Double Major or Two Minors: Which Path Should I Take?

[pete5383]

Hey everyone, I'm kind of at a crossroads now. I'm a sophomore in electical engineering, and I have a few open classes to fill. One options I'm looking at are getting a double major in EE and Math. The second option I'm looking at getting a minor in phyics and in math. And if there's a third option, such as taking extra EE classes, I'd love to hear about it. I just want to get as much out of college as possible. As a side not, I plan on doing some research with my professors and possibly doing an internship. Not to brag, but my GPA right now is 3.969, so I've done pretty well (stupid A- in Calc I)...anyways. I'm taking some upperdivision Math classes next semester right now, but I could change them. So any input is appreciated. Thank you :)

PS. I absoluetly LOVE math and physics and EE!

 

[leright]

What is it you want to do when you graduate?

 

[pete5383]

I plan on going to grad school right away after undergrad. As for my specialization...I guess I don't really know yet...

 

[pete5383]

Any input?

 

[leright]

Any input?

Well, with the little information you've given us, it is difficult to help you. At this point you just need to figure out what subject you enjoy most, and what you see yourself enjoying as a career 20 years from now. I know this is a difficult question, but you need to give it some thought. I will say though, minors do not look nearly as good as majors. If I had the choice I'd go for the double major, personally.

 

[pete5383]

Right now, I've only taken two actual EE classes, Digital Design and Circuits & Electronics. I like solving circuits, doing the differential equations on a RLC circuit. Digital Design seemed less scientific I guess...more just "Here's a method for figuring out minimal solutions." I love math or circuits, but also I love physics, like phyics of transistors and inductors. I haven't thought much about what I'd like to do in the future. What are some of the different options for the future to think about?

 

[Pseudo Statistic]

Not to brag, but my GPA right now is 3.969...

Nerd. :P
But uh, you said you like math, and physics covers a whole lot of math, so why not go for the dual major in EE/physics?

 

[Maxwell]

More EE electives are always nice. That's what I decided to do for my junior and senior years. I was originally going to take some math or physics classes, but there were so many EE electives offered - many of which I was very interested in - that I decided to go that route.

 

[^_^physicist]

I will say though, minors do not look nearly as good as majors. If I had the choice I'd go for the double major, personally.

I would beg to differ. My honor's college adviser at my University talked to many of us consistering double majoring (I was going to do Physics and Math or Physics and Biology), and told us what he had discovered from talking to many graduate programs: because a double major requires that you take a lot of lower level courses in similar topics, to many graduate programs it will appear that you needed a second course to pick up the information that you should have picked up from the first class. This is due to many graduate schools not actually seeing your major, as it isn't placed on your transcript, and that is what they see. However, you can take this with a grain of salt, as if you have two very distinct majors, then it doesn't look bad at all.

So my personal opinion: double minor in the subjects you like and let the internship help you in figuring out what you want to do.

 

[leright]

I would beg to differ. My honor's college adviser at my University talked to many of us consistering double majoring (I was going to do Physics and Math or Physics and Biology), and told us what he had discovered from talking to many graduate programs: because a double major requires that you take a lot of lower level courses in similar topics, to many graduate programs it will appear that you needed a second course to pick up the information that you should have picked up from the first class. This is due to many graduate schools not actually seeing your major, as it isn't placed on your transcript, and that is what they see. However, you can take this with a grain of salt, as if you have two very distinct majors, then it doesn't look bad at all.

So my personal opinion: double minor in the subjects you like and let the internship help you in figuring out what you want to do.

Your majors are listed on your transcript, and you state your double major in your application and personal statement. And if you had to take two similar courses you can justify this in your personal statement. Also, if the two courses are in an area you are interested in continuing on in, then the double exposure is a good thing.

Also, if the courses are so similar that it would look bad on your transcript that you took them both I don't think It would be out of the question for your department to waive one of the requirements and take another more beneficial course instead.

 

[jbusc]

I would beg to differ. My honor's college adviser at my University talked to many of us consistering double majoring (I was going to do Physics and Math or Physics and Biology), and told us what he had discovered from talking to many graduate programs: because a double major requires that you take a lot of lower level courses in similar topics, to many graduate programs it will appear that you needed a second course to pick up the information that you should have picked up from the first class. This is due to many graduate schools not actually seeing your major, as it isn't placed on your transcript, and that is what they see. However, you can take this with a grain of salt, as if you have two very distinct majors, then it doesn't look bad at all.

That sounds just ridiculous, but I'm not a college advisor and he is. I cannot imagine, though, a graduate admissions office combing over a transcript like that yet not knowing an applicant's major.

For a double major, if you're taking 2 lower-division courses in the same subject, I would think that you could get one of them waived (I've gotten a bunch waived for my double) Upper-div courses are trickier, but the lower-div courses are the ones you don't really want to duplicate (unless you have to)

 

[^_^physicist]

I was just passing the information that was told to me by my adviser, who is the head of the Honor's College at my University. So don't kill the messenger.

 

[jbusc]

Well that's what I said, assuming you've accurately repeated what he said, there must have been some basis for him saying that. I don't really think that's true at all, but this guy is probably a lot more "in the know" than, say, I am.

 

[pete5383]

So, any conclusion on the matter? I've thought about the EE/phys dual, but that would be quite tough. EE/math dual would be difficult, but managable, and EE and math/phys minors would be difficult, about the same as the EE/math dual.