Undergraduate Policies

Students seeking to earn a double major must complete all requirements for the “primary” major and all required courses in the “secondary” major. Only students of demonstrated ability, i.e. 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher, will be approved for double-major.

The equivalent of at least ten (10) courses must be unique to each major. This minimum course requirement may mean that students have to take advanced electives in one program in addition to the listed core requirements in order to establish the uniqueness of each intellectual discipline and to assure the intellectual integrity of each. At least four courses (12 cr) of upper-level work must be completed in residence at Thomas Jefferson University in each major. The same course(s) may not be used to satisfy residency requirements in both majors.

Students seeking to pursue a double major should discuss their options first with their Faculty Advisor and then with a Faculty Advisor from the “secondary” major. The double-major option must be declared/approved once a student has reached junior standing (60 cr.) and at least one calendar year prior to the student’s anticipated graduation date.

Students must submit the “Approval of Double Major” form to the Office of the University Registrar so the student’s transcript and degree audit will record completion of the two majors’ degree requirements. The form, available online from the Academic Success Center, lists required courses for the “secondary” major. A list of required courses for the “secondary” major, approved by both advisors, must be added to the advising file for pre-certification purposes.

Students may not utilize credits allocated to an option, concentration or designated elective in the “primary” major to satisfy requirements for the “secondary” major and vice versa. Students may utilize credits allocated to a minor or to free electives in the “primary” major to satisfy requirements for the “secondary” major. Students selecting a double major will be exempt from any mandatory minor requirements that would otherwise apply.

Students completing a double major will receive one degree and one diploma. If the two completed majors bear different degree designations (e.g., BSE, BArch, BS), during the precertification process, the student will have the option to select the degree designation that will appear on the transcript and diploma.

A student with a double major may graduate upon completion of all requirements for both majors as described above, or s/he may default to a single major by submission of written notification to the Registrar’s Office and the student’s certifying officer. If a student defaults to a single-major option, the student may then graduate upon completion of all requirements for that one major but may not continue at the University for completion of the second major.

In some cases, the combined requirements of the two majors will necessitate the completion of a greater total number of credits than either major taken separately, and depending on the term-to-term load, the student will most likely incur additional tuition charges according to the standard University policy for course overloads. There is no guarantee that the double major will be funded by the student’s financial aid and/or scholarships. (Students should review all approved academic plans with the Financial Aid Office to establish what courses will be funded.) Completing more than one major will not necessarily improve the chances of admission to a graduate program or increase prospects in career goals. Furthermore, individuals with more than one major can significantly reduce opportunities to explore more wide-ranging elective coursework, internships, study abroad and areas of personal interest.

Dual Degree 

Dual Degree program is designed to offer an accelerated pathway to the two degrees at the same level. The two degrees may be completed concurrently or consecutively.