For those of us who struggle with decisions harder than most, Boston University offers a dual degree program. Open to students with a cumulative 3.0 GPA or above, this serious program allows students to graduate with degrees from multiple colleges.
I applied for the program during the second semester of sophomore year, and am now pursuing degrees in Advertising and International Relations. Deciding to pursue two degrees was a big decision; the course load is a serious endeavor which requires careful planning beforehand. However, the dual degree program has also given me immense opportunities.
Since declaring dual degree I have interned in the Advertising/Public Relations department at Boston Ballet and at the United Nations Association of Boston in its Programs/Development department. Both of my bosses told me that my pursuit of two degrees made my application stand out, and that they were impressed with my work ethic.
I would highly recommend the program to any student who is ready to put the effort in. Although challenging, the program is designed to allow hardworking, organized students make the most of their time at BU.
Here is a list of pros and cons you should consider before applying to the program:
Pros:
- You don’t have to choose between two interests; you can pursue both to their full capacity.
- You are graduating with two degrees for the price of one!!
- Employers will be impressed with how hard you worked in college.
- You can bring two different types of fields together and master them both; this opens up double the job opportunities following graduation.
- Oftentimes, prerequisite classes can count twice; this facilitates the program and makes it easier to complete the requirements on time.
Cons:
- Once you fulfill your general education requirements, you don’t won’t time to take many electives.
- If you don’t come to BU with much AP/IB credit, you may have to enroll in summer classes or overload in order to fulfill the credit requirement.
- You have to work hard to maintain the minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (you should be doing this anyways, though!!).
- During registration, you may have to wait to select your courses until the normal students from that college are already done.
- Classes for both degrees are not always offered abroad; therefore, you must plan ahead if you know you want to study abroad.
Applications must be submitted after the completion of freshman year, and no later than the first semester of junior year. The program requires completion of a minimum of 36 classes (144 credits), maintenance of good academic standing and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above in order to graduate.
For more information, visit http://www.bu.edu/academics/policies/dual-degree-program/.
