Requirements
Packet of Forms
(Word Version)
The self-designed major/minor packet is available at Academic
Services, or can be downloaded.
Eligibility
To be eligible to propose a Student-Designed Major or Minor, students
must be in good academic standing (minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average). Proposals to the
Curriculum Committee should be filed before the end of the fourth semester of study.
Proposal
To propose a Student-Designed Major or
Minor, students obtain a proposal form from the Academic Services Center
and discuss procedures with the Coordinator of Advising. 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 s/he perceives 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. This
Committee will accept no 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.
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
the 42-credit Individual and Community Integrated Curriculum 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 a culminating activity, such as 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 the Coordinator of Advising, and then submits
the proposal to the Office of the Provost for review, after which ten copies of it
is forwarded 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 Office of the Provost,
which will communicate the decision to the student and the Coordinator
of Advising. If approved by the Office of the Provost, then the Office
of the Provost should forward a copy of the proposal to Academic
Services. Once approved, any changes in the proposed course of study
must be approved by the academic advisors and the Office of the Provost.