The Multiple Majors Project is funded by The Teagle Foundation in association with the The Multiple Majors Project is funded by The Teagle Foundation in association with the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, & Public Policy and the Vanderbilt University Department of SociologyCurb Center for Art, Enterprise, & Public Policy and the Vanderbilt University Department of Sociology

Southern Sociological Society 2011Richard N. Pitt & Whitney LasterVanderbilt University

Southern Sociological Society 2011Richard N. Pitt & Whitney LasterVanderbilt University

Double MajoringDouble Majoring• The Rise Of A Major Curricular The Rise Of A Major Curricular

Trend Over The Last Ten YearsTrend Over The Last Ten Years• We Know Almost Nothing About We Know Almost Nothing About

The Trend’s Benefits and The Trend’s Benefits and DrawbacksDrawbacks

Is Double Is Double Majoring Creating The Majoring Creating The

Kind Of “Renaissance” Kind Of “Renaissance” Student We Often Student We Often

Associate With A Liberally-Associate With A Liberally-Educated Person?Educated Person?

Are double-majors taking more courses Are double-majors taking more courses across multiple across multiple domains of knowledge domains of knowledge

than single majors?than single majors?

Data And MethodsData And Methods

Undergraduate TranscriptsUndergraduate TranscriptsN=200 N=200 • 138 Institutions138 Institutions

30 Biology Single Majors30 Biology Single Majors33 Biology Double Majors33 Biology Double Majors

16 Bio/STEM & 17 Bio/Non-STEM16 Bio/STEM & 17 Bio/Non-STEM

30 English Single Majors30 English Single Majors38 English Double Majors38 English Double Majors22 Engl/HUMN & 16 Engl/Non-HUMN22 Engl/HUMN & 16 Engl/Non-HUMN

30 Psychology Single Majors30 Psychology Single Majors39 Psychology Double Majors 39 Psychology Double Majors

20 Psyc/SOCS & 19 Psyc/Non-SOCS20 Psyc/SOCS & 19 Psyc/Non-SOCS

Course DistributionCourse Distribution

Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI)(Economic Review 1993; Ellison et al 1997;

Warner and Pierce 1993, Belfield and Levin 2002)

Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI)(Economic Review 1993; Ellison et al 1997;

Warner and Pierce 1993, Belfield and Levin 2002)

HHI For The AverageHHI For The AverageCore CurriculumCore Curriculum

(13 Courses)(13 Courses)

.11.11Non-SpecializationNon-Specialization

Aesthetic Inquiry (8%)Aesthetic Inquiry (8%)Foreign Language & Culture 15%) Foreign Language & Culture 15%)

Historical Analysis (8%)Historical Analysis (8%)Literary Analysis/Composition (8%)Literary Analysis/Composition (8%)

Moral Reasoning (8%)Moral Reasoning (8%)Quantitative Reasoning (8%)Quantitative Reasoning (8%)

Scientific Inquiry (15%)Scientific Inquiry (15%)Social Analysis (15%)Social Analysis (15%)Interdisciplinary (8%)Interdisciplinary (8%)

Others (8%)Others (8%)

Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI)(Economic Review 1993; Ellison et al 1997;

Warner and Pierce 1993, Belfield and Levin 2002)

Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI)(Economic Review 1993; Ellison et al 1997;

Warner and Pierce 1993, Belfield and Levin 2002)

HHI For The AverageHHI For The AverageCore CurriculumCore Curriculum

(39 Courses)(39 Courses)

.31.31SpecializationSpecialization

Aesthetic Inquiry (3%)Aesthetic Inquiry (3%)Foreign Language & Culture (7%) Foreign Language & Culture (7%)

Historical Analysis (6%)Historical Analysis (6%)Literary Analysis/Composition (15%)Literary Analysis/Composition (15%)

Moral Reasoning (6%)Moral Reasoning (6%)Quantitative Reasoning (6%)Quantitative Reasoning (6%)

Scientific Inquiry (26%)Scientific Inquiry (26%)Social Analysis (21%)Social Analysis (21%)Interdisciplinary (4%)Interdisciplinary (4%)

Others (6%)Others (6%)

Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI)Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI)HHI For The Science HHI For The Science

Single MajorSingle Major(41Courses)(41Courses)

.36.36SpecializationSpecialization

Aesthetic Inquiry (4%)Aesthetic Inquiry (4%)Foreign Language & Culture (5%) Foreign Language & Culture (5%)

Historical Analysis (5%)Historical Analysis (5%)Literary Analysis/Composition (6%)Literary Analysis/Composition (6%)

Moral Reasoning (5%)Moral Reasoning (5%)Quantitative Reasoning (9%)Quantitative Reasoning (9%)

Scientific Inquiry (47%)Scientific Inquiry (47%)Social Analysis (11%)Social Analysis (11%)Interdisciplinary (3%)Interdisciplinary (3%)

Others (6%)Others (6%)

HHI For The Science HHI For The Science “Doubling-Down”“Doubling-Down”

(43Courses)(43Courses)

.46.46Hyper-SpecializationHyper-Specialization

HHI For The Science HHI For The Science “Doubling-Different”“Doubling-Different”

(42Courses)(42Courses)

.31.31Hypo-SpecializationHypo-Specialization

Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI)Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI)HHI For The Humanities HHI For The Humanities

Single MajorSingle Major(35 Courses)(35 Courses)

.26.26SpecializationSpecialization

Aesthetic Inquiry (4%)Aesthetic Inquiry (4%)Foreign Language & Culture (9%) Foreign Language & Culture (9%)

Historical Analysis (7%)Historical Analysis (7%)Literary Analysis/Composition (30%)Literary Analysis/Composition (30%)

Moral Reasoning (8%)Moral Reasoning (8%)Quantitative Reasoning (5%)Quantitative Reasoning (5%)

Scientific Inquiry (14%)Scientific Inquiry (14%)Social Analysis (12%)Social Analysis (12%)Interdisciplinary (5%)Interdisciplinary (5%)

Others (5%)Others (5%)

HHI For The Humanities HHI For The Humanities “Doubling-Down”“Doubling-Down”

(38 Courses)(38 Courses)

.24.24Hyper-SpecializationHyper-Specialization

HHI For The Humanities HHI For The Humanities “Doubling-Different”“Doubling-Different”

(40 Courses)(40 Courses)

.29.29Hypo-SpecializationHypo-Specialization

Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI)Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI)HHI For The Social Science HHI For The Social Science

Single MajorSingle Major(35 Courses)(35 Courses)

.27.27SpecializationSpecialization

Aesthetic Inquiry (3%)Aesthetic Inquiry (3%)Foreign Language & Culture (7%) Foreign Language & Culture (7%)

Historical Analysis (5%)Historical Analysis (5%)Literary Analysis/Composition (9%)Literary Analysis/Composition (9%)

Moral Reasoning (5%)Moral Reasoning (5%)Quantitative Reasoning (7%)Quantitative Reasoning (7%)

Scientific Inquiry (13%)Scientific Inquiry (13%)Social Analysis (42%)Social Analysis (42%)Interdisciplinary (4%)Interdisciplinary (4%)

Others (6%)Others (6%)

HHI For The Social Science HHI For The Social Science “Doubling-Down”“Doubling-Down”

(37 Courses)(37 Courses)

.37.37Hyper-SpecializationHyper-Specialization

HHI For The Social Science HHI For The Social Science “Doubling-Different”“Doubling-Different”

(40 Courses)(40 Courses)

.23.23Hypo-SpecializationHypo-Specialization

Findings SummaryFindings Summary• Hyper-specializationHyper-specialization (“doubling-down”) (“doubling-down”)

reducesreduces and and hypo-specializationhypo-specialization (“doubling- (“doubling-different”) different”) increasesincreases the breadth of students’ the breadth of students’ knowledge for STEM and SOCSknowledge for STEM and SOCS

• Both hyper-specialization and hypo-Both hyper-specialization and hypo-specialization work in opposite directions for specialization work in opposite directions for HUMN majorsHUMN majors

• Science majors Science majors are the most concentrated are the most concentrated (HHI=.38) of the disciplines even when (HHI=.38) of the disciplines even when “doubling-different.”“doubling-different.”

• Humanities majors Humanities majors are the least are the least concentrated (HHI=.26) but much of this is a concentrated (HHI=.26) but much of this is a function of the humanities epitomizing function of the humanities epitomizing “liberal arts” knowledge.“liberal arts” knowledge.

• Social science majors Social science majors are in-between are in-between (HHI=29) but less likely to peak in their (HHI=29) but less likely to peak in their primary domain of knowledge than others.primary domain of knowledge than others.