From the third week of October, students have the chance to apply for a double major for a week.
According to the Ewha student regulations, a double major means fulfilling the credits of two majors including the major that the student was initially admitted to. Students can apply for a double major during the period designated each semester. For those who were admitted into a department can apply starting from the second semester of their freshmen year until the first semester of their senior year, but those who were admitted to a division can start applying from their sophomore year until their first semester of their senior year,
Last semester, 1,059 students were approved among those who applied. According to the statistics provided by the Office of Academic Affairs, the department that had the most number of students applying for a double major was Business Administration with 162 students, Economics with 132 students and Psychology with 60 students approved last semester. The process of meeting the standards to apply for a double major is only the start. After their approval, students also have to worry about managing their workload of fulfilling the credits of both majors.
However, not all students can double major just by making their mind to do so. Professor Kim Jung-sun (Television & Film) said, "Being selected to double major in Television and Film is not easy. First, students undergo a thorough examination of their GPA, what classes they took in the past, the grades they received and whether the reason for double majoring in our department is appropriate." Then, students are interviewed mainly focusing on the reason why they want to double major.
In order to major in departments in the College of Music or College of Arts, students have to prepare for a audition or a portfolio of their works. Professor Kim Soo-jung (Visual Communication Design) said, "Professors tend to focus on the level of the portfolio before approving the double major. Students should be able to prove themselves that they are fit to fulfill the standards of our department." Departments in the College of Education also go through a through process of examining the past records of the student, self-introductory statement and academic plans by professors in the department before approving the student. Thus, the number of students approved into the College of Education is relatively lower than other departments.
Students who want and feel the need to study another major but find pursuing a double major as too overwhelming; applying for a minor is also an option. Other students can also double major or minor in a specialized major such as Japanese Language and Culture, Northeast Asian Studies, Korean Studies, Art History or General Sciences.
About three hundred students cancel their registration of their double major each semester. No penalty is inflicted upon students who cancel their double majors but they have to remember to cancel their double major during the designated period before their graduation. "Some students undergo the toil of attending another semester because they neither fulfilled their credits for their double major nor cancelled the registration," said Ahn Yoon-jin, a staff in charge of double majors at the Office of Academic Affairs.