Hey Madhukar!

Hope you are doing well.

Double Major allows a student to get one degree but with specialization in two different disciplines. Example: B.A in History and Anthropology. The student gets only one degree, but have specialization in two disciplines.

Double Degree allows students to simultaneously pursue two different degrees either in the same domain of specialization or two different domains. The courses such as B.Tech + M.Tech and B.Tech +MBA are examples of double degrees of different types.The term ‘Double Degree’ is synonymously used with ‘Dual Degree’.

Difference Between Integrated Course and Dual Degree

In both integrated courses and dual degree, the students save 1 year. Yet there are differences between the two.

In integrated courses, the students get both the bachelor’s degree and master’s degree after 5 years duration. In case of Engineering, the bachelor’s degree is for 4 years and masters are for 2 years duration. In the integrated course, a student saves 1 year. At the end of the course, the students will be given both the degrees at once.

In dual degree courses, the students get their bachelor’s after 4 years duration and the masters after one year. The degrees are not awarded at once as in integrated courses.

Dual Degree and Integrated Courses in India

IIT became the first institution to offer dual degrees in India. The dual degree courses offered in India are

1. B.Tech and M.Tech
2. B.Tech and MBA
3. BBA and MBA
4. B.Tech and MS
5. Integrated Master in Science

Advantages of Integrated courses and Dual Degrees

1. The obvious advantage is that it saves 1 year. The students get employment and start earning a year ahead of others.
2. The cost of education also reduces with the reduction in one year.There is no need to prepare for a separate entrance exam for doing the Master’s course.
3. B.Tech +MBA programme gives management skills to an engineering student. It is an added advantage.
4. B.Tech + M.Tech programme gives in-depth knowledge in the engineering domain, which is demanded in many industries.
5. The students can directly go to Ph.D. after the integrated or dual course in B.Tech + M.Tech

Disadvantages of Integrated and Dual courses

1. The students are hindered from switching their career plan if they do not find the course interesting.
2. B.Tech + MBA makes a student a generalist even in the domain of management. They cannot gain specialized knowledge in a particular domain of management.
3. In the job market, except in few industries, the students from integrated/dual programme are treated on par with a Bachelor’s student.
4. The students have to pursue both bachelors and masters in the same college/university. They do not have the choice to pursue their master’s in a better institution than the one in which they pursue their bachelor’s.

Which is better ? Dual /Integrated courses or Regular courses

The value of any course depends on the prestige of the institution that provides it. Be it a dual degree or regular course, if it is done in IITs and other prestigious colleges/Universities, it will always be respected by the industries.

Now the decision is yours.

Hope this helps.

Choose wisely.

Good luck!