‘X to the Power of Computing’: Celebrating Interdisciplinary Double Majors
In the College of Computing, leaders often talk about a concept that defines the future of the field: “X to the Power of Computing.” It is the idea that computing acts as a force multiplier, exponentially amplifying every discipline it touches.
“The future of computing extends far beyond the tech industry alone, and every sector increasingly relies on computational thinking and digital tools,” Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education Olufisayo Omojokun said.
“Students who double major embody that vision by combining technical skills with expertise in another field. That combination prepares them to solve real-world problems in innovative ways.”
While the national average for double majoring across all undergraduate disciplines sits at roughly 11%, Tech students are charting their own distinct paths. Among recent computer science graduates, 17.5% (596 students) successfully completed at least one minor, and 3.8% (131 students) graduated with a full double major.
“Overall, interdisciplinary interest is high, especially in areas like math, robotics, and economics,” said Bethany Mason, director of computing enrollment.
A Snapshot of Interdisciplinary Paths
While mathematics remains the most common pairing, computing students combine their studies with other fields in a wide range of ways. These combinations reflect individual interests and career goals, shaping how students translate technical skills into different professional contexts.
The top double majors among recent College of Computing graduates are mathematics, applied languages and intercultural studies, and industrial engineering.
Other recent graduates have minored, with Fintech, Mathematics, and Computing and Business being the top choices.
Students pursue degree combinations for a variety of reasons. Elliot Huang (CS and Psychology, 2026), for example, added psychology after becoming interested in how people think. He now applies both fields in computational cognitive neuroscience research.
For Hunter Richardson (CS and Business Administration, 2026), the connection between computing, accounting, and data systems made business a natural complement to his CS studies. He said the combination also helped him during recruiting and will inform his work in Tech Assurance at KPMG.
Oliver Lee (CS and Electrical Engineering, 2025) was drawn to electrical engineering after developing an interest in embedded systems, computer vision, and physical devices. His CS background now gives him a software foundation to apply to hardware and engineering projects.
For Aaron Hung (CS and Biochemistry, Spring 2027), the path to a second major was influenced in part by his parents, both physicians. He has since combined his interests through research in medical labs, where computational methods are increasingly central to the life sciences.
Looking Ahead
The success of these students highlights a clear mandate for the College of Computing: to support and expand these impactful pathways even further.
“Our role is to support those pathways with curricula and advising that make it feasible for students to meaningfully integrate rigorous computing preparation with study across other fields, so they graduate prepared for a wide range of careers and graduate programs,” Omojokun said.
Moving forward, the College is actively exploring how to broaden and formalize more of these interdisciplinary tracks.
“We don't want students to just manually piece together a double major; we want to build structured frameworks that seamlessly blend disciplines from day one,” Omojokun said.
“We’ve already proven it can be done. For years, the immense student demand for combining mathematics and computer science led directly to the creation of our formal, joint mathematics and computing major.”
Looking to the future, the College will use that successful blueprint to design even more formalized joint degrees, helping the next generation of Yellow Jackets change the world through the exponential power of computing.
