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pros and cons of doing a single degree instead of a double degree? (1 Viewer)

waterlml

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http://community.boredofstudies.org...logy-sydney/332700/atar-below-cutoff-uts.html

^ so i didn't make it and i literally want to cry now :( i feel like a double degree is definitely better than a single degree because you can learn much more in few years time, and definitely more employment opportunities, however i don't see many advantages of doing a single degree instead of a double degree :( anyone have some pros and cons of doing a single degree instead of a double degree?
i just want to make myself feel better :( .........
 

Crobat

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- you can graduate and get into the work force faster.
- your gpa/wam will probably higher to help you get those interviews.
- in business/commerce you can only do cadetships on a single degree (probably the biggest advantage)
 

CaptainPrice

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Remember employers also take into account of intern-ships, work experience and social skills (important for business I assume) as well, so if you're worried about your prospects start hustling now.

I'm not sure about this particular degree, but for double engineering degrees there's a limit on both degrees of how much freedom you have - hence less options for a particular field.
 

QZP

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I had the choice of software engineering vs. software engineering + commerce and went with the single degree. Why?

- Save 1.5 years and ~$15000 in debt (somewhere around that figure)
- Graduate faster and thus get into the work force faster (make money faster, get RELEVANT career experience faster for promotions and what not).
- A dual degree does very little to increase employment rate and graduating salary (you can google these statistics). There is a logical reason behind this, mainly being that employers don't care about the degree irrelevant to the job offered. They'd rather someone with the single degree + relevant career experience. Gone are the days where you could graduate with a degree and have high job opportunities. A dual degree is having less and less worth these days.

The only reason I'd consider a dual degree is if I had equal passions in both fields and did not know what I would want to do as a career, since a dual degree gives you the option of which career path to take when you graduate (though you still need to be competitive by landing internships and stuff during uni).
 
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OzKo

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Yeah, the only reason why a dual degree is practically useful is that you have more options when you graduate.

A dual degree doesn't add value to a graduate because they have little bargaining power to begin with.
 

waterlml

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- you can graduate and get into the work force faster.
- your gpa/wam will probably higher to help you get those interviews.
- in business/commerce you can only do cadetships on a single degree (probably the biggest advantage)
this one yeah!!
 

waterlml

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at least a dual degree sounds better than a single one, don't know if some employers think the same
 

Crobat

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at least a dual degree sounds better than a single one, don't know if some employers think the same
Nah legit work experience is all that anyone really cares about in the end. QZP and OzKo have basically said it - double degrees just give you two industries worth of opportunities as opposed to one.

A second degree night give a candidate a better look on paper compared to an equal candidate with only a single degree, but it's rare any two candidates are the same and nowadays businesses have extensive methods of culling job applicants (wam cut offs, psychometric testing, online application questions, etc) just to get them into the interview stage. The decision to hire someone will largely depend on that/those interview(s), in which they will be looking more at your fit into the organisation than anything about your degree/marks.
 

enoilgam

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Pretty much agree with the above - a degree is a checklist item mostly when it comes to job applications, it's hardly a distinguishing factor. That being said, some degree combinations can be good long term. Like, Commerce/Engineering is good if you enter Engineering and decide to get into management later on. However, in those cases, businesses will usually offer a Masters program, like an MBA, which is a superior qualification anyway.
 

pHyRe

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Why don't you just double major then?
often hard to double major across faculties.

Eco and Finance, or Accounting and Finance is very easy but Accounting and Chemistry is harder to fit in (if even possible with straight commerce)
 

isildurrrr1

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often hard to double major across faculties.

Eco and Finance, or Accounting and Finance is very easy but Accounting and Chemistry is harder to fit in (if even possible with straight commerce)
Double degrees are generally for people who can't make up their minds. I know more people dropping them than graduating with them. You end up making a choice anyway when you do honours.
 

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