Individualized Major or Minor

Students with well-defined educational goals that lie outside the major fields listed may submit a proposal to pursue a combination of existing courses as an individualized major or minor. The formal proposal must set forth: (1) the objectives the student hopes to achieve by pursuing an individualized major or minor; (2) a list of the courses to be included in the program of study; and (3) a statement of how these courses will lead to the realization of the objectives. The proposed program of study must form an integrated whole. The major must include a minimum of 32 hours of coursework, of which 20 hours must be of the junior-senior level. The minor must include a minimum of 18 hours of coursework, of which nine must be of the junior-senior level.The proposal is considered by a committee consisting of the associate dean, the major adviser and a second adviser from another discipline. If the proposed individualized major or minor is approved, the student would complete the major or minor program under the direction of these advisers. After the program has been accepted, any change must be approved by the committee, which may require a program of directed study or reading or the preparation of an essay to synthesize the coursework.