Not sure of what degree to study at university? Are you interested in more than one field of study? Do you enjoy multiple interests at once? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then a joint honours degree would be perfect for you! Deciding what to study for the next three years at minimum, can e extremely difficult. So, read on to find out why you should study for a joint honours degree.
What is a joint honours degree?
A joint honours degree is when you study more than one subject as a single qualification. This means you will learn about each subject equally. As a result, you will earn a degree that specialises in more than one area of expertise. For example, a common joint honours degree is History and Politics.
Many universities offer prospective students the opportunity to study a joint honours degree. All you have to do is explore your chosen university’s website in order to find out what joint honours degrees they have to offer. There is a range of joint honours degrees to study! You can study a joint honours in which the subjects complement one another like, PPE. Or you can choose to study one where the subjects completely differ from one another. The choice is up to you!
The benefits
There are many benefits of studying a joint honours degree!
- First and foremost, this may sound obvious but an overarching benefit is having expertise knowledge in more than one subject.
- Another benefit is that it solves the dilemma of having to weigh up between courses you want to study. It is perfect for people who want to study more than one subject as they want to go beyond what a single honours degree can offer. For instance, if you like English but also want to learn more about History then, a joint honours degree would be great for you.
- Another benefit is that it gives you the opportunity to choose modules you want to study and avoid other modules. Unlike a single honours degree, studying a joint honours degree sometimes gives you the option to not study modules that otherwise would have been compulsory.
- Also, it potentially makes you stand out to future employees as you have knowledge across different subjects which may make you appear more well-rounded.
- Choosing a degree at university is an important decision so, a joint honours degree means you can figure out what you like and dislike. Hence, eventually (by 3rd year) you should be able to choose which discipline you want to focus on.
The downsides
Although there are many benefits, some people argue that there are downsides to studying a joint honours degree.
- Since a joint honours degree involves more than one subject, this means you have to deal with multiple departments. There may be administration problems, timing problems and clashes in schedules. For instance, you may have a reading week in one subject and not in the other.
- Some people like the idea of having to specialise and go into depth in one subject. Depending on how interested you are in a certain subject, a joint honours degree may provide you with more breadth than depth.
- Some may argue that there is more workload. For example, you have to prepare for exams for complete different subjects and you may have to learn more than one referencing style.
So, is a joint honours for you?
Joint Honours degrees are suited for people who are uncertain about the choice of subjects. Moreover, you may like more than one topic and want to study them together. Personally, I chose to study a joint honours degree, History and Politics, since I enjoyed studying them both for my A levels. Simply, you may just want to study more than one subject. So if you fit into any of these categories, studying for a joint honours degree would be perfect for you.
Know what you want to study but aren’t quite sure where? Check out our student recommendations for picking a university.
