<p>I'm not sure if I'm being too zealous here, but I'm really considering double-majoring in Writing and Rhetoric and Applied Statistics. My school is actually one of the few in the country that offers applied stat as an undergraduate program, so I know that it'd be an interesting, meaningful experience that could maybe get me ahead somewhere. It's also a B.S. so it would be a bit more rigorous (the website said). </p>
<p>Basically, how much time will it take to complete the requirements of 2 near-opposite fields? If I can recall correctly, Writing & Rhet. needs 40 specialized credits and Applied Stats needs like 70, with 16 being in an opposite field that stats can be applied to... I'm sure I'll have to go summers and maybe up to 20 credit hours, but is it worth it to delve into two things that you love so much and that you are considered good at? </p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>I can’t help you beyond saying that I’m sort of in the same predicament as you D: I’m thinking of double majoring in geoscience as well as comp lit, mainly for two reasons:</p>
<p>1) Comp lit is not employable and I don’t want to go to grad school in it
2) In terms of skills and exposure, there’s actually a very limited scope within a lit degree. As a literature major, you just read books and write long essays, whereas a social or natural science allows you to conduct experiments, analyze data, use software beyond the basic word and powerpoint, and basically look at the world from a completely different perspective. I’m not smart enough to major in math, but I probs would, although people say it’s not an employer’s dream degree either.</p>
<p>and sort of 3) I would prefer a job that would use my (presumably acquired through literature as well) knowledge of the world more directly than through writing about it.</p>
<p>Does the English degree actually qualify you for anything? Why not just take lots of English courses to complement the stats major?</p>
<p>Well, from what I’ve been researching, a degree in Writing and Rhetoric can qualify you for a job as a professional editor, book publisher, freelance editor/publisher, screenplay writer, and any other kind of “professional” writer. However, like vienneselights points out, English degrees are not always the most employable, but at the same time, math ones aren’t always the best either…</p>
<p>I like them both, and it seems that they have the same chances of a career. Being a “writer” is a dream many have fallen from, but getting a stable job doing solid work is what everyone wants and is what becomes expected. I’m just really torn between my passions and my logical plans, I guess!! Haha. </p>
<p>Oh, and Writing & Rhet. is also an acceptable prerequisite for law school, which I’ve always considered doing. </p>
<p>And thanks for the help!</p>
<p>Double-majoring in overlapping fields is hard enough, double-majoring in a hard STEM field and a non-STEM field just might break your sanity if you try to graduate in less than 5 years.</p>
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<p>Well, any undergraduate major is an acceptable prerequisite for law school… indeed, math, physics, and philosophy majors tend to be among the highest average scoring majors on among LSAT takers.</p>
<p>You mention that rhetoric is 40 credits and statistics is 70 credits, for a total of 110 credits. How many remaining breadth requirement credits will you need to take? If 10 or fewer, then it should all fit within the typical 120 credits, if that is what you will take while you are in school.</p>
<p>Another option is to just major in one and take desired courses in the other subject without worrying about the second major requirements. Statistics tends to have somewhat better major-specific job and career prospects than rhetoric, so it may be better to have statistics as the primary major.</p>
<p>Note that a writer with knowledge of statistics (or other science subjects), or a statistician (or other scientists) with a strong ability to write for both technical and non-technical readers is relatively uncommon and may be able to fill a niche in writing about statistics (or other science) – although being able to work as a statistician or actuary or whatever until such an opportunity comes around is certainly better than being unemployed between writing opportunities.</p>
<p>That is all very true… Thank you. </p>
<p>Do you think it would be more fit to maybe major in statistics and minor in rhetoric? With a minor, at least I would show that I have some formal background with writing and all of the words. And in that field, it’s really what you know more than what you learn, like not necessarily that you learned it in school.</p>
<p>Depending on how well you plan your program, college, AP/IB credits, and any college credits from Cc/summer school, you can easily complete a double major…even in widely non-overlapping fields like the ones above. </p>
<p>I knew folks at my undergrad who did double majors in Politics/Neuroscience, Chemistry/Comparative Lit, Philosophy/CS, etc along with HS classmates/cousins who did EE/US History. </p>
<p>Heck, one undergrad classmate at my LAC did a triple major in Econ, East Asian Studies, and Art History…and was two courses shy of completing another major in math in 4 years.</p>
<p>Also, there aren’t too many STEM graduates who are also excellent writers so if you successfully double major in those two areas, you’ll be in a much better position for both careers and grad/law school. If law…good writing is one definite prerequisite for surviving law school…much less excelling at it.</p>