The major crunch

The latest campus accessory doesn’t have wires or batteries. It doesn’t have a designer logo, and although it is in increasingly high demand, you won’t find it in any stores – it is a double major. For the last fifteen years, the number of students pursuing two or more majors at colleges across the country has grown significantly and this undergrad fad shows no sign of abating anytime soon.\nIn the decade from 1993 to 2003, MIT saw its number of double majors increase by a staggering 50 percent, and such increases are not unprecedented. At Washington University in St. Louis, 42 percent of arts and science graduates in the class of 2003 earned two or more majors. \nIn a faltering economy, many students feel that collecting majors will give them an edge when hunting for jobs. Others argue that multiple majors foster interdisciplinality and give students a broadened perspective.\nAlthough the effects of double majoring remain largely unresearched, early results show that cramming in a second major might not have the effect that students hope. A recent Vanderbilt study (drawing on the 2003 National Survey of Graduates) found that double majors earn only 2.3 percent more than their single-major counterparts. Those who majored in arts and subjects such as science, business, engineering or math earned 7 to 50 percent more, but this fact doesn’t tell us much by itself. These students would have probably earned that much more by only majoring in the more profitable subjects to begin with. Moreover, the data doesn’t make it clear whether double majoring in any two subjects actually increases a graduate’s earning potential, relative to majoring in just one subject. The same motivated students who are driven to double major would likely earn more with or without the extra degree behind their name. \nThe increased push for multiple majors has disconcerted many in the academic community. In 1993, MIT banned triple majors, and as of late more institutions are considering similar major caps. \nIn a world increasingly concerned with competition in the global marketplace, the multiple-major push represents our generations’ latest attempt to keep up with the proverbial Jones’. We are a generation pressured with SAT-prep classes and advanced-placement tests, so collecting majors seems the next logical extension in our tradition of collective overachievement. Yet, our obsession with building resumes and impressing employers comes at a cost.\nEven in our consumer society, there still remains a place for learning for learning’s sake. As a society, we have forgotten that an appreciation for a subject need not always translate to a degree in it, and in our struggle for an interdisciplinary view we have allowed ourselves to become shortsighted. An undergraduate degree should lend students a broad-based exposure to different ideas, while allowing them to focus on one area. Our world demands graduates who can think across many disciplines, but perhaps when it comes to undergraduate majors, less is in fact more.