You may complete the requirements of two majors as either a double major or a double degree.
Double Major Versus Double Degree
- If you complete the requirements of two majors and accumulate between 180 and 225 credits, you will be awarded one bachelor's degree with two majors, called a "double major."
- If you complete the requirements of two majors and accumulate 225 credits (180 + 45), you will be awarded two bachelor's degrees, called a "double degree." You will receive two diplomas.
There are two situations in which you are not allowed to double major, but are required to double degree instead:
- If your majors are in two different colleges you must complete a double degree. For example, if you want to double in Economics — in the College of Arts & Sciences — and Business — in the Business School — you must complete a double degree. (Oceanography and Community, Environment, and Planning are exceptions. Consult an adviser.)
- If your majors do not have the same degree name (e.g., B.A., B.S., B.F.A., B.M., etc.), you must complete a double degree. For example, a B.A. in English and a B.A. in Psychology may be combined into a single degree, but a B.A. in English and a B.S. in Psychology must be completed as a double degree.
Overlap Between Majors
Overlap between the core requirements of two majors is allowed to the extent that the major departments involved allow it. Consult departmental advisers.
Overlap with Areas of Knowledge
You need to complete only one set of Areas of Knowledge requirements. In the case of a double degree, when the sets might be different because they come from different colleges, the set completed must be the one that requires more.
As usual, you may count 15 credits from one major department toward the Areas of Knowledge requirement. However, when you double major or double degree, courses from the second major may count toward the Areas of Knowledge requirement without restriction. You choose which major is the one with only 15 credits of overlap allowed. This major does not have to be the first major declared, nor the major coded first on the change-of-major form.
Declaring a Double Major or Double Degree
Both majors do not have to be declared at the same time, although they may be. Visit declaring a major for more information on this process.
Majors That Require More Than 180 Credits
To earn two degrees, you must complete 45 credits more than the number required for the degree that requires the fewer credits, regardless of whether the degrees are granted concurrently or at separate times, and regardless of the order in which the degrees are earned. Normally this means that two degrees require 225 credits, because at least one of the degrees almost always requires 180 credits.
Matriculation and Residence Requirements
To earn a single UW degree (single or double major), a student must complete at least 45 UW credits as a matriculated student. To earn two UW degrees, simultaneous or sequential, a student must complete at least 90 UW credits as a matriculated student.
A student earning two simultaneous UW degrees is allowed a maximum of 15 non-residence credits in the final 60 credits. In other words, 45 of the student's final 60 credits must be UW residence credits. The student is not allowed 15 non-residence credits for each degree. UW distance learning courses do not count as residence credit.
Doubling Within One Department
Double majoring in the same department is allowed only in multi-major departments. For example, a French major may double with Spanish, even though both majors are within the Romance Languages Department. Whether you are allowed to complete both the B.A. and B.S. programs in one department, such as Biology, either as a double major or a double degree, is a decision made by the department involved. In general it is not allowed, although some departments allow a student with an earlier B.A. to return as a postbaccalaureate student to complete a B.S.
Applying to Graduate
If you want to complete two majors or degrees, you should plan to graduate in the two programs simultaneously. If you graduate with one degree and not the other, you would have to apply for readmission to the University as a postbaccalaureate student to complete a second degree, and it is very difficult to be admitted as a postbaccalaureate student. Contact the Office of Admissions for more on postbaccalaureate status.
You'll need to work with both of your departments to apply to graduate since both of them need to submit a graduation application. This is the case regardless of whether it's a double major or a double degree. There is a place on the application for the adviser to indicate whether it's a double major or degree.
Double Degrees and the 210-credit Policy
Since a double degree requires a minimum of 225 credits, you may run afoul of the 210-credit satisfactory progress policy. The registration hold associated with the 210-credit policy can be removed either by submitting a graduation application or a 210-credit petition.
Transcripts and Diplomas
A double major will read on the transcript, for example: "Bachelor of Arts (English; Political Science)" You will receive one diploma that says "Bachelor of Arts." In general, majors are not posted on diplomas.
A double degree will read, for example: "Bachelor of Arts (English)" and "Bachelor of Arts (Political Science)." You will receive two diplomas. In this case, because otherwise the two diplomas would be identical (i.e., they're both B.A.'s), the majors would be posted on the diplomas.
Honors
You may complete a double major or double degree in which just one of the majors is honors, and may use the College Honors general education requirements for both. In the case of a double major with English as the honors department, for example, the transcript will read (for departmental honors), "Bachelor of Arts (English; Political Science), With Distinction in English" or (for college honors), "Bachelor of Arts (English; Political Science), With College Honors in English."
Majors are listed on the diploma if awarded with honors. The diploma would read "Bachelor of Arts, With Distinction in English" or "Bachelor of Arts, With College Honors in English."
Triple Majors and Triple Degrees
Triple majors and degrees, and beyond, are also allowed. For a triple degree, you must accumulate 90 credits beyond the number required for one degree. Each additional degree, in other words, requires 45 additional credits. Otherwise, all the rules above apply. You may also complete a double degree in which one or both of the degrees are double majors.
