Multiple Majors Might Not Help in Job Hunts

Some students opt for more than one major to make themselves more marketable to potential employers in a slumping economy.

But Marcia Harris, director of UNC's University Career Services, said having a double or triple major might not be the key to landing a better job.

"Students really have to question why they want to double major," she said. "If they are doing it just to become more marketable, they're really going to be disappointed."

Harris said it is more beneficial for students to involve themselves in a variety of activities and to strengthen their leadership skills instead of solely focusing on academics.

"If they're sacrificing extracurricular activities, having a double major could hurt as opposed to help," she said. "It really is not a case of one is good so two is always better."

Brown University Dean Robert Shaw said his university tries to de-emphasize the pursuit of more than one major. "We use the term 'concentrations,' not majors, so students don't think of themselves as economics students or English students, but just as students."

Brown lets students have up to three concentrations of study at the same time and encourages students to explore different areas of study.

The number of Brown students with two concentrations has stayed constant at about 20 percent of the student population in the past few years while the number of students with more than two concentrations is less than 1 percent of the population.

Shaw said he believes that limiting students' number of majors is a good idea. "It frees up time for students to explore widely in the four years that they have."

But Harris said there are a few double majors -- mostly in the business field -- that will help students in the job market. "The trend is that many employers are looking for business and information science majors."

For students in the College of Arts and Sciences, double majoring might not make a difference, Harris said.

"Most liberal arts majors are so close, having a double major is probably not going to make students more attractive to potential employers," she said.

For students who are interested in several areas of study, Harris said, the University offers an interdisciplinary studies major that allows students to combine classes from different departments to create a single major. However, it mostly is used by students with a particular job in mind.

But in the end, Shaw said, having a double or triple concentration does not give liberal arts students that much of a leg up.

"It's a liberal arts school, so no matter what major you have, it's not really preparing you for anything."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.