Overview

Associate’s Degrees

The Associate of Science Individualized Major allows associate’s-degree seeking students to pursue approval for an individualized major during the admission process. See the A.S. Individualized Major admission requirements for more details

Bachelor’s Degrees

Bachelor's degree-seeking students may choose to develop an individualized major designed to meet their needs and interests. Any such program should have a coherent organizing principle that differs significantly from those underlying standard majors. The program must be developed in consultation with a student success advisor and a faculty advocate. The application must be submitted and approved before the student completes 94 credits toward their degree. Students wishing to consider such a possibility must first discuss it with their student success advisor. The student and student success advisor will then request a faculty advocate. If the faculty advocate accepts the request, the student and faculty advocate will collaborate to develop the curriculum, course of study, and learning outcomes. Any such programs must meet all of the following conditions:

1. The proposal must define a coherent purpose or organizing principle based on the student's needs and interests in accordance with the Degree Requirements for a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. The proposal should identify coursework that will allow the student to achieve those goals. 
2. Coursework must be no fewer than 30 and no more than 60 credits from at least two academic majors or disciplines and must differ significantly from all other existing majors. The proposal must make a clear, explicit, and convincing case for the theoretical and/or practical interconnectedness between the departmental disciplines. The proposal must also specify why existing programs of study will not meet the students’ goals. 
3. Because it is required that at least two disciplines or fields are included in the coursework, the proposal must show why the need met by the proposed individualized major cannot be met by any other single major, double major (two stand-alone majors), or multi-disciplinary major.
4. The proposal must contain junior level (300) courses from at least two standard disciplines or fields. In at least one of these disciplines or fields, work at the senior level (400) must be selected.
5. The proposed major must show how all other requirements for majors are met (e.g., the speaking, writing, and computing competencies). The requirements of the major must include the required upper division hours.
6. The proposal must include a culminating experience at the senior level (400), focused upon the organizing principles of the major and in  the form of a senior seminar, internship, or directed study.
7. All general education provisions of the curriculum must be observed. 

The following procedures shall be observed in preparing and obtaining approval for Individualized Majors:

1. The student obtains application forms and instructions in the Office of the Registrar or on their website.
2. The student and the student success advisor review the student’s plan and seek a willing faculty advocate.
3. The student and faculty advocate create a plan with the proposed major’s curriculum, course of study, and learning outcomes.
4. The student and student success advisor will jointly prepare the application, expressing the organizing principle and listing the courses that will make up the major.  
5. If nine (9) or more credits are to be taken from any single program, the program director of that program must approve the proposal before review.
6. A review committee composed of the faculty advocate, the Registrar, and at least one of the overseeing divisional deans will evaluate the proposal. The divisional dean is responsible for forming this committee and calling the meeting. (If the proposal follows a previously approved program, the Registrar will approve it and place it on file.)
7. The student submits the application to the Registrar. All proposals must be submitted and approved before the student’s final term. When the proposal has been approved the student, and student success advisor will be notified.
8. Programs that are rejected may be reviewed through the academic petition process.
9. An approved program may subsequently be amended with the approval of the divisional dean(s) and the Registrar.