#OmanPride: Omani youth awarded two undergraduate degrees by the University of Minnesota

Muscat: It was a proud moment for Oman when Ahmed Al Lawati was awarded two Bachelor Degrees by the University of Minnesota in May 2016.
After he strongly felt that he must pursue both, engineering as well as the liberal arts with economics as a major, Al Lawati decided to capitalise on the opportunity to achieve this twin dream.
He went on to pursue the double majors, or the two separate bachelor degrees. The 24-year-old graduate simultaneously achieved a degree of Bachelor in Chemical Engineering and one as a Bachelor of Science in Economics.
The university’s Chemical Engineering and Materials Science major is currently ranked fourth in the US for Bachelors, according to US News Ranking.
Asked about the secret behind his success, Al Lawati said, “It was a blend of faith, sacrifices, strategic planning, time management, stress management, resource utilization and, most importantly, having a great support system – family and friends.”
He explained that there are numerous jobs that require such a blend of knowledge and interdisciplinary skills, especially in engineering, management, consultancy, law and so on. He also elaborated on his choice of majors by noting that economics is a social science that can be applied to every aspect of life, explaining its complimentary means to any career endeavour. In order to double major, Al Lawati underwent the rigorous process of fulfilling two different degree requirements, with few overlapping classes. He joined the university in the spring of 2011, and completed the two degrees five years later in May 2016. The key to double-majoring, Al Lawati emphasized, was time management, discipline and perseverance.
Of course, he did have to sacrifice his rest time in order to make up for the strict scheduling of classes, homework, studying, as well as pursuing a part time job.
In addition to thanking the Ministry of Higher Education for providing him this study opportunity, Al Lawati expressed his gratitude to his family and close friends, who supported him throughout his double-undergraduate journey.
Al Lawati is currently interning in Schlumberger, Fahud, and looks forward to joining the local workforce and giving back to the Omani community after his diverse learning experience abroad.