Frequently asked questions
Why should I study Dual Honours?
There are a number of reasons you might want to study dual honours. For many students, it is so they can continue to study two subjects they loved at school. For others it gives them a chance to study a new subject without having to leave behind something they already know. There are also good career reasons to study dual honours. But, most students take dual honours because they realise they want to have a more flexible degree that will hold their interest and offer exciting opportunities for learning new things at the interface between disciplines.
Is a Dual Honours course more work than a traditional course?
Not really, although you do have to be organised, flexible and focussed. You take the same number of modules and credits as a single honours student. You just divide your time between subjects, usually half and half, although some programmes offer more flexibility. (See the programme details for more information, we’ll need a new web page for the programme outlines, which are already done.) Dual Honours students need to navigate between disciplines and departments, however, and this sometimes can require additional work, although Dual Students feel their enjoyment in their programme more than makes up for this.
Will it be harder for me to find a job after a dual degree?
No. In fact, based upon past statistics, dual honours (or joint honours or combined honours) students are more likely to be in employment six months after graduation than students who graduate with a more traditional programme. Employers recognise the fact that dual students will have demonstrated their commitment, independence and organisational skills by being successful on the course. Also, a recent survey of employers revealed that the things they were most looking for in new graduates were creativity, communication skills, numeracy, positive attitude or a ‘can do’ approach and flexibility. Dual Honours graduates have these attributes and can highlight them on their CVs and in interviews.
How much of each subject do I study?
For most dual honours degrees, you study the subjects equally, i.e. 50% of your modules are in each subject, or 60 credits each year. There is some flexibility as you move up through the course, however, and the programme details will provide more information.
If you study a course that is ‘with’, then the modules will normally be weighted so that the first named subject is 2/3 of the course and the ‘with’ subject is 1/3 of the course.
Will a Dual Honours mean I can’t study anything at Postgraduate level (MA, PhD)?
No. The dual honours course provides you with academic skills in two areas, which means that your opportunities are even wider. In addition, many postgraduate programmes are becoming more interdisciplinary in nature so you are well-placed to be equipped to meet the demands of these programmes and demonstrate your organisational skills and flexibility, as well as your breadth of knowledge.
Is Dual Honours good for doing a PGCE?
Dual honours is ideal if you wish to consider a profession in teaching. If you study at least 50% of the course in a school subject, you will have that subject as a specialism. This means you will have some flexibility with your specialism and may be more attractive to schools when you are looking for that first job. For anyone who wants to teach languages, having a strong academic background in more than one language is ideal.
What courses are available?
Please refer to the list of courses in our prospectus.
I have an individual question, where can I get more help?
Email Ida Kemp, and she will answer as soon as she can.