Two students, eight degrees: Penn State graduates complete quadruple majors

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Sé Morrisson and Fiona Combs have quite a few things in common. They are both student marshals in Penn State’s College of the Liberal Arts. They are both Schreyer Honors Scholars. They both call State College, Pennsylvania, their hometown. And, as of May 10, they are each a recipient of four separate bachelor’s degrees. 

At Penn State, Morrisson and Combs have each declared — and now completed — four majors: Morrisson in African studies; anthropology; classics and ancient Mediterranean studies (CAMS); and history, with a minor in Arabic; Combs in art, English, medieval studies and Spanish, with a minor in global and international studies. They join a small group of Penn State graduates who have earned quadruple bachelor’s degrees at a single commencement.  

“It’s fairly rare that students graduate with four degrees; we probably have one or two every year,” said Paula Hamaty, associate registrar. “It is a very small number considering the number of students who we graduate.” 

In this Q&A, Morrisson and Combs talk more about this unique achievement, reflect on their Penn State education and experiences, and share advice for other students considering multiple majors. 

Q: What inspired you to pursue four majors?  

Combs: I couldn’t choose between a few different majors. I started with two, then added a third, and eventually added a fourth. There was really no reason not to; I knew I would be at Penn State for four years, so I told myself that I might as well take advantage of the opportunities I had knowing that I probably won’t have the chance to study everything I want ever again. Even if I go to graduate school, I probably won’t have the same level of flexibility. 

I had a personal interest in each of my majors: English, because I enjoy reading and writing; art, because I really enjoy painting and wanted something that was hands-on and didn't require much reading or writing; Spanish, because I think knowing another language is a good practical skill; and medieval studies, I chose mostly for fun because I thought it was a really interesting time period.  

Morrisson: When I declared my majors for the first time, I declared three — which were history, anthropology and CAMS. There is so much overlap between those three, because if someone is interested in studying ancient history, they will be using disciplinary approaches from all three fields. I looked forward to working with faculty members in those programs and getting a better sense of their interdisciplinary approaches to enrich my understanding of the topic in question. Then, in my sophomore year, I took a class on early African history. I didn’t know a lot about the African studies program, but the instructor approached me and recommended that I consider that as a major. Which I did, because ancient North Africa is something that I was very interested in and had already studied a lot.  

Q: With four majors, you’ve undoubtedly spent a lot of time in the classroom. But you’ve also participated in numerous experiential learning opportunities. Tell us a bit about how those experiences have enriched your education, and vice versa. 

Combs: I’ve taught painting and colored pencil classes at the Penn State Center for Arts and Crafts, which was a good opportunity for me to further my interest in art while sharing it with others. I have also participated in multiple study abroad programs, all of which closely aligned with what I have learned at University Park. For example, I studied in Puebla, Mexico, and later took an art history course that focused on Aztec and Inca art, which I had seen in my travels. I went to Peru, where I got a firsthand look at the exact type of art that I was studying in class. I traveled to Ireland, which gave me a deeper understanding of the Irish culture and landscape, which was valuable for my thesis on Irish pseudohistory. Being able to have an experience abroad then come back and study what I had seen helped my learning to be much more tangible. 

Morrisson: I have served as an undergraduate research assistant in the Radiocarbon Prep Laboratory and the RISK Lab, and have worked as a curatorial intern at the Palmer Museum of Art. I’ve also had the opportunity to study abroad. I spent a semester in Greece, traveled to Egypt as part of an embedded course, and participated in field schools in Romania and China. Those were great opportunities to apply what I’d been learning in archeology courses — especially related to ethics and law. For example, in one field school I did a lot of excavation and worked with human remains, which is a very big ethical question in archeology and museum studies. So being able to apply the knowledge that I gained in the classroom to that field school was very valuable. 

Every time I travel somewhere, especially through these programs, I try to visit every museum that I can in an effort to critically engage with them and the way they present different narratives to the public. My ability to do that heavily draws from the classes I’ve taken and from my experiences working as a curatorial intern at the Palmer Museum of Art. Also, during my most recent study abroad trip in Egypt, I certainly drew on what I’ve learned about the Arab world and contemporary history.  

Q: Of all the experiences and opportunities you’ve had at Penn State, which has made the biggest impact on you? How? 

Combs: One of the most impactful experiences for me was my study abroad trip to Greece. It was a week-long trip as part of an embedded course, during which I developed connections with other students in the program. I can say that I met two of my best friends through that shared experience. We’re all interested in CAMS and religious history. We all love cats, too, which sealed the deal. 

Morrisson: That is such a hard question. Penn State offers so many opportunities for students to broaden their understanding not only locally but also globally. This is a cop-out answer, but I don’t think there is any one thing that has contributed the most to what I’ve been studying. Many of the experiences I’ve had, even if they’re similar in terms of subject, have been very different in approach and in what they’ve contributed to my overall education. My internship at the Palmer Museum of Art has contributed a lot to my understanding of museum studies, while traveling to Egypt contributed to my understanding of how Egyptian museums engage with the public. Also, one of the labs I work at on campus has a chemistry-oriented approach to archeology, and my semester abroad in Greece had a very specific approach to Greek history and analysis of classical texts. 

Each experience has been so different, so it is hard to pick one that has contributed more than the others. Every experience that I’ve had at Penn State, even if it hasn’t been something that will explicitly be applied in my future career, has benefited me in some way. 

Q: What advice do you have for other students who may be considering four majors? 

Combs: Declaring quadruple majors really is a personal choice. It’s a give-and-take, between things like taking more classes versus participating in more extracurricular activities versus having time to hang out with friends or pursuing hobbies on your own. If you want to have four majors, my advice is to take inventory of what you want to prioritize. I’m not going to say I recommend declaring four majors, but I’m also not going to say I don’t recommend it. It really comes down to each individual student, what they are most interested in, and what their priorities are. 

Morrisson: If you’re interested in pursuing multiple degrees, you do need to think critically about how the programs engage with each other. How much overlap is there? How will one contribute to your understanding of the others? I would also recommend thinking very critically about how much time you have and how you’ll be able to manage not only the class schedule but the amount of coursework that comes with multiple majors. If declaring multiple majors seems too daunting, you can still pursue interdisciplinary studies — even if it is just by taking one course in a different program. Having multiple majors is great, but it’s more important to know what your limits are. The goal is always to develop a better understanding of what you study and to be passionate about what you study. You don’t want to take on too much and ultimately diminish your enjoyment of your interests. 

Q: What are your plans after graduation? 

Combs: I will participate in another study abroad program in Cambodia this summer as a non-degree student, and then I will pursue professional career opportunities. 

Morrisson: I’m planning to take a gap year and then pursue a doctorate in ancient history or archeology. I really like research, so my ultimate goal is working in academia. I love working with different faculty members now, so being able to engage with universities and research as a professional would be a really great opportunity. 

Q: How does it make you feel to not only have graduated, but graduated with four degrees? 

Combs: I feel very content with what I chose to do. It was a lot of work, but I don’t feel like I missed out on anything that I really wanted to do. I feel very satisfied with how I filled my time in my four years at Penn State. 

I don’t necessarily think that the number of majors a student has will directly have an impact on the quality of their career, but I personally have found it rewarding to be able to study all of these different things. I think that having a variety of interests and a broad education will open more doors for me in the future. There are many paths I can choose; I’m not boxed into one thing. I also think that if you’re pursuing four majors, there is a certain point when it switches from the mindset that you’re doing it to get an advantage in a career, to the mindset that you’re doing this all for yourself and your interests because you find it edifying. That was extremely rewarding for me. 

Morrisson: It feels strange. I’ve been taking so many classes year-round, which has been a constant, so I’m looking forward to a bit of a break in my gap year. But I also feel very proud to have been able to work with all of these departments and to have finished with four degrees. Because, really, declaring four degrees and completing four degrees are two separate accomplishments.  

I'm so thankful that having four majors has allowed me to deeply enrich my understanding of how to approach ancient history and archaeology. I’ve been able to take classes that cover a very wide range of topics — different places around the world, different time periods and, generally, different theoretical approaches to research. In doing this, I’ve been able to develop a much better understanding of how people approach topics related to ancient history, not only in terms of excavation or classical text analysis, but also in terms of how these ideas are then presented to the public online or in museums. Having four majors has given me the opportunity to develop a solid multidisciplinary approach and bring all of these things together. With four degrees under my belt, I feel much more prepared for what the future will hold.