Programs Is a Double Major in Electrical Engineering and Math Worth It?

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The discussion centers on the feasibility and implications of pursuing dual degrees in mathematics and electrical engineering (EE). It emphasizes that while generalists may find employment opportunities, specialists typically engage in more interesting work and earn higher salaries. The consensus suggests that if pursuing both degrees within four years is challenging, it may be more beneficial to focus on one major and consider obtaining a Master's degree later. The conversation highlights the difficulty of completing a double major in math and EE within a standard timeframe, often requiring additional credits and potentially leading to burnout. A recommendation is made to consider a minor in math instead, as it allows for a more manageable course load while still providing valuable skills. Potential career paths for those with an undergraduate degree in math include actuarial science and teaching.
Kevin_Axion
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Is this reasonable or should I just chose one of them? What jobs can you get with just an undergrad degree in math or EE?

Thanks!

Micromass will comment to convince me that I should just do math.
 
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Obviously there will be exceptions, but in general, specialists get more interesting work, and are paid better for doing it, than generalists.

The reason employers like generalists so much is because they can stick them with whatever jobs the specialists don't want to do, but those are rarely the kind of jobs that win you fame and fortune.

If you can do both in four years without burning out, go for it. But if it's going to take you an extra year, you would be much better off spending that year getting a Master's in one or the other, than getting two BS's, or a BS/BA. I learned that the hard way.
 
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It's reasonable, but you might have to spend an extra year unless you take summer classes. Depends on your university though. If it were me I would just major in EE and take as much math as I wanted to on the side. Some things you could do with just an undergrad degree in math are actuarial science or teaching.
 
At my school doing a double major of Math(or Physics) & Engineering would be near impossible in 4 years. Unless you had some serious AP work done beforehand I would say 4+ college credit classes in either Math or Physics, separately, would be the only way to do a double major in 4 years.

I'm an EE major and calculated how many credits I would have in each semester for a minor in Math or Physics. That minor alone brings my semesters to ~18 credits each until I graduate. A major in either would be 20+ credits for 4 solid years. In the major case, it's possible to do that but I know for me personally I wouldn't learn as much as I could when taking that many credits.
 
Have you considered a math minor? In my school, the problem with taking a double major is that it adds a lot of non-science options. Doing a minor only adds 10 courses from that subject, and if there's overlap (which there should be a good amount of with math/EE), that can be perfectly feasible.
 

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