Are Combined Degrees the Right Choice for You?

Find out more about combined degrees at Chester from Student Ambassador Phoebe.

The idea of going to university is packed full of difficult decisions. Which university do I go to? How will I finance it? How do I apply for funding? But perhaps the most important decision is what course you choose to study. Your degree is a perfect opportunity for you to pursue your interests and do something you’re really interested in, but, at the same time, that can make the decision even harder. Perhaps you’re unsure what to do with your future, or maybe you have more than one interest. The good news is that’s where combined degrees come in handy.

The main benefit of a combined degree is the fact that you can study two different courses at the same time - it’s in the name! Often, these courses compliment each other, whether it’s Creative Writing and Journalism, or a combination of languages like French and Spanish. This means that you can gain transferable skills that can be used on both sides of your course, making for an even better understanding and, as a result, potentially an even better grade! On the other hand, your courses can be two completely separate interests, such as Creative Writing and Drama, or English Literature and Psychology. Don’t be fooled, though, just because these subjects aren’t typically related to one another, that doesn’t mean that they’re not a useful endeavour. These degrees give you the chance to nurture two key interests and open up even more opportunities in the future that you may not have with only a single honours degree.

A concern that is often expressed about combined degrees is how difficult it is to balance them efficiently. It can seem daunting to study two courses, and people may assume that they’ll never have any spare time because of a huge workload. But that’s not the case. Combined degrees operate just like any other degree, and the workload is relatively similar. Universities are strategic with modules, and will only give you the ones they deem to be the most important, so you’re likely to be left with a similar, if not the same, amount of modules as a single honours degree. These degrees are not designed to trip you up or strip you of a social life, and they’re certainly not hard to balance. As long as you keep on top of your assignments, as with any degree, then you’ll be okay, and you’ll find that the benefits outweigh anything else.

So are combined degrees the right choice for you? They're certainly a great option! They’re versatile, they’re beneficial, and they open more doors to your future career. All in all, combined degrees are well worth exploring if you’re interested in pursuing two subjects.