go into consulting. Also works well for theatre majors since jobs in that field tend to be low paying positions. Works well for potential patent lawyers.

Can you think of a situation in which an employer would not like a double major applicant ?

We aren’t in the accounting, theater, or law forums. We are in the engineering forums. As several people here who hire actual engineers will attest, a double major can raise questions about whether you are truly interested in one field versus the other and whether or not you will turn tail and run as soon as you find a position in the other field.

Of course, that only applies if the two fields aren’t intimately related. If they are very related, such as engineering and physics or math, then some employers might consider that useful if they do exceedingly technical work, but most BS-level engineering jobs don’t require the level of physics or math that one would get out of majoring in those two. Most employers would consider a double major like that a wash.

So, depending on your choice of double major, you might realistically end up doing anything from hurting your employability in engineering to giving yourself a slight leg up in a few select career paths, all the while drastically increasing your stress level and/or your debt level. In almost any engineering-related situation, it just isn’t worth it.

I understand that this is the engineering section & your point is well taken. Nevertheless, I have a boatload of family who were EE majors at Georgia Tech & all–except one-- have earned their MBA after working for a few years. The one who elected not to pursue another major/other degree recently was laid off.

And I do understand that an MBA is not the same as a double major, but the point is that all pursued substantial education in CS & business in addition to their EE degrees albeit at a later time.

In OP’s situation, my recommendation is in post #8 above. But for the 5th year required & the extra cost required in conjunction with a year of lost income in a robust economy, a second major is wise since it often becomes difficult to return to school when working full time & supporting a family.

The thought that a more educated & more diversified job applicant would be less favored by employers seems unreasonable.

This is an entirely different situation from double majoring. This is a situation where you go back to school to get a graduate business degree and essentially move into management rather than a technical track. That is wholly different from earning two degrees while in school. Further, if you earn an MBA before getting that experience, you’d be essentially unhireable.

I would suggest that a sample size of N=1 does not really give a lot of confidence that this is a trend.

Quite untrue. Think of this from the perspective of a program manager hiring engineers for his or her team. They have a specific need for, say, a mechanical engineer to fill a role on their team. They get a handful of resumes for a group of qualified people and need to choose. Eventually it comes down to two candidates. Candidate A has a mechanical engineering degree and also majored in business administration. Candidate B has a mechanical engineering degree and used all of their free elective hours to take additional mechanical engineering and math courses that are relevant to the needs of the program manager’s needs. Who you you think that manager is going to hire, all else being equal?

A double major is rarely (in engineering) the most effective use of one’s time and capital.

Interesting post. But for those wanting to pursue a consulting position, double majoring is an advantage.

Another point: Of the six relatives with engineering degrees who are still in the workforce, five topped out & needed additional degrees. It would have been much easier for them if they had obtained business or CS training while in undergraduate school.

Your perspective is narrowly focused.

For those still interested in OP’s topic, look at the educational backgrounds sought out by the most selective consulting firms.

The are many threads here about adding minors or a 2nd major. In many cases, it is tough to arrange the class scheduling. And there is not enough value to justify the extra time/cost. Usually it is better to take a few courses in the area of interest and not try to fulfill the extra requirements. For those who want to learn more, check out the other threads.