Doubt About Double Major

Yun Seul-Ki
Editor-in-chief
cecilia@dongguk.edu

One day, Dongguk meets Dongsook to consult the matter of choosing a double major. She asks him about the reason why he is majoring in Business Administration.
"Double major? Yes, it helps students who study the humanities to get a good job.  I study Business Administration to enter a big company as a double major. It's a common practice among students. However, it takes a lot of efforts to be a double major. "
But a double major is not so special anymore. Most companies expect it.
1. Reasons for Being a Double Major
According to the office of Academic Support, 2,696 students are double majors this year. 1,835 students register to be double majors for 2006.  Why do students want to be a double major? According to the poll, 63 percents of students answered, "To have an advantage when in job hunting." Thus, being a double major is directly related to their getting a job.
 There are other thirty percents of reasons why students chose the other major.  Sixteen percents of students answered, "Interest in another major," and fourteen percents of students responded, "To transfer to another major." Above all, having an advantage when in job hunting is the main reason.
 Is it really beneficial when in job hunting? "When students apply to a company, there is no distinction between double major and single major on their diploma.  The employers don't know the applicant's first major. So I recommend that you get a double major. If you have an unimpressive major, you'll look better if you have a major," said a Samsung representative .
 2 The Difficulties with a  Double Major.
Students who were studying two majors pointed out several problems.  One is that there are too many students who want a double major.  For example, 144 Economics majors and 190 Business Administration majors are double majors.  Double majors complained that they couldn't register for the classes that they want to.  Single-major students also complained about a  lack of classes for other reasons.  This is because School Authority (SA) reserves a day only for double majors during the registration period.  Some students are registered as double majors and take extra classes. However, they give their status up when they enter a graduate school.
 Second, there is no specific guideline for students. Many students who are interested in a double major have no suitable person to consult about choosing the double major.  At that time there are two choices.  One is meeting with professor and another is talking with their seniors who are studying two majors.  What's more, Dongguk Universiy (DU) doesn't have an orientation to inform students of the double major as well as the whole curriculum.
  DU needs a counselor program like those in Canada and America which offer accurate academic advices.  However, most universities in Korea don't have such a program. "Yonsei University had a program, but it was short-lived because the counselor position is ambiguous.  Students weren't able to meet with professors who could give them proper advice,," said Ryu Byung-Sung in the office of Academic Support.  There are also different opinions between professors and SA.  SA asks some more demanded departments to add more classes. However, they avoid accepting non-major students because they want to focus on their own students.
 Third, there is a discrimination between undergraduate students and double-major students.  One double major said, "Some professors have a tendency to give good grades to their undergraduate students." This complaint can be found  on the web site's lecture evaluation board.
 Conclusion
  The SA needs to inform students better about the double major system.  At least, an orientation should to be held.  The SA needs to consider the number of students taking a class. So they should make a specific plan to guarantee that students can enter the classes they choose.  And it's important that students are fully informed when they choose another major.  The double major program should be organized to protect the students who want to complete the program.

Poll
1) Why do you want to take a double major?
1. To get an advantage for job hunting
2. Interest in another major
3. To transfer to another major
4. Others

2) Why don't you want to take a double major?
1. Haven't decided my future yet
2. Don't have enough time to study
3. Too late to change my academic direction
4. Not priority in job hunting
 
3) What is the problem of a  double major?
1. Lack of information about subject
2. No one to consult with
3. Too many credits to complete for graduation
4. Others

Yun Seul-Ki  cecilia@dongguk.edu

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