Hiya! I’m a smol first year wondering if it’s possible to do a double major and a minor. I really want to do the creative expression and society minor but I’m just not sure if doing a major + 2 minors is best, which is why I’m wondering if a double major + one minor is possible. Thanks!
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Hi! I was just wondering if it’s possible to do a double major AND a minor. Is that allowed? Would it set me back in my studies? Thanks 🙂
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hello friends,
answering these two questions in one go because they’re quite similar!
the maximum number of subject POSts you can select is three, as long as one is a minor, so it’s definitely possible to do a double major and a minor.
that’s actually how i’ve chosen to complete my degree as well, so i definitely see the appeal in it and wouldn’t discourage you from doing so! in my case, there was a minor i really wanted to take for fun, but i also wanted the security of having two different majors. i can tell you that from personal experience, it won’t necessarily set you back in your studies (ie. force you to take more than 20 FCEs) as long as you have some overlap between your programs and plan things out very carefully.
i say very carefully, because planning out three programs can get quite complicated and, frankly, stressful. that’s particularly true if you “wasted” a few credits in first year (wasted as in took classes that won’t count to any of your programs), have credit/no credited courses, or need to take courses outside your programs for breadth requirements .
here’s some advice i would give you:
- choose programs with at least some potential for overlap. i’m in two majors within the same discipline, so they share a few courses. otherwise, i’d definitely need to take more than 20.0 FCEs to complete my programs. if you have really diverse interests, for example if you want to double major in chem and history, you obviously don’t need to heed this advice. but if you’re not set on specific programs yet, keeping this piece of advice in mind when you apply for POSts will make your life easier.
- understand the 12 distinct credits rule, which will give you a sense of how many credits you can count towards both your majors. the 12 distinct credits rule won’t apply to your minor, so pile on whatever overlap you can there!
- find out if your programs offer any room for flexibility. i know that some interdisciplinary programs will allow you to request course substitutions, which can help you seek out overlap between your three programs. i’ve saved myself some credits by contacting the person who administers one of my programs, to ask if they’ll be willing to take semi-related courses from my other program. if that makes any sense.
- if you run into any roadblocks, get in touch with your registrar’s office. an academic advisor there will be able to help you iron out any issues.
- keep track of what courses you’ve taken and what requirements you’ve fulfilled. degree explorer is a very helpful tool for this. i also like to use excel sometimes, because i can map out all my courses and colour-code them according to what requirement they fulfill.
i hope this helped! if you’d like to talk your decision over further, you can always reach out to your registrar, who will be able to provide you with more in-depth advice.
be Boundless,
aska