Dual degree courses are a fairly new concept in India and only a few colleges here offer them. They are much more common abroad. These courses allow students to pursue two different fields of study. Whether combining technology and music or medicine
and engineering, this approach empowers students to develop diverse skills, leading to exciting career opportunities.
Environment and Business
The environmental business programme integrates business and environmental science courses, allowing students to learn about management, finance and marketing, as well as ecology, environmental policy and sustainability strategies. This helps students to later create sustainable solutions and adapt to the ever-changing environmental regulations.
On offer at: Yale School of Management, Connecticut, and Wharton School, Pennsylvania, both in the United States of America; and the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom.
Career options: Graduates can work as sustainability managers or analysts. Develop strategies to reduce carbon footprint in organisations by optimising supply chains, implementing renewable energy solutions, or devising eco-friendly packaging. They can also work as environmental policy analysts with government agencies and shape regulations or as corporate social responsibility (CSR) managers, who plan and execute social responsibility programmes within companies.
Medicine and Engineering
A dual degree programme combining engineering and medical studies focusses on subjects such as biomedical engineering, medical imaging, bioinformatics and medical device design. The programme provides a foundational understanding of anatomy, physiology and ethical considerations in healthcare. This interdisciplinary education empowers students to apply engineering principles in the field of medicine.
On offer at: Stanford University in California, Columbia University in New York and Duke University in North Carolina
in the US. Indian Institute of Technology Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, Vellore Institute of Technology in Vellore and National Institute of Technology in Trichy in India.
Career options: Graduates can pursue healthcare consulting, medical device design or research and development. They may work on designing advanced equipment that enhances accuracy and efficiency, such
as developing innovative MRI machines or creating surgical robots that can improve precision while minimising invasiveness. These students are sought after by medical device companies, biotech and pharmaceutical firms, healthcare facilities, research institutions and start-ups.
Psychology and Education
Students will study psychological theories and their applications,
educational psychology and curriculum development, giving them a comprehensive understanding of how principles of psychology can be utilised in educational contexts.
On offer at: The University of California, Berkeley; the University of Michigan Ann Arbor; and Wagner College, New York, in the
US. The University of Toronto in Canada and the University of Melbourne in Australia also provide such programmes.
Career options: Educational psychologists work for schools, government agencies and the private sector. They might be involved with developing instructional methods and evaluating existing educational programmes to see what’s working and what needs improvement. Specific duties depend on the area of specialisation. For example, a school psychologist might provide counselling services or work with students with learning disabilities or behavioural problems.
Computer Science and Linguistics
A dual degree in computer science and linguistics combines the study of programming, algorithms, and computational theory with the analysis of language structure, semantics and communication. Students learn to develop models that enable computers to understand, process and generate human language, a field known as Natural Language Processing (NLP).
On offer at: Stanford University in California, Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania and the University of Maryland in the US.
Career options: Graduates can pursue roles as NLP engineers, computational linguists, speech technologists, semantic web analysts or UX designers. Semantic web analysts organise online information for better search results while UX designers focus on creating user-friendly interfaces, ensuring a smooth and intuitive experience. Graduates with this combination will find ample opportunities in tech giants, start-ups, research institutions and consulting firms.
Technology and Music
A dual degree in music and technology combines advanced musical training with in-depth studies in audio engineering, digital sound processing and music technology development. Such programmes equip graduates to innovate at the intersection of music and cutting-edge technology.
On offer at: Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US.
Career options: After completing the degree, individuals have a variety of career paths to choose from in fields such as audio engineering, music production and sound design for games as well as films. They can also explore the inter- section of music and virtual reality, leading to exciting projects such as creating a virtual reality symphony experience. Graduates will find opportunities in music production and recording studios, music tech start-ups, digital music platforms, events and concert production companies.
