Student-Designed (Interdisciplinary) Major or Minor
Student-Designed (Interdisciplinary) Major or Minor
To be eligible to propose a Student-Designed Major or Minor, students should be in good academic standing (a minimum 3.00 cumulative grade point average is recommended). Proposals to the Curriculum Committee should be filed before the end of the fourth semester of study. To propose a Student-Designed Major or Minor, students obtain a proposal form online and discuss the procedures with the Associate Provost. Advisors appropriate to the proposed areas of study will be identified. These advisors will collaborate in the development of the proposal, possibly recommending other faculty with whom the student should confer.
At least one advisor must submit a letter of support explaining what they perceive to be the rationale for the courses listed in the application. The letter should briefly describe the advisor’s collaborative role in the development of the major/minor. The Committee will not accept an application without the attachment of this letter.
The Student-Designed Major or Minor proposal should be carefully constructed. The major should consist of no fewer than thirty and no more than fifty-four credits, at least twelve of which have to be at the 300 or 400-level. The minor should consist of no fewer than eighteen and no more than twenty-one credits. In addition to the major/minor, the student will be required to complete General and Liberal Education Core requirements and accumulate a total of 120 credits in order to graduate. The proposal must represent a coherent educational goal with attention given to the nature of introductory, middle-level, upper-level, and culminating work in the Student- Designed Major or Minor. Each such major must include a methods course appropriate to the field of study and must fulfill the capstone requirements: portfolio assessment and a Senior thesis or independent project that pulls together the experience of the Student-Designed Major.
The course choices must represent a coherent program as opposed to a set of electives. In other words, there is a difference between one thoughtfully arranging courses to comprise a program of study and one freely choosing elective courses. Following the above guidelines for coherence of program content, the student reviews the proposal with their Undergraduate College Coordinator or their College Coordinator, and then forward to the Curriculum Committee. The student may be asked to meet with the Curriculum Committee to further explain the proposal. The Curriculum Committee will report its recommendation to the Dean of the appropriate College for the proposed major or minor, who will communicate the decision to the student and the Associate Provost. If approved by the Associate Provost, then the Associate Provost should forward a copy of the proposal to Student Success Center and the Registrar. Once approved, any changes in the proposed course of study must be approved by the academic advisors and the Associate Provost.
Major or Minor
To be eligible to propose a Student-Designed Major or Minor, students should be in
good academic standing (a minimum 3.00 cumulative grade point average is recommended).
Proposals to the Curriculum Committee should be filed before the end of the fourth
semester of study. To propose a Student-Designed Major or Minor, students obtain a
proposal form online and discuss the procedures with the Associate Provost. Advisors
appropriate to the proposed areas of study will be identified. These advisors will
collaborate in the development of the proposal, possibly recommending other faculty
with whom the student should confer.
At least one advisor must submit a letter of support explaining what they perceive to be the rationale for the courses listed in the application. The letter should briefly describe the advisor’s collaborative role in the development of the major/minor. The Committee will not accept an application without the attachment of this letter.
The Student-Designed Major or Minor proposal should be carefully constructed. The major should consist of no fewer than thirty and no more than fifty-four credits, at least twelve of which have to be at the 300 or 400-level. The minor should consist of no fewer than eighteen and no more than twenty-one credits. In addition to the major/minor, the student will be required to complete General and Liberal Education Core requirements and accumulate a total of 120 credits in order to graduate. The proposal must represent a coherent educational goal with attention given to the nature of introductory, middle-level, upper-level, and culminating work in the Student- Designed Major or Minor. Each such major must include a methods course appropriate to the field of study and must fulfill the capstone requirements: portfolio assessment and a Senior thesis or independent project that pulls together the experience of the Student-Designed Major.
The course choices must represent a coherent program as opposed to a set of electives. In other words, there is a difference between one thoughtfully arranging courses to comprise a program of study and one freely choosing elective courses. Following the above guidelines for coherence of program content, the student reviews the proposal with their Undergraduate College Coordinator or their College Coordinator, and then forward to the Curriculum Committee. The student may be asked to meet with the Curriculum Committee to further explain the proposal. The Curriculum Committee will report its recommendation to the Dean of the appropriate College for the proposed major or minor, who will communicate the decision to the student and the Associate Provost. If approved by the Associate Provost, then the Associate Provost should forward a copy of the proposal to Student Success Center and the Registrar. Once approved, any changes in the proposed course of study must be approved by the academic advisors and the Associate Provost.
