TOP CHOICE: Harvard University offers some attractive dual degree courses

Have you ever felt that pursuing your core academic programme along with a professional course like an MBA will help you land a job faster? Or are you interested in not one, but two academic disciplines, and are keen to pursue higher studies in both? Well, if you are applying to American universities, dual degree programmes might just be the answer to your prayers.

Dual degrees (also referred to as ?double?, ?combined? or ?joint? degrees) are essentially degree courses combining two areas of study. Different universities have different structures for dual degree courses. A dual degree course may combine two majors, a professional course like an MBA or an MD and a masters degree in arts or science, two professional courses or a masters degree and a PhD. For instance, at the University of Michigan School of Information, you can opt for a dual degree programme that combines a masters in information (MI) with a postgraduate degree in a different area of specialisation. For the other degree, you can choose from options like a Juris Doctor (JD) degree, a Medical Degree (MD), a masters in business administration (MBA) course, a master of science (MS) in nursing business and health systems, a masters in social work (MSW) and a masters in public policy.

Law students are apparently spoilt for choice. At least 30 US law schools offer dual degree programmes. These include various combinations of LLB, PhD, MBA, MSW, master of public health (MPH), master of public administration/affairs (MPA), master of urban planning (MUP), bachelor of civil law (BCL), master of education (MEd), master of public policy (MPP) and MA in economics, political sciences, journalism and other subjects.

So, what are the advantages of a dual degree programme? To begin with, you can save time. You will take less time to complete the courses than what is needed to pursue the degrees separately. Moreover, combined courses may cost you less. ?Although the tuition fee for a dual degree is the same as the amount you have to pay for both courses separately, the cost of living gets reduced. And that?s quite a lot of money actually,? says Sevanti Narayan, educational consultant, USEFI, Calcutta.

Besides, a dual degree might prepare you better for the job market. For instance, the dual degree programme at the University of Tennessee offering an MS in an engineering discipline along with an MBA is bound to land you a high-flying job. Similarly, Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Harvard Business School (HBS) have a joint MD/MBA programme. As Narayan puts it, ?Such programmes produce just the kind of students companies dream of. They possess technical knowhow as well as a solid understanding of business affairs.?

If you wish to pursue a course in the distance learning mode, you could opt for Indiana University, which has a distance-learning dual-degree scheme that combines an MBA and a masters in international management (MIM) programme.

However, a dual degree may not be everybody?s cup of tea. For admission to a dual degree programme, you have to meet the eligibility criteria required for both areas of specialisation. Passing a dual degree programme is also not very easy. One has to put in a lot of work hard. In fact, most universities make it very clear that such programmes are really meant for those who are brilliant in academics.

Students shy away from dual degrees for other reasons too. Take Anand Raj Singh, who has passed his BCom and is planning to go for a one-year diploma course in management in the US. Though he agrees that dual degrees are ?immensely helpful?, Anand is not willing to cope with the workload. ?It would be too hectic,? he says.

But if you are confident that you have the ability to cope with the academic pressure, then go for a dual degree programme and reap the benefits.