Academics

If you have a very specific passion outside of business, adding a second major or minor may be a great way to learn deeply about that subject area and connect it to your business knowledge and goals. Keep in mind that the downside of the double major is that you will have many specific requirements to fulfill and it can limit your ability to try out courses of interest across a variety of disciplines. Your four years at ND will go very quickly and you owe it to yourself to fill your days with classes that expand your mind and soul in meaningful ways.

Approximately 39% of Mendoza students do carry a second major, typically from an Arts & Letters or Science discipline.  Many more will choose to pursue a minor on top of their business curriculum.  We asked the departments offering minors to explain why they feel each one is a good match with the business curriculum. See their connections here to help you narrow down your interests, then read up on the requirements. More information on options can also be found on the college websites:

Arts & Letters majors & minors

Keough School of Global Affairs

Science majors & minors

Engineering majors & minors

Be sure to explore the requirements carefully using the links above and the What If?  feature of the Graduation Progress System.  Update your plan of study with placeholders for the second major requirements to see if heavy loads are required and/or summer school is advisable.  We also recommend you meet with the Career Center to see how to leverage your specific major combination to land your dream job.  And, of course, advisors in 101 stand ready as sounding boards for these big decisions. 

Follow these steps to explore and, if applicable, add a 2^nd major or minor:

1. Read the departmental website and run a What If? audit using your GPS to give you a good idea of what is required. 
2. Meet with an advisor in that department to clarify any questions and discuss the recommended sequencing of courses. 
3. Use this information to update the plan of study that resides on your Google Drive. 
4. The department will initiate an eForm to make it official. 
5. You need to approve the eForm via the link on your Student Academic Tab on insideND.  Please attach your updated plan of study to the eForm, confirming that you can complete all the requirements during a four year period. 
6. The eForm and attached plan of study will be reviewed by an advisor in 101 Mendoza and, if approved, sent to the Registrar to be added to your official record.  This creates a new section on your GPS to help you track completion of your requirements.

Sample Plans

To give you an idea of how the requirements fit together with your business curriculum, sample plans of study are also provided on tabs on your personalized plan of study for ACMS, ECON, DESN and a representative sample for most Arts & Letters majors. Used in conjunction with the What If? feature on your GPS, the sample plans make it easy adjust your future schedules to accommodate the requirements. Please meet with an advisor in 101 Mendoza to review your revised plan of study and clarify any questions or concerns. 

Second majors in Economics and ACMS require careful planning due to classes with overlapping content (specifically Stats) and double counting of courses.  Be sure to work with advisors in both departments to ensure you have a clear picture of the best path.

Students who have decided not to complete a declared second major should drop it from their official record. Email a Mendoza Advisor, so they can initiate an eform on insideND, which you will approve.  This will "clean up" your GPS and eliminate confusion prior to graduation.