I don't follow the logic. The author writes "instead of double majoring, you should take all the computational math classes and anything else that interests you, and then major in math or CS depending on which one is easier to get". What if you take all of the courses which interest you, and that just happens to be enough for both a math and CS degree?<p>I assume many people who get multiple degrees do so because they are interested in the topics.<p>That's why I got my triple degrees in math, physics, and CS. Even with years of hindsight, I can't think of which one, much less two, degrees I would drop. I <i>can</i> think of which additional courses I would have taken, but I didn't have the time for them.<p>The author states "you would presumably choose the schedule that maximized this utility to you."<p>Someone who chooses to acquire a double major has presumably done so to maximize utility. The author seems to say that a double major rarely maximizes utility given the available constraints. It's hard for me to believe that the author understands every student's goals better than the student does.<p>Also, the author's statement presumes that students are meaningfully able to judge utility. The number of students majoring in "undecided", or students who changed programs, convinces me otherwise. There are a couple of courses I would have changed in retrospect (eg, tensor calculus), but could not make that judgement before taking the course. Maximizing utility also requires risk analysis.<p>Degree requirements exist because the degree committee (and accreditation organization) believe they have have a better sense of overall utility than most students. I agree with them. And for those exceptions, it's also possible to define one's own degree program, such as Will Shortz's college degree in enigmatology, the study of puzzles.<p>With that in mind, I think it's reasonable to conclude that taking courses which fulfill the requirements for two degrees is <i>more</i> likely to lead towards improved utility than doing the equivalent work for one degree plus a number of sophomore/junior-level courses.