Help out double majors

Quick survey: how many of you out there taking summer classes are doing it for a double major? A double degree?

In today's world, where a college degree is considered a minimum requirement for most professions, pursuing a double major has become increasingly popular for two reasons. As students we often have interests in more than one area of study. At the same time, many of us are looking to land positions in companies and graduate programs that seek versatile candidates who are knowledgeable in more than one field.

The effect is that a lot more of us are spending five years doing undergraduate work rather than the standard four. While there's nothing wrong with a five-year undergraduate education, I think most people would agree that completing their studies in four would be preferable.

I've spent a good number of hours in the past year trying to fit together the jigsaw puzzle of my own double major. As I imagine many of you have discovered, it's a highly confusing process that takes a while to figure out. Thus, based on the lessons I've learned, here are my suggestions for making the UW more "double-major friendly."

Scrap Freshman Interest Groups (FIGs). Friends tell me that in retrospect, they gained little from the two-credit FIG. It didn't change the minds of those who already knew what they wanted to study, nor did it give ideas to those who were unsure.

A lot of freshmen sign up for a FIG simply because it's "the thing" to do. As the Web site says, over 70 percent of incoming freshmen will participate in one. But giving freshmen more freedom to choose their first classes may allow them to make better choices, especially for those considering a double major.

There is, however, a key advantage to the program: reserving slots for incoming freshmen in the primary introductory classes. Obviously, this policy cannot be changed.

Raise the credit limit per quarter.

Why 18 credits? Why not 20? At 18 credits a quarter, the most a student can take is six three-credit classes, unlikely as that may be. A cap of 20 credits does not change this maximum.

What a 20-credit limit would do is allow for a student to take four five-credit classes. While that may sound like a lot, for many majors, twenty credits would be within reason. For example, a student double majoring in psychology and sociology--two relatively similar social sciences -- could fit four classes into a quarter instead of three.

And finally:

Give the engineers a break.

The situation is the same for engineering undergrads across the country. The sheer number of required courses leaves little room for electives or a second major. If you're hoping to double up in mechanical engineering and political science, you'll inevitably be here five years, if not more. But what about something more closely related?

Duke University offers an electrical and biomedical engineering program that can be readily completed in four years. With a few changes, we could have something similar at the UW. Loosen up those engineering elective requirements so they can overlap with other departments. Combine those easier, three-credit classes into a single, six-credit class that can be taken in one quarter.

Of course, what I've listed above is beyond the power of the students to implement. But the roots of change still lie with students. Talk to your professors and your advisers. Let them know that the number of students studying more than one subject is large -- and growing. In order to accommodate us all, it's time to take an active role.