I'm drawn to Brown University because of its open curriculum, but I wonder which majors are the most popular among students. Does the flexible curriculum influence their choices significantly?
At Brown University, the most popular majors tend to be in the areas of Economics, Computer Science, Biology, History, and Political Science. The open curriculum at Brown allows students the flexibility to explore a wider range of interests, which might lead some students to declare in less conventional fields. However, the popularity of these majors suggests that many students still gravitate towards subjects that are traditionally popular at many universities.
The open curriculum does seem to encourage a wide range of double concentrations, interdisciplinary studies, and exploration of subjects outside one's primary field of study. There are certainly students who utilize the open curriculum to pursue unique combinations of concentrations, or to take classes in areas they wouldn't otherwise have explored, but the most popular majors remain relatively consistent with those at other top-tier colleges. It's also worth noting that many Brown students choose to build upon their major(s) with additional certificates or independent research projects, taking full advantage of the academic freedom the university offers.
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