{"id":293282,"date":"2018-02-02T08:53:27","date_gmt":"2018-02-02T13:53:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=293282"},"modified":"2018-10-04T12:26:03","modified_gmt":"2018-10-04T16:26:03","slug":"dual-degree-program-gives-musician-engineer-multiple-options-293282","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/dual-degree-program-gives-musician-engineer-multiple-options-293282\/","title":{"rendered":"On stage, in the lab"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"logo<\/a>As graduation nears, Ivan Suminski \u201918, \u201918E finds himself in an enviable dilemma.<\/p>\n

The paths he could follow are manifold. Should he apply to graduate school to continue his violin studies? Or to research the biophysics of the inner ear? Or should he instead apply for an engineering job, knowing a company would likely pay for him to go to graduate school later?<\/p>\n

All are valid options, thanks to the mechanical engineering and violin performance degrees he has been working toward simultaneously through the University of Rochester\u2019s Dual Degree with Eastman program<\/a>. Nothing about the program, moreover, precludes Suminksi from pursuing his \u201cabsolute dream job.\u201d Ask him what he\u2019d most like to be doing 15 years from now, and there\u2019s no hesitation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn an ideal world, I would be performing as part of a string quartet,\u201d the native of Traverse City, Michigan, says.<\/p>\n

Suminksi is representative of many Rochester students. The University puts a premium on interdisciplinary studies, and the University\u2019s dual degree program is one way students can pursue them.<\/p>\n

The dual degree program started in the early 1980s with just a few students. Now, there are almost 100 students pursing degrees from both Eastman and the College.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen an explosion in the size of the program in the last few years as more and more students come to us with interest in two or more fields,\u201d says John Hain, Eastman\u2019s associate dean of academic affairs. \u201cIn the past, the program often provided a safety net for music students who wanted a backup plan in case their music career didn\u2019t work out, but more and more we\u2019re seeing students who have a genuine interest in both majors.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe majors really run the gamut\u2014almost every major at the University is represented in the dual degree program,\u201d Hain adds. He notes that\u00a0English, math, and biology are especially popular in the School of Arts and Sciences, as are audio and music engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer science in the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.<\/p>\n