<p>Hi! I was just wondering if it’s possible to pursue a triple concentration at Brown. I can’t find anything on the website that states that it isn’t permitted.</p>
<p>it can be done, probably with much more ease (in terms of administrative red tape) than other places</p>
<p>i believe two of our last three rhodes scholars were tripple-concentrators</p>
<p>that being said, it's not necessarily a good idea--you don't need to complete an entire concentration to gain in-depth exposure to an academic area, and there are many multidisciplinary concentrations that can fulfill ambitions in overlapping areas</p>
<p>Thanks so much! I'm trying to stay open to different possibilities before I make at least one concentration decision next spring. Sometimes it seems like we have too much freedom, but it's all worth it.</p>
<p>I actually talked to a dean about this, and she seemed rather discouraging. That makes sense - you're only 'supposed' to have one concentration, to give us the rest of our time and courses to explore different areas of study. But, for me, one of those other areas of study is one that I'd probably take enough classes in to fulfill a concentration just for fun. </p>
<p>My advisor also discovered that, if you triple concentrate, only two of the three shows up your diploma (due to space restrictions). Ha.</p>
<p>Don't talk to deans. Just don't.</p>
<p>it can be done but there is absoultey no need</p>
<p>Yeah, well, my advisor told me to. I didn't know it'd be so awkward. :p</p>
<p>The intent of the Brown curriculum is to encourage students to explore different fields of study. Since each concentration typically requires 10-12 classes, having 3 concentrations means taking 30-36 classes that are specific to a concentration. Yes there is overlap, but you will have significantly reduced flexibility to experiment. </p>
<p>There are very few professions that mandate a specific concentration. Engineering is one. But most employers and grad schools are open to hiring/accepting people with many different degrees. Frankly, I don't see the need to have 3 concentrations.</p>
<p>It's true that there is no need to have three concentrations, but if you're significantly interested in a particular subject that you would fulfill the concentration requirements 'for fun', then why not? As long as you're not restricting yourself in order to satisfy that third, extra concentration, then I don't consider it a problem.</p>
<p>The issue comes into play when you have to consider whether or not you've actually received an education or direct training in a couple of fields. The two ideas are not mutually exclusive, but they're also not necessarily the same path. You should consider whether there is an added value you're losing out on by taking a schedule which is directed and focused without much opportunity for making connections between otherwise disparate fields. These connections are most certainly the most powerful opportunity for understanding not just learning. There's a wisdom component to college, much like living, and a lot of that is really only nurtured by expanding one's horizons and cutting across disciplines. I'd be surprised if you were not able to find a hyphenated version of two of those concentrations or even find that the need to take 4 high level courses and a stats course goes beyond interesting and into the realm of stressful and "fulfilling" (requirements) and not "fulfillment" (intellectually). This happens to almost everyone thinking of triple and even double concentrating, though there are a few exceptions.</p>
<p>Good luck, at least at Brown the only hard part is fitting things in, not paperwork.</p>
<p>While triple (or even double) concentrating may be an ego, chance, etc booster, getting a concentration just for the title may not be worth it. For example, at one point I was considering psychology as a secondary concentration, simply because i enjoyed the subject. But then I found out I also needed to take 1-2 courses in statistics (in which I have absolutely no interest). That would've been 2 very valuable time/course slots wasted just to get an extra title, and a probably useless one professionally anyway. So instead I just plan to take exactly the courses that interest me in psychology.</p>
<p>You will find out how very valuable a course slot is at brown. Making sure you're not wasting one will be your biggest concern here. Not that there's something wrong with statistics, but I just find it a dull subject compared to, say, cosmology. So instead of taking 2-3 extra courses just to fill some minor (and quite often, meaningless) gaps, you may want to try something new.</p>
<p>Or of course you can also try combined or independent concentrations, some might prove to be a very good alternative.</p>