Dare to Double Declare
Bachelor in Paradise? No, Bachelor’s in 4 years with a double major or a minor!
April 2020
story: grant powelson design: megan kozinski
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“What’s your major?” is arguably the most frequently asked question among undergraduate students. At The Ohio State University, students are fortunate enough to be able to pursue a wide variety of programs and interests — from turf-grass management to meat science, there’s something here for everyone. Some students even decide to pursue more than one program or major. Their reasons for doing so might be due to having some extra room in their schedule for additional credit hours or simply because they feel it would help in the workforce. Students might pursue an additional interest through a second major or a minor, or even through a campus organization that relates to their interest. To provide a wide range of experiences and input, we spoke with several different seniors in Fisher about ways they pursued additional programs that complement their business education.
Matthew Bonner: Triple Threat
Majors: Logistics Management and Marketing + History
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Bonner first became interested in marketing after learning about strategy, campaigns and research in the specialization. He later fell in love with logistics after taking the introductory course (BUSML 3380). Although it seems like his conflicting interests might spur a love triangle, this is not the case. Due to Bonner’s curiosity with how the disciplines interact in business, he feels his double specialization is very beneficial because marketing focuses on understanding what drives demand, while logistics focuses on meeting that demand. Additionally, he knew from the start that he wanted to double major in history, as it had always been a passion of his, and it improves his ability to form arguments, conduct research and gives him context to work for a company that operates globally. After graduating this semester, he will be working in the supply chain department for Procter & Gamble while interacting with marketing and sales daily. His graduation date was not extended due to his dual Fisher specialization and double major. Despite taking 15-18 credit hours each semester, he says it was very manageable, but advises any student considering a similar path to plan their schedule out and to get started early.
Colleen Barbara: Aspiring Digital Marketer
Major: Marketing, Minor: Media and Society
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Barbara always knew that she wanted to go into the business world, specifically marketing and advertising, but she was curious about learning more than what was covered in her business classes. Therefore, she decided that a minor in a communications field would help bridge her gap in knowledge and give her exposure to the social aspects of marketing, such as why people buy and how they make decisions. She will be pursuing a career in sales after graduation and is later planning on transitioning to a digital marketing role, for which her minor has given her a foundation. The minor didn’t delay her graduation and only required 12 credit hours to complete.
Rachel Kraynak: Multilingual Maven
Major: International Business, Minor: Spanish
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Kraynak decided to pursue an education in Fisher because she wanted to take classes that spurred both her creativity and analytical skills, and she enjoyed the great variety among her business core classes. In regards to her Spanish minor, she always had a passion for language and had been taking classes since 8th grade, but her interest in the Fisher Summer Global Internship Program in Madrid motivated her to enroll in the minor to improve her Spanish fluency before going. After taking some classes for her minor, her passion for language once again grew, and she is now seeking to become fluent in several languages and intends to work for a multinational corporation so she can put her multilingual abilities to good use. Her graduation was not pushed back either, and she managed her workload with relative ease, taking an average of 15 credit hours per semester.
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Although these three students were able to graduate on time, pursuing an additional major or a minor may delay your graduation and/or increase your course load, so be sure to manage your time efficiently and have a clear rationale for how it will enhance your program of study. If you’re considering doing so, speak with an advisor, and they can help you to plan out the courses you’ll need to take and determine the time it will take to complete. You can also enroll in the introductory course for the major/minor or speak with another student who is currently in the field to see if it’s the right fit for you. Despite the extra courses, these students and likely many others would testify that it pays off when it comes to job recruitment, meeting new people and broadening your horizons.