Dual majoring while in undergraduate school is an excellent way to get the most out of your time and money. If you dual major in architecture and engineering, you are well on your way to beginning a career as a licensed professional in a matter of years.
Dual majoring in architecture and engineering can give you more career opportunities, a greater understanding of both disciplines and how they intertwine and can even help you make more money. Although the majors are similar, the process of becoming licensed as an architect is different from becoming a licensed engineer.
How to become a licensed engineer or architect
Becoming a licensed engineer requires that you have substantial professional experience in your field. All your work and studies to become an engineer will culminate in the PE exam, which is an exam designed to test your engineering knowledge. This is an exceedingly difficult exam, and many students take advantage of PE prep courses to ensure they pass the first time around.
Becoming a licensed architect similarly requires professional experience in your field, but students instead are required to take the Architect Registration Exam (ARE). The ARE tests your knowledge of architecture through a variety of methodologies. Like the PE exam, the ARE is difficult and students can take advantage of online prep courses to improve their scores.
5 reasons why you should double major in architecture and engineering
More career opportunities
Double majoring in architecture and engineering will open you up to tons of career opportunities. With degrees in both fields, you will stand out from the competition when applying to jobs who will view you as a highly desirable candidate because of your skillset and wide range of knowledge. This also means that you will have a much easier time finding a job or internship in your field after your graduate, which can help you when earning your license.
Greater understanding of your field
Since architecture and engineering are relatively similar fields of study, the knowledge you will gain from double majoring will work together to give you a very deep understanding of your field. What you learn in an engineering course might help you next semester with a particularly difficult course in architecture.
What is important about double majoring in architecture and engineering is that they build on each other. If you are good at one, you are likely to be good at the other because of the similar skills each profession requires. No matter which path you end up taking in the future, you will be prepared with all the knowledge you will need for success.
More earning potential
A big perk of double majoring in architecture and engineering is the vastly increased earning potential you will have. Since you will have such a well-rounded skillset, you will be a strong candidate for jobs who will pay more for your deep knowledge of your field.
In addition to earning more money after you graduate, double majoring can help you indirectly save money while you are in college. For a lot of undergraduate schools, you will pay the same cost per semester regardless of the amount of credits you take as long as you are a full-time student. Double majoring can help you get the most out of your time and can help you save money by helping you get through school faster.
Bigger network
Another benefit of double majoring as an undergraduate student is the network that it can help you build. If you take the time to familiarize yourself with professors and staff at your school, you will be able to use the connections you have made to land big jobs later.
The more people you know, the better because it can only improve your chances of finding success in your field. If you are not sure how to network as an undergrad, one of the easiest things you can do is send an email to a professor or go to office hours. Emails and office visits help build a personal connection that will make them much more likely to help you find a job in the future.
In addition to helping, you find jobs, a good network can also be beneficial after you have found a job as well. Knowing the right people can help ease the transition into a new job and can help you secure raises or promotions after you have spent some time at a company.
Discover your passion
Dual majoring in architecture and engineering will allow you to find out which one is the right fit for you. By taking courses in both fields, you will open yourself to a broad understanding of complicated material in both fields of study. Once you have done some studying and taken some courses, you should have a good sense of which field interests you more and which one you are most passionate about.
Choosing a career that you are passionate about is important to make sure that you are not just making money — but that you are happy, too. Do not choose one over the other just for the salary. Do something that makes you happy so that you know you will be doing your best work.
Conclusion
Double majoring is a great way to get the most out of your time as an undergraduate student. You will have a well-rounded skillset that can help you when applying to jobs after you graduate. Your wide range of knowledge can even help you earn more money and find further success as an engineer or an architect.
If you are not sure which one is right for you, double majoring can also help you narrow down which path you should take. Once you get started, you might find that you prefer your engineering courses to your architecture courses, or even the other way around. Pay attention for the signs that you might not be the happiest studying a certain subject and choose the one that you enjoy studying the most. Luckily, no matter whether you choose to be an engineer or an architect, you are likely to make substantial amounts of money and find success in your field.