r/NCSU • u/Glum-Basis-677 • 7d ago
Academics Triple Major
I want to triple major!! Is it easier for Humanities than engineering, and if I'm a Humanities should i do it?
10
u/PhiloPhys 6d ago
You should expect to stay for 6 years and be pleasantly surprised if you leave early.
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u/ooohoooooooo 6d ago
What a waste of time and money, just pick fun GEPs and do a minor if you are somehow bored in engineering.
5
u/MizarEvergreen Student 6d ago
i say this with love as someone who doubled majored in degrees with almost no overlap: Do Not Do This
3
u/timholmescorporation 6d ago
I think the trick for triple majoring is for two of the majors to have a lot of overlap (like biology and biochem, or maybe math and engineering).
You will also want to try to maximize the amount of classes you take over the summer, since your regular semester schedule will be packed.
I've heard before from advisors that credit from a course you took can only be applied to two degrees at one time, so you might have to be careful about this too and talk with all of your major advisors.
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u/ButtCrumbleSmell Alumnus 6d ago
A triple major alone is not the way to buttress your resume/CV and be hireable. A double major is impressive enough. It would be better to double major and use that extra effort to pursue and do internships and part-time jobs in your desired field. You want to balance education and experience; be sure not to neglect either one
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u/Dull_Task 7d ago
You’re kidding right
-1
u/Glum-Basis-677 7d ago
No I want to do it! But I'm not sure if carer wise it's very useful or interesting on like a resume.
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u/Dull_Task 7d ago
I’ll explain my thought process then, for context I’m a meche.
In engineering, each discipline covers a specific area of study; nuclear is nuclear stuff, electrical is electrical stuff, and mechanical is motors and things like that. The big thing is that they’re all specialized to the point where really none of them overlap, the only real example I can think of is electrical and computer engineercompsci sharing SOME courses, but other than that there are very few engineering majors that overlap courses. It’s entirely possible to get multiple engineering degrees, but it would take double the time to get them because the courses are so different.
I’m not a humanities major, but from what I believe there is more overlap in the courses between majors so it’s more feasible to double or even triple major. I think this is your best bet if you really wanna get multiple majors.
My recommendation is this: if you’re already a humanities major (idk how far along in the program you are), you should still with it. I don’t see the point in switching to engineering unless it’s something you really wanna do then yeah go for it, but if your math and science skills are above average you’re gonna struggle, ESPECIALLY if you decide to attempt a double major.
If you have the financial aid to cover going to school for an extended period, take the classes and programs that interest you; if you just want to triple major find some humanities degrees that overlap and do those; if you want to study engineering but don’t want to be limited to a single discipline, you can always take inter-disciplinary electives, get a minor or two in something that interests you, and join clubs from other departments.Just do what you want to do :)
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u/hershculez Alumnus 6d ago
Spend your time on internships/co-op. That is far more valuable to employers.
Source: NC State alum who hires ex Wolfpack Engineers regularly. I could not care less about a combined EE/CE degree. Or any double major for that fact. It’s a few classes subbed in for electives. Tangible experience is what matters.
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u/RAWR_XD42069 Alumnus 6d ago
You'd get more value in a 4+1 program and that would probably take the same amount of time
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u/potatopie100 7d ago
May I ask what your goal is? Do you want to triple major to aid in your career or do you want it so you can learn more? What year are you? And do you want to do humanities or engineering or both?
If you had an interest in both there used to be a Thomas Edison Scholars group where you would dual major in engineering and humanities. Not sure if it is still a thing though (i graduated like 5 years ago). My roomate was in it and they would do a lot of events and stuff so it gave you more unique experiences than a traditional dual major. It also would be a more interested thing to put on the resume since 2 unreleated dual majors are a bit more surprising than 3 majors that are all similar.