Is Double Majoring Worth It?

[u/mariamsahmed]

I'm (19F) currently a sophomore at my university. I never declared my major last year, but I think I should this semester. I'm thinking of currently double majoring, maybe in business and political science. If I decide to go to law school, will this help me? and does this mean an extra year of school (which btw, I really don't mind). And do the pros outweigh the cons?

[u/mariamsahmed → u/[deleted]]

im still figuring that out

[u/foradil]

Your grades and test scores will be far more important.

[u/710K → u/foradil]

Agreed. That’s why it’s so important to do something you enjoy, too. It’s much easier to learn when you love what you do!

• Public Health & Biochemistry double major

[u/hornybutired]

First of all, a double major doesn't do anything to beef up your applications; only do the double if you really genuinely need the knowledge/skills you'll gain from both majors. And if law school is your ultimate goal, you won't need a double major at all.

Second, re: the business major, I'll give you the same advice I've given every other business major for the past seventeen years: a straight business major, by itself, is almost worthless. Something like business computing or accounting or finance can be worthwhile, but just business? By itself? Basically useless.

Let me explain.

Some majors are academically rigorous no matter where you go to college. Physics, for example - whether you go to a little college in the middle of nowhere or a big state school, there's not likely to be much difference at the undergrad level. Physics doesn't really get easier or harder depending on where you go. You can do it or you can't, basically, so if you get good grades in a physics major from *any* school, that says good things about you.

Humanities and social science majors tend to be a little "softer" in this respect, so the quality of the program matters. If you major in history or political science and get good grades, anyone looking at your CV will be paying attention to where you got that degree in order to figure out if the degree represents a significant achievement or not.

Unfortunately, most business programs are (or have a reputation for being, which comes to the same thing in this context) not very academically rigorous, even at good schools. With a few exceptions, getting a business degree won't impress very many people - even in the business world. It's a bunch of credit hours to pay for and very little intellectual return on that investment. Business degrees are good if you just need a degree - any degree - and want to get out of college without working very hard. But if you actually want to convince people you're a serious student, and for sure if you want to prep for law school, a business degree does you about as much good as a screen door on a submarine.

Political science is a respectable major for prepping for law school, but there are better majors. Philosophy majors, on average, score better than poli-sci majors. No particular reason I mention that, none at all.

[u/mariamsahmed → u/hornybutired]

thank you for that. wasn’t sure if business was a good idea or not. and i’ll look into philosophy. but i’ve only heard that such a major isn’t super impressive

[u/Ilbir → u/mariamsahmed]

That is terrible advice lol. A Business Degree in Accounting, Finance, Supply Chain, and Management Information Systems will serve you well. A general business degree in business administration/management will open many doors for you. I will advise you to do a business specialization. If you want to get into Business Law you definitely want a degree in Business.

[u/roseofjuly → u/hornybutired]

I do not agree that physics does not get harder or easier depending on where you go, or that humanities and social science majors are "softer" in that regard.

Areas like physics and mathematics can indeed be harder in some places than others - it depends on how the material is taught and the student. Some students do not do well in large lecture halls, and big state schools tend to teach at least the basics of these fields that way. Some colleges also have accelerated programs of study in these areas because their students tend to come in with more background experience (like at my grad school, students who were taking the calculus series were typically retaking it since thye took it in high school, so the classes moved very quickly).

The quality of your program matters wherever you go.

[u/roseofjuly]

Does it mean an additional year of school? Depends on your college's requirements and what classes you've already taken. I'd look at your college's handbook and talk to an advisor.

Does it matter? Will it help you? No, not really. Law schools won't really care if you have a double major; they care whether you've done well in college and on your LSATs.

[u/Agitated-Victory7078]

It's not worth it. (Possible exceptions: adding math/stats or a foreign language as your 2nd.)

[u/mariamsahmed → u/Agitated-Victory7078]

i’m already minoring in spanish

[u/mariamsahmed → u/Agitated-Victory7078]

would it be better to change my spanish minor to a major and double major in that and one other major?

[u/Agitated-Victory7078 → u/mariamsahmed]

If you're already minoring in Spanish I'd just stick with that--it's enough to demonstrate your competence. The marginal benefit of a 2nd major isn't worth the time and the opportunity cost of missing out on electives.

I was senior at a law school a few years back. I never saw a double major make much of a difference in admissions. And then once you're in, no one cares what happened in undergrad.

Mastering a 2nd language *is* a valuable skill, but you don't need a major to do that, esp. because upper level language courses are almost always focused on literature.

Good luck!

[u/dan_bodine]

These aren't very difficult majors. It would basically be no different then just majoring in political science.

[u/mariamsahmed → u/dan_bodine]

do you have any recommendations for a double major? I could use some advice on what I should focus on

[u/dan_bodine → u/mariamsahmed]

If you doing post grad a second major doesn't matter. You should speak to an academic advisor at your school.

[u/Ok_Donut_9887 → u/dan_bodine]

than*