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The Prodigy feat (from Xanathar's Guide to Everything) states the following:

Prerequisite: Half-elf, half-orc or human

You have a knack for learning new things. You gain the following benefits:

  • You gain one skill proficiency of your choice, one tool proficiency of your choice, and fluency in one language of your choice.
  • Choose one skill in which you have proficiency. You gain expertise with that skill, which means your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make with it. The skill you choose must be one that isn't already benefiting from a feature, such as Expertise, that doubles your proficiency bonus.

If my PC isn't proficient in say Survival, and chooses it for point 1, can I then choose Survival again for point 2, effectively going from no proficiency to expertise in a single feat?

I would think so given "Choose one skill in which you have proficiency" but I'm not sure it applies yet given it's not explicitly stated.

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Yes.

Once you have the Prodigy feat, you have that additional skill proficiency. Thus, you can have expertise in that skill as well. The two occur simultaneously, but nothing prevents you choosing the new skill proficiency for your expertise as well.

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    \$\begingroup\$ This does not actually answer the question. You only state that after taking the feat the character can gain expertise. The problem is whether the bonuses of the feat are applied sequentially or simultaneously. \$\endgroup\$
    – Szega
    Jun 22, 2018 at 9:09
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    \$\begingroup\$ They are simultaneous. \$\endgroup\$
    – V2Blast ♦
    Jun 22, 2018 at 15:53
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    \$\begingroup\$ That contradicts your answer. \$\endgroup\$
    – Szega
    Jun 22, 2018 at 22:10
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Szega: Not really. You gain both benefits at once. You gain a skill proficiency, and you gain expertise in a skill you're proficient in. Given that these benefits occur at the same time, not one after the other, you could choose to make your choices in any order. There is nothing preventing you from picking the same skill to gain proficiency in and to gain expertise (or double proficiency, rather) in. \$\endgroup\$
    – V2Blast ♦
    Jun 22, 2018 at 23:23
  • \$\begingroup\$ That is what sequential is: one after the other. If they happen at the same time, one cannot depend on the other. Nevertheless, I know of no rule or errata that would support either way of thinking. \$\endgroup\$
    – Szega
    Jun 23, 2018 at 12:26

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