Sachi: “Hi, I’m a sophomore in Winthrop House concentrating in art history.”
Students at Harvard should minimize the number of qualifications (such as double concentrations, secondaries, and citations) they choose to get in favor of diversifying the classes they take in college. Choosing a majority of classes based on requirements limits students intellectually and narrows their approach to academic thinking. Undergraduate studies might be the only time that students will enjoy their levels of intellectual freedom. Chasing after a stack of degrees is a waste of the precious time and resources Harvard provides us.
Gauri: “Hi, I’m a sophomore in Leverett House double-concentrating in psychology and government with a secondary in computer science and a Spanish citation.”
Students should maximize their academic careers at Harvard by attempting to get a double or joint degree alongside a secondary, citation, or similar qualification to maximize both their expertise in multiple subjects and their attraction to employers. Career opportunities multiply with the addition of degrees, and it is still possible to enjoy a diverse curriculum while taking on several forms of academic specialization—you just have to be intentional about your choices.
Sachi: The best way to spend your time at Harvard is by taking classes in a diverse set of fields. The beauty of a liberal arts education at a school like Harvard, which has strong departments across the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, is that we can explore more than just one or two academic fields. Focusing on stacking up qualifications instead of taking advantage of the strong across-the-board resources at Harvard is not the optimal way to spend your short time here.
Gauri: I think there’s a best-of-both-worlds situation here that we are forgetting about. Degrees themselves are interdisciplinary. As a first-year, I found myself gravitating toward a few government classes, purely out of interest. Solidifying my decision as a government double major came almost entirely from having already fulfilled several of my concentration requirements, either from first-year exploration or courses counting for more than one requirement. Additionally, several concentrations have tracks that not only facilitate but encourage interdisciplinarity—mind/brain/behavior is a clear example. Out of my psychology concentration requirements, three classes also count as mind/brain/behavior advanced requirements and can be fulfilled through an extensive list of courses ranging from six different departments. This allows me to explore departments while simultaneously fulfilling a requirement—not just completing one goal or the other.
Sachi: Not all of the classes you take here should need to serve a purpose (such as meeting concentration requirements) or appeal to someone reading your resume. Harvard’s limited number of elective and general education requirements mean that there is space in our schedules to take classes purely out of intellectual curiosity. When else in your life will you be able to spend time taking a class on Taylor Swift (ENGLISH 183TS: Taylor Swift and Her World) or GAGA movement (TDM 143: GAGA Movement)?
Gauri: Who says that your concentration needs to appeal to a recruiter? Perhaps a Harvard student’s sheer intellectual obsession with a field is the sole reason for their choice to continue studying it. Additionally, the community that is fostered within a department is arguably one of the best experiences at Harvard, and a second concentration can foster lifelong friendships and academically novel experiences. With only one concentration, the freedom to explore different subjects may seem endless, but this freedom is short-lived. The trap of introductory classes is a prevalent one at Harvard, with many departments such as psychology and sociology excluding students from specific courses until introductory requirements are fulfilled. These introductory courses are often the most painstaking ones in their field, especially in comparison to their arguably more captivating advanced course counterparts. Perhaps you can ignite a spark with Introduction to Sociology, but you might not be able to prolong the flame without taking additional courses.
Sachi: Using the extra space in your schedule to take electives in niche departments is a way to foster those same close relationships while avoiding the trap of the introductory class. Small and mid-sized departments offer opportunities to get to know professors without the full commitment of pursuing a concentration. Students can engage with leaders of these departments by taking electives in them, allowing for academic connection separate from their concentration. If a student truly wants to pursue interdisciplinary study, a joint concentration is a better alternative to a double concentration because of the reduced course requirements. Whereas a double concentration stacks up course requirements, a joint concentration also allows for interdisciplinary study while offering more space in your schedule for exploration due to the lessened number of course requirements.
Gauri: Students from some departments, such as psychology, simply do not have the privilege of a joint concentration. I love the field of psychology, but do not personally plan to go into a clinical or therapy-oriented career. I am therefore interested in diversifying my own career opportunities with a double concentration, an inevitably shared experience of students in other departments at Harvard. It’s hard to widely prescribe concentration structures to students because each person has individualized goals. Therefore, they should expand their horizons by engaging in as many degrees as possible—something that will open doors for many future careers.
Sachi Laumas ’26 (slaumas@college.harvard.edu) is an art history concentrator who won’t shut up about her Animal Behavior class last spring.
Gauri Sood ’26 (gauri.sood@college.harvard.edu) might change any or all of her stated degrees in my.harvard at any given moment.