Dual Degree Programs: The Secret Sauce for Career Advancement and Personal Growth

If you are interested in two different academic fields and want to perhaps get two degrees because you think you can use them both for your career or think you’d like to have a backup option in another academic field, then the dual degree program is for you. Dual degrees are the right fit for several students, not only integral to their career advancement, but also their personal growth. Sometimes, getting a dual degree is not just to give you an edge in any future prospects, but also for those who have multiple interests, both of which they want to nurture and develop. There are dual degree programs in both the US and UK. If you are interested in exploring them, here’s a guide to the most popular ones and why they could be beneficial.

About Dual Degrees

Dual degrees involve two academic fields, so it’s easy to confuse them with double majors. However, double majoring is actually very different from dual degrees. Double majors are taken under a single degree. You graduate with just one type of degree like Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, etc. Double-majoring is useful for people with broader academic interests than just one subject, those who might want to specialise in two things under one degree.

Dual degrees involve you taking on two degree programs simultaneously, so the workload is considerably greater as you are fitting two degrees into a smaller span of time than it would take you to get them individually. Sometimes, some students prefer having two degrees if they are interested in  two completely different fields or even when they want to have the distinction of having two degrees in related fields for the future (like postgraduate). Dual degree programs are more structured to accommodate the demands of two degrees and that reflects in the schedule of the college students who pursue that path.  It’s definitely a bigger commitment, but knowing your options can’t hurt, especially if a dual degree program is what’s right for you.

Types of Dual Degrees

There are a few types of dual degree programs offered in the U.S:

Two Bachelor’s Degrees:

This usually involves a pairing of two types of bachelor’s degrees. The types of Bachelor degrees are: Bachelor of Arts(BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Bachelor of Music (BM), Bachelor of Business Administration(BBA), Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS). Different colleges offer different combinations. For instance, Northwestern University offers a plethora of options, including a dual degree in Engineering (BS) and Liberal Arts (BA). It usually takes a little longer than 4 years, usually 5 years.

A Bachelor’s + A Master’s:

This dual degree program involves you gaining your Bachelor’s and Master’s simultaneously, either in similar fields or different ones. You’d be taking graduate courses alongside your undergraduate ones, so that when you graduate, you have completed both degrees. It saves the  time and cost of getting a master’s after bachelor’s. If you are certain about getting a master’s, it could be an option. For instance, some people get their Bachelor of science in computer science and Master’s of Science together.

Two Masters, or A Master and Doctorate:

This type of degree combines two types of degrees (so it’s not for undergrads!). This is common in law schools, for instance, that offer students the opportunity to gain a master’s or doctoral degree in the area of law they want to pursue along with their Juris Doctor (JD) (the professional degree necessary to become a lawyer).

Breakdown of Dual Degrees: Advantages and Disadvantages

Whichever type of dual degree you choose, the extra work and extra degree comes with its own set of consequences, both positive and negative.

The advantages of getting a dual degree:

Professional flexibility:

Having two degrees in your arsenal is certainly going to win you favours as it means that you can have a broad set of options for your career. You can have multiple career paths open up for you

Saves money:

By doing two degrees simultaneously you save money in the long run as well as time

Broader skill set:

Even for just one career, having two degrees, two areas of specialisation or a more advanced degree along with your current degree at a young age helps you as it gives you an edge over everyone else

However, there are some disadvantages to getting a dual degree that one must consider:

Extra work:

You’d be doing twice the amount of work the average college student undertakes. It’s going to be more stressful as you’ll have to devote equal amounts of time to both degrees and the extra time spent would mean less time for extracurriculars, socialisation or any other activities. Also, just getting into some of these programs is very hard as the playing field is very competitive.

More money spent in one go:

Even though in the long run you’ll probably be saving money, it doesn’t change the fact that with a dual degree you have to in one period of your life spend more for housing accommodations (as the program is usually longer), tuition and other parts of your education

No guarantee:

There is no guarantee that it will give you an edge or increase your salary. Although this depends largely on the program you do and the combinations you apply for, it should be noted that dual degrees don’t necessarily promise more success. For some, the extra hard work may just not seem worth it when it doesn’t have a more certain outcome in sight.

US Dual Degrees

US colleges are known for their flexibility. So there are several options at such universities.

Some Dual Degree Program Examples

To give you an idea of the dual degree programs available in the US, I thought it would be best to give an overview of dual degree programs in the most renowned universities there and the most common combinations of degrees they offer. Here are the typical dual degrees offered by top universities:

Medical Science and Business:

Working in the medical fields often involves management of operations and clerical tasks for which a strong business acumen would be beneficial. Hence, this is a popular option in many universities — to get a degree in medicine and business. For instance, a common dual degree is an MBA with a masters in Nursing. Another example is public health and business, a combination that schools like Yale School of Management offer.

Business with another specialisation:

Business is a broad field that can be complemented with a multitude of other fields. A combination that’s becoming more and more popular nowadays is a master’s in mechanical engineering and an MBA. Schools like Yale School of Management, Purdue University (in online mode though) and University of Texas at Austin offer.

Public Administration, Politics with other specialisations:

Public administration is often combined with the same kinds of degrees that an MBA is combined with as like business, it’s a broad field with multiple applications. This also holds true for politics and its intersections with other humanities.

For instance, Columbia university offers a Master’s in Journalism or a  Master’s in Urban Planning with a Master’s in International Affairs. Another example that includes the undergraduate level: University of Chicago offers a Bachelor’s in Public Policy Studies along  with a Master’s in Social Service Administration.

STEM:

There are lots of interesting options in the STEM area coming up nowadays. For instance, in University of Chicago, you can do a dual degree of a Bachelor’s and Master’s combined in Mathematics or Statistics. Another interesting combination is offered at UPenn:

a Bachelor’s in Computer Science with a Bachelor’s in Cognitive Science. The most common combination cropping up right now is a dual degree in Engineering and Liberal arts, which is offered by universities like Dartmouth, Caltech, and Georgia Institute of Technology.

Law with other specialisations:

This involves doing your Masters with your Juris Doctor. In UT Austin, for example, you can do your Juris Doctor with a Master’s in Public Affair

These are just some of the dual degree programs available. There are many more popular ones in education, social sciences and STEM worth checking out.

Also read: A Comprehensive Guide To Study Medicine In The USA: Requirements, Process, And Opportunities

UK Dual Degrees

The types of dual degrees offered in the UK are more or less similar to the ones in the US. They have similar advantages and disadvantages to the ones stated above. Although, the options available in the UK for dual degrees are more limited.  Like some of the universities in the US, some of these dual degrees are done through partnerships between different universities (where you may get two separate degrees from partner universities). Here are some of the common programs offered in the top universities in the UK:

London School of Economics:

LSE offers several dual degree options like a Dual Master’s in European and Internal Public Policy & Politics. It also has partnerships with other universities around the world. For example, you can get a double master’s in European Politics, Conflict and Culture from LSE and Columbia.

Queen Mary University:

This university offers a lot of degree combinations with a BSc in Engineering, such as one in Telecommunications Engineering with Management. Some of these programs it offers jointly with Northwestern Polytechnical University.

University College London:

UCL offers dual degrees with combinations of history, law, politics and philosophy.

University of Nottingham:

This university partners with universities in Germany like University of Kostanz to offer a Master in Economics

University of Manchester:

There are some options available in this university like a Masters of Science together with a PG diploma in Data Analytics and Social Statistics for instance that is similar to a dual degree program. However, it mostly offers joint honours degrees like Oxford and Cambridge as discussed below.

Unlike the US, the best universities in the country such as Oxford and Cambridge do not have dual degree programs. They have joint honours degrees in which you can study two subjects like History and English. However, this is more similar to the US double-major system  as it’s not really two degrees exactly. So if you want to go to a highly ranked university and have a specific dual degree program you want, it’s more likely you’ll find that program in the US, than in the UK.

Wherever you go, however, remember that if you are thinking of a dual degree, you must devote an equal amount of time to both degrees. So choose two fields you have equal interest in and that you think will improve your career exploration. If you find such a program with two fields like that, then the dual degree program could be great for you!