In some professions more than others, students may find greater success by actively finding ways to stand out from other applicants.
One way college students can do this is by completing additional coursework during college for the purpose of graduating with two majors through a dual degree or double major program.
A dual degree is a college program where students complete the coursework for two different majors, in different colleges, within the same bachelor’s degree.
Gabriela Munoz is a senior who is pursuing a dual degree of a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in dance with a concentration in choreographic studies, and a Bachelor of Arts in linguistics and bilingualism with a minor in translation and interpretation.
“I have found ways to maybe connect them (her majors), but not necessarily traditional ways to do that,” Munoz said.
Munoz is also the former president and current senior representative of Desert Dance, a student organization, and serves as a peer leader.
“I’ve always been such an overachiever, I like to have stuff on my plate and to just keep going,” Munoz said.
Munoz changed her major early in her college career after seeking more flexibility in her coursework when discovering that UTEP doesn’t allow education minors for BFA dance students.
Her fear of uncertainty as a dance major at the time inspired her to get another major.
“It was the feeling of not being able to provide for myself, ‘What if I don’t get chosen?’ It’s a competitive industry, and that’s scary. So, I decided to add a major,” Munoz said.
Munoz plans to continue her education by pursuing a Ph.D., where she believes her hard work and diverse studies will come together to shape a stronger future.
Unlike dual degrees that navigate degree programs from two different colleges, a double major is where students complete the requirements for two different fields of study within the same college.
Senior Israel Garcia is a double major in multimedia journalism and digital media production, both programs fall under the college of liberal arts.
“I’d say the amount of time I have to put in, with work and my career as a photographer, it’s been hard to find downtime for myself. It’s been a lot handling two majors, but staying on top of my work has done wonders,” Garcia said.
While getting a head start in early college, Garcia excelled in the classroom and took his photography to new heights.
He takes pictures for the UTEP athletic teams but is also a local favorite for high school athletes. With journalism being a “rocky” field to start in, he believed the right move was “to stand out” from the common graduate by declaring a double major.
“Even though I’ve found my passion, this just expands my horizon and makes me more of an asset to employers,” Garcia said.
Whether pursuing a dual degree or double major, both students have faced adversity in their path to diplomas, but they couldn’t stress enough how grateful they were for their journey in a unique way.
Cameron Mason is a contributor for The Prospector and can be reached at [email protected].
