How to Include a Double Major on Your Resume — Pro Tips!

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Obtaining a double major is extremely impressive and is the perfect piece of information to help you stand out on a resume.

Education is often listed at the top of a resume, helping employers to see right away that this is someone who has a vast wealth of knowledge.

In order to format this information to be clearly read and understood, there are a few rules we need to follow.

A double major should always be included in the education section. The education section is typically placed directly under the contact information. For new graduates, a double major may be written with additional details. For those with practical job experience, simply list the necessary information.

 

Does an employer care about a double major?

Employers care about a regular major, so they certainly care a lot about a double. Majoring in a subject in university means that you are an expert in that field, having spent thousands of hours researching, studying, and taking exams.

This expertise is extremely valuable to an employer, who will not want to train a new employee from the ground-up. 

Double majoring means that you are an expert in two fields, which is doubly impressive.

This is especially in cases where the majors complement each other well, such as finance and economics. An employer gets someone who is well-rounded, and flexible in their expertise.

Having a multi-faceted employee is better than having an employee who specializes in only one area, so highlight this fact well on your resume!

 

What is the difference between a double major and a dual degree?

These two terms are often confused, but they mean very different things.

A double major is a single university degree with two specializations.

Students who wish to obtain a double major must be very particular in the classes they choose so they can meet the demands of being a specialist in two fields at the same time. 

A dual degree is the achievement of two entirely different university degrees. For example, a dual degree holder may have a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Education.

This requires many different types of courses and is typically completed in five or more years.  

Be careful when listing a double major on a resume, as you do not want to accidentally give an employer the impression that you have a dual degree. This would be very embarrassing if your employer asks for copies of your diplomas! 

 

How to format a double major in the education section of a resume

The formatting for double majors in the education section depends on the level of experience a person has.

For those who have little job experience, such as new graduates, double majors should be fully written out the possibility of extra details, such as GPA included as well. If relevant to the job, including the minor you achieved is also an excellent idea. 

Education

Vassar University – Double major – (20xx – 20xx)

Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Finance – Minor in Mathematics

GPA 3.8

 

For those who have a more comprehensive job history, the formatting can be condensed to keep a full resume from getting over-cluttered.

Abbreviations for the word “bachelor” is acceptable. On a resume with a lot of experience listed, you want the employer to know your education at a quick glance. This would look like the following example:

Education

Vassar University (20xx – 20xx)

B.A. in Economics and Finance – double major

Minor in Mathematics

 

In either case, it is generally advised to write the words “double major” in this section until many years post-graduation.

This is because it is a very impressive educational feat which becomes irrelevant only after one has gained a lot of professional experience.

 

Can you format a double major in two different lines?

You should never list a double major as two separate lines, and that is because the double major is one degree. Listing a diploma in two lines is correct only for dual degrees, so you must be careful not to do so.

Compare the formatting of a double major vs. dual degrees below:

How should you include additional information in the education section?

Because listing a double major in the education section takes up space, you want to be careful not to overload this section with additional information.

There are a few cases, however, where adding details may help a resume look better. 

An achievement such as magna cum laude, for example, will typically come after the words “double major”.

You could list it as a separate line below a minor, but this takes up precious space on a resume.

You want to keep your achievements listed in the most impressive order, and the most relevant. An example of this is as follows:

Education

Vassar University (20xx – 20xx)

B.A. in Economics and Finance – double major, magna cum laude

Minor in Mathematics

 

Double major and magna cum laude are in italics because they are additional information in this case.

Very relevant information is typically written in non-italics. This helps the reader know where to look when they are scanning a resume.

 

In what order should you list your majors in a double major? 

The key to making a great resume is deciding what is relevant, and what is not. For example, new graduates may include SAT scores on their resumes, whereas seasoned professionals would not. 

When listing a double major on a resume, you have the freedom to choose which major to put first. Decide which one is more relevant to the job that you are applying for, and list that one after the degree type. The degree type (whether it’s a B.A., a B.S., etc) is always listed at the very front. 

In short, the word order for degrees in the education section should always look like this:

[Degree type, such as B.A. or B.S.] -> [Most relevant major], [Other major] -> [Minor, if needed]

When formatted correctly, this helps the employer see the most pertinent information quickly.

Employers should not have to read deeply into a resume to get a feel for an employee, so be sure to keep these tips in mind when searching for a job!