the second degree

[Captain Sisko]

Is there any benefit to getting a second bs? Not just a double major, but a whole other piece of paper with a separate major. Requirements at my school are pretty much another year of coursework, but I came in with lots of ap. Thanks

Captain

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[pre med 2014]

No

 

[xXIDaShizIXx]

Not unless it raised your cGPA or sGPA substantially. Honestly more debt is never a good thing.

 

[phiva]

It doesn't hurt to have a double degree, since it means you invested more time and effort into your education, are probably more well-rounded academically, and challenged yourself. But at the same time, I don't think it helps a whole lot either.

I, myself, received a double degree from the University of Washington. A BA in Biochemistry from the College of Arts & Sciences, and a BA in Earth & Space Sciences from the College of the Environment.

However, my GPA is poor by medical application standards and retrospectively I would probably have been better served not aiming for the double degree, and instead taken less credits and less rigorous courses to boost my GPA.

So to sum it up, having a double degree does look impressive on paper and it does help your case a bit, but not to the degree that something like a high GPA or high MCAT would.

 

[pre med 2014]

It doesn't hurt to have a double degree, since it means you invested more time and effort into your education, are probably more well-rounded academically, and challenged yourself. But at the same time, I don't think it helps a whole lot either.

I, myself, received a double degree from the University of Washington. A BA in Biochemistry from the College of Arts & Sciences, and a BA in Earth & Space Sciences from the College of the Environment.

However, my GPA is poor by medical application standards and retrospectively I would probably have been better served not aiming for the double degree, and instead taken less credits and less rigorous courses to boost my GPA.

So to sum it up, having a double degree does look impressive on paper and it does help your case a bit, but not to the degree that something like a high GPA or high MCAT would.

Wouldn't this be one BA degree and TWO majors?

 

[gyngyn]

No.

 

[phiva]

Wouldn't this be one BA degree and TWO majors?

It depends on the university.

At some schools, in order to get a double degree you have to get a BS and a BA.

At other schools (mine being University of Washington) getting two BA's would qualify for a double degree if they're from different "colleges" (one being from the College of Arts & Sciences, the other being from the College of the Environment).

At my school it would be a double major and NOT a double degree if I had received the BA from the same "college."

 

[Jas1360]

At my school you can get a double major or two separate degrees. They can both be B.S. or B.A., or they can be one of each. The difference is the number of total hours required. I believe the minimum is 144 hours for two separate degrees. If you have less than the required number of hours you would just be considered a double major.

 

[phiva]

At my school you can get a double major or two separate degrees. They can both be B.S. or B.A., or they can be one of each. The difference is the number of total hours required. I believe the minimum is 144 hours for two separate degrees. If you have less than the required number of hours you would just be considered a double major.

Oh yes, I forgot about this (it's been about 2 years since I've graduated haha) but I do believe there was also an hour/credit standard I had to meet in order to qualify for the double degree.

There might have been other minor requirements but it's been so long since I've had that talk with my adviser.

 

[Spinach Dip]

Most schools would probably like to see an MS added to that BS... rather than two BS's.

JMO