There are the more ambitious among you, for whom four years dedicated to a single degree, doesn’t feel sufficient at all. There may be those among you whose interest isn’t restricted to a particular field – you are torn between choosing one over the other.

Well, there’s good news for you. Select universities have created specific programs for students with an expressed interest in more than field. Remember that admission into each of these programs are fiercely competitive – and rightfully so! It is only for the truly diligent and determined among you.

We’ve listed out a few of the more prominent among them. This list is by no means exhaustive, but a very good starting point for anyone aspiring for a dual degree.

1)   The Jerome Fischer Program (UPenn)

“The Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology, affectionately called the M&T Program, is the oldest coordinated dual degree program at the University of Pennsylvania. The Program combines academics from two phenomenal Penn assets, Penn Engineering and the Wharton School, into one unique educational experience. Students enrolled in the M&T Program pursue degrees from both schools concurrently, creating a truly interdisciplinary learning experience. This combination enables our students not only to understand engineering and business concepts, but also to understand the integration of the two and how this intersection distinctively shapes our world.”

M&T students received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School and either a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) or a Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering (BAS) from Penn Engineering. This of course means that students also get to enroll in other classes – the humanities at the School of Arts and Sciences, as well get to perform research, work with professors in research projects and actively participate in all extra-curricular activities on campus.

2)   The Huntsman Program (UPenn)

“The Huntsman Program in International Studies & Business is a unique, four-year interdisciplinary undergraduate course of study that integrates business education, advanced language training and a liberal arts education. Huntsman students earn two degrees — a B.A. in International Studies from the School of Arts and Sciences and a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School. Huntsman students specialize in the area of the world in which their target language is spoken and graduate with a nuanced understanding of the political, economic and cultural complexities in a changing world.”

For those interested in both a degree from Wharton with a concentration in Finance or Marketing, as well as in an all-round liberal arts education, this is the program in which to enroll. You’ll be interacting with the pensive philosophy and theater students on the one hand, and ambitious and suited business students on the other. This really is the best kind of dual degree program there is, and is commensurately difficult to get accepted into!

 

3)   Nursing and Healthcare Management (UPenn)

“The Nursing and Health Care Management Program (NHCM) gives students the opportunity to combine two of Penn’s greatest assets: Penn Nursing Science and The Wharton School. NHCM students study simultaneously in both schools and graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Bachelor of Science in Economics. This program combines both excellent clinical skills as well as the critical knowledge necessary to understand and administrate in the health care field.”

Both UPenn’s Nursing school and its Wharton school are among the foremost in the world. This proram is the lethal combination of both. In every class in both schools, you will be competing with the very, very best in that field. If Healthcare management is something that interests you, and competition doesn’t intimidate you, then this may be the right fit for you.

4)   Roy and Diana Vagelos Program (UPenn)

“On the surface, bioscience and business may seem like unrelated fields. But if the full benefits of science are to be realized, discoveries made at the laboratory bench must be taken to market and made accessible to society at large—a process demanding great skill both scientifically and managerially. Given the many recent advances in bioscience and biotechnology, never before has the need been so great for decision makers who can understand and advance scientific innovations as well as manage and promote them. It is with this in mind that the University of Pennsylvania launched the Vagelos Life Sciences & Management (LSM) program.”

To this end, the University of Pennsylvania created this program – a veritable dream for most students who want to pursue a lucrative career in medicine. It is as selective as it is impressive, so any hopefuls should be well prepared for the challenging nature of the application and selection process, as well of the program itself.

5)   Dual Degree Engineering Program (Georgia Tech)

This program is a little bit different. If you’re enrolled at another university (specifically on of the dual degree participating schools), but dream of a degree in Engineering from Georgia Tech, then this may be a great choice for you. Under the Dual Degree Engineering Program, students can attend a participating Dual Degree School for three years and then attend any of the College of Engineering’s undergraduate degree programs for up to two years. Upon completing the engineering program, students receive a bachelor’s degree from their home institution, and a bachelor’s degree in their engineering program at Georgia Tech.

Here is a comprehensive list of the participating Dual Degree schools:

6)   Dual Degree Program (Dartmouth)

These is a bit like the Georgia Tech Dual Degree program, but beware, owing to Dartmouth’s Ivy League status, admission into the program ought not be taken for granted. The dual-degree program is for students at other liberal arts colleges who want to study engineering at Dartmouth. You’ll spend your junior or senior year at Dartmouth, receive your bachelor’s degree from your home school, and then return to Dartmouth to complete a fifth year of engineering studies in Thayer School’s Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) program.

The comprehensive list of participating schools is below:

  • Amherst
  • Bard
  • Bates
  • Bowdoin
  • Colby
  • Grinnell
  • Hamilton
  • Hobart & William Smith
  • Middlebury
  • Morehouse
  • Mt. Holyoke
  • Pomona College
  • Simon’s Rock
  • Skidmore
  • Spelman
  • St. Lawrence
  • Vassar
  • Wesleyan
  • Wheaton
  • Williams

7)   The CFA/CAS Dual Degree Program (Boston University)

The CFA is the College of Fine arts and the CAS is the College of arts and Science. Boston University’s program, very much like those at Penn, allow you to simultaneously take classes at both schools and emerge with a double degree. It is important to note that in order to be eligible for this program, a student should have applied for it at the time of Freshman admission in the Fall.

8)   The SED/CAS Dual Degree Program (Boston University)

Just like in the above, the SED and CAS dual degree program allows you to take classes in both the School of Education as well as in the College of Arts and Sciences, so that you can emerge with a degree in both.

SED majors open to the Double Degree Program are:

  • English Education
  • Mathematics Education
  • Modern Foreign Language Education
  • Science Education
  • Social Studies Education

In order to be eligible for the program, a student must for apply to it at the time of Freshman (Fall) application.

None of the above programs are for the faint hearted. They are for the highly motivated students, with a track record of academic excellence and a validated thirst for knowledge. These are extra-ordinary programs, designed for extra-ordinary students. Think carefully and realistically before you apply – these aren’t for everyone, because they are designed not to be.

Note for Parents, Students, Counsellors: The information above was to the best of our knowledge at the time that this article was published. With every application cycle, or sometimes even during it, Colleges and Universities may change dates, policies, available majors and other relevant information. These updates will be reflected on the College and University websites themselves.

Please refer to the official college websites in addition to reading these articles. These articles are written only to provide general guidelines to students, not as a substitute for individual college websites.