A joint honours program is becoming increasingly popular among students who are looking for a broad academic experience with, according to UCAS, back in 2013 just under 60,000 people applied for joint honours degrees, and the number has only grown since. The ability to select samples of different subjects before narrowing your degree as the three-year progresses attracted me as it does to many students, however, it can be this enticement that is also the biggest burden.
Despite having the same number of modules per semester, stretching beyond one subject can create an excessive workload that a Single Honours program would have planned against. It is this differentiation in subject, teaching and overall departments, that can often leave students with two contrasting experiences of University based on their different subjects.
I can’t help but be paranoid about missing essential content that is compulsory for a Single Honours Student.
However, a student on Combined Honours can benefit from selectivism with modules that leaves them with only the modules they plan to utilise further in their degree. This cuts out subjects that would lack fulfilment or use for a student, leaving their experience more well-rounded and efficient for their own needs. Equally, the need to balance and miss out on modules can be a disadvantage.
I'm fortunate enough to be on a Combined Honours degree where both programs take place under the English umbrella. Last semester I had two linguistic modules and one literature, with this semester the inverse. Whilst the variation is pleasant, I can’t help but be paranoid about missing essential content that is compulsory for a Single Honours Student.
In Literature and Linguistic modules respectively, there are 4 compulsory modules for the first year, therefore I will be missing an essential part of teaching from each program that other students will benefit from. Of course, I was aware of this upon entry to university, but it does not ease the idea of missing an important section of education.
Socially, there can be ups and down to Combined Honours programs too. With Single Honours students sharing a minimum of two seminars, familiar faces become regular, however, splitting time between the two subjects prevents that sense of familiarity. Newcastle University has become good at combatting this, however. During Fresher’s period, there was a Combined Honours mixer, with the University recognising the difficulties and providing an opportunity for students to socialise. There is also a Combined Honours Society in which students are given the opportunity to attend numerous events and further expand social circles.
To me, the differences are distinctive, but not drastic. Whilst there are ups and downs to a Joint Honours program, neither dramatically outweigh the other, with a similar level of pros and cons as a regular Single Honours program. Minor difficulties fail in comparison to the benefits of a Combined Honours degree if it is utilised efficiently. It is these pros that would push me to have no regrets in my degree choice, and absolutely recommend a program similar to anyone who felt the pathway was correct for them.