Individualized majors are strongly discouraged and they are approved only when they propose a course of study that would be impossible to do within the current structure of majors, minors, and electives required of School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) students. Within the existing structure of majors, students are free to specialize while fulfilling the general requirements for an existing, approved SAS major. Appropriate courses in a minor and electives can provide the sought-after multidisciplinary supplementation to the particular focus of the major.
Students who wish to pursue individualized majors in the liberal
arts and sciences other than those regularly available through SAS may make an application in writing to the SAS dean for
undergraduate education.
The individualized major should be designed in consultation with a major faculty adviser from SAS and two additional academic sponsors from at least two different departments, at least one of which must be another SAS department.
Applications
must include a statement of purpose and learning goals, a proposed program of
courses, and the signatures of the three faculty sponsors. An individualized major must consist of at least 36 credits:
ordinarily, at least two-thirds of these credits must be taken in SAS courses;
three-quarters must be at the 300 level or above; and at least one course must
be taken as an independent study in the senior year under the direction of the SAS
faculty adviser, for the purpose of integrating the work comprising the major.
Application forms for the individualized major can be obtained by special request from
the Office of Academic Services of the School of Arts and Sciences.
Satisfactory completion of this major leads to a bachelor of arts
degree and will appear on the student's transcript simply as individualized major.
